Local

Perrysburg recognized for COVID-19 response

After being recognized for their hard work during the COVID-19, Perrysburg School District employees have been awarded a 1.5% to 2% raise along with an additional personal day, according to the Sentinel-Tribune. A new agreement with the Ohio Association of Public School Employees has created a three-year master plan with recognition of COVID-related duties. Bus drivers and maintenance workers can now get reimbursement for winter coats, boots and more for working on the front lines.

New Nonprofit Administration Minor

BGSU has introduced a new minor after students demonstrated their interest in non-profit organizations. According to the BG Independent News, students sent out 450 letters with hopes to gain funding for a class project from sponsors. They are aiming to raise $1,000 and have set up a website in the class which is the third and final course requirement for the academic minor under the Department of Political Science.

BGSU hosts Ohio winter special Olympics

Last week, over 750 Special Olympians gathered at BGSU to compete in basketball, competitive cheerleading, swimming and other unified sports. According to a video by the BG Independent News, unified sports have people with and without intellectual disabilities playing together. This opportunity allowed athletes to get together and bond with others all while supporting healthy lifestyles. This event finished with an awards ceremony and was the second largest state-level tournament in Ohio.

BG woman kills husband with fentanyl overdose

A 34-year-old Bowling Green woman, Heather Henning, has been accused of giving her husband fatal amounts of the drug fentanyl after he died from overdose. She was offered a plea deal that could have sent her to prison for seven years but denied it and will now be facing involuntary manslaughter charges in her trial next month, facing up to 20 years in prison according to WTOL 11.

State

Ohio students are fighting to pass a new restrictive bill

Students at universities across Ohio are rallying to protest House Bill 327. This bill is currently focused on K-12 students along with state institutions of higher education on the Department of Higher Education, but has already made changes in lieu of the protests. The bill is focused on removing “promotive certain concepts” which has changed from the original language, “divisive concepts” after students protested that this could include the Holocaust and slavery. According to the Ohio Capitol Journal, the College Board has addressed the bill and if it passes, they will no longer provide AP credit to students in Ohio.

COVID-19 in Ohio

As Ohio’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign has slowed down in recent months, the state has still topped 70% of Ohioans ages 12 and up as being partially vaccinated. Case numbers and hospitalizations have also dropped by more than 2,000 weekly. As of the latest count, Ohio is currently at 4,380 cases as opposed to last weeks numbers of 6,504, according to Cleveland.com. This marks nine weeks of consecutive falling case numbers.

DeWine misses out on Ohio Governor’s debate

Without giving reason, Governor Mike DeWine was the only candidate thus far to decline the invitation to this month’s governor debate. Ohio Debate Commission Board President, Dan Moulthrop said, “We’re obviously disappointed. We converse these debates to help voters and, frankly, to help campaigns and candidates connect with voters across the state,” according to NBC4 News. A February poll shows DeWine as the current frontrunner in the Republican gubernatorial race.

Ohio passes military absentee ballot measure again

Last week, the Ohio Senate finished off a measure to allow overseas and military Ohioans to submit absentee ballots up to 30 days before the election. This request came from Secretary of State, Frank LaRosa, as part of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. According to an article in the Ohio Capitol Journal, this measure now heads to Governor Mike DeWine’s desk after getting Senate approval, along with an appropriation of $200,000.

National

American deaths in Ukraine

Two American journalists and film-makers were at a checkpoint in Irpin, Ukraine when Russian forces opened fire on their vehicle. Brent Renaud was pronounced dead and Juan Arredondo was seriously wounded. Renaud had been in Ukraine working on a Time Studios assignment focused on the global refugee crisis. He was the first foreign journalist known to be killed in the war in Ukraine, but according to CNN, the Russians may kill anyone from the international media who are trying to tell the truth about the Russian military in Ukraine.

Biden works with California’s car emissions rules

The Biden Administration has been working against a previous policy while trying to employ stricter emissions standards for new passenger vehicles nationwide, especially in California. On March 9, a waiver was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency to set emissions rules for cars, while also imposing mandates for vehicles that claim to have zero emissions. According to the Associated Press, over 15 states and the District of Columbia have already signed on to California’s vehicle standards, designed to address the state’s air pollution problems.

National COVID-19 cases decrease

As COVID-19 hospitalizations and case numbers go down in the U.S., vaccination numbers continue to increase. According to CNN, doctors are predicting case numbers will stay down this summer, especially as the weather improves and more people are spending their time outside. Public health experts are wary as new variants continue to pop up unpredicted. Despite the currently good-looking trends, former President Barack Obama has tested positive for COVID-19 but is doing well, according to Reuters.com.

Biden addresses Russian trades

Last week, President Biden announced he is working to revoke Russia’s permanent normal trade relations status. This will put a strain on any imports of Russian goods and make Russia one of only three countries to not have a normal trade relationship with the U.S., according to NPR. “Putin is an aggressor. He is an aggressor. And Putin must pay the price,” Biden said while addressing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He is also working to ban certain Russian goods such as diamonds, seafood and vodka. “We’re showing our strength and we will not falter,” Biden said.