Glass City Jungle

Governor Strickland along with many other elected officials will be getting the word out about the Clean Ohio Campaign. There does not appear to be any type of an organized campaign against this ballot issue which is a renewal of a bond program that as the name suggests cleans up Ohio. The program [...]

This week’s Sojourner’s Truth focuses on several highly debated topics locally. First up is this week’s “This Strikes Us” subtitled, Fear and Loathing in West Central Ohio that focuses on some of the community reaction and concern with what’s happening in Lima relating to and beyond the death of Tarika Wilson.

Sometimes it’s hard to blog about Toledo. I read articles such as this one Toledo City Council not in on $80,000 Erie Street Market revamp and it points out what the problem is in Toledo, clear as a bell. We have NO balance of power, we have no real system in place as [...]

That apppears to be the suggestion in this week’s Toledo Journal which these paragraphs demonstrate:
Less noticeable but crucial to victory will be using his reputation to gain support in the African American community, which typically gives 80 to 90 percent of its vote to Democrats. Historically in local elections, it has been African Americans who [...]

In addition to the continuing discussion of is the moving of roll call from the Northwest Police District making that neighbohood more safe, in tonight’s coverage from Fox Toledo Shaun Hegarty reports that three Toledo Police officers are going to be terminated for not living inside the City of Toledo.
From the video, District 2 Toledo [...]

Nice story from NBC24 about the International Brotherhood of Electrical Union workers learning green technology. Not only is it better for the environment but looks like it’s helping the local economy with new jobs.
If you check out episode 18 of the IBEW Hour Power, here you’ll learn more about green projects in other states. [...]

One really wonders when you read this release from PolitickerOh, Lucas County and Northwestern Ohio are not even mentioned:
“This team joins an already strong organization that the Ohio Republican Party has built and improved upon from past elections,” Bennett said. “Grassroots outreach has always been a focus in Ohio, and that dedication has made us [...]

Today in Columbus there was a press conference held by Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies to release findings done on their behalf by University of Washington to determine Ohio-specific, county-by-county assessment of the real cost of living, known as the the Self-Sufficiency Standard for each of the State’s 88 counties. While I was [...]

This in via email from the office of Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak:
Commissioner Wozniak and Others to discuss Local Impact of Just Signed Federal Housing Bill
Following the passage of the federal housing bill meant to offer assistance to homeowners struggling to make payments on their homes, Commissioner Wozniak who co-chairs the Lucas County Save [...]

Back in March we discussed the Do-It-Yourself Pull-A-Part Used Auto Parts decision to try for a second location which ended up not working out. Now it appears they have found another location and at tonight’s neighborhood meeting it appears this third location might be the charm. Most of the neighbors in attendance were [...]

Well, the challenge for this meeting was the audio, we started out with no sound and then the audible was horrible quality. Then as the resolution was being given in honor to Recognize Schoen family and welcome W.W. II 95th Infantry Division Association – sound went out again.
Lip reading is out of the [...]

I just got done participating on a conference call with Senator Sherrod Brown for his reaction/comments to President Bush’s visit to Ohio that is taking place today. What follows is the rough notes from the call, done in a summary format. Senator Brown talks fast so typing while he is speaking can be [...]

In reading the Blade story, Authorities search for missing man and son in Point Place questions were raised with the information that was provided.
The family, (the father, the 12 year old, a 5 year old and a 3 year old) had gone to the park on Sunday and the wife had last seen her family [...]

This in via email from NBC24:
Subject Line: Media Alert — NBC24 WNWO Announcement
What: Media Conference
When: Tuesday, July 29, 20082:00 p.m.
Where: Toledo Club – West Point Room, 235 14th St.
Toledo, OH 43604
Why: NBC24 is seeking fair compensation for the retransmission of their programming and is currently in discussions with Buckeye CableSystem — a Block Communications Company. [...]

This in via email from the office of Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop:
7,000 Seniors and Veterans Still without Economic Stimulus Payments
Local partners reach out to nursing home and veterans groups to help file returns
With the rising costs of utilities and healthcare, it is important that Lucas County [...]

This was reported tonight on WTVG there’s no link to the updated version of the story, but it was stated that the jury that was seated in the trial of Sgt. Joseph Chavalia who has pled not guilty to charges of negligent homicide and negligent assault in the death of Tarika Wilson and the injury [...]

As earlier blogged about when NBC24 announced the FBI is investigating there is an update from Aaron Brilbeck that states:
TOLEDO — The Lucas County Sheriff may not have been totally honest when he denied there was an investigation into an inmate’s death back in 2004.
“There was no internal investigation”, Sheriff James Telb told us two [...]

Media coverage on tonight’s meeting at Scott High School, from Fox Toledo Shaun Hegarty who was there tonight. From WTVG Kristian Brown reported on the story and some of the history of Scott.
Earlier Blade opinion piece for those who missed it over the weekend.

A letter I read over on LaPrensa that I felt should be pointed out, it was written by Baldemar Velásquez:
This coming Sunday, July 27, 2008, I will move into a labor camp in the most difficult time of the year. North Carolina leads the nation in heat stroke deaths, many of the past cases [...]

I’m a bit delayed in my usual coverage but I wanted to point out several articles of interest in last week’s Sojourner’s Truth. First a thought provoking “This Strikes Us”, on Senator Barack Obama’s message of personal responsibility one section:
Getting pummeled in politics, however, is to be expected whether it’s by friends or enemies. [...]

According to the Plain Dealer, Federal agents used U-Haul trucks to cart away documents from the homes of Jimmy Dimora and Frank Russo as a day-long series of searches continued in a public corruption investigation.
Others who received visits from the FBI today:
The home of county Information Technology Administrator Kevin Kelley, the county administration building, [...]

This release in via email from the Ohio Democratic Party:
Ohio for Change: We Can’t Afford 4 More Years Of Bush-McCain
On Eve of President’s Visit, Grassroots Events Planned Across Ohio
Columbus, OH – As President Bush visits Ohio Tuesday, Barack Obama supporters will gather at more than 30 phone banks and canvasses across the state over the [...]

As blogged here the other day, Councilman Collins was not happy with the delay in receiving requested information from the City. As of this morning it did not appear he received the requested information. Which created the scenario as reported in the Blade where he has asked that council’s clerk to draft [...]

The upcoming Smoke on the Water event is the cover story for the Toledo Free Press, with most of the Arts and Life category featuring information about the upcoming event and the cover story article, Ribs and music cook for the Red Cross.
I haven’t seen the “The Dark Knight” yet, but after [...]

This in from the office of Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop:
MOBILE MEALS OF TOLEDO TO RECEIVE MUCH NEEDED ASSISTANCE
AGENCY DEDICATED TO HELPING OTHERS, GETS HELP FROM COMMUNITY-MIDWEST RETAILERS ASSOCIATION DONATE $5000 FOR RISING FUEL COSTS
For over 40 years, Mobile Meals of Toledo has been helping those who need it most by delivering nutritional meals throughout [...]

Jeff Smith today focuses on energy, gas prices with Toledo City Councilman George Sarantou and Lucas County Treasurer Wade Kapszukiewicz on WTVG’s “Round Table”. The men were guests of the program to talk about the problem and what solutions there were. Also by phone they had Thomas Pyle who’s from the I.E.R. (Institute [...]

Disappointingly there was no “Take Three” segment for this week’s Conklin & Company on WTVG. The first segment was a recent interview that Lee Conklin had with John McCain, that if you missed? You can view on their website.
I do recommend you watch the complete interview, I’ll share one of the first questions [...]

Yesterday I spent the day down at International Park with my husband who was on one of the Dragon Boat teams. Last year his employer was one of the corporate teams, this year the “Powerful Paddling Parents” of TPS (P3) needed his upper body paddling abilities. This type of an event is [...]

This in via email from the office of Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop:
Lucas County to Host First Day of Caring Over 60 Lucas County workers volunteer to support Cherry Street Ministries
Over 60 Lucas County employees and their families are spending their Saturday to show just how much Lucas County Cares. County employees will be volunteering [...]

This in via email from the office of District 2 Toledo City Councilman D. Michael Collins:
Dear Mr. Loukx,
I read with great interest your letter dated July 25, 2008 to William J. Carroll, Director of the Toledo Lucas County Port Authority, wherein you demanded public records based upon a document request of July 21, 2008. [...]