NOTEBOOK: Patrol announces drunken-driving crackdown on July 3-4
The Ohio State Highway Patrol will be highly visible and cracking down on impaired drivers during the Fourth of July holiday reporting period, which begins at 12 a.m. on July 3 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on July 4.
The Patrol’s zero-tolerance policy is part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign aimed at removing impaired drivers from the roadways. Many Fourth of July celebrations involve alcohol, which increases the possibility of impaired driving. Therefore, the Patrol urges motorists to buckle up, drive safely and follow all traffic laws.
“Ohio has some of the country’s best Fourth of July celebrations and we want to make sure that these gatherings are safe for everyone,” Governor Mike DeWine said.
During last year’s Fourth of July reporting period, from July 1 through 4, a total of 16 fatal crashes killed 16 people. Of those, 11 crashes and 11 fatalities involved alcohol and/or drugs. Of the seven fatalities in which safety belts were available, five were unbelted. There were seven motorcyclists and two pedestrians also killed during this time frame.
“Too often our troopers see the tragic side of holiday celebrations,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. “When you operate a vehicle impaired, you’re putting the lives of everyone on our roadways at risk.”
The Patrol also made 447 OVI arrests during the reporting period.
Former Ohio GOP Chair Matt Borges chair sentenced to five years in massive corruption case
CINCINNATI — It was Matt Borges, the former chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, who was handcuffed by U.S. Marshals Friday after being sentenced to five years in prison for his participation in the biggest corruption scandal in state history.
But federal prosecutors made clear that they were trying to send a message to other state leaders who played roles in the scandal and are now trying to pretend they didn’t.
The sentencing of Borges, 51, follows the 20-year sentence U.S. District Judge Timothy Black meted out a day earlier to former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder for masterminding the scheme. Akron-based FirstEnergy and other Ohio utilities ponied up more than $60 million between 2017 and 2020 to pass and protect a $1.3 billion ratepayer bailout that was mostly intended to benefit FirstEnergy.
- Ohio Capital Journal
Post Offices to close on July 4
Post Offices will be closed on July 4 in observance of the Independence Day holiday. There will be no mail delivery, caller service or Post Office Box service. All services will resume on July 5.
Youngstown officials also announced that trash in the city will be picked up on July 3 but trash slated to be picked up Tuesday-Friday will be pushed back by a day.
Why mercury remains prohibited in the mail
The Postal Service is reminding customers that metallic mercury and devices containing metallic mercury are always prohibited in the mail stream. This includes antique items such as thermometers, barometers, blood pressure monitors and similar devices. However, compact fluorescent lamps, which contain small amounts of mercury in vapor form, are mailable domestically but not internationally.
Here’s what you should do:
- Review USPS Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, & Perishable Mail, to find out if your item is mailable.
- Follow U.S. laws and U.S. Postal Service hazmat guidelines.
- Ship items securely with required labels and markings. Customers can take their package to a Post Office location to make sure it is labeled correctly.
- Improper, undeclared, or prohibited hazmat (hazardous material) shipping can have serious consequences for everyone involved.
Full responsibility rests with the mailer to comply with all Postal Service and non–Postal Service laws and regulations in the mailing of hazardous material. Anyone who mails, or causes to be mailed, a nonmailable or improperly packaged hazardous material can be subject to legal penalties (i.e., fines and/or imprisonment), including but not limited to, those specified in 18 U.S.C. The transport of hazardous materials prior to entry as U.S. Mail and after receipt from the Postal Service is subject to Department of Transportation regulations.
Results from Thursday’s Little League Ohio District 2 baseball/softbaIl tournament
Here are the results from tonight’s Little League Ohio District 2 Baseball/SoftbaIl Tournament being held at the Fields of Dreams in Boardman.
The televised games have been moved to July 5. The 10U championship game will be at 6 p.m. on Field S2 with the 12U championship game to follow at 8 p.m.
In the Minor Softball (8-10) Division
Austintown 13 Struthers 0,
Austintown plays next on July 3, 6 p.m. Field S2
Struthers plays next on July 2, 10 a.m. Field S1
In the Major Softball (10-12) Division
Howland 14 Canfield 4, Canfield is eliminated from the tournament.
Howland will play June 30, 6 p.m. field S2
Boardman 6 Poland 3,
Boardman plays Austintown June 30, 8 p.m. Field S2
Poland plays Howland June 30, 6 p.m. Field S2
In the 50/70 Baseball (11-13) Division
Struthers 25 South Range 0
Springfield 15 Beaver Local 12
Struthers will play Austintown June 30, 6 p.m. Field PONY 2
South Range and play June 30, 6 p.m. Field M6
Beaver Local is eliminated from the tournament
Full bracket details are available at: https://tinyurl.com/District2LLTournament-2023
Community Foundation now offers emergency grants to nonprofits
The Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley is now offering emergency grants outside of its regular quarterly opportunities to help local nonprofits address immediate and unexpected issues.
“As we’ve thought about how we can better serve the Valley’s nonprofit community, this was an idea that came up time and time again,” says Shari Harrell, president of the Community Foundation. “Emergencies can happen at any moment and there are times when it isn’t feasible to wait until our next grant deadline to ask for help. We’re excited to make these funds available and ensure that crucial services aren’t disrupted.”
The grants are available to not-for-profit organizations that have previously received a grant from the Community Foundation. Emergency grants do not typically exceed $5,000 and will not be considered for debt reduction or to cover shortfalls in an organization’s operating budget.
To apply, organizations can send an email to info@cfmv.org with the subject line Emergency Grant Request, explaining the request and why the organization was not able to plan for the situation. If a nonprofit is deemed eligible, a link to a brief online application will be provided.
There are no deadlines for emergency grants, and requests can be made at any time. All effort will be made to provide a funding decision within two weeks of application submission.
For organizations that have not previously received a grant from the Foundation, remaining deadlines for grants are July 15 and Oct. 15. More information on grant opportunities is available at CFMV.org/grant-opportunities.
Assistance available to help Ohioans stay cool this summer
The State of Ohio has assistance available to help Ohioans beat the heat and stay cool this summer.
From July 1 through Sept. 30, income-eligible Ohioans can receive assistance in paying their electric bill, purchasing an air conditioner or fan, or making repairs to their central air conditioning unit through the Ohio Department of Development’s Home Energy Assistance Summer Crisis Program.
The Summer Crisis Program assists low-income households with a member who is either 60 years of age or older, has a certified medical condition, has received a disconnect notice, has been shut off, is trying to establish new electric service, or requires air conditioning. The household must have a gross annual income at or below 175% of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that is $52,500.
Last year, the Summer Crisis Program assisted more than 36,000 households in Ohio, providing a total of $10.9 million in benefits.
“Every Ohioan deserves to have a safe and comfortable place to live and raise their family,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Department of Development. “Every year, this program helps our community partners put families first and ensure our most-vulnerable residents are protected from the burden of costly energy bills.”
Ohioans can start their application online but will need to schedule an appointment with their local Energy Assistance Provider to complete the application. Depending on the agency, the appointment may be in-person, on the phone, or virtual. The application and list of providers can be found online at energyhelp.ohio.gov.
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