Local

New outdoor dining in BG

The T-Mobile hometown grant given to Bowling Green last September will be used toward five new parklets outside of local restaurants this summer. These new outdoor dining spots will be similar to the one that at Kabob-It and will open outside of SamB’s, Flatlands Coffee, Finders Records, Grounds for Thought coffee roasting and Cycle Werks. These will extend dining into the parallel parking spots nearby. A new banner over Main Street will also be unveiled, according to a Sentinel-Tribune article.

New fire departments in BG

Bowling Green is looking to increase response times for EMS personnel and emergency calls. “It’s all about response times,” Bowling Green Fire Chief Bill Moorman said. After a fire station location analysis was completed, the intersection of East Wooster St and Mercer Rd was identified as the best location to construct a new fire station. According to BG Independent News, this plan is still in the planning phase. “When it comes to taxpayer money, we have to make sure we’re doing it right,” Moorman said.

Fatal I-75 crash

Motorists on the night of April 3 were encouraged to avoid Interstate 75 at Cygnet Road after a fatal accident occurred northbound involving seven vehicles. Two people were Life-Flighted from the scene, causing I-75 northbound to be closed for an extended period but, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol, it has reopened. The southbound route was also closed temporarily to allow for the helicopter to land safely, according to the Sentinel-Tribune.

Wood County COVID-19 report

According to the weekly COVID-19 Data Report by the Wood County Health Department, cases have dropped below 11 weekly cases per 100,000 people. This week, case rates have been the lowest among vaccinated and boosted individuals. There have only been two reported deaths since March 4 and the most cases reported are from those who fall in the 20-29 year-old age bracket.

State

Ohio bill stalled again

Ohio House Bill 105, a bipartisan bill that would require all schools to provide annual, age-appropriate child sexual assault combat, has been stalled for the fifth time in 10 years. According to News 5, it would also incorporate this idea into the required training of teachers. This legislation is catered toward age appropriateness and would have different messages for different age groups. Brigid Kelly, a sponsor behind this bill said, “It’s to be able to identify when something is wrong because if you’ve never been taught that something is inappropriate, it is really difficult to figure out how to say it’s inappropriate.”

Bluffton officer killed

Last week, an officer with the Bluffton Police Department, Dominic Francis, was killed after being hit by a car on Interstate 75 while trying to deploy stop-sticks. Three suspects are in custody at the Hancock County Justice Center after getting out of the car to run after hitting Francis. This pursuit began when State Troopers spotted a vehicle traveling at dangerously high speeds, according to 13 ABC.

Thad Matta returning to Ohio

Former Ohio State basketball head coach Thad Matta, is returning to Butler, Ohio. He will resume his head coach position after taking a break, since 2017, when Ohio State fired him. According to Cleveland.com, Matta was a Butler assistant twice before taking over for Barry Collier in 2000, who will now be Butler’s athletic director. “The success that Thad has achieved at every one of his programs speaks for itself,” Collier said. In his 13 seasons at Ohio State, he brought his teams to seven Big Ten Conference wins and two Final Fours.

State COVID-19 report

While COVID-19 cases are dropping once again, now is the time to prepare for what comes next and keeping families up to date on vaccines, according to Ohio Department of Health Director, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff. “This lull in viral activity is not a time for us to ignore the virus, rather it’s really a time to prepare,” he said. “It’s the best time for all of us to look at what we can do to put ourselves in the best position to deal with COVID-19 however it returns into our communities.” According to the Dayton Daily News, he also encouraged people to check up on loved ones to ensure that everyone is prepared.

National

Marijuana legalization passed in the House

While there is still uncertainty in the Senate, the U.S. House passed legislation last week to nationally legalize marijuana. According to statistics from the Ohio Capitol Journal, five representatives did not vote, but last week three Republicans joined. All but two Democrats supported the bill. The Senate has not yet taken a version of the House bill stating that marijuana would be removed from the controlled substances list, and add a 5% federal sales tax used to improve communities harmed by marijuana prohibition. Also, all convictions of federal marijuana crimes would be expunged.

Rising U.S. fentanyl deaths

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported last year that for the first time ever, over 100,000 Americans had died of drug overdoses over a 12-month period. Controversy is rising as GOP governors are deploying National Guard units, trying to stop the flow of fentanyl from Mexico while Republican state attorneys general are asking for more federal help. Ohio State Senator, Nathan Manning, said,” It’s a fine line to help people and try to get people clean, and at the same time incarcerate and get the drug dealers off the streets,” an AP News article said.

Supply chain bill moving up

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act, aimed to address U.S. port challenges, was approved in the Senate last week after passing through the House last year and is now moving closer to the President’s desk. One leader of the bipartisan bill, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, said, “This is the beginning, but it’s also taking one of those thorny problems. I think it is an example of how the solutions on the supply chain – there are many – and this is just one industry.” According to NPR, last week the White House praised the momentum of this plan.

CDC ends Title 42 policy

After being enacted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Title 42 policy has officially been ended by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This policy was restricting migrants from entering the country due to the public health emergency. To provide time for the Department of Homeland Security to prepare and get more vaccines, the lifting of Title 42 will occur on May 23, according to ABC News.