Latest news with #OhioHistoryConnection
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
DOGE funding delays result in Ohio History Connection layoffs
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Federal funding delays have resulted in a nonprofit organization focused on preserving Ohio's history losing about one-third of its staff. According to the Ohio History Connection, 12 members of its staff working in the State Historic Preservation Office were laid off due to a federal funding delay. Columbus considers relaxing its weed code for native, pollinator-friendly plants In a statement, the organization said approximately 60% of its total funding comes from the federal Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service. The park service has been one of the department's hardest hit by cuts via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Estimates state the park service could lose as much as 30% of its total funding, just more than $5 billion. The Ohio History Connection is mandated by the federal government to administer the National Register of Historic Places, the Federal Historic Tax Credit program, and reviews under the National Historic Preservation Act. The layoffs took effect last Friday. 'Each of the individuals impacted has contributed meaningfully to our work, and their dedication and professionalism will be deeply missed,' the history connection's statement reads. '…with the majority of our State Historic Preservation Office budget allocated to personnel, we were unable to sustain our current staffing levels without this federal support.' Second suspect arrested in cold case of body found naked on Columbus railroad tracks The organization is responsible for more than 50 historic sites in 40 counties across Ohio.'We know the coming months will be challenging, and that extended processing times may occur as we adjust to these changes,' the connection's statement reads. 'Nonetheless, we remain committed to our mission and to serving the people and communities of Ohio through the preservation of our shared heritage.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Without funds from the feds, a third of Ohio's historic preservation office let go
The Ohio History Connection's Columbus museum and offices. (Photo by Marty Schladen, Ohio Capital Journal.) The Ohio History Connection last week laid off a third of the staff at the State Office of Historic Preservation. Even though many of its responsibilities are mandated by the federal government, the feds haven't provided funding that was appropriated in October, a spokesman said. The money is provided by the National Park Service, which has been hammered by staffing and funding cuts from Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency. The historic preservation office handles Ohio listings on the National Register of Historic Places, historic preservation tax incentives, and maintains a permanent record of Ohio's historic buildings and sites, in addition to many other responsibilities. The Ohio History Connection, which oversees the preservation office, laid off 12 of its employees because it hasn't received $1.448 million from the National Park Service despite the fact that the money was appropriated on Oct. 1, said Neil Thompson, the history connection's manager of media and public relations. In a note to history connection staff last week, Executive Director and CEO Megan Wood said the preservation office couldn't maintain its staffing without the money. 'As a reminder, roughly 60% of (the preservation office's) funding comes from the federal Historic Preservation Fund — administered by the National Park Service and supported by proceeds from offshore oil and gas leases,' Wood wrote. 'Although these funds were appropriated for the current federal fiscal year beginning October 1, 2024, they have not yet been released. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE 'We have been working tirelessly with the Governor's Office, our Board, and Ohio's Congressional Delegation to advocate for the timely release of these funds. However, with the majority of our (historic preservation) budget allocated to personnel, we are unable to sustain our current staffing levels without this federal support.' In 1966, Congress passed the National Historic Preservation Act after years of mass demolition of historic sites and buildings. 'By the mid-1960s, federally-funded infrastructure and urban renewal projects had resulted in the rapid destruction of places significant in the nation's history,' the National Park Service says on its website. 'Congress recognized that the federal government's historic preservation program was inadequate to ensure that future generations could appreciate and enjoy the rich heritage of the nation. (The National Historic Preservation Act) was enacted in recognition that historic places were being lost or altered, and that preservation was in the public's interest.' Among the things created under the law was the National Register of Historic Places, on which Columbus's German Village has been listed since 1974. Workers in state preservation offices evaluate whether nominees make the register. Those decisions depend on how old they are, their historical significance, their architectural significance, and other factors, Thompson said. 'It's a federal program — a federal list that is ultimately put out by the Department of the Interior — but the State Historic Preservation Office is responsible for reviewing nominations to ensure all these factors are met,' Thompson said. A more complete description of the preservation office's responsibilities can be found here. Some developers and homeowners might balk at historic preservation requirements, but historic preservation is popular with the public. For example, a 2014 UCLA survey found that '88% of respondents believe that historic places should be treated as community assets… (and) 83% of respondents indicated that historic preservation is somewhat to very important.' The National Park Service didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The agency has been buffeted with cuts and threats of more since Trump took office and put the world's richest man in charge of cutting government services. In February, 1,000 probationary employees were cut from the park service and another 700 took buyouts. Now the Trump administration is planning to cut 1,500 more. The cuts already are said to have sewn chaos at the agency. Despite the loss of personnel at Ohio's State Historic Preservation Office, officials plan to continue doing what the law requires. 'Despite this setback, we remain responsible for fulfilling our federally mandated duties, including the administration of the National Register of Historic Places, the Federal Historic Tax Credit program, and compliance reviews under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act,' Wood, CEO of the History Connection, told employees. 'We know the coming months will be challenging, and that extended processing times may occur as we adjust to these changes. Nonetheless, we remain committed to our mission and to serving the people and communities of Ohio through the preservation of our shared heritage.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Axios
11-04-2025
- Science
- Axios
Grant funding Ohio LGBTQ+ history markers gets cut
Elon Musk's DOGE recently canceled a $250,000 grant the Ohio History Connection received to fund 10 new LGBTQ+ historical markers statewide, WCMH-TV reports. Why it matters: It's a major blow for those working to uncover the "hidden history" of LGBTQ+ Ohioans, project adviser Julia Applegate tells Axios. An estimated 6.2% of Ohio adults identify as LGBTQ+, but only 0.2% of the state's historical markers highlight that community. Between the lines: Getting a marker installed usually requires exhaustive research, community organizing and fundraising — all challenges the grant was meant to overcome. Zoom in: Applegate previously helped get a marker placed at the former Summit Station bar and was eyeing a new one honoring local HIV/AIDS service organizations like the Pater Noster House. The West Broad Street hospice center was the site of a famous photo that "changed the face of AIDS." She expected a 2026 marker dedication, but now is unsure. What they're saying: The Ohio History Connection has made no staffing changes based on the lost grant, spokesperson Neil Thompson tells us. Thompson had no updates about the 10 planned markers. The big picture: Applegate, a senior lecturer at OSU's College of Public Health, says she's lost funding on five health, cultural and historical projects already this year.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
DOGE cancels $250,000 Ohio grant installing LGBTQ+ historical markers
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — An Ohio grant worth nearly $250,000 to install LGBTQ+ historical markers has been canceled by DOGE. Ohio History Connection received the $249,810 federal grant in 2022 to fund the Marking Diverse Ohio project, aimed at commemorating stories and places reflecting the impact of LGBTQ+ Ohioans in shaping the state's history. The project was led by the organization's Gay Ohio History Initiative and included supporting the placement of 10 LGBTQ+ historical markers. 'This should be a welcoming state:' DeWine denies claim of 'anti-LGBTQ+ climate' in Ohio The Elon Musk-led DOGE announced on April 3 it canceled the grant, among $25 million worth of funds awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services that have been cut. Ohio History Connection confirmed to NBC4 it was contacted by the institute regarding the cancellation and that the organization is working to understand the impact. Research efforts to place a marker where Ohio's first and longest-running lesbian bar once stood served as the prototype for Marking Diverse Ohio, Ohio History Connection's site states. The sign was installed in June 2023, honoring Summit Station in Columbus' University District as one of the first lesbian pubs in the nation that welcomed patrons for nearly four decades before closing in 2008. The bar's marker was not paid for by the grant, but rather a sponsorship group called Friends of Summit Station, Ohio History Connection said. No other LGBTQ+ signs have been placed by the organization since Summit's marker installation. It's unclear if other proposed signs were undergoing the application process. The institute's site said the Marking Diverse Ohio team would conduct outreach to solicit narratives for the potential signs and related oral histories, artifacts and records. The grant also called for staff members to participate in training in LGBTQ+ cultural competency and trauma-informed care to support this work. Former Ohio governor speaks about current political climate Summit's marker stands as the third in the state to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and the only one in central Ohio. The first was installed near the Dayton Metro Library in 2009 to commemorate Ohio-born Natalie Clifford Barney, a lesbian writer who hosted a literary salon in Paris. In 2017, the second was placed on West 28th Street in Cleveland to honor the LGBT civil rights movement near the site of the Lesbian-Gay Community Service Center. Megan Wood, executive director of Ohio History Connection, told NBC4 at the time of Summit's designation that the organization bestows about 30 markers each year. Summit's application was incredibly compelling, Wood said, especially given the Dayton library and Cleveland service center markers were the only two LGBTQ+ signs out of more than 1,800 markers statewide. Other grants among the $25 million awarded by the institute then cut by DOGE include $265,000 for Queens College in New York to research 'why BIPOC teens' read Japanese comic books, $140,000 for the University of South Carolina to create 'safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals' in libraries, $6.7 million for the California State Library to 'enhance equitable library programs,' and more. Musk's department also recently slashed an Ohio State professor's grant worth nearly $700,000 that was studying the link between cannabis use disorder and LGBTQ+ women. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
06-04-2025
- Science
- CBS News
'Their Tesla': Pioneering brothers' Wright Flyer III is designated Ohio's official state plane
Ohio has adopted the 1905 Wright Flyer III as its official state airplane. Described as Orville and Wilbur Wright's crowning achievement, the world's first practical fixed-wing aircraft made its seminal sustained flight in an Ohio cow pasture called Huffman Prairie, outside Dayton. A grandniece to the pioneering Ohio brothers, Amanda Wright Lane, testified in February that the 1905 plane was "their Tesla," and represented the beginning of a human flight plan to Mars. Wright Lane noted that NASA's experimental Martian helicopter, Ingenuity, succeeded using what officials called Wright-like flights. The space agency subsequently named its air strip on Mars "Wright Brothers Field." "Present-day Ohio engineering ingenuity was a part of that Ingenuity mission. Why wouldn't we adopt the Wright Flyer III as an inspiring symbol of the genesis of human flight?" she said. "Ohioans lessened the distances between world peoples 125 years ago, and currently, Ohioans are lessening the distances in space." The Wright Flyer III featured a host of improvements to the Wright Flyer I, the plane in which the Wrights pioneered powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on Dec. 17, 1903. Those included a larger rudder, a vertical stabilizer relocated rearward and separate yaw and roll controls, the Ohio History Connection's Kevin Boehner told the committee. Choosing the plane as Ohio's designee glances past the state's long-running dispute with North Carolina over which can rightly call itself the "birthplace of aviation": the one where the Wrights did their inventing, or the one where they flew. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed its new state designation into law Wednesday. The plane, designated a historic landmark, can be seen at Dayton's Carillion Historical Park .
