Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Romney/Portman ticket: The 'bland leading the bland?'

June 15, 2012, Marion Star

By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com

NEWARK - U.S. Sen. Rob Portman's appearances around Ohio with GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney are, in a way, an audition for the vice presidency.

The Romney campaign will be watching Portman's campaign style, and critiquing his ability to stay on message.

The pair will stop in Newark Sunday for a rally on the Licking County Courthouse Square, among other stops.

Read more in the Marion Star. 

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Health care law ruling a concern for Fairfield County hospitals

June 10, 2012, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette

By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com


Ohio's community hospitals eagerly are awaiting the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and its insurance mandate.


If the court affirms the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and mandate, hospitals expect to be paid for more patients, although lower government reimbursement rates will cut into those revenues.


If justices rule against the mandate, hospitals face continued demand for uncompensated care to the uninsured, lower reimbursements and a renewed political fight over how to care for their communities at a time of rapid change, increasing costs and, in some markets, more competition.


Monday, June 4, 2012

Coming soon: grades for teachers

June 3, 2012, Chillicothe Gazette

By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com

The education community has known teacher evaluations were coming for quite some time.

Even so, many fear the deadline for establishing an evaluation system is coming up too quickly and amid too many other changes.

All school districts must have teacher evaluation systems in place by the 2013-14 school year.

The teacher evaluations come as other major education reforms also are being implemented. These include new curriculum standards and new assessments, which are expected to be in place by the 2014-15 school year.

Read more in the Chillicothe Gazette. 

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Protecting officers goal of Blue Alert

June 2, 2012, Port Clinton News Herald

By Jessica Alaimo
CentralOhio.com

If a police officer goes missing, or if one has been injured with a suspect at large, Ohio now has a tool to alert the public.

It's called a Blue Alert, and after a test showed no issues with it Friday, it is now live.

Managed by the Ohio Department of Public Safety and the Ohio Amber Alert Steering Committee, it works like this: Once an officer is missing or injured, public safety officials enter the details into the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System.

Read more in the Port Clinton News Herald.