COLUMBUS, Ohio – During a Wednesday press conference, Gov. Mike DeWine and other top officials were asked about Ohio’s continued partnership with a business accused of physical and sexual abuse.
Read MoreCategory: Local
Seneca Anti-Wind Union Defeated 77-Turbine Project, Plans to Continue Fight
The Seneca Anti-Wind Union (SAWU) was created by residents who are concerned about the growing number of wind farms popping up throughout their community.
Read MoreSupporters of Medina’s New LGBT Ordinance Claim Victory; Opponents Continue to Push for Referendum
The Medina County Board of Elections rejected Monday the referendum petitions submitted by the Concerned Citizens of Medina, a group seeking to have an LGBT ordinance voted on by the people.
Read MoreOhio Could Join Multi-State Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google
Several state attorneys general are pursuing a joint antitrust probe of major technology companies, according to sources of The Wall Street Journal. It could begin as early as next month and Ohio’s Attorney General Dave Yost may be among them.
Read MoreDayton Shooter’s Sister Identified as Transgender Male on Social Media
As was widely reported, the Dayton mass shooter had a sister, Megan, who was tragically murdered by her brother along with eight other victims. Now, news has started to leak out that Megan was living as a transgender man.
Read MorePortage County Activist Accuses Commissioners of Repeatedly Violating Open Meetings Laws
Brian Ames of Portage County has been fighting for public meetings to be open for more than 20 years. He has been studying and applying the requirements in the Open Meetings Act. He’s had some success in court and in Brimfield Township, where the trustees are now being transparent…
Read MoreCould Be Last Year for Mount Vernon’s Dan Emmett Festival, Due to Authorship of Southern Folk Song ‘Dixie’
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – Sunday evening may have been the swan song for the Dan Emmett Music and Arts Festival in Knox County. After a 32 year run, some critics have suggested that the celebration’s namesake, Dan Emmett, needs to go because in 1859 the Mount Vernon native wrote the song “Dixie,” which became the anthem of the Confederacy, and because he was involved in minstrel shows.
Read MoreOhio City of Medina Holds ‘Concerned Citizens’ Referendum Seeking to Overturn LGBT Ordinance
Medina’s Finance Director Keith Dirham, by following the letter of the law, is holding up a referendum that Concerned Citizens of Medina City filed last week aimed at overturning a recently-passed SOGI (sexual orientation gender identity) law, Ordinance 112-19. Dirham has put it on hold for 10 days, which will push them past the filing deadline of August 7th, potentially keeping their referendum off the fall ballot.
Read MoreOhio’s Dayton Police Called Heroes – Responded within a Minute to Mass Shooting at Historic Oregon District
DAYTON, Ohio — The beautiful tree-lined, brick-paved streets of the Historic Oregon District were eerily quiet Sunday following a mass shooting outside Ned Peppers Bar on East 5th Street earlier that morning. Nine victims have been confirmed dead thus far and more than two dozen injured. Police, who were on the scene within one minute, shot and killed the suspect. Praise for their fast response is coming in from all around the city, and state including from the Oregon District itself.
Read MoreIs Legal Action Against Conservative Liberty Township Trustees a Democrat Op?
DELAWARE, Ohio — Two trustees from Liberty Township found themselves on trial in a Delaware County courthouse Tuesday for exploring ways to improve services for residents while increasing the amount of money the country reimburses them for EMS (emergency medical services). Mike Gemperline, one of the trustees, was there in person while Melanie Leneghan was on a pre-planned vacation with her family out-of-state. Their attorney, Brandon Abshier, in his opening statement, said that the courtroom was not the appropriate venue to discuss policy disagreements – the ballot box is.
Read MoreDrag Queen Kyle Gale, AKA ‘Selena T. West,’ Calls for Protests at Fair
LGBT activist Kyle Gale, who appears on stage as “Selena T. West” (pictured above), has previously targeted women who do not approve of him teaching and reading to their children while dressed in full costume. Now, he’s calling for a protest of State Senate candidate Melissa Ackison at the…
Read MorePike County Sheriff Indicted on 16 Charges, Pleads Not Guilty
The Ohio Auditor of State‘s office has been investigating Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader. Late last month a grand jury in Pike County handed down 16 charges against the Sheriff. Auditor of State Keith Faber made this statement: “This has been a long and intensive investigation with unfortunate and…
Read MoreSunbury, Ohio Celebrates Independence Day by Honoring Those Who Made Us Free
SUNBURY, Ohio — Quintessential “small town” Ohio, the Village of Sunbury celebrates every Independence Day by honoring faith, family and the veterans who gave us freedom. The morning began with dense fog and by parade time at 10 a.m. the temperature was in the low 70s and cloudy. Just right…
Read MoreOhio’s Delaware County Trustees Under Fire Over Claims About Emergency Services Outsourcing
Two of the three Liberty Township Trustees in Delaware County are under fire from a group of local residents. Several thousand have signed petitions to try to remove Melanie Leneghan and Mike Gemperline from office. The petitions were delivered to Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge David Gormley on…
Read MoreDrag 101 Class Canceled at Delaware County Library Branch, Reason Given Was ‘Threats’ but May Be Just ‘Crying Wolf’?
DELAWARE, Ohio – The Drag 101 class sponsored by the Delaware County District Library that was to be held Wednesday, June 5th, has been ‘canceled.’ Kyle Gale, the drag queen known as Selena T. West and a former Miss Gay Ohio America, was being paid by the library to provide…
Read MoreKeith Ellison Transition Committee Has 15 Democratic Donors, Zero Republican
Keith Ellison concluded his election night victory speech by vowing to hire anyone of any political affiliation so long as they “serve the public’s interest,” but 15 of his transition committee members are Democratic donors. Another three members of the 35-person board are sitting Democratic state representatives or senators, including…
Read MoreOhio Republican Warns Trump Against Cutting General Motors Subsidies
President Donald Trump recently tweeted that his administration is looking at “cutting all” subsidies for General Motors (GM) after it announced plant closures across the country, but Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) is advising the president against doing so. “Very disappointed with General Motors and their CEO, Mary Barra, for closing…
Read MoreOhio Bill Would ‘Emancipate’ Workers by Ending ‘State’s Occupational Licensing Regime’
Ohio may soon see major reforms to its occupational licensing laws that some believe “make it harder and more expensive to find work” in the state. Senate Bill 255, sponsored by State Sen. Rob McColley (R-Napoleon), cleared the Ohio Senate in July and has now been referred to committee in…
Read MoreKasich Promises Veto of Conservative Bills While ‘Seriously’ Considering Presidential Run
Gov. John Kasich’s final months as Ohio’s governor will likely include the veto of multiple conservative pieces of legislation and the rebuke of his Republican colleagues whom he believes only consider their “short-term electoral capability.” Ohio Republicans recently passed two highly-consequential bills during their lame-duck session, including the pro-life “heartbeat…
Read MoreMyPillow’s Mike Lindell Helping Fund Conservative Movies in Hollywood
Minnesota businessman and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is trying his hand at Hollywood after investing $1 million in a new movie that offers a critical look at Planned Parenthood. The movie, titled Unplanned, had to be filmed in secret due to the sensitive nature of its subject, The Hollywood Reporter…
Read MoreOpposing Bills on LGBT Issues Could Intensify Ohio’s Lame-Duck Session
Two Ohio bills expected for consideration during the lame-duck session could set the stage for a tense battle over religious freedom in the state. Republicans introduced in June, and later passed through the House, their “Pastor Protection Act,” which would protect religious leaders from lawsuits from members of the LGBT…
Read MoreOhio Republicans Are on a Mission to Challenge Roe v. Wade
Ohio Republicans have reintroduced a controversial bill that would redefine in law the term “person” to include “any unborn human” and would make abortion a potentially criminal offense. The bill, House Bill 565, was first introduced in March, but is being brought up again after Ohio House Republicans successfully passed…
Read MoreFormer OSU Star Anthony Gonzalez Makes Transition from Football to Politics
In his first run for public office, former Ohio State University and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez carried the ball across the goal line. Gonzalez, a football star at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, won a seat in Congress Tuesday night and will represent Ohio’s 16th Congressional District…
Read MoreAmericans for Prosperity Reports Three of its Six Endorsed Candidates Won in Ohio Legislative Races
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) of Ohio issued a statement Wednesday congratulating its newly elected and re-elected members of the Ohio State Senate and Ohio House of Representatives. The organization applauded its activists for their “tireless efforts to support policy champions seeking to represent Ohioans in Columbus.” AFP State Director Micah…
Read MoreRefugees Get Services While Ohioans With Disabilities Go Without
Unlike other legal immigrants admitted to the U.S., refugees including those that settle in Ohio, are not barred by immigration-related waiting periods before applying for state Medicaid programs. Even though refugees must meet all Medicaid eligibility requirements in order to receive coverage and services, available data strongly suggests that refugee…
Read MoreColumbus Ranked 7th in Top Metro Areas Where Women and Girls Are at Risk for Female Genital Mutilation
The Population Reference Bureau (PRB)’s estimate that over 500,000 women and girls in the U.S. are at risk for female genital mutilation (FGM), has been confirmed by an updated analysis issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). PRB’s analysis ranks Columbus as the 7th top metro area and Cleveland-Elyria as the 36th, where…
Read MoreSun Country Airlines Announces New Service from Nashville
Sun Country Airlines announced it is growing its network with new routes and destinations, including new service to Nashville from Minneapolis/St. Paul. From Nashville, new service begins in November to Fort Myers, Miami, New Orleans, Orlando, and Tampa. If you book by August 22 you may take advantage of low introductory…
Read MoreGov. Phil Bredesen Cut Elderly, Sick and Disabled From TennCare While Enrolling Refugees
Phil Bredesen, the health insurance executive turned governor, had an antidote to contain the spiraling costs of the state’s Medicaid program – disenroll elderly, sick and disabled Tennesseans from TennCare. According to Gordon Bonnyman, co-founder of the Tennessee Justice Center, two years into Bredesen’s first term as governor, “[a]pproximately 200,000…
Read MoreHambrick Family Attorney Goes Off the Rails in WTN Interview on Police Shooting
WTN radio’s Dan Mandis tried to hold a reasoned debate with the attorney representing the family of a man who was shot and killed by Metro Nashville Police last month. Mandis hosted attorney Joy Kimbrough on his Super Talk 99.7 program Monday. The audio is available here. Kimbrough represents the…
Read MoreGov. Phil Bredesen Increased Refugee Resettlement in Tennessee by Thousands, Bringing Big Money to ‘Non-Profits’ Catholic Charities and World Relief
When he was governor of Tennessee from 2003 to 2011, Phil Bredesen set the state up to receive a dramatically higher number of refugees – an increase well into the thousands – bringing with it significant financial benefit to federal refugee contractors like Catholic Charities of Tennessee and World Relief.…
Read MoreSouthwest Airlines Begins Nonstop Flights Between Nashville, Atlanta
Southwest Airlines has begun nonstop flights from Atlanta to Nashville. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said the airline launched the flights from Atlanta to Nashville, The Associated Press reported. Nashville International Airport celebrated the inaugural flight from BNA to Atlanta Tuesday. The airline will operate five flights a day Monday through Friday…
Read MoreTaxpayer-Funded Program Didn’t End Homelessness in Tennessee
Five years ago, Nashville officials launched an initiative to end homelessness as we know it. The program, part of the “How’s Nashville” campaign, promised homelessness would end before 2017. Seeing as how we’re more than halfway done with 2018 it’s time to assess — did the program do what Nashville…
Read MoreAs Mayor of Nashville, Karl Dean Made LGBT a Specially Protected Class Under Metro Law
In 2009, when Karl Dean was Nashville’s mayor he signed into law an ordinance making “sexual orientations” and “gender identity” protected classes in Nashville’s non-discrimination employment policy. Two years later, Dean tried to require vendors wanting to do business with the Metro government to include the same LBGT protections in…
Read MoreNashville Taxpayers Funded Expensive Abstract Art Under Karl Dean
Tennessee Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate Karl Dean has no comment about what some people call a taxpayer-funded boondoggle erected in downtown Nashville during his tenure as mayor. At least no one from Dean’s campaign returned a request for comment Tuesday regarding the public art project known as Stix. That project…
Read MoreMetro Nashville Schools Director Ducks Questions on Sexual Harassment And His Handling of Complaints
Metro Nashville Schools’ director is ducking questions on alleged widespread sexual harassment — and coverups — in his district, news outlets are reporting. NewsChannel 5 reported last week that school director Dr. Shawn Joseph tried to run from their reporter who wanted an interview on the topic and his role…
Read MoreState Rep. Tim Wirgau Voted to Give In-State Tuition to Illegal Alien Students But Is Not Fessing Up to It With Voters
Posted on Rep. Tim Wirgau’s campaign website under the heading “Straight Talk with Tim” is this statement about his 2015 “yes” vote to award illegal alien students residing in Tennessee the in-state tuition benefit: I am opposed to illegal immigration. My consistent voting record as your State Representative proves it.…
Read MoreState Senator Thelma Harper Endorses Howard Jones as Her Successor Over Long Time Rival Brenda Gilmore
Tennessee State Sen. Thelma Harper (D-Nashville) endorsed Howard Jones Jr. as her successor to the 19th State Senatorial District in Nashville, a seat she has held for 27 years, over longtime rival State Rep. Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville). The Tennessee Tribune reported the endorsement of Jones, a pastor and educator. “A few…
Read MoreBill Lee Agrees With Gov. Haslam That Transgender Bathroom Issue Does Not Need Leadership From the State
Governor Haslam and Bill Lee propose the same approach to the use of school bathrooms and locker rooms by students whose choice of gender and anatomy may not match. Both Haslam and Lee have said that this issue does not require leadership from the state but instead, should be problem-solved…
Read MoreFirst Lady Melania Trump Visits Vandy Children’s Hospital, Shines Light on Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
First Lady Melania Trump visited Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt on Tuesday. The first lady’s visit was part of her “Be Best” campaign, an initiative focusing on the major issues children face, WSMV said. It was Trump’s first domestic trip to highlight the effort, NewsChannel 5 said. She…
Read MoreOFF THE RECORD: In Case You Missed This From the GOP Primaries . . .
What do you get when horse-race gambling meets legal weed? Beth Harwell for governor! There was an “interesting” welcome line-up for Harwell’s June meet and greet in Jefferson City putting Harwell and company only about 20 miles northeast of GOP challenger mega-millionaire Randy Boyd’s home of Knoxville. Four state legislators…
Read MoreRandy Boyd’s Company Offshoring and Outsourcing ‘Good Paying Jobs’
GOP gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd’s campaign and political ads have tried to reduce the core concerns of Tennesseans to a three-word tagline: “faith, family and a good paying job.” At the same time, Boyd’s company, Radio Systems Corporation, has offshored and outsourced those “good paying jobs” to China and engineers around the world.
Read MoreGubernatorial Candidates Karl Dean (D) and Randy Boyd (R) Both Invested in La Raza Affiliate Conexion Americas
Gubernatorial candidates Karl Dean and Randy Boyd both considered Renata Soto’s Conexion Americas organization a worthy investment. Democrat Karl Dean used the government’s money while mega-millionaire Republican Randy Boyd used his personal wealth to help Conexion’s legal and illegal alien clients.
Read MoreState Governments Move to ‘Off-Load’ Public Responsibilities to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
State governments partnering with faith-based and community organizations to maximize the use of resources is not a new concept. In some states, public-private partnerships have been expanded across most government departments, a model GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee proposes to follow for Tennessee. With President Trump’s intention to trim federal…
Read MoreNashville International Airport Sets Another Record, Making It Fourth Fastest Growing Among Largest In Nation
Nashville International Airport served more than 14.9 million passengers in the fiscal year just ended, The Associated Press reported, making it one of the nation’s fastest growing airports. The record makes Nashville International, or BNA, the fourth fastest growing airport among the top 50 airports in North America, the airport’s…
Read MoreEarly Voting Turnout Heavy in Maury County
Voters hit the polls heavily in the first two days of early voting in Maury County. The polls opened Friday at the Maury County Election Commission for early voting in the 2018 Tennessee general and primary election, The Daily Herald reported. On Friday and Saturday, at least 1,100 votes were…
Read MoreDiane Black Wins Davidson County GOP Straw Poll For Governor
Gubernatorial candidate Diane Black won a straw poll at the Davidson County Republican Party picnic Saturday, a blog reported. U.S. Rep. Black (R-TN) received 116 votes in the governor’s primary straw poll, according to a blog called “A Disgruntled Republican in Nashville.” Rod Williams is the author. Second place went…
Read MoreNashville Plans Overhaul of Two Public Housing Developments For Mixed-Income Communities
Nashville’s housing agency plans to rehab two properties even as the city takes over public housing from the federal government. The Nashville Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency will release its 600-page five-year plan to the federal government soon, Nashville Public Radio reports. The plan overview is available here. Council will…
Read MoreTDOT Considers Total Closure of Interstate 440 For Reconstruction
TDOT is planning to overhaul Interstate 440 in Nashville, with options ranging from closing segments at a time all the way to completely closing the roadway for 10 months. The Tennessee Department of Transportation laid the options out at a public information meeting on Tuesday. WKRN reports the department is…
Read MoreBill Lee’s Contributions to Bredesen and Barry the Focus of New Billboards in Middle Tennessee
Diane Black is hitting Bill Lee hard for his financial support for Democrats like Phil Bredesen, Megan Barry and Karl Dean. A new Black ad, “Burn”, specifically targets Lee for his donations to Democrats Phil Bredesen and Megan Barry. Diane Black “BURN” ad: You know the old saying, fool me…
Read MoreCost for English Language Learner Services in Tennessee Public Schools Increases Over 100 Percent Since FY 2016
The cost to teach English to non-English speaking students in Tennessee public schools has increased over 100 percent since FY 2016. In FY 2016, the total cost for English Language Learner (ELL) services was $94,110,440. Seventy percent was funded through the state’s Basic Education Program (BEP) in the amount of $65,877,308,…
Read More