Local
Passing of student Curtis Schwinnen
BGSU Student Curtis Schwinnen passed away from an unknown illness on Dec. 19, 2021. Schwinnen was working on a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and was involved in the Mission Society basketball and football teams. He was survived by his parents Dean and Christina and by his siblings Nolan and Lydia Schwinnen.
Win for BGSU model UN team
According to the BGSU website, the University’s model UN team attended the American Model UN Conference (AMUN) in Chicago and took home the award for their “Exceptional Representation of Jordan.” AMUN is a simulation of the real United Nations, where student participants interact with individuals representing other countries to negotiate agreements and write resolutions. BG’s model UN has also participated in a middle-of-the-night “crisis” segment representing the country of Guinea on the 1973 Historical Security Council.
House Fire on Troup Avenue
There was a duplex fire on Troup Avenue on Jan. 23, early in the morning. Bowling Green Fire Division Capt. Luke Ward said that the fire spread quickly and both the downstairs and upstairs residents made it out safely, although Ward told the newspaper, “For those upstairs residents it was a little dicey.” The call came in at 4:15 a.m. but the firefighters stayed on the scene until 10 a.m. to keep an eye out for hot spots. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
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COVID-19 Wood County update
The Wood County Board of Health is preparing to mandate the COVID-19 vaccination within clinic staff and board members if necessary, according to the BG Independent News website. Even after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a stay on a mandate, Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Robinson had some questions about the specifics of requiring it among staff including medical coverage and different departments.
State News
World’s biggest computer chip lab planned
According to the Columbus Dispatch, computer chip manufacturer Intel has committed to what could become the biggest semiconductor operation in the world, planning to invest $20 billion into two computer chip plants in Licking County. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and Senior Vice President Keyvan Esfarjani wrote a letter in which they expressed their excitement and enthusiasm for the project. These plants will provide tens of thousands of jobs through construction, positions in the chip plants, and within the sites that Intel suppliers are expected to set up.
COVID-19 Ohio update
According to Cleveland.com, Ohio has reported the smallest daily tally in Coronavirus cases in nearly a month. Ohio’s overall death toll has reached 31,987 since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. For nearly two weeks the daily number of hospitalizations has been generally falling every day and is now down to 5,348. As of Jan. 23, 69% of Ohioans aged 12 and up have gotten at least the first dose of the COVID-19 shot.
Obergefell runs for Ohio House Seat
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Gay rights advocate Jim Obergefell is running for a seat in the Ohio legislature, according to Columbus NBC channel 4. Obergefell was the lead plaintiff in the landmark 2015 ruling which ended same-sex marriage bans. One of his lead stances is protecting Lake Erie, an economic driver for the surrounding area’s economy. Obergefell became an LGBTQ+ advocate and activist when he was unable to legally marry his ill partner in Ohio and was worried about not being his listed spouse on the death certificate.
Cincinnati advances to AFC title game
The Cincinnati Bengals won their first road playoff game in franchise history as rookie kicker Evan McPherson’s last-second field goal sealed a 19-16 victory over the top-seeded Tennessee Titans, according to WKRC-TV in Cincinnati. It marked the first road victory in franchise history after seven losses and propels the team to the AFC Championship game for the first time in 34 years on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 30 at 3 p.m.
National
Trial opens for 3 officers in George Floyd case
A federal trial for three former policemen charged in the killing of George Floyd opened this week according to CNN. The trio are charged with violating Floyd’s civil rights. Floyd died after officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck and back for more than 9 minutes. Chauvin was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for the conviction. CNN cites the federal indictment, stating the three are “charged with deprivation of rights under color of law for allegedly failing to give Floyd medical aid.” All three have pleaded not guilty.
Former AG Barr talking with Jan. 6 committee
Congressman Bennie Thompson, the chair of the committee investigating the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol, told CBS News that investigators are speaking with former Attorney General William Barr. Barr was an ardent supporter of former President Trump but refused to back claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Thompson also told CBS, “We are concerned that our military was part of this big lie on promoting that the election was false.”
Strain on food supply chain persists
Sparse and empty grocery shelves will continue or get worse over the next several weeks according to The Wall Street Journal. The report states the food supply chain is “under renewed strain as COVID-19’s Omicron variant stretches workforces from processing plants to grocery stores.” The report cites industry executives and analysts expecting the challenges to, “persist for weeks or even months.”
Thousands march against vaccine mandates
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According to Fox News, between 30,000 and 35,000 protestors gathered in Washington, D.C., Sunday in opposition of COVID-19 vaccine mandates. March organizer Will Witt said the event wasn’t an anti-vax rally. “But this march is about the mandate, and this march is about the Draconian measures that we’re seeing all across this country right now, especially in places like D.C., New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco.”
