Ohio News & Current Events | Public News Service

Among military and veteran caregivers, 43% face financial setbacks such as increasing debt or loss of personal savings, according to research from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Ohio military and veteran families struggle with caregiving costs

Ohioans who provide care for veterans spend on average more than $1,100 yearly of their personal income on out-of-pocket costs related to caregiving…

Between the summers of 2021 and 2022, more than 500 children spent at least one night in county government offices because they had nowhere to go, according to the Public Children Association of Ohio. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Ohio agencies work with churches to strengthen supports for foster children

More than 3,500 foster children are available for adoption in Ohio, and state agencies are connecting with local faith congregations to help recruit …

The average cost in Ohio for college tuition and fees is around $10,049 per year, according to the Education Data Initiative. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Ohio borrowers navigate student-loan payment restart riddled with errors

A new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finds the repayment process for federal student loans has been filled with errors…

Ninety-five percent of missing children in Ohio have been safely found so far this year, according to the state Office of the Attorney General. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

As more children go missing in Ohio, advocates push for change

By India Gardener / Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration. According to Attorney …

The proportion of rural American adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher increased from 5% in 1960 to 35% in 2019, according to federal data. (Adobe Stock)

Ohio’s rural communities find new solutions to expand student resources

Rural schools in Ohio are finding local solutions to ensure their students have the resources and skills they need to be successful. Grand Valley …

Black Americans represent 13% of the U.S. population, but 40% of people with HIV. Latinos represent 18.5% of the population, but 25% of people with HIV, according to HIV.gov. (Adobe Stock)

Ohio marks World AIDS Day

Today marks the 35th anniversary of World AIDS Day. LGBTQ+ advocates in Cleveland have organized events that include educational seminars, HIV …

The stress of farming is compounded for racial and other minorities, a new study suggests. (Adobe Stock)<br />

For beginning nontraditional farmers, stress is a constant

Women, LGBTQ, and minority farmers in Ohio face compounding stressors, according to a study from Ohio State University. Researchers surveyed and …

States on April 1 began ending Medicaid coverage for people found ineligible or whose redetermination can't be completed for procedural reasons, a process known as Medicaid unwinding. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Ohio sees coverage losses as Medicaid unwinding continues

More Ohioans are at risk for losing their health coverage through Medicaid because of procedural errors, according to a recent analysis. Federal rule …

Clean-air advocacy groups and the electric truck sector are calling on state governments to consider tax credits that would make EV trucks more affordable. (Adobe Stock)

EV companies call for building heavy-duty vehicle infrastructure

Clean-energy advocates in Ohio and around the country say now is the time for the government to ensure the nation has the medium- and heavy-duty truck…

Giving Tuesday began in 2012 at New York City's 92nd Street YMCA and is now observed in every country in the world. (OntheRun Photo/Adobe Stock)

Groups hoping Ohioans are feeling philanthropic on Giving Tuesday

On Giving Tuesday tomorrow, donating money isn't the only way to support the groups and causes you care about. The global Giving Tuesday movement …

Over about 90 minutes, researchers collected almost 10,000 Asian longhorned ticks on a Monroe County farm in southeast Ohio. (The Ohio State University)

Exotic tick that can kill cattle spreading across Ohio

A species of exotic tick arrived in Ohio in 2021 in such huge numbers that their feeding frenzy on a southeastern farm left three cattle dead of what …

Ohio is home to an estimated 60,000 English learner students. Spanish is the main language of almost 40% of Ohio's English learners, along with 90 other home languages, according to state data. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />

Ohio schools haven’t kept pace with growing number of English learners

Ohio schools are stepping up to meet the needs of a growing number of English learners. Nearly 40% of around 60,000 English learners in the state …

If there is a shortfall in WIC funding, program administrators said states would respond by putting some eligible people on waiting lists. (Jade Maas/Adobe Stock)

Advocates: WIC will have to ration benefits if budget not increased

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children is facing a funding shortfall in Ohio and nationwide, even without the …

Ohio is home to over 700,000 inactive voters-individuals registered to vote but who have not participated in the last three federal elections, according to data from Innovation Ohio. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Concerns about OH 'missing voters' after record high odd election year turnout

Nearly 4 million Ohioans voted last week, record turnout for an odd-year election. Experts say more voters may have turned up to cast their ballots …

Methane waste occurs when gas is leaked, vented or flared from oil and gas infrastructure. (Adobe Stock)

Report: In Ohio, much industry-produced methane goes to waste

Ohio oil and gas companies wasted $93 million worth of natural gas in 2019, enough to meet the yearly energy demands of the state's most populous …

Eviction notices in some cities are 50% higher than the pre-pandemic average now that eviction moratoriums established during the COVID-19 pandemic have ended. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Programs help cut OH veteran homeless rate nearly in half

Advocates for the homeless in Ohio say effective and well-funded federal programs have helped cut the number of homeless veterans nearly in half over …

Harmful chemicals including lead, particulate matter, pesticides, and phthalates added to plastics, impair brain development in children. (Adobe Stock)

Ohio children are being harmed by toxic chemicals

Children of color and from low-income families in Ohio and across the nation are not only exposed to more dangerous toxic chemicals including lead…

Farmers and ranchers steward about 44% of the United States' landmass. (ZoranZeremski/Adobe Stock)

Stalled farm bill will likely affect Ohioans

The once-every-five-year Farm Bill will likely be extended to six years this time around, as Congress seems months away from finding a path forward…

The Biden administration unveiled the U.S. Labor Department's proposed Retirement Security Rule, which aims to restrict

Proposed rule aims to protect Ohio's retirees

The Biden administration has proposed a rule to help people save more in retirement and avoid "junk" fees from unscrupulous financial advisers…

Forensic nurses are trained to provide consultation testimony for civil criminal proceedings, courtroom testimony, and to intersect with the legal system in ways other health care professionals typically do not. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Forensic nurses offer trauma-informed care

Sexual assault survivors in rural Ohio may have to travel hours to get a forensic exam. During National Forensic Nurses Week, Ohio advocates say …

Voter turnout rose 7 percentage points from 2016, resulting in a total of 66% of U.S. adult citizens casting a ballot in the 2020 election, according to the Pew Research Center. (Adobe Stock).<br />

Can Ohio's rural voters be swayed at ballot box?

As Ohio voters cast their ballots today for issues on abortion and legalizing marijuana, a new poll finds up to 37% of rural voters can be swayed by …

Families in Early Head Start have stable home environments and less involvement with the child welfare system, according to the National Head Start Association. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Congress proposes slashing funding for Head Start programs

More than 3,000 Ohio children could lose access to Head Start programs under budget cut proposals now being considered by Congress. From birth …

Women in Ohio are sent to prison more often for drug offenses than their male counterparts, at times differing by more than 14% of the population. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Drug offenses draw higher incarceration rates for OH women

The number of women in Ohio prisons continues to trend downward but studies show women are still more likely to be imprisoned for drug offenses compar…

About 66 million people, or about one in five U.S. residents, collected Social Security benefits last February, according to the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities. (Adobe Stock)

Ohio Social Security beneficiaries will soon see COLA increase

Social Security retirement benefits will increase for Ohioans by more than $50 per month starting in January. Theresa Busher, public affairs …

In terms of campaign funds, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has far outraised his Republican challengers. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Sen. Brown maintains grassroots fundraising lead in Ohio U.S. Senate race

By Harshawn Ratanpal for OpenSecrets.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for Ohio News Connection reporting for the OpenSecrets-Public News Service Co…

Climate Change meteorologist Lauren Casey said Halloween pumpkins may rot sooner in the warm October temperature. (climatecentral.org)

Climate extremes have some OH families rethinking their Halloween

Tropical Storm Tammy has sprung back to life over the weekend, sending spooky fears of high winds for trick or treaters along the Eastern Seaboard…

As of Oct. 11, Cleveland had 1,211 sworn officers, 954 of whom patrol the streets of the city, according to the Marshall Project-Cleveland. (Gus Chan for The Marshall Project)

Cleveland ups ante to draw more police recruits, ease understaffing

Cleveland officials have announced another set of pay raises for police officers. The exact amounts differ based on an officer's rank but some …

Residential solar power installations rose by 34% from 2.9 gigawatts in 2020 to 3.9 gigawatts in 2021, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Residents sue Ohio city over rooftop solar fees

Residents in Bowling Green continue to push back against the Ohio city's tax on residential solar panels. One couple has filed a takings-claim …

In 2022, more than 2,593,000 children lived in Ohio, according to the Annie. E Casey Foundation. (Adobe Stock)<br />

New advisory board helps Ohio parents increase advocacy

Ohio parents say they're concerned about the childcare crisis, mental health and gun violence, among other issues that have prompted some to join a …

Fracking-related activities release an estimated 450,000 tons of pollutants into the air each year nationwide, which can have immediate public health effects.(Adobe Stock)<br />

Activists rally over pending fracking on Ohio's state lands

A governor-appointed commission could begin approving fracking leases on Ohio's state lands as early as next month. Jenny Morgan a volunteer for the …

Through the Farm Bill, the USDA provided $550 million in base funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, to support states in distributing food through food banks. (Adobe Stock)

As Farm Bill stalls, OH food banks see 'unprecedented levels' of demand

The still-looming threat of a federal government shutdown and chaos in Congress have pushed Farm Bill negotiations to the side. Ohio food banks said …

Ohio drug-related deaths rose between 2015 and 2021. In May 2020, there were 574 drug overdose deaths, the most of any month during that period. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates consider best uses for OH opioid funds

Ohio community advocates are evaluating how funds from the OneOhio plan should be used. The OneOhio plan uses the $2 billion awarded to the state …

In Ohio, 27 counties had fatal incidents of domestic violence between July 2022 and June 2023, according to the latest Domestic Violence Fatality Report. (Adobe Stock)

New report shows 112 domestic-violence fatalities in Ohio over past year

In the past year, 112 Ohioans died because of domestic violence, according to data recently released by the Ohio Domestic Violence Network According …

Aimee Clemson-Rich was recently honored with the 2023 PCSAO Child Advocate of the Year award. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Ohio caseworkers strive to keep families together, reduce trauma for kids

The opioid crisis continues to plaque communities across Ohio, and according to the state Department of Job and Family Services, more than 3,000 Ohio …

According to Mental Health America, nearly 20% percent of adults, or 50 million Americans nationwide, are experiencing some form of mental illness. (Adobe Stock)

On World Mental Health Day, experts urge self-care

Today is World Mental Health Day, and according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, nearly 2 million Ohioans live in a community with a short …

Droughts can cause drinking water shortages and negatively impact crop production, so researchers want to help agricultural producers better plan for how they'll prepare for them. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Research: Ohio’s droughts worse than often recognized

New drought-modeling technology could help Ohio's farmers better prepare for dry weather conditions. Steven Quiring, a geography professor at Ohio …

About one in four women, and nearly one in 10 men, have experienced sexual violence, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Support for OH domestic violence survivors for substance use, mental health

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and in the last few years, Ohio has seen an increase in both the number and severity of …

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, enrollment in public schools declined by 3% nationwide in the first year of pandemic-related school closures, in part due to parent dissatisfaction with remote learning. (Adobe Stock)

Ohio school voucher program faces growing lawsuit

Ohio teachers warned the state's universal voucher entitlement program will negatively affect public education, and in a lawsuit expected to move …

Advocates tout blue hydrogen as a clean, low-carbon way to produce energy from methane or coal, while reducing the world's greenhouse gases emissions. Opponents counter its benefits are overstated. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Blue hydrogen hype not backed up by science

New research from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis found making hydrogen from natural gas, so-called "blue hydrogen," is not …

Climate change board games emphasize teamwork and group success. Either all players win together, or no one survives. (dvande/Adobe Stock)

Board games help players understand climate change

By Debra J. Rosenthal for The Conversation.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for Ohio News Connection for the Public News Service-Conversation …

$Nizer Lukerson, a delivery driver, stands outside Cleveland Heights City Hall after appearing in municipal court for driving under suspension. Lukerson owes $1,000 in fines to remove a number of suspensions issued in local courts for minor infractions. (GUS CHAN FOR THE MARSHALL PROJECT)<br />$

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