SNOW SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP TODAY AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE REGION. SOME OF THE SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE CAPABLE OF BRIEFLY REDUCING VISIBILITIES AND PRODUCING A QUICK DUSTING TO HALF INCH OF SNOW. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY. ANY ACCUMULATION SHOULD BE LIGHT BUT A COATING OF SNOW ON SOME ROADWAYS COULD OCCUR. MORE DETAILS ON THE WEATHER IN A FEW MINUTES!
STATE SENATORS CHRIS WIDENER AND BILL BEAGLE HAVE INTRODUCED THE DEPUTY SUZANNE HOPPER ACT IN HONOR OF HOPPER WHO WAS KILLED ON DUTY ON NEW YEARS DAY, 2011. UNDER THE BILL, COURTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO REPORT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN FOUND NOT GUILTY BY REASON OF INSANITY OR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF A VIOLENT OFFENSE AND ORDERED TO GET MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR INCLUSION INTO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTOMATED DATA SYSTEM, ALSO CALLED “LEADS”. CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF GENE KELLY SAID THAT IF THEY HAD THE INFORMATION ON MICHAEL FERRYMAN’S VIOLENT PAST OR THAT HE WAS ORDERED TO BE UNDER COURT-APPOINTED PSYCHIATRIC CARE UNTIL 2012 IT WOULD HAVE BETTER PREPARED OFFICERS FOR THE STAND-OFF AND SHOOTING ON THAT NEW YEAR’S DAY. KELLY SHARES THAT AFTER DEPUTY HOPPER’S DEATH A SIMILAR DATABASE WAS CREATED LOCALLY. KELLY SAYS A STATE OR NATIONAL DATABASE WOULD ALERT RESPONDING OFFICERS TO USE EXTRA CAUTION OR CONSIDER DIFFERENT TACTICS WHEN RESPONDING TO A SITUATION INVOLVING SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN DECLARED CRIMINALLY INSANE OR HAS A SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS, ALONG WITH A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. CLARK COUNTY PROSECUTOR ANDY WILSON STATES, “ANYTHING THAT ARMS FRONT-LINE OFFICERS WITH MORE INFORMATION IS A GOOD THING. THEY SHOULD KNOW WHEN THEY’RE RESPONDING TO A SITUATION INVOLVING A PERSON WHO HAS A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE THAT IS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO REQUIRE COURT ACTION IN THE PAST.” IN THE ARTICLE IN THE NEWS SUN, TRUDY SHARP, SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH SAYS THERE ARE CURRENTLY 443 PEOPLE IN OHIO WHO ARE ON CONDITIONAL RELEASE AFTER BEING FOUND NOT GUILTY OF A CRIME BY REASON OF INSANITY. STATE SENATOR BEAGLE SAID THE BILL COULD BE DISCUSSED IN SENATE HEARINGS VERY SOON.
EIGHTH-GRADERS AT NORTHWESTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL COULD SOON START HANDING OUT TICKETS! THAT’S RIGHT! THE “TICKET YOUR PARENTS” IS A PILOT PROGRAM BY OHIO’S CHAPTER OF STUDENTS AGAINST DESTRUCTIVE DECISIONS OR SADD THAT AIMS TO HELP TEENS PAY MORE ATTENTION TO SAFETY BEFORE THEY START DRIVING. RIGHT NOW NORTHWESTERN’S EIGHTH-GRADE CLASS IS ONE OF ONLY THREE IN THE STATE PARTICIPATING. IN THE UNITED STATES, SEVEN TEENAGERS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND 19 DIE EVERY DAY DUE TO INJURIES SUSTAINED IN A MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH ACCORDING TO STATISTICS FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. ABOUT 60 STUDENTS AT NORTHWESTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL WERE GIVEN A TICKET PAD TO “CITE” PARENTS WHO DON’T FOLLOW OHIO DRIVING LAWS. THIS WEEK-LONG EXERCISE IS MEANT TO MAKE PARENTS MORE AWARE OF THEIR OWN BAD HABITS WHILE MAKING TEENS MORE AWARE OF WHAT NOT TO DO ONCE THEY GET THEIR OWN DRIVING LICENSE. PARENTS RECEIVED A LETTER WITH THE EXPLANATION OF THE PROJECT. AT THE END OF THE PROJECT, STUDENTS GET TO ENJOY A PIZZA PARTY AND THE RESULTS WILL BE TALLIED AND DISCUSSED IN CLASS. THEY WILL ALSO BE ANALYZED BY SADD AND USED FOR FUTURE PROGRAMMING SAID RICK BIRT, OHIO SADD DIRECTOR AND NORTHWESTERN SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER.
IN TIPP CITY, SECURITY WAS HEIGHTENED THIS MORNING AT TIPPECANOE HIGH SCHOOL FOLLOWING TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS OF THREATS MADE AT THE SCHOOL. TIPP CITY POLICE ALSO PATROLLED THE PARKING LOT AND TWO CRUISERS PARKED NEAR THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL AS STUDENTS ARRIVED. THE LATEST THREAT WAS FOUND THURSDAY…A DAY AFTER A STUDENT FOUND A TOILET PAPER NOTE IN A BOYS RESTROOM THAT READ, “SCHOOL COLUMBINE NUMBER 2. 2-14-13. GOOD LUCK.” TIPP CITY POLICE SGT. STEPHANIE BLACK DID NOT GIVE SPECIFIC DETAILS ON THE THREAT FOUND YESTERDAY, BUT SAID, “IT’S A THREATENING PIECE OF GRAFFITI AND WE’RE TAKING IT SERIOUSLY.” POLICE ARE CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE.
U.S. SENATORS ROB PORTMAN AND SHERROD BROWN INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO INCORPORATE THE WILBERFORCE HOME OF COL. CHARLES YOUNG INTO THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM. PORTMAN SAID, “AS WE COMMEMORATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH, IT’S ONLY FITTING THAT WE HONOR THE LIFE AND VALOR OF COLONEL YOUNG.” PORTMAN CONTINUED, “HIS TREMENDOUS ACADEMIC AND WARTIME ACHIEVEMENTS HAVE SERVED AS AN INSPIRATION TO OTHERS AND ASSOCIATING HIS HOUSE WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WILL FURTHER PRESERVE HIS RICH LEGACY.” SENATOR BROWN ADDED, “COLONEL YOUNG WAS A GROUND-BREAKING MEMBER OF THE MILITARY AND A TRUE EXAMPLE OF THE BEST OF OHIO.” COLONEL YOUNG’S HOME IS LOCATED ON U.S. ROUTE 42 IN WILBERFORCE AND WAS DESIGNATED A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK IN 1974.
CONSTRUCTION ON I-70 WAS DELAYED LAST YEAR UNTIL AT LEAST 2036 BECAUSE OF TIGHT STATE BUDGETS, LEAVING A 6.8 MILE STRETCH IN CLARK COUNTY WITH FOUR LANES, BUT AREA LEADERS ARE OPTIMISTIC THAT WITH PROPOSED TOLL INCREASES ON OHIO’S TURNPIKE THAT IT COULD GENERATE $1 BILLON…MAYBE MAKING MORE MONEY AVAILABLE TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT SOONER. TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS ARE GOING TO APPLY AGAIN FOR THE FUNDING TO WIDEN THE LAST REMAINING FOUR-LANE STRETCH IN CLARK COUNTY ACCORDING TO THE NEWS-SUN REPORT.
WE HAVE A 20-40 PERCENT CHANCE FOR SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUING THROUGH TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. NEW SNOW ACCUMULATION TODAY OF LESS THAN HALF AN INCH…MAY ANOTHER HALF INCH ON SATURDAY. LOWS TONIGHT WILL BE COLD WITH TEMPERATURES DIPPING TO 18 BUT IT WILL BE EVEN COLDER OVERNIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT AS LOWS GO DOWN TO 15 DEGREES. WE SHOULD SEE SOME SUNSHINE ON SUNDAY AND TEMPERATURES WILL PEAK AT 28 DEGREES WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS DROPPING TO 22.
