News

Ohio Senator Demands Answers In IRS Targeting (WOUB News)

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:50:27 +0200

Cincinnati

Associated Press

Ohio's Republican U.S. senator is demanding to know if any disciplinary action has been taken against IRS employees at the agency's Cincinnati office for targeting conservative groups.

Sen. Rob Portman is set to demand answers on the Senate floor in Washington on Friday.

Portman's remarks will come a day after he sent a letter to IRS Acting Commissioner Daniel Werfel asking him to identify by name and title every employee in the Cincinnati office who targeted conservative groups and explain if and how they've been punished.

Portman also wants to know whether other employees are under review and who at the IRS is directly responsible for evaluating their involvement.

Workers at the Cincinnati office have declined multiple requests for comment.

Three top IRS officials in Washington have been replaced.

Bridge From Ohio To Kentucky Closed (WOUB News)

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:10:44 +0200

Lawrence County, OH

Megan Moseley

A bridge from Ohio to Kentucky is closed.

The Ohio Department of Transportation says damage after a crash has caused the Kentucky Tranportation Cabinet to close the 12th Street bridge (Ben Williamson Bridge) from U.S. 52 at Coal Grove to U.S. 23/60 in Ashland, Ky.

Motorists are being detoured via the Jesse Stuart/Greenup Dam Bridge (S.R. 253) at Franklin Furnace in Scioto County and the Nick Rahall/17th Street Bridge at Chesapeake in Lawrence County.

OU Alums Have Big Plans For Old School Building (WOUB News)

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:53:13 +0200

Columbus, OH

Atish Baidya

Ohio University alum and Cardinal Health founder Robert Walter and his wife want to convert an old school into the second-largest home in Columbus.

The Columbus Dispatch reports the plan will transform the former St. Mary's School in German Village into a 13,250-square-foot-residence.

Walter's business partner, George Bennett tells the Dispatch most of the exterior of the building would remain the same with the interior remodeled for residential use. The 37-space parking lot would be made into a lawn and garden.

The 126-year-old building has also housed several offices since it closed as a school in 1968.

Hodson Thrilled To Fill In As Common Pleas Judge (WOUB News)

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:35:44 +0200

Athens, OH

Joe Higgins - Athens Messenger Editor

Sitting behind the judge’s desk in Athens County Common Pleas Court this week was a member of the media, and he felt right at home. But going from asking questions for news stories to deciding cases is not as much of a stretch as one might think for WOUB Director Tom Hodson.

Monday, Hodson was granted a do-over in his career, a chance to relive his prior life as a man of the court. Hodson spent many a year as an attorney and a judge in Athens County before trading in his legal notebook for that of a reporter. And, judging by the smile gracing his face while he sat behind his temporary desk, Hodson was more than enjoying his second chance as a judge.

“It’s been a thrill. It’s a thrill to be back in my home county and doing this again. I’ve realized how much I’ve missed it in many ways,” said Hodson, who also previously served as director of OU’s journalism school.

In December, Judge Michael Ward announced he was retiring, but agreed to hear cases until a replacement was found and stayed in that role until Monday. Local attorney George McCarthy was named last week by Gov. John Kasich to replace Ward on the bench, but isn’t taking the oath of office until today and won’t start work until Tuesday. That left a hole in the schedule, one that Judge L. Alan Goldsberry asked Hodson to fill.

“Judge Goldsberry asked me if I would be available during the break between the two judges and so I went to my dean and asked if he minded if I took some vacation time. He had no objections, so I took a week’s vacation and here I am,” Hodson said.

Hodson is a former judge of Athens County Municipal Court and Athens County Common Pleas Court, and left the latter position in 1986 to become a judicial fellow in the administrative office of the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

After the fellowship, he returned to the full-time practice of law in Athens, which prohibited him from serving as a visiting judge from 1987 to 2001. A move to Marietta College as director of the school’s media program meant he was no longer a fulltime attorney and he could hear cases as a visiting judge, and the same was true when in came to work for OU in 2003 — although at that time Hodson decided not to take on any new cases and only worked on the cases he had already overseen. That is, until Goldsberry called.

“This was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up because I had not served here since September of 2006. This was an opportunity to come back and serve and help out,” Hodson said. “I loved being judge here in Athens County. I was always sorry that I had to give up that position to do the Supreme Court position.

“Now, to be able to come back even for a short time and get the opportunity for a do-over, so to speak, you don’t get many do-overs in life so when you get one, it’s a thrill,” he said. “To come back and have that opportunity is personally thrilling.”

Hodson was 38-years-old when he was last common pleas court judge. Now, at 64, he sees the black robe much differently.

“I have to say in the years between times, I have matured a great deal. I think that I have a much better judicial temperament now than I did back then. I was far more feisty back then and opinionated back then than I am now. Now I seem to go with the flow a little better. No one’s goaded me to lose my temper this week,” Hodson said with a laugh.

When asked about the differences in the job now versus then, Hodson pointed out the digital age and its advancements with keeping up with cases, but he also said that in his prior time as judge he never had a case involving heroin. Most drug cases were related to marijuana with the occasional cocaine or LSD case thrown in. Now, heroin and methamphetamine permeate the calendar, not just with possession charges but the impact on other crimes such as thefts and crimes of violence, Hodson said.

However, “some things don’t change. Some of the same kinds of charges, same kind of people are committing the same kind of offenses,” Hodson said. “You get people who are distressed when victimized and rightfully so. Those things are universal and never change.”

Hodson said his main goal as a judge is that everyone involved in the process feel that they have been treated fairly, win or lose.

Hodson also drew comparisons to his career at WOUB.

“As a judge, sometimes you have ask questions, and as a news person you have to ask questions,” Hodson said. “The ability to phrase a question to get an answer that’s necessary and not get spin or people trying to spin it their own way and see through that to try to get to the truth of the matter, that’s very similar in the news business as it is to being judge.”

He noted another similarity.

“You have to take complex terms or situations and deliver it in an understandable way that’s not condescending. That’s the same in the news business as it is in the courtroom in trying to communicate,” he said.

Asked whether he would like to continue to be a judge, Hodson admitted that he would be open to taking cases on a visiting basis but said he’s happy away from the bench as well.

“I love doing what I’m doing now (at WOUB) and wouldn’t want to trade it on a fulltime basis, but it’s been a thrill,” he said.

Tom Hodson is the Director and General Manager at WOUB Center for Public Media

Morning Update For May 24 (WOUB News)

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:14:58 +0200

Athens, OH

Megan Moseley

A Fairfield County attorney died yesterday after unexpectedly falling through the roof.

The UCLA is challenging an Ohio school district for teaching creationism in the classroom.

5-24morning update.mp3

Frost Advisory Issued Portions Of Southeast Ohio (WOUB News)

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:28:48 +0200

Athens, OH

Megan Moseley

Athens residents are advised to prepare for chilly weather Friday night.

The National Weather Service in Charleston issued a frost advisory that will be in effect from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. Saturday.

Temperatures are expected to be in the low to mid-30's.

Outdoor plants and other vegetation may be damaged or killed if left unprotected.

Outdoor activities could be affected by the unseasonably cold weather.

Medical Marijuana Issue Clears Ohio Ballot Board (WOUB News)

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:25:41 +0200

Columbus, OH

Associated Press

A proposed constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana and certain uses of hemp has cleared Ohio's ballot board.

The panel's approval Thursday sends the issue into its signature-gathering phase, with a 2014 vote most likely. The deadline for this fall's ballot is July 6.

Proponents of the Ohio Cannibis Rights Amendment must first collect roughly 385,000 signatures in 44 of Ohio's 88 counties to get the issue before voters. Three previous marijuana-related issues have been cleared by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine since 2011 but stalled.

The most recently cleared measure would establish a commission to regulate the use of medical marijuana and permit Ohioans to grow hemp for uses including paper, clothing, food and as a building material.

Frost Advisory Issued For Athens (WOUB News)

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:14:02 +0200

Athens, OH

Megan Moseley

Athens residents are advised to prepare for chilly weather Friday night.

The National Weather Service in Charleston issued a frost advisory that will be in effect from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. Saturday.

Temperatures are expected to be in the low to mid-30's.

Sensitive vegetation may be damaged or killed if left outdoors and unprotected.

Anyone with outdoor plans, such as camping, should be prepared for the unseasonably chilly weather.

Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.

Man Dies After Fall From Fairfield County Industrial Building (WOUB News)

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:21:38 +0200

Lancaster, OH

Gabe Ross

A man is dead after falling through the roof of an industrial building in Fairfield County.

The call came in just after 11 a.m Thursday.

Detective Sergeant Kirk Kern of the Fairfield County Sheriff's office said Michael Sway, 44, of Dublin fell 23 feet onto a concrete floor. The two men had climbed a ladder to survey storm damage to the building located at 3010 Columbus-Lancaster Road in Lancaster.

Kern said an engineer who accompanied Sway did not fall and was not injured. Sway was pronounced dead of blunt force head trauma at the scene.

The Accident remains under investigation by The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and the Occupational Safety Hazard Administration. Kern said the Sheriff's Office has ruled the death an accident.

18 Indicted In Alleged Heroin Ring (WOUB News)

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:11:39 +0200

Dayton, OH

Associated Press

A federal grand jury has indicted 18 people in an alleged two-year conspiracy to distribute heroin in southern Ohio.

The panel charged eight people from the Dayton area, nine from Portsmouth and one from Lancaster with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin. It's punishable by at least 10 years in prison.

The Dayton Daily News reports that the 29-count indictment alleges that the defendants distributed heroin out of seven spots in the Ohio River town of Portsmouth, about 90 miles south of Columbus - including two motels.

Huntington Man Sentenced To Prison For Heroin Charges (WOUB News)

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:10:48 +0200

Charleston, WV

Associated Press

Two men who tried to flee police during a traffic stop in Charleston have been sentenced to federal prison on heroin-related charges.

U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin says Stephen Michael Hopkins, 36, of Huntington was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Charleston to 12 years and seven months in prison. A co-defendant, Eddie Daivon Morgan, 32, of Beckley, received a four-year prison term Wednesday.

Goodwin says Hopkins and Morgan were inside a parked car in March 2011. After an officer ordered them to step out of the vehicle, Hopkins drove off but eventually crashed. Both suspects were arrested a short time later. A search found more than $10,920 in cash, heroin, marijuana, and a cell phone belonging to Morgan.

VIDEO: WOUB NewsWrap - 5/23/13 (WOUB News)

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:58:42 +0200

Athens, OH

Two men from Athens County are helping victims of the recent deadly Oklahoma tornado.

Carpet One sales associate, Eric Lucas and his friend Robert Jeffers have been collecting donations since Tuesday.

"People have been dropping off supplies," Eric Lucas said. "dog food, cat food, things like I wouldn't even thought about, baby formula, soap, and the response has been wonderful."

Jeffers is leaving tomorrow for Oklahoma to deliver the supplies.

A man fell to his death from the roof of an industrial building in Fairfield County.

The call came in just after 11 a.m. Thursday.

Kern said an engineer who accompanied Sway did not fall and was not injured. Sway was pronounced dead of blunt force head trauma at the scene.

The Accident remains under investigation by The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and the Occupational Safety Hazard Administration. Kern said the Sheriff's Office has ruled the death an accident.

Meigs County residents will soon have access to a new emergency care facility.

Holzer Health System announced hat it will be opening an emergency care facility in Pomeroy in 2014. The facility is estimated to cost over five-million dollars.

The Meigs County Community Improvement Corporation will be building the facility and has been awarded a two-hundred and fifty thousand dollar grant for the project.

The facility will have a 24-hour staffed emergency department, with state of the art equipment, and a helipad.

In other regional news, two state lawmakers are pressing to drop the 20-year statute of limitations for prosecuting rape and sexual battery cases.

Senator Capri Cafaro says the "impact of sexual trauma" lasts a lifetime.

A prosecutors' group tells The Columbus Dispatch they're concerned some older cases could come down to verbal allegations based on faulty memory.

Finally, the National Weather Service says a storm that destroyed two mobile homes and injured two people in Teays Valley was a microburst. The storm that hit about 3:30 Wednesday afternoon had estimated wind speeds between 70 and 80 miles per hour.

Man Dies After Fall From Fairfield County Industrial Building (WOUB News)

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:05:56 +0200

Lancaster, OH

Gabe Ross

A man is dead after falling through the roof of an industrial building in Fairfield County.

The call came in just after 11 a.m Thursday.

Kern said an engineer who accompanied Sway did not fall and was not injured. Sway was pronounced dead of blunt force head trauma at the scene.

The Accident remains under investigation by The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and the Occupational Safety Hazard Administration. Kern said the Sheriff's Office has ruled the death an accident.

Democrats Proposing Changes To JobsOhio (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:06:52 +0200

Columbus, OH

Associated Press

Democrats in the Ohio House are proposing a series of reforms they say will make Gov. John Kasich's private nonprofit job-creation office, JobsOhio, more accountable to the public.

Legislation detailed Thursday would subject JobsOhio to state ethics and public records standards applied to traditional state government agencies, open the agency to public audits and state watchdog investigations, and require web tracking of JobsOhio's finances.

The Republican-led Legislature intentionally exempted JobsOhio from many of the reporting and review requirements Democrats now seek to make the agency more nimble.

Democrats say privacy has made the office vulnerable to corruption as it doles out billions raised through state liquor profits.

The governor's spokesman says JobsOhio is the most transparent public company in Ohio, and employers have responded positively to its business-like approach.

Authorities Break Up Heroin Trafficking Ring (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:51:08 +0200

Portsmouth, OH

Associated Press

Authorities have broken up an alleged heroin trafficking scheme involving 18 people, who are accused of delivering the drug from Dayton to Portsmouth in southern Ohio.

A 29-count indictment unsealed in Cincinnati federal court on Thursday says the suspects conspired to deliver heroin over a two-year period, in which they distributed the drug out of seven Portsmouth locations. Law enforcement officials said two of those places were motels.

Nine of those facing charges are from Portsmouth, while eight are from Dayton. Another defendant is from Lancaster.

All are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, a crime punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison.

ODOT Liable For Death Of New Concord Woman (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:38:11 +0200

Cincinnati, OH

Associated Press

A court has ordered Ohio's transportation department to pay $4 million to the family of a woman killed the day after Christmas in 2008 when a tree fell on her car while she was driving with her 5-year-old son

The Ohio Court of Claims previously found that the Department of Transportation was negligent and liable for the death of 40-year-old Traci Reed of New Concord in eastern Ohio.

The court on Tuesday ordered that the department pay $4 million to Reed's husband of 14 years and her two children for her loss and their mental anguish.

The court found that the department knew about the hazardous tree and could have prevented Reed's death by removing it.

The department had argued that Reed was killed by an "act of God."

Financial Pressures May Force Wellspring Retreat to Sell Lodge (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:17:42 +0200

Albany, Ohio

Tim Sharp

A rural A-frame lodge just outside Albany, Ohio has hosted more than 1,000 residential clients since it opened its doors as the Wellspring cult-deprogramming retreat in 1986.

Now financial pressures may force Wellspring’s board to abandon the bucolic setting for a more convenient, less-expensive location in Athens.

“We’re just looking at options for the future and how we’re going to carry on,” said Wellspring Director Greg Sammons.

The plan is to sell the two buildings on 13 wooded acres just south of Albany and move the operation to offices on Richland Avenue in Athens.

Though the proposal must be approved by the board of directors, Sammons said it will likely happen, barring a major infusion of cash.

While the staff remains committed to the mission of helping those who suffer from the lingering effects of cult-life, the cash flow has constricted to a trickle forcing staffers like Sammons to work without pay, living off second jobs.

“For a time we’ll operate in both locations while expanding our out-patient services.”

Sammons said much of the operational expense – and cost to the patient – is in hospitality for the client.

Meals, lodging and a 24/7 staff to remain with the client in the lodge brings the total expense to about $1,000 per day.

If the plan to move to Athens is adopted, Sammons said those services would be outsourced to a local provider such as the OU Inn.

Sammons said the office space on Richland has already been secured and he expects the out-patient services to begin by the end of summer.

Athens County Prosecutor Says Missing Records Went To Landfill (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:44:24 +0200

Athens, OH

Steve Robb - Athens Messenger staff reporter

Records belonging to the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office are missing, and County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn says he believes he knows what happened to them — they were taken to the dump when the sheriff’s office was getting rid of other records.

Sheriff Patrick Kelly acknowledges that some records belonging to the sheriff’s office were taken to the landfill — he says in accordance with proper procedures for records disposal — but not records from the prosecutor’s office.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, said the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation is aware there was “some incident with documents,” but she did not know if the matter is under investigation.

Ohio law has specific procedures for disposing of official records.

The prosecutor’s office records were stored in a building at the Athens County Fairgrounds that is under control of the sheriff’s office. Records from the sheriff’s office also were stored there, and Kelly said records were moved from there to the county’s building on North Lancaster Street.

“There were records from your office stacked at the fairground building, as were mine, and those records were placed on a trailer and transported to Lancaster Street,” Kelly said in a letter Tuesday to Blackburn that The Messenger obtained through a public records request. Kelly’s letter was in response to one the same day from Blackburn asserting that “numerous” boxes of records were missing.

In a letter Wednesday to Kelly, Blackburn said that he talked with an employee of the Athens County Engineer’s Department who said he had taken a truck load of boxes to the landfill, including the same kind of boxes that contained the prosecutor’s records from the same location in the fairgrounds building where the prosecutor’s records were stored.

“Therefore, it does appear that our files ... have been taken to the landfill,” Blackburn wrote. “My office has been in contact with the landfill and they have estimated that the items taken last week are buried in an area covering one acre and up to twenty feet deep. Also, these files likely went through the trash grinder and if located are now shredded.”

Blackburn said the records relate to criminal cases that date back to the tenure of former prosecutor C. David Warren, and had not gone through the proper approval procedures for disposal. He said his staff inventoried the records at the fairgrounds building about four weeks ago.

County Engineer Jeff Maiden said he first became aware on Monday that his department was being used by the sheriff’s office to haul records to the landfill. Maiden said County Commissioner Charlie Adkins alerted him Monday that a load of records was about to be transported from the downtown sheriff’s office to the landfill. Maiden said he stopped it, and the records were instead taken to the North Lancaster Street building. However, Maiden said he learned that earlier some records were taken to the landfill. Maiden said it’s not unusual for officeholders to ask the engineer’s office to haul items, and said his office had been told that the sheriff’s office had some trash and junk that needed hauled.

“As far as I’m concerned, we were misled,” Maiden said.

Maiden said he did not know if the records taken to the landfill had gone through the proper approvals for disposal — although Kelly asserts that his records that were taken the landfill had been microfilmed and that he followed proper disposal procedures.

According to Blackburn, records must be maintained for a specific period of time, the length depending on the type of record, and some types of records must be microfilmed before disposal. He said the Athens County Records Commission must approve the disposal, and the records must be offered to the historical society.

County Auditor Jill Thompson, a member of the records commission, said she does not recall the sheriff coming to the commission recently for approval to dispose of records.

Blackburn said he does not believe the sheriff’s office intentionally destroyed his office’s records.

Morning Update For May 23 (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:30:02 +0200

Athens, OH

Megan Moseley

A new medical facility will be built in Meigs County.

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted plans to release findings on voter fraud from the 2012 election.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin of West Virginia extends support to tornado victims.

Ohio Elections Chief Wrapping Up 2012 Fraud Probe (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:54:08 +0200

Columbus, OH

Associated Press

Ohio's elections chief says he's wrapped up a review by county election boards across the swing state into allegations of voter fraud during the 2012 presidential election.

Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted plans on Thursday to release the probe's findings after a statewide look he ordered in January. He required all testimony to be taken under oath and restricted sworn statements only to firsthand accounts, as a way of cutting down on the spread of rumors.

Husted hoped the forum would identify legitimate concerns and reassure the public about the integrity of elections.

Democrats criticize Husted for repeated violations of voters' rights.

Husted initially said the investigation would also include complaints of alleged voter suppression, but the announcement of Thursday's event made no mention of the issue.

Military Gets Free Admission To Kings Island (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:32:29 +0200

Mason, OH

Associated Press

Current and former members of the U.S. military will get free admission to Kings Island amusement park in southwest Ohio over Memorial Day weekend.

The park says a valid military ID must be presented at the Kings Island ticket window to take advantage of the free admission offer which runs Friday through Monday.

The offer also allows military personnel to purchase up to six discount admission tickets for immediate family members.

Military personnel qualifying for the offer include active and retired members of the military, veterans with honorable or medical discharges and National Guard and the Reserve Officers' Training Corps members.

Proposed Bill Would Remove 20-Year Limit On Prosecuting Rape (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:27:37 +0200

Columbus, OH

Associated Press

A bill being proposed by two Ohio lawmakers would remove the 20-year statute of limitations for prosecuting rape and sexual battery cases.

Attorney General Mike DeWine's office said he supports the measure, which would allow cases to be filed against defendants 20 years or more after the alleged crime.

But John Murphy of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association tells The Columbus Dispatch that he's not in favor of pursuing rape cases that old unless there is DNA evidence involved.

He said prosecutors are concerned that unless there is DNA evidence, rape cases could come down to verbal allegations based on faulty memory instead of evidence.

State Sen. Capri Cafaro said "the impact of sexual trauma lasts a lifetime and certainly does not fade after only 20 years.

Ohio Bomb Suspect Allowed To Represent Himself (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:24:32 +0200

Akron, OH

Associated Press

A federal judge will allow the last of five bridge bomb-plotting suspects in northeast Ohio to represent himself at trial.

Federal Judge David Dowd in Akron ruled Wednesday there's no reason to deny the request by 23-year-old Joshua Stafford of Cleveland, whose trial is scheduled June 10.

Last month the judge ruled Stafford mentally fit for trial after hearing from psychologists who said Stafford is suicidal, depressed and wary of a dangerous world.

No bomb went off and no one was injured in the plot last year in which the intended target was a highway bridge over the Cuyahoga Valley National Park between Cleveland and Akron.

The other four defendants have pleaded guilty and landed prison terms of six to 11 years.

Man Gets Jail For Stealing Pottery from OSU (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:18:32 +0200

Columbus, OH

Associated Press

A man who admitted stealing rare pottery from Ohio State University and selling it to an antiques dealer has been sentenced to eight months in jail.

A judge in Columbus sentenced 56-year-old Christopher Mark Skeen on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property.

Skeen told the judge he was "strung out on heroin" when he took the pieces from a display case in a university library. A prosecutor said he sold them Oct. 16 to an antiques dealer for $300.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that a large vase Skeen took was valued at $10,000 to $15,000. Two smaller pieces were each valued at $3,000 to $5,000.

The antiques shop resold the pieces, but they were returned to OSU and Skeen was ordered to pay restitution.

Ohio's Larger Cities Lose Population (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:54:36 +0200

Dayton, OH

Associated Press

New U.S. Census estimates show that most large and medium-sized cities in Ohio lost population over the past two years, as many cities elsewhere saw gains.

The figures show that 14 out of 15 of Ohio cities with at least 50,000 people had slight population declines from 2010 to July 1, 2012.

The Dayton Daily News reports that during same period, nine out of 10 of the 729 larger cities nationwide had population gains.

Every major city in Ohio except Columbus ranked near the bottom in percentage of population change. Youngstown was listed last - the only city in the nation to lose more than 2 percent of its population the past two years.

Ohio's total population, however, showed a slight gain during that period.

Central Ohio Crash Closes Part Of I-70 (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:32:12 +0200

Kirkersville, OH

Associated Press

A chain-reaction crash overnight involving three tractor-trailer trucks and a pickup truck on Interstate 70 in central Ohio killed one man and was snarling morning traffic.

A section of eastbound I-70 in Licking County, east of Columbus, was closed after the 12:30 a.m. crash Thursday, and the State Highway Patrol expected it to be shut down through the morning rush.

The patrol said a man in the pickup truck was killed when the vehicle was hit by a tractor-trailer from behind and pushed into another one in front. His name was not released.

Drivers of two of the big trucks were taken to a hospital.

Holzer To Open Emergency Care Facility In Meigs County (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:31:20 +0200

Meigs County, OH

Steve Robb - Athens Messenger staff reporter

Residents of Meigs County have been without an emergency medical facility since Veterans Memorial Hospital closed more than a decade ago, but that will be changing.

Holzer Health System announced this week that it will be opening an emergency care facility in Pomeroy in 2014.

"It's a big deal," said Perry Varnadoe, executive director of the Meigs County Economic Development Office. "This will bring (emergency) care back into the county."

Varnadoe said the Meigs County Community Improvement Corp. will be constructing the facility, estimated to cost $5.5 million, on a health care campus that already includes a Family Healthcare office and that also will be the location of Meigs County's new 911 center.

The CIC has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the State Appalachian Development Program for the project, but Varnadoe said the CIC will borrow the remainder of the money.

"It's that important to the community," he said.

Jim Phillippe, chief of hospital operations for Holzer Health System, said the new emergency care facility should be open by late spring 2014.

The facility will feature a 24-hour staffed emergency department, with general imaging and CT scan, laboratory, respiratory therapy and support services. There also will be a helipad.

As with other emergency rooms, most patients will be treated and released, Phillippe said. Those who require hospital admission will be transferred to Holzer Medical Center in Gallipolis or to another hospital, he said.

"EMS providers will have a reduced travel time and patients will be able to receive health care faster when seconds count most," said Brent Saunders, chairman of the board of Holzer Health System.

Circleville Man Gets Three Years For Sex With Minor (WOUB News)

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:02:26 +0200

Circleville, OH

Kristi Murphy - Circleville Herald staff reporter

A 25-year-old man was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday for pleading guilty to unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in Pickaway County Common Pleas Court.

Joseph W. Crawford II, of Circleville, was given the maximum sentence for the third-degree felony and must register as a Tier I sex offender for 15 years.

Assistant prosecutor Jayme Fountain said the incident occurred last October with a 14-year-old girl at Twin Oaks Apartments, where he had been living with the girl’s family for a couple of months. The girl reported the incident at school, which got children’s services and law enforcement involved.

Crawford was booked into the Pickaway County Jail immediately after his sentencing. He had bonded out in late December after his initial arrest in early November. He will serve his prison term in Orient.

New Study Reveals Feeding Style Of Dinosaur (WOUB News)

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:42:35 +0200

Athens, OH

Atish Baidya

A new study by team of Ohio University researchers is giving scientists new insights into how the smaller cousin of the dinosaur T.Rex would eat its prey.

Allosaurus tugged at prey more like a modern-day falcon, according to the study.

Researchers used a CT scanner to create a digital model of the fossilized skull and neck of the 150-million-year-old predator.

Paleontology professor Lawrence Witmer said the team then used computer modeling to add muscles and soft tissue to the digitized bones.

“They used these very complicated math and engineering algorithms to in sense run simulations to see what different conformations of the anatomy related to different functional movements,” Witmer said. “Particularly what we were interested in was how these animals could move their heads and necks around and how they actually stripped flesh from a carcass.”

Researchers found Allosaurus had a relatively light head compared to the bigger T.Rex. It allowed Allosaurus to move its head and neck around more rapidly and with greater control; making Allosaurus a more flexible hunter.

Witmer said the more science can learn about dinosaurs, the more we can learn about other living creatures.

“Conventional dinosaurs really stretch the bounds of what is biologically possible,” he said. “In other words how can you be fifty tons and move around on land? How do you pump blood to a head that is 30 feet away from your heart? So answers to questions about dinosaurs really shed light on how biological systems work.”

The team plans on this approach to study other dinosaurs feeding styles.

Ohio Senate Passes Ban On Internet Cafes (WOUB News)

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:33:26 +0200

Columbus, OH

Associated Press

An effective ban on Internet cafes targeted as illegal gambling operations has cleared the Ohio Legislature after more than two years of wrangling.

The Ohio Senate passed the measure on 27-6 vote Wednesday, less than a year after blocking passage of a similar bill. Testimony by owners and employees of sweepstakes parlors failed to persuade legislators that the more than 620 cafes should continue.

Gov. John Kasich is expected to sign the measure.

Senate Republicans announced a change of heart on the legality of the cafes last month after a briefing by top state law enforcers, including Attorney General Mike DeWine.

Proponents contend the cafes are legal.

Also Wednesday, the Ohio House was set to vote on a bill extending Ohio's moratorium on the cafes and imposing a new reporting requirement.

Severe Thunderstorms Could Affect Region Wednesday Afternoon & Evening (WOUB News)

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:17:27 +0200

Athens, OH

Gabe Ross

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop and move toward southeast Ohio Wednesday afternoon and evening.

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for most of the region until 10 p.m. Wednesday.

The Storm Prediction Center said gusty winds up to 70 miles per hour as we as quater to golfball size hail are possible with these storms.

Storms are expected to quiet down after midnight.

The chance of rain will continue for Thursday, with afternoon pop-up thunderstorms possible, however no severe weather is expected.

Fmr. Hospital Exec. To Lead WV Dept. Of Health And Human Resources (WOUB News)

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:24:46 +0200

Charleston, WV

Associated Press

A former hospital executive will soon head West Virginia's Department of Health and Human Resources.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin named Karen Bowling on Wednesday to his Cabinet effective July 1.

The appointment follows an in-depth audit that recommended dozens of reforms and improvements for the sprawling health department.

Bowling also arrives on the heels of the governor's decision to expand Medicaid.

The Beckley resident was chief executive at Raleigh General Hospital from 2002 until 2010. She chaired the West Virginia Hospital Association during that tenure.

More recently, Bowling has helped the University of Charleston take over health programs from the now-closed Mountain State University.

Bowling takes over from acting Secretary Rocco Fucillo. The Legislature recently agreed to nearly double the health secretary's salary from $95,000 a year to $175,000.

Proposed Budget Amendment Would Redirect Money To Education (WOUB News)

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:04:11 +0200

Columbus, OH

Associated Press

Photo Credit:

www.timeanddate.com

Democrats in the Ohio Senate want to redirect millions of dollars from a proposed income tax cut to education.

The proposal is among roughly 200 amendments that Senate Democrats have offered to the state's $61.5 billion, two-year budget.

Sen. Nina Turner of Cleveland said Wednesday her amendment would eliminate a proposed 7 percent income tax cut for Ohioans making more than $106,150. She says that would free up $508 million for an investment fund to provide extra dollars for schools to use in the classroom and for transportation.

Republicans overwhelming control the Senate, and any changes would need their support.

The Senate's budget-writing committee was to meet later Wednesday.

The Senate version of the budget bill is expected to be released next week, with additional hearings planned on the changes.

Morning Update For May 22 (WOUB News)

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:51:51 +0200

Athens, OH

Megan Moseley

A fatal rappelling accident sparks safety improvements for Hocking Hills.

An Ohio teenager accused of killing two teenage brothers has pleaded not guilty.

Patriot Coal protestors arrested in St. Louis Tuesday.

All this and more in your morning update.

morning update 5-22.Mp3

Ex-worker To Repay Money Embezzled From Wayne PSD (WOUB News)

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:19:25 +0200

Wayne County, WV

Associated Press

A former employee is repaying nearly $62,000 embezzled from the Northern Wayne Public Service District.

Wayne County prosecutor Tom Plymale tells WSAZ-TV that 28-year-old Tiffani Petry of Kenova agreed to repay the money if she received probation. She has repaid $28,000 so far.

Plymale says Petry pleaded guilty last week to four embezzlement counts. She was indicted on 22 counts in March.

According to the indictment, more than 34,000 was embezzled from the PSD between July 5, 2011, and July 13, 2012. Plymale says a follow-up audit found that the total was nearly $62,000.

Teen Pleads Not Guilty In Deaths Of Ohio Brothers (WOUB News)

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:15:13 +0200

Ottawa, OH

Associated Press

A 17-year-old boy charged with killing two teenage brothers in northwest Ohio has pleaded not guilty.

Michael Aaron Fay entered the pleas during an arraignment Tuesday in Putnam County Juvenile Court. He's charged with delinquency in connection with aggravated murder.

Fay is accused of killing 17-year-old Blake Romes and 14-year-old Blaine Romes in their Ottawa trailer May 9.

An Amber Alert for all three teens was issued that day after the mother of the Romes teens discovered a gun and blood inside a trailer where the three boys lived with their mothers.

Fay told officers that the Romes brothers were dead and pointed authorities to their bodies after he was found with a stolen car in Columbus.

A prosecutor said both victims were shot once in the head.

Marshall University Dorm Demolished (WOUB News)

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:41:55 +0200

Huntington, WV

Associated Press

Marshall University has torn down an old dormitory to create green space on its campus.

Demolition of Hodges Hall began Saturday and was completed Tuesday.

Marshall spokesman Dave Wellman tells The Herald-Dispatch that the cost of deferred maintenance also was a factor in the decision to tear down the building.

Hodges Hall was built in 1937 during Marshall's centennial year and served as a dormitory until 2007. Marshall then used the building as office space for the community college and for storage.

Park Officials Plan For Safety Enhancements (WOUB News)

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:35:17 +0200

Logan, OH

Associated Press

State officials say safety improvements are planned after a third fatal fall from a cliff recently in the Hockings Hills region of southeastern Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says signs warning hikers not to leave marked trails are being enhanced. Rangers also have increased trail patrols and are issuing more citations to people who stray from them.

Ranger Paul Baker II says that the changes will be made to blend with the rugged surroundings of Hocking Hills State Park, which attracts more than 1 million visitors annually.

The hiker who fell off a cliff Monday was 66-year-old John Schneider of Bay Village, near Cleveland.

A man rappelling from a cliff was killed Saturday, and a 19-year-old man was killed in a fall April 27.

Weight On Ashland Bridge Restricted After Wreck (WOUB News)

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:27:42 +0200

Ashland, KY

Associated Press

A wreck on an Ashland bridge has prompted the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to impose a temporary 10-ton weight limit on the span.

The cabinet says the wreck damaged part of the 12th Street bridge's superstructure and occurred as the bridge was hit by a vehicle on the Ohio approach span.

After examining damaged steel beams Tuesday, bridge inspectors determined the bridge could stay open. But the weight of vehicles crossing the bridge will be restricted to 10 tons until the damage is repaired.

The bridge connects U.S. 52 in Ohio with U.S. 23 and U.S. 60 in Kentucky.

The cabinet says detour routes will carry overweight traffic coming from Portsmouth, Ohio, and Chesapeake, Ohio, by way of U.S. 52 across bridges in Greenup, Ky., or Huntington, W.Va.

Ohio Democrats Pick New Leader (WOUB News)

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:05:17 +0200

Columbus, OH

Associated Press

Democrats in the Ohio House have picked a Columbus representative to be their new leader.

State Rep. Tracy Maxwell Heard was chosen Tuesday night to replace Rep. Armond Budish of Beachwood as House minority leader. Budish said he's resigning to allow for a smoother transition before his term ends next year.

Budish has led House Democrats for five years. His resignation Tuesday night comes as he considers a run for Cuyahoga County executive.

Democrats also picked State Rep. Debbie Phillips (D-Albany) as assistant minority leader. Rep. Matt Szollosi of Toledo is resigning his seat this month to become executive director of the Affiliated Construction Trades of Ohio.

Joining Heard on the leadership team are Michael Ashford (D-Toledo), Democratic whip, and Dan Ramos (D-Lorain), assistant whip.

Planning effort seeks to define essence of Athens (Athens News)