Fran DeWine, wife of governor candidate, visits 88th county
LIMA, Ohio (AP) — One of the women in line to become Ohio’s next first lady has celebrated making campaign visits to all 88 Ohio counties.
Fran DeWine, wife of Republican Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Mike DeWine, marked her 88th county visit in Allen County earlier this week.
The DeWine campaign said Fran DeWine joined the wives of Lt. Gov. candidate Jon Husted, Mike DeWine’s running mate, and the Republican candidates for attorney general, secretary of state, auditor and treasurer at an event in Lima Tuesday Jane Timken, the first woman chair of the Ohio Republican Party, joined them.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray’s campaign said his wife also is campaigning for him. A spokesman said Peggy Cordray works full-time and has not been to all 88 counties.
Airport to begin second phase of $25 million overhaul
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — The Dayton International Airport is moving into its second phase of a more than $25 million terminal renovation project, debuting a new look and seating.
The first phase of the project added a full glass and steel exterior to the terminal for more natural light. The Dayton Daily News reports there will also be a wider Transportation Security Authority exit lane, new restrooms and a glass canopy.
The same type of construction is now continuing to the center of the terminal. The second phase of the project will add new ceilings and floors in evening work — which is expected to last about three and a half months.
Terminal construction at the airport in southwestern Ohio is expected to be completed in October 2019.
2 ex-nursing home workers get jail for elderly woman’s death
OTTAWA, Ohio (AP) — Two former employees of an Ohio nursing home accused of failing to check on a resident who wandered outside and froze to death have been sentenced to 60 days in jail.
The Courier reports 37-year-old Rachel Friesel and 20-year-old Destini Fenbert, both of Pandora, were sentenced Friday in northern Ohio’s Ottawa County.
They pleaded guilty to forgery and gross patient neglect in August, charges tied to the death of 76-year-old Phyllis Campbell, who suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Prosecutors say Campbell wandered outside the night of Jan. 7 when temperatures fell to 2 below zero and wasn’t found for eight hours. Prosecutors say the women falsified a log showing they had checked on Campbell.
Messages seeking comment were left Saturday with the women’s attorneys.
Consumer advocate fights FirstEnergy Solutions bankruptcy
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s lawyer for utility ratepayers has moved to stop the bankruptcy of a key regional power company.
The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel recently appealed FirstEnergy Solutions’ request.
The office told the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals the company shouldn’t be allowed to transfer more than $268 million it owes to the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation’s redundant coal plants to other regulated utilities that share ownership.
The consumers’ counsel says consumers will ultimately bear the cost through their electric bills.
Ohio Valley operates two coal-fired plants along the Ohio River, one in southeast Ohio and one in Indiana, that it’s required to keep running until 2040.
FirstEnergy Solutions is a subsidiary of Akron-based FirstEnergy. It argues bankruptcy protection is in the best interests of the company and its creditors.
Ohio statewide elected officials lack contact with Kasich
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s state auditor, treasurer and lieutenant governor say they haven’t spoken to Gov. John Kasich in more than a year. The secretary of state says it’s been about six months for him.
The fellow Republican officials spoke about their lack of communications to the Dayton Daily News. The experiences of Auditor Dave Yost, Treasurer Josh Mandel, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor and Secretary of State Jon Husted come amid Kasich’s steady stream of appearances on political talk shows.
Attorney General Mike DeWine, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, reports speaking to Kasich more recently.
Kasich, a potential 2020 presidential contender, says he “lives” on his phone but doesn’t “spend a lot of time with chit-chatting.” He said he’d be “more than glad” to speak to any of the individual officeholders.
City to become 4th in Ohio with gunshot detection system
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Another Ohio city is adding a system that’s designed to quickly detect where gunshots are fired and alert police to the location.
Toledo will use a federal grant of nearly $500,000 to pay for the technology.
City officials tell The Blade the plan is for the system to cover 4 square miles (10.4 sq. kilometers) and to have it operational sometime next year.
Toledo’s mayor says the city will be the fourth in Ohio to add the detection system.
Cincinnati and Canton are among the cities using it.
The mayor says officers early this summer couldn’t find the body of a 16-year-old who had been shot because reports of where the shots were heard weren’t clear.
He says the detection system could make a difference in such cases.
