IN RESPONSE TO THE TRAGIC EVENTS IN CONNECTICUT ON FRIDAY, OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL MIKE DeWINE ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT ON THE PROGRESS OF OHIO SCHOOLS IN FILING SCHOOL SAFETY PLANS AND FLOOR PLANS OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS PURSUANT TO REQUIREMENTS IN OHIO LAW: “FIRST AND FOREMOST,” DeWINE SAYS, “FRAN AND I ARE PRAYING FOR THE FAMILIES AFFECTED BY THE HORRIBLE AND UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY WHICH OCCURRED (TODAY) IN CONNECTICUT.” HE CONTINUED, “AFTER THE SHOOTING THAT OCCURRED EARLIER THIS YEAR IN CHARDON, AND SEVERAL TIMES SINCE, I URGED SCHOOLS AROUND OHIO WHO HAD NOT YET FILED SCHOOL SAFETY PLANS TO DO SO. THESE PLANS ARE CRITICAL FOR FIRST RESPONDERS TO RESPOND TO INCIDENTS AT SCHOOL FACILITIES.” THE ATTORNEY GENERAL STATES, “I AM PLEASED TO REPORT THAT IN RESPONSE TO OUR MOST RECENT CALL FOR UPDATED PLANS, OVER 1000 OHIO SCHOOLS FILED PLANS WITH OUR OFFICE.” DeWINE SHARES THAT THERE ARE STILL 145 SCHOOLS THAT NEED TO FILE THEIR PLANS WITH HIS OFFICE. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S CRIME VICTIM SERVICES SECTION HAS CONTACTED THE CONNECTICUT CRIME VICTIMS COMPENSATION PROGRAM TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AS NEEDED.
A POST ON A STUDENT’S FACEBOOK PAGE CAUSED SAFETY CONCERNS AT SHAWNEE HIGH SCHOOL IN CLARK COUNTY. THE POST SAID THE SHAWNEE STUDENT COULD “DO BETTER” THAN KILLING 26 PEOPLE…A REFERENCE TO THOSE KILLED IN NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT. CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF DEPUTIES TOOK THE TEEN IN FOR QUESTIONNING AND PROVIDED EXTRA SECURITY FOR THE CLARK-SHAWNEE DISTRICT TODAY. A DISCIPLINARY HEARING WAS SCHEDULED THIS MORNING AND THE STUDENT IS NOT IN CLASS TODAY. CLARK-SHAWNEE LEADERS PUT OUT AN “ALL-CALL” TO PARENTS SUNDAY TO ALERT THEM TO THE SITUATION.
THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH DISCUSSION, FEAR AND TURMOIL REGARDING THE CONNECTICUT SHOOTINGS. MY FRIEND, KIM, POSTED THIS ON FACEBOOK THIS MORNING AND I THINK IT IS A VERY APPROPRIATE RESPONSE FROM CHRISTIANS. I’D LIKE TO SHARE IT WITH YOU. “TODAY WHEN YOU DROPPED YOUR CHILD OR CHILDREN OFF AT SCHOOL DID YOU REMEMBER TO TELL THEM YOU LOVED THEM? DID YOU SAY A PRAYER OF PROTECTION OVER THEM? DID YOU PRAY FOR THEIR TEACHER? DID YOU PRAY FOR THOSE DEVASTATED LAST FRIDAY?” KIM CONTINUED, “I KNOW I DID. TRUSTING GOD FOR MORE THAN MYSELF BUT ALSO TRUSTING THAT HE WILL BE THERE FOR MY CHILDREN IN THE FACE OF EVIL REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME.” WELL SAID, KIM. AS WE COMMIT TO PRAY FOR THOSE MENTIONED, LET’S ALSO REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO FACE SO MUCH TRAGEDY IN HELPING TO KEEP US SAFE AND TO CARE FOR THOSE INVOLVED IN TRAGIC CIRCUMSTANCES.
IN OTHER NEWS:
THE NEWS SUN REPORTS THAT THE CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE COULD SOON HAVE A SURPLUS MILITARY TACTICAL VEHICLE TO USE TO HELP KEEP ITS PERSONNEL SAFE DURING HIGH-RISK SITUATIONS…AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO COUNTY TAXPAYERS. THE TRANSFER OF A SURPLUS HUMVEE IS AWAITING FINAL APPROVAL FROM THE OHIO LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT OFFICE. CAPT. ERIC HOLMES SAID THE HUMVEE WON’T BE USED FOR GENERAL STREET PATROL, BUT WOULD BE USED IN SITUATIONS SUCH AS A BARRICADED SUSPECT OR AN ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION. THE VEHICLE WILL REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT BUT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSES.
THE NORTHEAST CHAMPAIGN FIRE DISTRICT WILL BE ABLE TO FILL A FIREFIGHTER POSITION THAT HAS BEEN VACANT SICNE 2010 WITH A $73,000 FEDERAL GRANT. THE AGENCY WAS NOTIFIED THAT IT WILL RECEIVE THE FUNDING THROUGH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY’S SAFER GRANT PROGRAM. THE CITY OF URBANA CURRENTLY USES THE SAFER PROGRAM TO COVER THE COST OF TWO FIREFIGHTERS.
SO MANY THANKS TO ALL OF OUR WEEC LISTENERS WHO RESPONDED AND GAVE TO HELP THE SALVATION ARMY MEET THEIR NEED FOR TOYS! CAPTAIN STEVE CARROLL SAID THE NEED WAS MET FOR TOYS FOR ALL AGES OF CHILDREN THAT THEY ARE SERVICING IN THE SPRINGFIELD/CLARK COUNTY AREA. CAPTAIN CARROLL WILL SHARE MORE ON REQUEST TIME TODAY AT 3:00 ON WEEC!!
THE 109TH ANNIVERSARY OF POWERED FLIGHT WAS COMMEMORATED THIS MORNING WITH A WREATH-LAYING CEREMONY ON WRIGHT MEMORIAL HILL AT WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE. AIR FORCE LT. COL. ERIC PIEL WAS THE SPEAKER AND AMANDA LANE WRIGHT, A GREAT GRANDNIECE OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS AND COL. CASSIE BARLOW, WRIGHT-PATT’S 88TH AIR BASE WING COMMANDER PARTICIPATED IN THE WREATH LAYING.
A PORTION OF I-70 IN CLARK COUNTY WILL BE NAMED TO HONOR SHERIFF’S DEPUTY SUZANNE HOPPER WHO DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY ON NEW YEAR’S DAY 2011. THE OHIO SENATE PASSED HOUSE BILL 325 CREATING A MEMORIAL HIGHWAY AND BRIDGE NAMINGS THROUGHOUT THE STATE IN RECOGNITION OF THE SACRIFICES MADE BY OHIOANS SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES AND IN LAW ENFORCMENT ACCORDING TO STATE SENATOR CHRIS WIDENER. THE DEPUTY SUZANNE HOPPER MEMORIAL HIGHWAY WILL BE LOCATED ALONG I-70 BETWEEN I-675 AND ENON ROAD.
ENON WILL BEGIN A SENIOR ADULT IDENTIFICATION REGISTRY WHICH IS DESIGNED TO QUICKLY IDENTIFY SENIORS WHO MAY BE LOST OR IN HARM’S WAY, SAID ENON POLICE CHIEF LEW WILCOX. THE PROGRAM WILL DOVETAIL WITH MAD RIVER TOWNSHIP-ENON FIRE DEPARTMENT’S OWN TWO-PART SAFE AND SOUND PROGRAM WHICH APPROACHES SAFETY OF THE DISABLED AND THE ELDERLY IN THEIR HOMES. THE REGISTRY IS STRICTLY VOLUNTEER WITH THE SENIOR VOLUNTEERING THEIR INFORMATION AND THE ABILITY FOR THE POLICE TO TAKE THEIR PICTURE OR A CONCERNED FAMILY MEMBER HAS THE RIGHT TO DO THAT. INFORMATION AND A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SENIOR CITIZEN WILL BE STORED IN A DIGITAL DATABASE FOR USE ONLY BY POLICE AND POSSIBLY THE MAD RIVER TOWNSHIP SHERIFF’S DEPUTY. EXPECTATIONS ARE TO HAVE THE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED AROUND THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
KEEP THE UMBRELLAS HANDY BECAUSE THERE IS A 60 PERCENT PROBABILITY OF RAIN TONIGHT WITH LOWS GOING DOWN TO 36 DEGREES. TUESDAY’S HIGHS WILL BE AT 46 WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS DIPPING TO 33. HIGHS ON WEDNESDAY WILL PEAK AT 50 DEGREES. ENJOY THE WARMER WEATHER BECAUSE BY FRIDAY, TEMPERATURES WILL TURN COLD AGAIN WITH HIGHS OVER THE WEEKEND IN THE MID 30’S AND LOWS EACH NIGHT AROUND 23 COLD DEGREES!
