University institute to interview 6 governor candidates

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — A politics institute will conduct a series of interviews with Ohio’s six major gubernatorial candidates which will be live-streamed.

The University of Akron’s Bliss Institute for Applied Politics says the in-depth interviews are designed to give citizens information they can use ahead of the May 8 primary.

The series kicks off Tuesday and runs through April 11, the day after early voting opens.

Tom Beres, retired senior political correspondent for WKYC-TV, will conduct interviews with four Democrats and two Republicans. The interviews will go beyond “10-second sound bites or the food fight of a debate,” Beres said.

He said he will ask candidates their positions on key issues, including guns, education, the economy and fighting the opioid epidemic.

Gerald Austin, director of the university’s International Campaign Fellows Program, spearheaded the event. He said the interviews will be live-streamed and archived on the university’s YouTube channel , the Institute’s Facebook page and WKYC’s website.

Interviews will take place at the Z-TV studio housed within the university’s School of Communications. The schedule is:

— Democrat Joe Schiavoni, April 3, 10-11 a.m.

— Republican Mary Taylor, April 5, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

— Democrat William O’Neill, April 5, 3-4 p.m.

— Democrat Dennis Kucinich, April 6, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

— Republican Mike DeWine, April 11, 2:45-3:45 p.m.

— Democrat Richard Cordray, April 11, 4-5 p.m.

The Bliss Institute is a bipartisan research and teaching institute that studies and teaches the political process. It places special emphasis on political parties, grassroots and ethical behavior.

Ohio sets catch limits for Lake Erie walleye, yellow perch

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has set its Lake Erie catch limits for walleye this season.

The department says that from May 1 until March 1, 2019, the daily bag limit will be six walleye of at least 15 inches in length. The limit is four until April 30.

The yellow perch limit will remain at 30 with no size requirements.

ODNR says most walleye caught this year will come from 2014 and 2015 hatches. Walleye from the 2014 hatch are expected to be 16 to 24 inches in length. The 2014 hatch accounted for just over half of the 1.3 million walleye caught last year.

The agency says “excellent” yellow perch fishing is expected in the western basin, but will continue to be diminished in the central basin.

University details expansion plans for western Ohio county

BEAVERCREEK, Ohio (AP) — Ohio University says its expansion into a western Ohio county won’t compete with other area universities.

The school’s associate dean for industry partnerships says the university in southeastern Ohio plans to begin teaching professional development courses at a research center in Beavercreek in Greene County. The Dayton Daily News reports the school is also planning to offer graduate school classes at a later point.

Associate Dean Scott Miller says the goal is to fulfill the educational needs for the area. There currently are no plans to offer undergraduate courses in the area.

The courses offered likely would include classes in the fields of electrical engineering, avionics, operations management and mechanical engineering.

Miller says Ohio University has reached out to colleges in the area to form local partnerships.

Jury awards $229K to haunted house owners in sale to school

DELAWARE, Ohio (AP) — A jury has decided the owners of a popular haunted house in suburban Columbus should receive $229,000 from a school district that wants the property for a bus turnaround.

The Columbus Dispatch reports a Delaware County jury spent around two hours this week deciding how much Buckeye Valley Local School District should pay Angie and Brent Stooksbury for their Haunted Hoorah in Ashley.

The district went to court to acquire the property through eminent domain. The couple sought more than $300,000 for the home they acquired at a 2013 sheriff’s sale for $11,000. The district wanted to pay $100,000.

Brent Stooksbury testified at trial the couple spent $160,000 on upgrades.

The couple says the haunted house drew around 8,000 visitors last October. They’re looking for a new haunted house location.