Latest news with #LauraBischoff
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio waives $8.4 million in fees for drivers. Find out why
Ohio reinstated licenses for thousands of drivers and waived $8.38 million in fees under a new law. Legislators adopted House Bill 29 in 2024 to make it harder to lose your driver's license for non-driving issues, such as unpaid parking tickets. The law took effect in April 2025. So far, 170,500 drivers have had suspensions and/or vehicle registration blocks removed and nearly 7,100 got their licenses reinstated. Another 24,400 drivers had suspensions removed and may be eligible to take a driving test to restore their licenses. Under previous law, Ohio drivers could lose their licenses for more than 30 reasons, many of which are not related to dangerous driving. Under the new law, license suspensions are largely limited to convictions that are related to dangerous driving. "We're trying to reduce the connection between not being able to pay a fine and being allowed to drive, which is pretty essential in this state," said Zack Eckles of the Ohio Poverty Law Center, which lobbied for the new law. Reinstatement fees can ramp up quickly, starting at $15 and maxing out at $650. Roughly 60% of license suspensions each year are for debt-related reasons. In Ohio, roughly three in four workers drive to work and 30% of jobs require a driver's license, according to a report from the Ohio Poverty Law Center issued in May 2023. Driving is so essential that most people with suspended licenses continue to drive anyway. People are automatically notified by mail if they're eligible to have their suspension removed. Drivers can check their driving record and update their current address with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles to expedite the notification process if they are eligible to have their license reinstated. State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@ and @lbischoff on X. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New Ohio law reinstates drivers and forgives millions in fees
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
From the editor: Why we investigated the way Ohio handles vicious dog attacks
From reporter Laura Bischoff's point of view, you might say our special report on vicious dog attacks was 11 years in the making. Bischoff, then with the Dayton Daily News, was one of many Ohio journalists who wrote about the February 2014 dog mauling death of Klonda Richey. The attack did not come out of the blue – Richey, fearing for her safety, had filed more than a dozen complaints with the Montgomery County dog warden about her neighbors' two mixed-breed mastiffs before a passerby found her bloody body in the snow in front of her Dayton home. VICIOUS: An investigation into how Ohio laws fail thousands of dog attack victims Bischoff also reported on the unsuccessful effort by state lawmakers in the years that followed to pass the Klonda Richey Act, an effort to bolster Ohio's dog laws and increase the penalties for owners of vicious dogs. Bischoff was the lead reporter in our investigation – a joint effort by The Enquirer, the Columbus Dispatch, the Akron Beacon Journal and the Canton Repository – which detailed dozens of cases that suggest Ohio's laws remain woefully inadequate in bringing justice to victims of disfiguring and sometimes fatal dog attacks. Dog owners in these attacks are typically fined at levels comparable to a traffic ticket. Why are victims and their families left with little recourse? 'It's been a question on my mind for years,' Bischoff said. 'Everyone seems to have a story about a dog bite. It is a common problem staring us right in the face. But no state lawmakers have taken a crack at it since 2019.' Days before our special report was published, a woman in Colerain Township was attacked by two dogs in her neighborhood. While township officials criticized animal control officers for not impounding the dogs, Hamilton County's dog warden said they had no legal grounds to do so. And that illustrates the recurring theme of our investigation. Is it finally time for Ohio to pass tougher dog laws? State Rep. Kevin Miller thinks so. In the wake of our investigation, Miller a former state trooper who lives in Newark, said he plans to introduce legislation that would require vicious dogs to be euthanized. This is consistent with recommendations of the Ohio County Dog Wardens Association, which seeks changes in state law to also clarify the police powers of dog wardens and increase the penalties for owners whose dogs cause serious injuries. Our investigation, nine months in the making, is a tough read. The videos are difficult to watch. The horrific experiences of the victims, told through interviews with dog attack survivors and the families of those who were killed, are heartbreaking. I want to thank these individuals for their bravery and willingness to participate in our investigation. The Enquirer – along with our sister publications in the USA TODAY Network Ohio – was honored to tell their stories. More than a dozen journalists – a team that included reporters, editors, photographers, videographers and producers – participated in the project. But credit goes to Bischoff, who covers state politics for our network, for suggesting it was time to revisit that question that has been on her mind since Klonda Richey's death. That curiosity, and a willingness to dig for answers, is what makes local journalism so powerful. Enquirer Executive Editor Beryl Love writes a biweekly column that takes you behind the scenes at The Enquirer. Occasionally, he shares his thoughts on local issues, particularly as they pertain to a free press and open government. Email him at blove@ He can't respond personally to every email, but he reads them all. Love also serves as regional editor for the USA TODAY Network Ohio. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Editor column on why Enquirer investigated visious dog attacks in Ohio
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Yahoo
Ohio dog attack project took 9 months to write and report
Nine months ago, we set out to find out how often dangerous dogs attack and injure Ohioans, whether the owners are held accountable and what weaknesses in state law exist. The Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch, Akron Beacon Journal and Canton Repository reviewed police reports, body camera and dash-camera footage, witness statements, lawsuits and injury photos in dozens of cases. We interviewed nearly 60 victims, family members, lawyers, pediatricians, dog wardens, lawmakers and others and submitted more than 50 public records requests to agencies across the state. Our legal team sued the Village of Ashville in the Ohio Court of Claims to press the police department to release footage of officers responding to a fatal attack. The interviews and records revealed shocking details: state law doesn't mandate euthanasia of an aggressive dog until it kills a second human; even after serious injuries occur, dog owners pay a fine that is little more than a traffic ticket; children are more likely to be attacked; victims often face crushing medical bills, multiple surgeries and long-lasting psychological trauma. A decade ago, a string of lawmakers tried − and failed − to strengthen Ohio's dangerous dog laws. No legislators have broached the topic in the past five years. USA TODAY Network Ohio bureau reporter Laura Bischoff anchored the reporting and writing. Bureau chief Anthony Shoemaker, project director, and Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Dan Horn edited the stories. Akron Beacon Journal investigative reporter Stephanie Warsmith and photographer Lisa Scalaro told the story of Michael Palmer, a local man who lost his thumbs, an index finger and both ears in a devastating attack. Beacon Journal Executive Editor Cheryl Powell edited the Palmer story. Cincinnati Enquirer Director of Photography Cara Owsley, Enquirer photographers Albert Cesare and Phil Didion and Columbus Dispatch photographer Courtney Hergesheimer and former photographer Barbara Perenic took and edited photos and videos. Enquirer visual journalist Mike Nygeres produced graphics and an animated video. Keely Brown and Andrea Brunty managed the digital presentation. Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How we investigated Ohio's dangerous dog attacks and weak state laws
