Eyes on secured units after man's escape

Apr. 13, 2012, Newark Advocate

By JESSICA ALAIMO
CentralOhio.com

HEATH -- Ohio nursing homes don't have to accept potentially dangerous and violent patients like the man who escaped from a secured unit in a Heath facility Thursday, forcing schools to close and putting residents on edge.

John J. Stroud, 53, was found in Heath and taken into custody Thursday night.

The Heath Nursing Care Center could have refused care for Stroud if staff didn't think they could provide the necessary level of security, said Jane Straker, a senior research scholar at Miami University's Gerontology Center.

Locked units are common in nursing homes across the state, but they are not for prisoners. They're for people who need specialized care in a secure setting, and those living there are free to sign out -- either on their own or with permission of a family member -- at any time.

Read more in the Newark Advocate.

Argument preferred form of combat for Democrat Jim Reese

COLUMBUS -- There was one more speaker waiting his turn at a February congressional forum in Newark when the crowd began to leave.

The event was sponsored by the Licking County Tea Party in a Republican county, with two GOP contenders debating first.

Disheartened, Democrat Jim Reese, of Gahanna, took the stage alone. His primary opponent was a no-show.

Read more in the Newark Advocate.

Tea partiers not as noisy, but still hope to be heard

Mar. 4, 2012, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

In 2012, they’ve spent less time chanting “don’t tread on me,” less time painting the words “socialism” and “communism” on signs adorned with Barack Obama’s face, and less time organizing bus trips to Washington.

Some political observers say the tea party is fading into the background, but its members say the movement merely has grown up.

“We’ve changed because we’ve become more sophisticated, more educated,” said Tom Zawistowski, president of the Ohio Liberty Council, a coalition of tea party groups across the state. “We’ve spent two years going to school about how our democracy really works.

“People are confused because they don’t see us standing outside with signs yelling and shouting.”

The main reason for laying down the protest signs, said Chris Littleton, former president of the Ohio Liberty Council, was that the members didn’t think they were having much influence.

“We were naive to think that they (incumbent politicians) cared about our voices,” Littleton said. “They didn’t care about our voices, they cared about how it (the movement) would affect their election.”

So, Littleton said, tea party members stopped protesting, and started campaigning.

They lost everything

Dec. 7, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

Ursula Harris was not the type of person you’d expect to meet at a homeless shelter.

At a first meeting, she sat in the corner of the Salvation Army shelter in Newark. She wore makeup, nice clothes and jewelry. She spoke confidently and was willing to be photographed.

Harris, her daughter and her grandkids found themselves at the shelter after they were evicted from their home in Pataskala. It was a nice home, and they lost everything.

This wasn’t the first time Harris fell on hard times — several years ago, she was foreclosed on after losing her job — but it was her first time homeless.

She had been in the shelter for less than a week, and she’ll be out soon, she said — and stronger for the experience.

Harris is a former financial broker. She worked for herself, and when the economy collapsed, so did her finances.

Map shift brings Schaffer back

Oct. 1, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo and Carl Burnett Jr.

CentralOhio.com

NEWARK — Republicans moved the borders of Ohio’s new legislative districts Friday, putting state Sen. Tim Schaffer back into Licking County, although he won’t live in his remodeled district.

The moves cleared the way for state Rep. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, to seek his former Senate seat in 2014 when term limits force Schaffer, R-Lancaster, out of the Senate and Hottinger out of the House. Hottinger confirmed he might run for the Senate in 2014, a seat he once had for eight years.

Friday’s changes came after several politicians didn’t like what they saw when the new state legislative districts were announced this past week by the Apportionment Board.

OSU games, other events featuring beefed up security

Sept. 11, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

COLUMBUS — As you try to balance a drink and a hot dog in your hands while forming the “O,” you never know — the “H” next to you could be a plain-clothes security officer.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, security has been beefed up at Ohio State University football games, and any other event in the state that attracts thousands of people.

“Football games have a high concentration of people. Certainly that’s something that al-Qaida or those supported by them may want to target,” said Robert Glenn, head of Ohio’s Homeland Security office.

Schools, others work to find ways to help poor overcome obstacles

Aug. 12, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

NEWARK — A large portion of residents in Licking County can’t even think about saving for a down payment on a house or college tuition for their 10-year-old.

This is because they might not know how they’re going to feed their family tomorrow.

Those in poverty don’t just have less money than those in other economic classes. They speak a different language and live in a different culture. All of their actions involve living for the here and now because they never can be completely sure if they will survive to see next week.

Bridges Out of Poverty consultant Chris Ramsey didn’t need to explain this concept to the 20 people sitting around a conference room table Thursday.

PUCO staff opposes AEP proposed rate increase

Aug. 9, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

American Electric Power is asking too much of its customers in its proposed rate increase, staff members of a key state agency argued this past week.

In addition to the increase in base rates, AEP also is requesting for numerous riders, or extra charges.

Public Utilities Commission of Ohio staff came out against AEP’s proposal Thursday in a series of testimonies.

Next, the proposal will go before the full commission, which will issue a decision by the end of the year.

GOP moving too fast on union bill, some Republicans complain

June 6, 2011, Newark Advocate

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

A measure to overhaul Ohio’s collective bargaining laws is being rushed through the Legislature too fast, some Republican state senators say.

The bill, which would limit the scope of issues public employees could bargain on and prohibit strikes, was approved by the Ohio Senate three weeks after it was introduced by state Sen. Shannon Jones, R-Springboro.

It passed through committee and the full Senate on Wednesday despite requests for additional hearings. The bill now before the Ohio House.

State Sen. Tim Grendell, R-Chesterland, said Senate Republicans didn’t even meet in caucus to discuss the final version of the bill before it hit the floor. Grendell was one of six Republicans opposing the bill.

Proposal would allow ads on school buses

May 25, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

NEWARK — Cash-strapped school districts could have the right to sell advertising on the outside of school buses under a law proposed last week.

State Sen. Joe Schiavoni, D-Canfield, said anything that can help a school buy a new computer or textbooks or not lay off a teacher is a positive, with school districts facing less revenue.

However, a national interest group is fighting the proposal in Ohio and several other states, claiming the small revenue boost is not worth the exploitation of captive audience of students.

Bill would allow concealed weapons on corps properties

May 21, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

When Congress voted to allow guns in Ohio’s national parks in 2010, it did not include lands owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville, wants to make sure people otherwise allowed to carry firearms can take them into these properties as well.

Gibbs’ 18th District includes all or part of 16 counties in rural southeastern Ohio, including Coshocton, Muskingum, Ross and Licking counties. Gibbs recently introduced the “Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act.”

High school harder than it used to be

May 11, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

High school is more difficult than it was in 1990.

Students have to take more classes and more difficult classes.

Some students no longer wait to have a diploma in hand before college begins.

The National Center for Education Statistics examined the transcripts of 2009 high school graduates across the country.

According to the report, students averaged 420 more hours of instruction than those in 1990, with more emphasis on math and science courses.

Local governments get more details on cuts

Apr. 21, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

Ohio municipal governments found out more details last week about the steep cuts they could face under Gov. John Kasich’s proposed budget.

The Ohio Department of Taxation released figures showing the depth of the cuts from the proposed accelerated phase-out of state reimbursements for certain taxes for Ohio’s counties, cities, villages and townships.

Kasich’s proposal also calls for the local government fund, which provides state assistance to government entities, to be cut in half by the end of the next biennium.

Tiberi: Interim budget likely to be adopted

Apr. 12, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

This year’s federal spending debate will be a drama in three acts, said U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi, who represents part of Licking County.

The first act concluded early Saturday, when Congress passed an 11th-hour deal averting a federal government shutdown. The stopgap measure includes about $39 billion in cuts.

The second debate also is under way, with the release of the Republican budget proposal for federal fiscal year 2012 last week.

Finally, this summer or fall, Congress will decide whether to raise the federal debt ceiling.

Chief justice seeks changes in how Ohio appoints, elects judges

Apr. 3, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

Although Ohioans elect their judges, three of the seven jurists in Licking County initially were given their robes by a governor.

Statewide, about one-third of those on the bench today got their start through a gubernatorial appointment, Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said.

For this reason and others, O’Connor has proposed several changes to keep the politics off the bench. Her proposed reforms include:

» Requiring a bipartisan judicial appointment recommendation panel to approve all midterm gubernatorial appointees.

» Requiring state Senate confirmation of Supreme Court appointees.

» Eliminating party labels from the primary ballot.

Official: Federal budget cuts would gut Ohio poison control centers

Apr. 1, 2011, Newark Advocate

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

The Central Ohio Poison Control Center — frequently a lifeline for those poisoned by opiates and addictive prescription drugs — stands to lose almost one-third of its funding under the proposed federal budget.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the first version of the budget in February. Among the cuts were $27.3 million — 90 percent of funding — to poison control centers nationwide, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

As poison control awareness week concluded last week, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, called for a full restoration of funding to the centers. He has an unusual ally — Attorney General Mike DeWine, a former Republican senator defeated in 2006 by Brown.

DeWine authored the legislation establishing a national poison control hot line in 2002.

Rural Ohio communities live without broadband

Feb. 21, 2011, Newark Advocate

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

People living in Appalachia are more likely to get inky fingers while reading this story. That’s because they’re less likely to be reading it on a high-speed Internet connection.

Overall, 99.3 percent of Ohio residents have access to high-speed connections, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The state has the 13^th highest penetration rate among the 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.

However, 30 of Ohio’s 88 counties have at least some households with no broadband providers. Most of those counties are in southeastern Ohio.

Faced with state cuts, governments urged to consolidate

Jan. 29, 2011, Newark Advocate

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

NEWARK — Ohio sends millions to government agencies in Licking County each year for both day-to-day operations and special projects. However, as lawmakers struggle to close an $8 billion budget deficit, the future of subsidies to local schools, counties and cities is up in the air.

This year, legislators might push consolidation efforts, urging governments to share services with their neighbors.

Licking County agencies received $298.3 million from the state in fiscal year 2010 to run schools and local government services. In addition, $27.8 million in state funds was used for capital expenses, according to the state’s Legislative Service Commission.

No one is sure how this number will change as Ohio lawmakers scramble to mend the budget gap.

MAKING HIS OWN SPACE IN CONGRESS

Jan. 23, 2011, Newark Advocate

BY JESSICA ALAIMO

CentralOhio.com

Zack Space was undecided on a monumental piece of legislation, and everyone wanted his ear.

On March 19, he rang up some constituents. He was voting against the health care bill. His decision was final.

His cell phone rang 10 minutes later. Space, who had just started his fourth year at the Capitol, had to tell President Barack Obama no, he did not support the bill coming up for a final vote.

Next, Space called his priest.

It’s hard to be a centrist in Washington.

Space was elected to the U.S. House in the 2006 wave that brought Democrats to power in Congress. In November, he was cast out when the tides reversed. U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville, beat him by 13 percentage points. Space even lost his hometown of Dover by 83 votes.

GOP looks to end Ohio estate tax

Jan. 12, 2011, Newark Advocate

BY JESSICA ALAIMO AND RUSS ZIMMER

CentralOhio.com

COLUMBUS — A bill was introduced Tuesday at the Statehouse to eliminate Ohio’s estate tax, also known ominously as “the death tax” by its detractors.

The state’s estate tax is the strictest in the nation, said state Rep. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, one of the bill’s sponsors.

Although the federal government doesn’t tax estates worth less than $5 million, Ohio starts taxing estates at $338,000. This includes everything: cash assets, property, land and machinery.

Hottinger and state Rep. Cheryl Grossman, R-Grove City, rolled out a plan Tuesday to repeal the tax at a Statehouse news conference. Gov. John Kasich also supports the measure.