Former Federal Prosecutor Sues Johnson City over Botched Serial Rapist Case

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, reports attorney Kateri L. Dahl’s lawsuit against the Johnson City, Tennessee, police department and its Police Chief Karl Turner, in which the former special federal prosecutor claims Turner and his officers mishandled her investigation and attempt to bring to trial a serial rapist.

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The Star News Network’s Neil W. McCabe Interviews Visibly Nervous Attendees at Morgan Ortagus Ash Wednesday Fundraiser

Morgan Ortagus

Reporter Neil W. McCabe of The Star News Network visits Republican candidate for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District, Morgan Ortagus’s fundraiser on the evening of Ash Wednesday with a few questions for notable attendees.

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School District in Washington State Holding Racially Segregated Superintendent Search Meetings for Parents

A Washington school district plans to hold racially segregated meetings for parents and guardians who wish to participate in the search for a new superintendent.

As afternoon radio host Jason Rantz reported at MYNorthwest Wednesday, the Issaquah School District’s (ISD) weekly bulletin for February 7 listed its “upcoming events,” including separate meetings for “Parents/Guardians of Color.”

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Troy, Ohio Fire Chief Is Concerned About Negative Effect of Governor’s COVID Policies

Troy Fire Chief Matt Simmons has watched Ohio’s COVID response and the statewide statistics since Ohio began responding to the virus.

“We had the local health department come in and talk with us back in the beginning. What they were saying was pretty grim,” said Simmons.

Fast-forward to November and according to the state cite, COVID cases have gone up exponentially in previous weeks and hospitalizations for COVID patients have climbed to all-time highs.

But the statistics that Chief Simmons keeps mulling over are that Miami County (where Troy is located) has seen overdose calls increase by 137%, while suicide calls have spiked an alarming 500%.

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The 2020 National Constitution Bee Grand Champion Declared

BRENTWOOD, Tennessee – This year’s annual National Constitution Bee Grand Champion was senior high school student Jackson Carter. He received the $10,000 educational scholarship from the Star News Education Foundation. Carter plans on attending the University of Alabama, where he hopes to double major in communications studies and economics.
The event took place at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Brentwood, Tennessee. 23 students ranging from eighth to twelfth grade arrived to compete. The Tennessee Star Report host and Guide to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for Secondary Students co-author Michael Leahy served as the emcee.

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Delaware County Citizens and Fellow Ohioans Join Wreaths Across America 2019 to Honor Veterans

Ohioans joined Americans from sea to shining sea to honor veterans during the annual Wreaths Across America event. Two locations in Delaware County held noon ceremonies – one at Kingwood Memorial Park in Lewis Center and another at Oak Grove in Delaware.

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Notorious Abortionist Who Lost License Got It Back from DeWine-Appointed Department of Health Director

Ohio Pro-Life groups expected to see Dr. Martin Haskell’s abortion clinic in Dayton closed for good. The abortionist notorious for claiming to have invented partial-birth abortion, failed to abide by the law requiring his facility to have a transfer agreement with a local hospital and as a result, had his license to operate denied. Haskell fought the revocation from 2014 all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court and lost on appeal twice.

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Counselors Blame Common Core, Over Testing and ‘Trophy Culture’ for College Student’s Increased Mental Health Demands

The Associated Press (AP) investigated the state of student mental health on the largest college campuses in America and found students receiving mental health treatment has increased by 35% since 2014. The news service cites reduced stigma for seeking help, increased anxiety, depression and disorders as some reasons for the jump.

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Oberlin Students Stage Memorial for Islamic Jihad Terrorists and Palestinians Killed by Israel in Military Strikes

Oberlin College is in the news again. Three years ago it was a racism charge by students, staff and faculty against a 100+ year old bakery. The business filed a defamation suit after losing half its income due to the accusations. Last week the anti-Zionist Oberlin Students for a Free Palestine erected a memorial on campus to honor the Palestinians who were killed by Israel in recent military strikes. More than a dozen of the Palestinians were Islamic Jihad terrorists.

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AG Yost Tells OptumRx ‘We’ll See You in Court’ for Overbilling the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation Millions

Attorney General Dave Yost announced Monday he amended his lawsuit filed against pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) OptumRx, claiming the PBM excessively charged the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation for generic drugs. The overcharge totaled nearly $16 million. It is now “significantly more.”

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Statehouse Gun Rights Advocates Concerned Purpose of Senate’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ Bill May Be to Force Compromise on ‘Gun Control’ Plan

Statehouse sources are questioning the recent introduction of a Senate version of “Stand Your Ground.” The sponsor of Senate Bill 237, newly appointed Senator Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), calls the bill the “Ohio Duty to Retreat Act.” Concerns were expressed to The Ohio Star that the legislation may be used to force a compromise between anti-gun groups and Second Amendment supporters to help the Senate move the Governor’s gun-control plan, Senate Bill 221.

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Youth At Risk for Human Trafficking Are Criminalized by the System Designed to Help – Expert Suggests Better Way

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Dr. Karen Countryman-Roswurm from the Center for Combating Human Trafficking exposed how flaws in the current system designed to help actually lead to the criminalization of children and teens at an Ohio Adolescent Health Centers (OAHC) event last Monday.

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Some Ohio Politicians Praise Lordstown Sale, Senator Portman Expressed Skepticism, Brown Says Union Support Necessary for Success

Most elected officials praised the reported sale of the Lordstown plant last week. Senator Portman expressed skepticism and Senator Brown told the new owners they needed to partner with the union if they wanted to be successful.

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AG Yost Weighs In on Whistleblower Lawsuit Which Could Affect Ohio’s Lawsuit Against Opioid Manufacturers and Distributors

Attorney General Dave Yost has filed a “friend of the court brief” with the Ohio Supreme Court regarding a federal lawsuit filed by an employee of the Geauga County Health Department. Rebecca Buddenberg, a “whistleblower” who claims the county retaliated against her for reporting, “…unequal pay practices and potential ethical violations by County Health Commissioner Robert Weisdack,” resigned in May 2017. She filed her lawsuit in March 2018.

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Another Ohio Grown Terrorist in a Long List Pleads Guilty

Another Ohio-grown terrorist pled guilty this week to federal charges that included, “…attempting to provide support to a terrorist group and threatening to kill President Trump and his family.” Demetrius Nathaniel Pitts, also known as Abdur Raheem Rafeeq, was indicted in January on those charges which included scouting locations for a possible July 4th attack in Cleveland.

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Governor DeWine Signs Tyler’s Law Intended to Make Fair Rides Safer

  Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 169 Thursday. The legislation expands government oversight of amusement rides, gives greater rule making authority to the Director of the Department of Agriculture, increases fines, adds safety regulations and requires additional government employees to handle the increased inspection load. The bipartisan measure – known…

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Quentin Smith Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing Two Westerville Police Officers

Late Wednesday the jury returned the verdict in the case of Quentin Smith. Smith was found guilty last week of purposely killing Westerville Police Officers Anthony “Tony” Morelli and Eric Joering. While the charges carried death penalty specifications, the jury was unable to come to a unanimous agreement on the sentence of death, but they did agree to life without the possibility of parole.

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Senator Huffman, CCV and USDOE’s Asst Sec Frank Brogan Discuss Ohio Bill to Implement Future Fed Tax Credit Program

Aaron Baer, President of Citizens for Community Values joined with State Senator Matt Huffman and U.S. Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary of Primary and Secondary Education Frank Brogan to discuss an Ohio bill designed to take advantage of a yet-to-be-passed federal plan. That federal plan would create a tax credit program that would provide up to $5 billion for scholarships for disadvantaged children.

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Operation Christmas Child in Central Ohio is About to Begin Collecting Shoeboxes Filled with Gifts and the Gospel for Needy Children Around the World

Delaware Bible Church is one of dozens of places around Central Ohio where people can drop off shoeboxes filled with gifts for needy children around the world as part of Operation Christmas Child. Marilyn Taynor is leading the effort at the local church. She introduced The Ohio Star to Michelle Williams, the Area Coordinator for the Columbus West Team. Williams and the entire volunteer crew are preparing for the busy season – thousands of filled boxes will be dropped off at various locations between  November 18 and November 25.

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Special Treatment for Some Republican Candidates but Not for Others in Delaware County

There are rules that the political parties follow at the county and state level – written and unwritten. In Delaware County, one unwritten rule prohibits non-partisan candidates from getting official Republican party support. Local candidates for positions such as township trustee or school board, historically have not been eligible for endorsement by the Delaware County Republican Central Committee.

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AG Yost Dave Shares Concerns About Drug Companies Settlement With Two Ohio Counties

The day before the bellwether trial of Cuyahoga and Summit Counties versus four major pharmaceutical companies began, the drug manufacturers settled. The issue for the counties was the significant cost of the opioid epidemic, believed to have been fueled by the drug companies. Earlier this summer Attorney General Dave Yost tried to force the court to consolidate the counties’ cases under his jurisdiction, and he voiced concern with the settlement.

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Honor Flight Columbus Celebrates 100th Mission of Flying Veterans to Washington DC

On October 19th, Honor Flight Columbus loaded more than 200 veterans aboard two planes destined for Washington D.C. It was an extra special celebration –  the 100th mission. Susan Barr, a nurse who has been working with Honor Flight nationally since 2006 and co-founded the Columbus Honor Flight told The Ohio Star, “To date, over 230, 000 Veterans have been able to make this trip from all over the United States.”

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Kettering City Schools Hosts ‘Coming Out Day’ Festivities at Van Buren Middle School, Parents Not Informed

Last week Kettering City Schools’ Van Buren Middle School hosted an assembly for their young students, ages eleven to fourteen. It was for ‘Coming Out Day,’ one of several LGBT events that schools around the country are scheduling throughout the school year. One Van Buren parent vented her frustrations to The Ohio Star.

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Pete Hegseth from ‘Fox and Friends’ Talks to Ohioans After Dem Debate

On Wednesday morning, Fox and Friends’ Pete Hegseth was at Tee Jaye’s Country Place in Columbus to dish about Westerville’s Democratic Presidential Debate with area residents. The Ohio Star caught up with a couple of those interviewed.

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Loud Crowds Outside Democratic Presidential Debate in Westerville

Several groups of protesters and supporters of various candidates descended upon Otterbein University in Westerville for the Democratic Debate Tuesday. People began to gather before noon and the loud crowds grew throughout the day.

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Ohio Women for Trump Hosted Empower Hour in Powell with RNC and Ohio GOP Chairwomen

On Tuesday, Ohio Women for Trump hosted a standing-room-only event at the Powell Community Center – Empower Hour. The ladies’ group welcomed Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Ronna McDaniel and Ohio Republican Party Chairwoman Jane Timken for the interview-style live event.

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Ohio Supreme Court Suspends Former Democrat Judge Timothy Horton Law License ‘Indefinitely,’ Sets New Precedent for Discipline Involving Sexual Harassment

In a unanimous decision Thursday, the Ohio Supreme Court suspended disgraced former 10th District Court of Appeals Judge Tim Horton’s law license indefinitely. The precedent-setting ruling found that Horton’s resignation from the bench and 10-day jail sentence for multiple misconduct violations, including sexual harassment, didn’t go far enough.

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Corn Farmers Sent Letter of Concern to President Trump, Now Applauding Deal on Ethanol Standards

Corn growers from across the heartland sent a letter of concern to President Trump on September 27th. Ohio’s Jon Miller signed the letter along with 22 other agricultural leaders from across the fruited plain, expressing their frustrations with a “perfect storm of challenges [this year] in rural America.” Added to the mounting difficulties were renewable fuel waivers for oil companies relating to biofuel requirements. But on Friday, October 4th, their frustration changed to applause when the Trump Administration announced an agreement on ethanol standards.

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We the People Convention Protests for ‘Equal Justice Under the Law’ Outside Cleveland FBI Office

CLEVELAND, Ohio – We the People Convention members and supporters joined President Tom Zawistowski (Tom Z) in downtown Cleveland Thursday to protest wanting “equal justice under the law” in front of the FBI Office on Lakeside Avenue.

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Village of Galena Moves Ahead with Annexation of Property for Massive Development Plan Which Cannot be Challenged by Referendum

Last week the Village Council of Galena met to consider annexation plans for a massive development proposed by the Champion Companies that would more than double their population. Residents and Champion employees queued up early, some wanting to listen and others to speak. Ultimately the two annexation ordinances passed as emergency measures by unanimous vote, providing no referendum option.

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Toledo City Officials Not Enforcing Law Concerning Sexually Oriented Businesses, Resident Says They are Contributing to Human Trafficking

Citizens for Community Value’s President Aaron Baer and City Light Church Pastor George Williams held a press conference along with Toledo-area residents who live and work in the red light district. They had hoped to announce a sexually-oriented business operating illegally in their midst was being forced to close. Unfortunately, their pleas have fallen on mostly deaf ears. A daycare owner located near the strip club said the city officials are contributing to human trafficking.

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President Trump and Prime Minister Morrison Celebrate ‘Promises Made, Promises Kept’ in Wapakoneta

Two countries played a key role in the building of the new Pratt Industries plant in Wapakoneta – Australia and the United States. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and President Donald J. Trump, visited that new plant on Sunday. The opening of the recycled paper and cardboard plant represents, “Promises made, promises kept,” on the part of President Trump and Pratt Industries, which is owned by Aussie billionaire Anthony Pratt.

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Kasich Joins CNN, Opens Satellite Studio at Otterbein, Just in Time for Democratic Presidential Debate in Westerville

  Former Governor John Kasich joined CNN two weeks after he left office and opened a satellite studio on Otterbein’s campus in Westerville. Next month the Democratic National Committee will bring their remaining candidates for the Presidential nomination to the private college for an October 15th debate. Alice Nicks, a…

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Ohio Value Voters and Mission America Update Westerville Tea Party Group on Legislation to Stop the Sexualization of Children

John and Diane Stover from Ohio Value Voters and Linda Harvey from Mission America visited the Westerville Tea Party on Tuesday to speak to activists about the continued attempts to sexualize our children and what their organizations are doing to stop it.

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Outraged Residents Seek to Oust Longtime Village of Galena Mayor Over Expansion Plans That Could Double Population

The Mayor of the small Delaware County village of Galena will face challenger Jill Love this fall after the long time incumbent shut down opposition to an ambitious expansion plan involving the annexation and development of the Blackhawk Golf Club that could more-than-double the size of the current population of 785.

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City of Westerville Gathers ‘Public Input’ for More Pro-LGBT Ordinances

The City of Westerville held a “public roundtable” Thursday to get input on their non-discrimination policies which are expected to be proposed later this month. The invitation said the roundtable was to “talk about how we can help #Westerville remain a welcoming, safe community for all citizens.”

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Partial Birth Abortion Doctor’s Appeal to Keep Dayton Clinic Operating Rejected by Ohio Supreme Court

Pro-Lifers in Ohio are celebrating after Dr. Martin Haskell, one of the nation’s most notorious abortion providers, lost his appeal to keep the Women’s Med Center of Dayton open in a narrow decision by Ohio’s Supreme Court this week.

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