Ohio
New Ohio legislation targets diversity programs in K-12 education
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Ohio Senate bill would ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in Ohio’s traditional public, charter and STEM schools.
Senate Bill 113 would prohibit schools from continuing or establishing DEI departments or offices, from using DEI in job descriptions, from requiring DEI training, or from contracting with consultants whose role would be promoting or hiring diverse people.
The bill also requires schools to establish complaint processes to hear student, parent or employee grievances about violations of the DEI ban.
The bill comes as legislation barring DEI at the college level also progresses in the General Assembly, having passed the Ohio Senate less than a month after it was introduced.
READ MORE: Ohio Senate passes bill targeting liberal ‘indoctrination’ on college campuses
At the federal level, President Donald Trump has issued several executive orders banning DEI and instructing schools to give students a “patriotic” education. This has Ohio’s colleges assessing their programs, and in some cases, cutting them.
READ MORE: Ohio State to cut DEI programs, citing Trump orders and state legislation
State Sen. Andrew Brenner, a Delaware County Republican who is sponsoring the legislation, said Tuesday afternoon during legislative testimony that the focus on equity undermines people’s hard work and merit.
“DEI does not stand for diversity, equity and inclusion,” Brenner said. “It stands for division, exclusion and indoctrination. It is unconstitutional, unfair and directly contradicts the vision of Martin Luther King Jr. And we must stand against these policies and ensure that our schools teach students to rise based on their abilities, not their racial identity.”
This led to a clash with state Sen. Catherine Ingram, a Cincinnati Democrat, who challenged Brenner’s understanding of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Brenner “believes that Martin Luther King said this is to be merit,” she said. “And what he said was he had a dream that one day, one day, not then and certainly not now, that we are equitable… Unfortunately for a very long time, certain groups of people started far behind the starting line.”
Brenner replied that, “DEI is really about a redistribution of wealth, period. It does put people in classes. That is clearly obvious from everything that is going on in higher ed and in K-12. And what it’s doing is saying some people are privileged and some other people are not, and you must recognize that. And regardless of whether or not we are working hard… it’s trying to do is trying to redistribute wealth and come out with an equal outcome.”
Brenner said he believed King was asking society to give everyone an opportunity “to advance and become successful and live on their own and be able to raise a family and not be harassed over things.”
State Sen. Kent Smith, a Euclid Democrat, said he was concerned the hyperfocus on DEI would cause harm. Sometimes, districts look for a disabled athlete to coach an adaptive track and field team, which the Ohio High School Athletic Association deemed a sport in 2013, he said.
“So my concern is that in this effort to clear DEI out of public schools, whether or not we’re going to inadvertently hurt populations that perhaps you hadn’t considered,” he said.
Laura Hancock covers state government and politics for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Part of Glenwood Avenue is closed due to a water main break in Youngstown.
Saturday afternoon, water could be seen flowing down Glenwood Avenue near Ravenwood Avenue.
The road is closed between Ravenwood Avenue and Clearmount Drive while crews repair the break.
Dominic O’Brien contributed to this report.
The U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 was a monumental, year-long celebration marking the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Coming in the aftermath of the turbulent 1960s, the political disillusionment of the Watergate scandal and President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974, and the capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese and the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Bicentennial served as a crucial moment of national healing.
The festivities culminated on the Fourth of July 1976, with spectacular events staged across the country. The most enduring legacy of the celebration in Columbus is Bicentennial Park, located in the Downtown riverfront area along the Scioto River.
Dedicated on July 4, 1976, this 4.7-acre green space was built to permanently commemorate the nation’s 200th birthday. The park’s initial centerpiece was a massive fountain system featuring four circular pools that could shoot water 60 feet into the air.
From May 22 to June 2, 1975, Columbus served as the 11th official stop for the American Freedom Train. This massive, steam-powered rolling museum carried more than 500 priceless historical artifacts – including copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution – across all 48 contiguous states.
The train was displayed at the Defense Construction Supply Center [DCSC] in Whitehall and drew massive crowds of local families. Columbus held a special distinction during the tour: it was one of only three cities nationwide where the “Splendid Spirit” car was included with the train.
Warren Motts, the founding director of Motts Military Museum in Groveport, traveled with the train for its entire 25,000-mile journey, capturing the official photos that documented this historic event.
Beyond these massive metropolitan events, the true spirit of the Bicentennial thrived at the grassroots level. The American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) encouraged local communities to form their own committees, leading to thousands of unique municipal projects.
Towns across the nation hosted local parades, commissioned historical murals, dedicated new parks, and sealed time capsules intended for the tricentennial in 2076.
It also triggered a resurgence of interest in local history and genealogy, as everyday citizens sought to trace their own roots back to the nation’s founding eras.
The civic energy and patriotism generated by the 1976 celebrations also helped pave the way for other major local traditions. Just a few years later, in 1981, Columbus launched its annual Red, White & Boom! celebration, which grew into the largest Independence Day fireworks display in the Midwest—a tradition deeply rooted in the community pride revived during the Bicentennial era.
Get involved in America 250 at your library this year! Visit columbulibrary.org for a full list of America 250 events.
Angela O’Neal is Local History & Genealogy Manager with the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
NORTHEAST OHIO (WOIO) – Thousands are without power Friday after severe weather sweeps across Northeast Ohio counties, creating weather-related damage.
FirstEnergy reports more than 71,000 in Northeast Ohio are without power Friday night.
More than 22,000 are without power in Cuyahoga County.
The utility company reports that more than 700 are without power in Erie County.
Lake County reports over 1,000 outages, and Portage has over 4,000 outages.
Trumbull County is experiencing over 1,000, and Ashtabula reports over 3,000.
Lorain County is experiencing more than 3,000 reported outages, and Geauga County has more than 7,000.
Medina County reported more than 1,000.
Chardon fire crews field wave of storm calls
The Chardon Fire Department shared the calls it responded to concerning storm damage Friday evening.
Fire crews said they responded to a tree in a house at 127 Burlington Oval.
The department said a tree fell on a gas line, causing a gas leak at 408 Charleston Avenue.
Wires were reported down on South Claridon Road, closing State Route 44 near South Street.
Wires were reported down on a house near Irma and South Hambden.
Fire crews said a tree was reported down on a home at 306 North Hambden.
The department also said alarms went off at UH Geauga Hospital.
Downed wires also closed Auburn and Twing roads.
The department said power was out on the south side of Chardon City.
Another tree was reported to have fallen into a house at 109 Burlington Oval, but no injuries were reported.
Fire crews said an incident involving a tree in a house and electric lines was reported at 11396 Aquilla Road, but no injuries were reported.
Fallen tree takes out power line in Independence
The city of Independence said a downed tree took out a live power line on lower Stone Road.
The city asked the public to avoid the area because of the danger posed by live wires.
The city said FirstEnergy had been notified and both police and firefighters were on scene.
Downed wires prompt closures across Hambden
The Hambden Fire Department said Friday night it was dealing with multiple storm-related incidents.
Crews said Claridon Troy Road was closed between Route 608 and Chardon Windsor Road because of downed poles and wires.
Kenny Drive was closed south of Leaders Mobile Home Park because of downed wires across the road, according to fire crews.
Multiple wires were reported down on Route 6 near Cutts and Grant Street along the north side of the road.
The department said the public should use caution in areas with downed wires and poles and should not attempt to move any of the wires.
Anyone with an electrical emergency or who encounters downed wires is asked to call 9-1-1.
Hambden Fire said people should not call 9-1-1 to report an outage.
The department said FirstEnergy is aware of these issues and is working to fix them.
Check FirstEnergy’s, AEP’s, and Cleveland Public Power’s websites for the latest outage numbers.
These outages come after severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for multiple Northeast Ohio counties this evening and were extended until 10:45 p.m.
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