Free Republic

Many leaving state, advocates say The signs are popping up at Latino markets throughout Columbus. "Necesitas ride?" one asks in a mix of English and Spanish. "I'll take you wherever you want." For a fee, the impromptu taxi services offer transportation to undocumented immigrants who were forced to park their cars because they could not prove legal U.S. residency. Some are transferring "ownership" of their cars to family members or friends who are legal U.S. residents so that they can remain on the road in legally registered vehicles. Those without friends or family members here are turning to strangers, paying...

Ohio justices: Cell phone searches require warrant COLUMBUS, Ohio — Police officers must obtain a search warrant before searching the contents of a suspect’s cell phone unless their safety is in danger, a divided Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday on an issue that appears never to have reached another state high court or the U.S. Supreme Court. The court ruled 5-4 in favor of Antwaun Smith, who was arrested on drug charges after he answered a cell phone call from a crack cocaine user acting as a police informant. Officers took Smith’s cell phone when he was arrested and, acting...

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (WSAZ) -- In one of the worst cases of elder abuse ever seen in our region, a daughter is now behind bars and her father is finally getting food and water. Larry Looney got very little food and maybe a cup of water a day, and photos we received just skim the surface of the horror story. Last Friday, Portmsouth Police arrested and jailed Ashley Looney on multiple elder abuse charges. Detectives say for about a year, she imprisoned her helpless, mentally ill father in a Scioto Trail home. Police say shocked witnesses first discovered and took pictures....

The ongoing state budget stalemate will temporarily keep millions of dollars out of the pockets of Ohio taxpayers. No budget deal means state income-tax booklets can't be printed. Not printing and distributing the forms means that Ohioans filing by paper won't be able to get the refunds due them until weeks later than normal. Even if a budget deal is hatched this week, Ohioans probably won't see new state tax forms until February. Last year, 51,770 individuals filed paper returns in January, and 47,113 of them sought a refund. Those refunds totaled an estimated $8.2 million to $9.4 million.

The following story about Arthur "Jibby" Jibilian, OSS Radioman of the Halyard Mission Rescue Operation, was published in the November/December 2009 issue of BEACON, "A Joint Publication of the Grand Lodge of Ohio and the Ohio Masonic Home." Congratulations on winning the "Rufus Putnam Award" Arthur - yet another in a long list of well deserved recognitions of your contributions! A. Rebic ***** "Arthur Jibilian was presented the Rufus Putnam Distinguished Service Award at the Grand Lodge Annual Communication in October [2009]. The award is the highest honor presented annually by the Grand Lodge of Ohio. Brother Jibilian, a member...

AKRON, Ohio (AP)—Police in Ohio say the mother of Pittsburgh Steelers star James Harrison(notes) has been charged with assault following a brawl at a game-watching party in a community hall. Akron police say 62-year-old Mildred Harrison was one of three people cited after the fight at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post Thursday. ...

Republican Rob Portman has managed to pull away somewhat from Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner but still finds himself in a highly competitive race with Democratic Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher in potential 2010 U.S. Senate match-ups in Ohio. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state shows Portman now leading Brunner 40% to 33% after holding a two-point advantage in September. Just seven percent (7%) would choose another candidate, but 20% are undecided at this point. Portman continues to run nearly even with Fisher 38% to 36%. In their match-up, 18% of Ohio voters are undecided, while another eight...

Law: American heroes are arraigned for allegedly punching a terrorist in wartime. What happens to Tiger Woods isn't vital to our country's future. What happens to Matthew McCabe, Julio Huertas and Jonathan Keefe is. People are more likely to recognize the names of Tiger's alleged bimbo eruptions than the names of these three Navy SEALs we sent into battle. They are not household names in a nation consumed with Climate Gate, the public option and the antics of billionaire athletes. An administration consumed with apologies has said the architect of 9/11's massacre, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, must be given all the...

CBS) The words, "Yes, dear," have a whole new meaning in one Ohio household. This family has a deer living inside their house. Dillie the deer has lived with the Buteras in Canal Fulton, Ohio, for the past five years. Abandoned by her mother at birth, because the mother incorrectly thought she was blind, Dillie has since become part of another family -- a family of humans.

CANTON — Two area companies — one already here and another being lured with incentives — received tax breaks from the state Department of Development on Monday. Job Creation Tax credits were approved for Medline Industries and Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems by the state Tax Credit Authority. If it locates here, Medline would receive a 40 percent, 5-year tax credit for the creation of $873,600 in payroll. As part of the tax-credit agreement, Medline has to maintain operations in Canton for at least eight years. Rolls-Royce will receive a 60 percent, 10-year tax credit for creating $3.74 million in additional...

At no point, Low says, did he sign an agreement to sell or give the tablet to the historical society. He always considered it a loan. "I never intended for them to keep it," he said. "I told them it's not for sale." Low said the artifact has great sentimental value for him, not only because he found it as a child, but also because he has American Indian ancestors who could be related to the ancient Adena people who made the carving. Two years ago, Low decided he wanted to get the tablet back so he could donate it...

A just finished audit has shown that massive fraud and multiple violations of Ohio’s voting law has been uncovered in a recent ballot initiative effort. Among other violations, 47 felons were hired illegally by the advocacy group SmokeFree America to collect signatures for issue five, a ballot initiative to ban smoking in Ohio’s small businesses. Kidnappers, thieves and rapists were hired to collect signatures and addresses despite the fact that Ohio election law prohibits felons from working as petition workers. Additionally, the smoking ban was approved for being included on the Ohio ballot by state officials despite the fact that...

Paul believes in and promises to uphold the 9 Principles & 12 Values of the 912 Project 1. America is good 2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life. God “The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.” from George Washington’s first Inaugural address. 3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday 4. The family is sacred. I and my family are the ultimate authority, not the government. Marriage/Family “It...

This is a front page article in SportingNews.com "Since its release, Sarah Palin's book, "Going Rogue" has been somewhat picked apart for factual errors. From a sports angle, there is no factual error that will get a better laugh than this one: In her new book, "Going Rogue," former vice presidential nominee attributes a quote to UCLA basketball coaching legend John Wooden. The only problem is that he didn't say it. "Our land is everything to us...I will tell you one of the things we remember on our land. We remember our grandfathers paid for it -- with their lives."...

Embattled Athens County, Ohio Democratic Chairwoman Susan Gwinn was indicted Monday on two counts of election-related bribery, special prosecutors announced today. Gwinn, who last month was charged with six felonies for campaign finance crimes and money-laundering, became the subject of a voter fraud investigation after an email from College Democrats Vice President Kellie Galan surfaced in which students were promised a cash bounty for every voter brought to the polls. "Remember, if you bring a friend from 4th ward they are more then [sic] a friend, they're 5 bucks!" Galan wrote to fellow College Democrats in the email. Athens' 4th...

This is a very good friend of mine (tried to post it allover, so we can expose this group) I am her POA and have now seen the government at it's very lowest!! I wanted to forward the link to the latest video about Evelyn, if u can pass this on to share; we need to get the word out about this! youtube video 3 of 3, short, personal- court ordered without consent!Please join this site, so we can help http://www.countygrandjury.orgthere are three videos off there and if u read the sidebar more details are there. I will get back...

A judge in Ohio ruled a marriage arranged by a Muslim father for his 17-year-old daughter who now has converted to Christianity isn't valid, clearing her of accusations she made false statements in applying for a marriage license with the man who now is her husband. The little-reported case developed in Ohio, where Larry Crain, senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, argued on behalf of his client, identified only as "Nishan."

AP story

Note: The following text is a quote: Eighteen Charged Following Multi-Year Fraud Investigation Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, today announced that a federal grand jury returned a 23-count indictment charging 18 defendants with violating federal laws following a multi-year investigation into fraud relating to identification documents. Named in the Indictment are the following individuals: Vitaly Fedorchuk, 30 , of Parma, OH; Pavlo Mostranskyy aka Pasha, 45, of North Royalton, OH Sonya Hilaszek, 45, of Cleveland, OH Azamjon Asadov, 34, of Cincinnati, OH; Martynas Bojarcius, 29, of Palatine, IL; Jaroslav Wladyka aka Bohdan Borsuk,...

KENT, Ohio - Fox 8 News has learned that a Kent State student who had been hospitalized in critical condition after a brutal attack, has died. According to the Kent State Police Department, Chris Kernich passed away around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, at Akron City Hospital. Police say the 23-year-old the was walking home on East Main Street with two friends early Sunday morning, when they were nearly run over by a car. Witnesses say one of the students yelled to the driver "watch what you're doing". Police say the car then pulled ahead of Chris Kernich and his friends, and...

Magie Thurber is reporting that Lucas County, Ohio County Commissioner Ben Konop is trying to force unions on non-union labor in his jurisdiction. What about freedom to chose? Forget it. Konop as big brother knows better. On Tuesday, the commissioners will discuss an agenda item ominously entitled "Incorporating Project Labor Agreements into Bidding Specifications for all County-Supported Projects." (Download PDF) Apparently the commissioners will be pursuing PLAs in all contracts in Lucas County's future. What is a Project Labor Agreement or PLA? I discussed this back in February right after President Obama signed his Executive Order 13202 pushing PLAs and...

"A Latino group is asking a judge to prevent state officials from canceling the registrations of more than 40,000 vehicles apparently driven by undocumented immigrants. The League of United Latin American Citizens filed the lawsuit against state officials in Franklin County Common Pleas Court this morning. The legal action comes two weeks before the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles plans to revoke the potentially fraudulently obtained license plates of those who cannot provide proof of legal U.S. residency."

During the big Michigan Week jump, Ohio State University's Mirror Lake and a baby pool have a lot in common. The jump, which will take place tonight, is one of many student traditions. But Ohio State also is a research university, so it was inevitable that someone would apply a little science to this ritual. Last year, students in the College of Earth Sciences tested the water in Mirror Lake before, during and after thousands plunged in to psych themselves up for The Game. "Interesting results from last year's study include a lake-wide temperature increase of approximately 3 degrees Fahrenheit...

Um, you've got the wrong state, Boss. Legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen made an onstage geography goof Friday when he bellowed "Hello, Ohio!" to adoring fans at the Auburn Hills Palace -- in Michigan. The "Born in the USA" crooner referred to the neighboring state several times before trusty E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt whispered their actual location into his ear.

COLUMBUS — Ohio taxpayers are right in the middle of the civil rights lawsuit that Samuel Joseph — “Joe the Plumber” — Wurzelbacher has filed against three former state employees, charging that they illegally accessed his confidential information through state databases. Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray’s office is defending former state employees Helen Jones-Kelley, Douglas Thompson and Fred Williams. All have denied wrongdoing and asked that the case, filed last March in U.S. District Court in Columbus, be dismissed. Jones-Kelley was director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Williams was the department’s assistant director and Thompson the...

Ohio has become the first state to adopt a procedure for lethal injections that uses one drug, a method never before tried on U.S. inmates. The state filed papers Friday in U.S. District Court saying it has decided to switch from a three-drug cocktail to a single injection of thiopental sodium into a vein. A muscle injection will be available as a backup. The decision comes two months after an Ohio death row inmate walked away from an unsuccessful execution and subsequent executions were put on hold. Several states have faced similar challenges, but Ohio is the first to drop...

Earlier this year, many Ohioans (especially in the northern part of the state) heard the name "Rob Portman" and said, "Who?" Now some are saying, "Rob Portman, next U.S. senator from the great state of Ohio." It is way too early to predict winners and losers in next November's election. But Portman has scored a symbolic victory by surging ahead in the latest Quinnipiac University political poll of registered voters in Ohio. If the election were held today, Portman would get 39 percent of the vote to Lee Fisher's 36 percent.

Visits by two men, claiming to be Homeland Security employees, have Middletown officials raising a lot of questions. Police say one man, who was armed and wearing a Homeland Security badge, entered Mayfield Elementary School yesterday morning, before the start of class. Officials say he and another man, also wearing a similar badge, had been to an apartment complex earlier looking for a suspect. At the school, the man claiming to be an agent, asked the principal whether a particular street was within the school's attendance area.

LOVELAND, Ohio, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- An Ohio man landed a 95-pound blue catfish in Lake Isabella, a park district record and only one pound less than the state record holder, park officials said. Lake Isabella Harbor Manager Harry Scott said the massive catfish, which he weighed twice for accuracy, dwarfs the previous largest catch in Hamilton County Park District's history, a 50-pound blue catfish, and weighs in at only one pound under the 96-pound state record, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Wednesday. "I've never seen anything this big in my whole life, and I've seen lots of fish," Scott said....

Economic woes in the Buckeye State put Gov. Ted Strickland in a vulnerable position for 2010, a new Quinnipiac Poll (1,123 RVs, 11/5-9, +/- 2.9%) finds. General Election Matchup Strickland (D) 40 (-6 vs. last poll, 9/15) Kasich (R) 40 (+4) Don't Know 18 (+3)

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is planning a second anti-health care reform Tea Party at the Capitol -- this one scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday -- approximately the time when the House is due to vote on Democrats' public option bill, POLITICO's Jake Sherman reports. King and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) organized a rally Thursday that drew thousands to the west front of the Capitol, drawing chants of “Kill the Bill.” There were a handful of arrests. “We can kill this bill and stop the government takeover of health care,” King said in a news release. “We need the help of...

SNIPPET: "The third article, titled "Al-Shabaab Recruiting in the West," takes a comprehensive look at what we know about the group's efforts to recruit fighters in the United States, and in other Western countries. The final article concerns the efficacy of the Somali president's recent diplomatic efforts in Minneapolis, Columbus, OH, and Chicago."

OXFORD, Ohio—A man wearing a breathalyzer costume was arrested Sunday on suspicion of driving drunk. According to a police report, 18-year-old James N. P. Miller, of Cincinnati, was seen driving the wrong way out of the entrance to a one-way street at East Park Place in Oxford. Officers executed a traffic stop and found that Miller was wearing a breathalyzer costume. After investigation, police said, Miller was found to be operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Inside his car, officers allegedly found an open container of Bud Light in the center console. Officers also found what was left of a case...

ST. CLAIRSVILLE,OHIO -- We the People - Ohio Valley sponsored a rally that attracted more than a thousand people to the steps of the Belmont County Courthouse. The purpose of the voter rally was to remind voters of the importance of the Congressional midterm election in 2010., and to refocus on some of the important issues that face us today. The rally featured patriotic music and motivational speeches.

Polls in Ohio and Kentucky are now closed. Go here for the latest results as they come in. Pike County, Ky. Lawrence County, Ohio Ohio Amendments Meigs County, Ohio Athens County, Ohio Scioto County, Ohio Gallia County, Ohio Vinton County, Ohio Jackson County, Ohio �

More body bags were reportedly taken from the backyard of the Ohio home of convicted sexual predator Anthony Sowell on Tuesday, Fox 8 Cleveland reported. Sowell's neighbors have said they complained for years about a foul smell coming from an area near his house, Fox 8 Cleveland reported. Now a Cleveland city councilman wants to launch an investigation into whether police and health inspectors failed to pick up on any signs that could have led them to the six bodies around Sowell's house any sooner.

Looking to bump up their party school ranking, College Dems at Ohio University (Athens) are giving away beer money to voters if they bring a friend. In an email Vice President of College Dems, Kellie Galan, reminded fellow Dems that a friend at the polls is worth $5. See email below. http://www.electionjournal.org/2009/11/02/oh-vote-fraud-alert-bring-a-friend-to-vote-and-college-dems-will-pay-you-5-dollars/ The Ohio Revised Code, would call this more than a no-no. (3) Advance, pay, or cause to be paid or procure or offer to procure money or other valuable thing to or for the use of another, with the intent that it or part thereof shall be used...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- There is a "political rebellion" going on in America that the Republican Party is hoping to speak for, the U.S. House minority leader says. Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, speaking Sunday on CNN's "State of Union," said an incident in which a GOP-endorsed New York congressional candidate withdrew from an election under pressure from Republican conservatives showed that "we're in the middle of a political rebellion going on in America." Boehner said, "This rebellion are by people who really have not been actively involved in the political process. And they don't really care whether you're...

According to the actions of Franklin County Juvenile Magistrate Mary Goodrich, and the Franklin County Children's Services, there isn't. At least not in their treatment of Rifqa Bary.After Rifqa Bary was returned to Ohio per a Florida Judge's order, Mary Goodrich acted on a request from the Franklin County Children's Services to restrict and supervise Rifqa's use of her cell phone and internet.This amounts to trampling on her Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, and Expression. Constitutional rights that even "illegal aliens" are acknowledged to have.Their reasons for doing so are based on a false narrative that Jim Zorn, a spokesman for the Franklin...

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Residents of one Ohio city are complaining that police officers are telling them if they're fed up with crime in their neighborhoods they should move out. At least two Columbus city council members have heard the complaint. An aide to Councilwoman Charleta Tavares said she has received more than 20 calls. Councilman Andrew Ginther said if police are making the comments, they're neither acceptable nor appropriate, though he said he believes most officers want to be helpful. A police spokesman said the department addresses the complaints when it's given the name of an officer. A police union...

As Baker's flag-draped casket was lowered from a small charter jet into the hands of six fellow Marines, his family and friends stood arm-in-arm, weeping on the tarmac at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Stillness and silence dominated the scene. The sound of passenger planes taking off and landing was drowned out by the weight of the scene unfolding at ground level. That silence was broken only when a police bagpiper began playing "When the Saints Go Marching In." Baker's casket then was loaded into a waiting hearse, and scores of policemen and firefighters — from no fewer than 25 area...

OREGON, Ohio — A furious Ohio mother says her 7-year-old son, who has had problems with medications, was vaccinated for swine flu at school against her wishes. Kim Lutheran works as a nurse and says her son, Matthew, has had bad reactions to medicine. So, she says she signed for "no consent" on a vaccination form and then circled her intentions with a black marker to make things clear to the boy's public school in the Toledo suburb of Oregon. SNIP Deputy Health Commissioner Larry Vasko says his agency has responded by changing the consent forms, telling parents not to...

Westboro Baptist Church, a Topeka, Kan.-based church known for picketing at the funerals of American troops who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, announced Monday that it would protest at the funeral of Lance Cpl. David Raymond Baker. The funeral for Baker, the 22-year-old Painesville Township Marine who was killed by an improvised explosive device Oct. 20 in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Zion Lutheran Church in Painesville. Regarding the protest, Painesville police intend to enforce the laws outlined in Ohio Revised Code Section 2917.11, which defines disorderly conduct, Capt. Rick Kline said....

To all those who value life, Please take a few minutes to consider the life of our sister in the faith Rifqa Bary, which is once again in grave jeopardy. On Tuesday October 27’th, Rifqa Bary was handed over to Ohio authorities for placement in foster care in Franklin County. Over the previous weekend, a very unfortunate deal was made by Rifqa’s former Florida Guardian Ad Litem, Krista Bartholomew, with Rifqa’s parent’s attorney David Colley that allowed Rifqa to be transferred back to Ohio. The gist of this (behind the scenes) deal was the following: 1. Because Rifqa’s parents are...

In every mid-term election, there is a race for governor that draws nationwide attention and packs a political punch far beyond the borders of its state. This year, Virginia and New Jersey have drawn that attention. The elections of Govs. Nelson Rockefeller in New York in 1958 and Ronald Reagan in California in 1966 helped shaped national Republican politics for nearly a generation. The likely election of Bob McDonnell in Virginia this year -- if it comes to pass -- will probably be another. Next year, it will be Ohio where former congressman and host of Fox News’ “Heartland� program...

POOL REPORT CLEVELAND, Ohio — The U.S. economy is pulling out of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression because federal stimulus measures are working, said Vice President Joe Biden during an appearance in Cleveland this afternoon. "We are recovering. We will recover. We are no longer talking about will there be a recovery, we are talking about what kind of recovery it will be," said Biden, during a fund-raiser for a pair of Democratic congressman, Zack Space of Dover and John Boccieri of Alliance. Biden thanked the congressmen for their support of stimulus measures that passed earlier this...

What: WAKE UP OHIO! When: October 25, 2009 3:00 PM Where: Geauga County Fairgrounds Grandstand 14373 N. Cheshire St. Burton, OH 44021 EVENT: WAKE UP OHIO! DATE: October 25th, 2009 TIME: 3pm - 5pm WHERE: Geauga County Fairgrounds Grandstand, 14373 N. Cheshire Street, Burton, OH 44021 SPEAKERS: RECENTLY ANNOUNCED: Joe The Plumber. DOC Thompson from WRVA DOC fills in for Glenn Beck about every 2 months, and he was one of the featured speakers in Washington, DC on 9/12! Pastor James Manning, from Harlem, he has been really speaking out about the corruption in Washington (if you are not familiar...

Ohio has joined with several other states, including Montana and Tennessee, in asserting independence from federal gun laws with the introduction of House Bill 315. This bill, sponsored by Representatives Morgan and Martin, would make all guns manufactured wholly within the state of Ohio exempt from federal gun regulations provided sales are within state boundaries. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives has claimed that they have the authority through the right to regulate interstate commerce because even exclusive intrastate sales of guns have an effect on gun sales nationwide. With two states already having passed similar bills, and...

NEW YORK – A mortgage fraud crackdown announced Thursday resulted in the arrests of dozens of people, including six lawyers, seven loan officers and three mortgage brokers in four states. Thirty-one people were arrested in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and North Carolina. They were among 41 people charged with engaging in mortgage fraud scams that defrauded lenders out of more than $64 million in home mortgage loans. Of the 10 other defendants, one was expected to surrender later Thursday, four were previously charged and five remained at large. Authorities gathering for an afternoon news conference in Manhattan said the crackdown,...

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A woman being driven around in a rented limousine pulled up at a coat store and announced she'd won the lottery and would pay for everyone's purchases, police said, but she ended up causing a riot when customers realized it was a hoax. Angry customers threw merchandise around and looted, leaving the store looking as though a hurricane had passed through it, police said. Linda Brown was arrested Tuesday after an hours-long shopping spree that began when she hired a stretch Hummer limousine to drop her off at a Burlington Coat Factory store, police Sgt. Lt. Michael...