Latest news with #DeWine
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Several area jails to receive state funding for renovations, improvements
Several area jails will receive state funding for construction and renovation projects, according to a spokesperson from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's office. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On Friday, DeWine and Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Director Annette Chambers-Smith announced that 19 jails across the state will receive grants totaling about $50 million. TRENDING STORIES: Local man arrested on child molestation warrant after 'intensive investigation' Traffic patterns on I-75 to change as construction continues in Montgomery County Man with filet knife arrested after standoff in Mercer County This funding will be awarded through the Ohio Jail Safety and Security Program, which launched in 2021. The jails in Champaign, Darke, and Logan counties will all receive funding, according to the spokesperson. The Tri-County Jail, located in Champaign County, will receive approximately $46,568 to renovate a space for court hearing video services and a private space for mental health services. The Darke County Jail, which opened in 1983, will get approximately $136,809 to conduct a needs assessment and feasibility study to determine the need for a new jail. The Logan County Jail will receive $549,012 to improve HVAC, mechanical, and plumbing systems. The funding will also help renovate the intake, booking, and medical areas of the building. 'This funding will not only support safer environments for those living and working in our local jails, but it will also help prepare inmates for release by creating improved spaces for workforce development, educational opportunities, and other programming,' DeWine said. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
When is Ohio's sales tax holiday? What items are eligible?
Ohio's sales tax holiday for 2025 will be Aug. 1-14, Gov. Mike DeWine announced on May 30. 'The timing of this year's sales tax holiday not only supports families preparing for back-to-school, but also provides relief on other important household needs,' DeWine said in a statement. During the holiday, shoppers will be able to make qualifying purchases both in-store and online without paying state sales tax. Almost all tangible personal property priced at $500 or less is tax-free. Here are some examples of items that will be tax-free: Electronics: Computers, televisions, and other gadgets Clothing: Any apparel items Books: All types, including novels and textbooks Home Goods: Furniture, kitchenware, and home decor Plants: Indoor and outdoor plants Sporting Goods: Equipment and apparel for sports Food and Beverages: Dine-in food, dietary supplements, and soft drinks Note: These are just examples. Many other items will also be exempt from sales tax during this period. Stay up to date: Sign up for The Scoop, our weekly newsletter on Ohio politics The tax exemption does not apply to services or to purchases of motor vehicles, watercraft, outboard motors, alcohol, tobacco, vapor products, or any item containing marijuana. For full details, including eligible items and frequently asked questions, visit the Ohio Department of Taxation's Sales Tax Holiday page. You can also contact the Department by email or by calling 1-888-405-4039. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio sales tax holiday 2025: When is it? What items will be included?
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio lawmakers consider change to teacher pension fund
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio lawmakers are considering a sweeping change to the make up of Ohio's teacher pension fund that could force retirees and teachers off their own board. The State's Teachers Retirement System (STRS) has been embroiled in controversy of late, with retirees saying they've been denied promised cost of living increases while investment staff gets bonuses despite losing billions of dollars. Currently, a legislative subcommittee is reviewing pension boards around the country that could possibly change who sits on the STRS board. Over the past few years, teachers and retirees have worked to get 'reformers' elected to the board. These reformers won a majority of the seats of the 11-member board but retirees said multiple Ohio government officials are working to strip their power away. 'Everybody gets rich at STRS, our consultants get rich. Our investors get rich, our STRS management get rich,' said Robin Rayfield, the CEO of the Ohio Retirement for Teachers Association. 'The only people who don't get rich are the people who put the money in, and that is the teachers.' A manual outlining benefits was given to tens of thousands of Ohio teachers when they were hired, which says they are promised pension with a cost of living increase of 3% annually. Nearly a decade ago, STRS took that away and since 2020, retirees said they have lost 23% of their buying power. 'So we have teachers that are, you know, trying to live on 40, $50,000 I mean, they have roofs on their house that need to be replaced. They need to buy cars. I mean, how do you have an investment like that?' said Dean Dennis of a retiree watchdog group. FTC, FBI issue warnings about 'deals' that sound too good to be true This watchdog group has worked to get reformers elected that demand investment transparency and an end to lavish bonuses for investment staff members. Some of these bonuses are as high as $300,000. The group said they are receiving push back, first from Gov. Mike DeWine. A board member Wade Steen was previously kicked from the board by Gov. DeWine, before appointing G. Brent Bishop to replace him. But at the beginning of 2024, an appeals court determined DeWine overstepped his authority in removing Steen from the position. The governor called for an investigation into the board, claiming there is a hostile takeover by private interests at STRS. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost obliged, and called for the removal of Steen and Rudy Fichtenbaum from the board in May of 2024. Retirees said Steen and Fichtenbaum were targeted because they backed reform. 'The people that we have elected want the most basic, simple things. They want transparency and accountability,' said Dennis. 'That's all we're looking for, because without accountability and transparency, you can't fix a broken pension system.' The Republican controlled Ohio Retirement Study Council is looking into changes to the make-up of the board. Rep. Sean Brennan (D-Parma), a retired teacher, serves on the bipartisan legislative subcommittee and is keeping an open mind. 'I've always believed in looking for best practices,' said Brennan. 'So if there is something that we could be doing in Ohio that's better than what we're doing now, then why not take a look at it? And as retirees, we paid in and have very much a vested interest in the future of the system. And I think we we are required to have a voice, and entitled to a voice.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
DeWine launches campaign to help parents with teen driving
BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN)- This week, Governor DeWine is launching a campaign to encourage parents to practice driving with their teens. The Ohio Traffic Safety Office says that parents don't spend enough time teaching their children to drive. This push to encourage parents to practice driving more with their teens comes at an appropriate time. We're now in what's known as the '100 Deadliest Days of Summer', the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day, where there's an increase in deadly crashes, particularly for teen drivers. The main point made through this campaign is that teens spend a lot of time practicing sports and extracurricular activities, and the same amount of effort should be put into practicing and learning how to drive. Governor DeWine says it's equally important that parents put in the effort, too. Ohio law requires teens to have 50 hours of driving practice with a parent or guardian to get their probationary license, but the state thinks people aren't hitting this mark. In Ohio in 2024, there were 97 deadly crashes involving a teen. 67 of those crashes were determined to be the fault of the teen driver. 34% of at-fault teen drivers involved in fatal crashes received no driver education. This is all according to the state, the Department of Public Safety, and OSHP's crash dashboard. The state has created some driver training videos and resources specifically for parents to help guide them through teaching their teens to drive. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
DeWine unveils recommendations to help close missing persons cases in Ohio
May 28—A group of law enforcement, family members of the missing, advocates and educators have called for several changes aimed at improving the efficiency of missing persons investigations in Ohio. Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson announced nearly 20 recommendations from the Ohio Missing Persons Working Group on Tuesday. The group recommended 18 areas of improvement around information sharing between law enforcement agencies, communication between family members and investigators, continued professional training, and public education. The group was formed in January. DeWine has already ordered several agencies to carry out these recommendations, including automating notification of law enforcement agencies of Endangered Missing Child Alerts, creating a best practices guide on interacting with families of missing persons, expanding the Ohio Prisoner Extradition Reimbursement Program, and continued professional training for the healthcare industry on law enforcement exemptions to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA. Additionally, several state agencies that work with children and mental health have been directed to work with local law enforcement to develop a pilot program for advocates to support at-risk youth who regularly leave their homes or group home settings. "Thousands of children and adults are reported missing each year, and although most are located quickly, some simply vanish, leaving anguished families behind and adding to law enforcement's growing caseload," DeWine said. "The goal of this working group was to identify what more we could do as a state to help law enforcement bring more missing people home and support family members during a time of great despair." Other recommendations were made to the Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation, whose Missing Persons Unit is the state authority on missing persons investigations, according to the Governor's office. Suggestions for BCI include the creation of a central repository of resources for families and investigators, the launch of an annual missing persons conference, and the establishment of a confidential forum for law enforcement to discuss investigative techniques and perform case reviews. 'A great idea' House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, told reporters Wednesday that she supports the task force findings and deferred to her colleague Rep. Christine Cockley, D-Columbus, who joint sponsors a bipartisan bill that would require all Ohio law enforcement to upload missing persons' information into a national database within 30 days of a report. "We think it's a great idea, (Cockley) is certainly supportive of it and we have legislation in this space to address these missing person cases," Russo said. House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said he'd like to take time to review the task force's recommendations, but said it should be something the legislature could get done before lawmakers go on summer recess. "I think we could probably get that done by June 30. So, I think we'll take the recommendations, see what that looks like, and try to get that done," he said.
