At Chillicothe food bank, demand keeps increasing

Dec. 4, 2011, Chillicothe Gazette

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

CHILLICOTHE — Space is cramped at the Seventh-day Adventist Church. There are two adjoining rooms, both about the size of a doctor’s office examination room, that hold the church’s clothing and food bank. There’s no waiting room.

Clients line the perimeter of the clothing room, some standing, some sitting cross-legged on the floor, waiting for their turn to go into the food bank.

When their names were called, the clients would go into the other small room with two volunteers.

Together they would pick food off the shelves — seldom more than an arm’s length away, and place it in a box sitting on a table in the middle of the room.

School an oasis for kids who are poor

Dec. 4, 2011, Chillicothe Gazette

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

CHILLICOTHE — There’s not much in the Huntington Local School District except farm land and residential area, so the district’s three buildings are more than just educational centers. They’re the hub of the community.

As the economy deteriorated, the schools have taken on a new role: social service agency.

When some students attend school, Superintendent Jerry Mowery said, it might be the only good part of their day. It might be the only place they feel safe. It might be the only time during the day they eat a balanced meal.

Food for hungry, help for jobless

Dec. 4, 2011, Chillicothe Gazette

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

CHILLICOTHE — There wasn’t a long wait to get a free lunch at the Carver Community Center, but after one long folding table was vacated, another group or family was ready to sit down.

On a sweltering summer day, a steady stream of people came through for a smoked sausage sandwich, a vegetable medley and peaches from a can. As the kitchen opened, head cook Cheryl Hitchens just had finished preparing 300 meals to send out to area summer youth programs.

As she showed off the kitchen, a volunteer interrupted. One of the schools needed five more.

The demand just grows, Hitchens said. On average, the center will serve about 3,000 meals each month to low-income people.

In western Pike County, people do what it takes

Dec. 4, 2011, Chillicothe Gazette

Story by Jessica Alaimo and photos by Heather Cory and Frank Robertson

CentralOhio.com

Brock Brewster’s truck dominated the single-lane road in western Pike County and rumbled over an extension cord.

This extension cord has been strung across this Latham road for two years. It powers the lights of a white-and-brown trailer, using the electricity from a home across the road. It’s the only source of electricity for the trailer’s owner, who said she uses it to power her lights. She uses a wood stove to stay warm.

Her property and her sister’s across the road are cluttered with stuff, but it is packed up and placed under blue tarps. There’s an order to the chaos, with items appearing sorted and walkways clear. Four big dogs and a puppy run around loose outside. “I have severe arthritis, which is why this place is such a mess,” said the owner, who wouldn’t give her name.

“I’ve driven over that extension cord a hundred times,” said Brewster, the principal at Western Local High School. “Those people probably don’t think a thing about running their home with an extension cord. ... They’re survivors. They get up every day and do what they’ve got to do.”

Surviving is tough in Pike County. The county has the state’s highest unemployment and poverty rates. Earlier this year, cabinet-maker Masco closed, putting 1,200 people out of work. The uranium enrichment plant that once held hope for 2,000 new jobs instead issued a notice that 450 pink slips might be coming.

Although the going is tough, nobody seems to be going anywhere.

“I was born here, my dad lived here, and I guess this is where I’ll die,” said the trailer owner. “I try to stay here in my own place, and let other people stay in theirs.”

Deal opens competition for AEP Ohio customers

Nov. 29, 2011, Mansfield News Journal

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

A pending settlement could change the way AEP Ohio does business.

The subsidiary of Columbus-based American Electric Power is preparing for more competition in the marketplace, so it is planning on billing separately for wiring and distribution, a change from past practices.

The settlement could mean an increase of $2 to $3 per month for the average household using AEP Ohio services over the next three years. It is up to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to approve the settlement.

Election 2011: Endure campaigns. Cast your ballot. Repeat.

Nov. 11, 2011, Mansfield News Journal

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

Elections are a constant cycle. As one ends on Tuesday, campaigning for the next has long since started, and 2012 will be a big year.

To complete the 2011 cycle, Ohioans head to the polls this week to vote on three statewide issues. They also will decide on local candidates and issues specific to where they live.

The new voting rules passed by the Legislature earlier this year will not take effect because signatures were filed for a referendum campaign to repeal them.

Union support kills Issue 2

Nov. 9, 2011, Coshocton Tribune

CentralOhio.com

If voters weren’t in a union themselves, many of them were close to someone who is.

Strong union support at the polls was one of the reasons Issue 2 was defeated 1,330,013 to 2,115,404 Tuesday, according to unofficial results.

The ballot issue sought to seriously curtail collective bargaining rights of public employees, including teachers, police officers and firefighters.

It was an emotional issue for many voting no, and either a fairness or a budgetary issue for many voting yes.

CentralOhio.com reporters fanned out around 11 counties Tuesday as voters left the polls, collecting thoughts and opinions from 138 voters.