Ohio
Traffic safety education program offered for non English speakers in Ohio
The Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO), a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, announced July 11 that new educational resources now are available for diverse communities in Ohio to help English Language Learners become licensed drivers.
The curriculum and train-the-trainer program is intended to help non English speakers learn safe driving practices and prepare for the written and driving tests at the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), the release said.
It includes information on the requirements for obtaining a driver license in Ohio, the meanings of traffic signs and signals, and other basic traffic safety laws.
“Non English speakers who are new to Ohio may not fully understand the rules of the road, increasing their risk of being involved in a crash,” said Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson in the release. “Even the most basic driver education helps promote safe behaviors on our roads, benefitting all drivers in Ohio.”
A pilot program was first introduced at the Ohio Traffic Safety Office’s 2024 Ohio Traffic Safety Summit in Columbus and now is ready to be launched statewide, according to the release.
The training provides information for participants to share with English Language Learners or non English speaking adults that want to learn to drive in Ohio, the release said.
Trainings are conducted in English, and participants translate the material to share in their communities.
“Providing traffic safety education in multiple languages helps to remove some barriers for Ohio’s English Language Learners and integrate them into the community,” said Emily Davidson, executive director of the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, in the release. “We hope this new education program can help create a safer and more inclusive environment for all residents.”
It’s important to note that this curriculum does not replace driver education, and that those who present it in diverse language communities are not considered licensed driver training instructors in the state, the release said.
Teen drivers still are required to complete 24 hours of classroom instruction and eight hours of behind-the-wheel training at a licensed driver training school.
Adult drivers who fail the first attempt at the driving test at the BMV are required to complete the abbreviated adult program — which is four hours of classroom instruction and either four hours of behind the wheel training with a licensed instructor or 24 hours of driving practice with a licensed driver older than age of 21.
Resources are available on the Ohio Traffic Safety Office’s website for those interested in bringing this curriculum to their community.
The curriculum outline, PowerPoint slides, resource guide, and other training aids are available free of charge to anyone that requests them.
This announcement follows a number of initiatives by Ohio Traffic Safety Office to strengthen driver education, including nearly $2.5 million in grants to fund driver training scholarships to eligible teens in 42 counties, the release said.
Earlier this year, $4.5 million in funding was awarded through the new Creating Opportunities for Driver Education (CODE) Grant program that supports the expansion of driver training options in underserved areas, the release said.
POMEROY, Ohio (WCHS) — A fire destroyed one home and damaged two others Wednesday evening, but then rekindled early Thursday morning and destroyed another home, police said.
The fire was first reported just after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday night in the 300 block of Wetzgall Street in Pomeroy, according to a press release from the Pomeroy Police Department.
According to police, the fire spread to the two homes on either side of the original home on fire. Firefighters contained the fire and saved the two surrounding homes, but the home that first caught fire was deemed a total loss.
Then, just after 3 a.m. on Thursday morning, the fire rekindled and spread to one of the other homes, resulting in a total loss of that home as well, police said.
Pomeroy police said both homes were occupied at the time of the fires, but all occupants of each home were able to exit their homes safely. Police also said that there were no reported injuries, though both families lost everything they owned due to the total losses of the homes.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, and the incident is still under active investigation by the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office, according to police.
What we know about student loans and the Education Department
Will Education Department restructuring affect your student loans? Here’s what we know know.
Student loan borrowers under the Biden-era student loan repayment plan, Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE), may soon have to select a new repayment plan after the U.S. Department of Education agreed to a measure to permanently end the program.
A proposed joint settlement agreement announced Tuesday between the DOE and the State of Missouri seeks to end what officials call the “illegal” SAVE program, impacting more than seven million SAVE borrowers who would have to enroll in another program. The settlement must be approved by the court before it can be implemented.
Ohio borrowers carry some of the nation’s highest student loan debt. Here’s how the proposed change could affect them.
What is the SAVE plan?
Originally known as REPAYE, the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan was created to deliver the lowest monthly payments among income-driven repayment programs. Under the Biden administration, it became the most affordable option for borrowers.
According to USA TODAY, the SAVE plan was part of Biden’s push to deliver nearly $200 billion in student loan relief to more than 5 million Americans. It wiped out $5.5 billion in debt for nearly half a million borrowers and cut many monthly payments down to $0.
But officials in President Donald Trump’s administration claim the Biden plan was illegal.
Why does the Department of Education want to end the SAVE plan?
The DOE says the SAVE plan aimed to provide mass forgiveness without congressional approval, costing taxpayers $342 billion over 10 years. In a press release, the Department said the administration promised unrealistically low payments and quick forgiveness without legal authority.
“The Trump administration is righting this wrong and bringing an end to this deceptive scheme,” Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a release. “Thanks to the State of Missouri and other states fighting against this egregious federal overreach, American taxpayers can now rest assured they will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for illegal and irresponsible student loan policies.”
If the agreement is approved by the court, no new borrowers will be able to enroll in the SAVE plan. The agency says it will deny any pending applications and move all SAVE borrowers back into other repayment plans.
Borrowers currently enrolled in the SAVE Plan would have a limited time to select a new repayment plan and begin repaying their student loans.
The DOE adds that it is working on the loan repayment provisions of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, which created a new Income-Driven Repayment plan called the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), that will be available to borrowers by July 1, 2026.
How many people in Ohio have student loan debt?
Numbers from the Education Data Initiative show that there are about 1.7 million student loan borrowers in Ohio, carrying over $60 billion in debt. The average student loan debt is approximately $35,072.
Ohio also ranks No. 10 among the states with the most student debt, according to personal finance site WalletHub.
How much money does Ohio get from the Department of Education?
The DOE budget for Ohio for fiscal year 2025 is estimated to be more than $5.65 billion, The Columbus Dispatch previously reported.
President Trump announced his intentions to eliminate the Department of Education earlier this year, meaning that Ohio could lose more than $5 billion in annual funding.
An employee of a Papa Johns restaurant in Cincinnati, Ohio, is accused of shooting and killing a man inside the store on Tuesday night.
Police in Cincinnati said Murphy Tilk, 21, fatally shot 23-year-old Nawaf Althawadi inside the West Price Hill restaurant around 11 p.m., CBS affiliate WKRC reported. When first responders arrived at the restaurant on West Eighth Street, they performed life-saving measures on Althawadi, who died at the scene. Officials said the 21-year-old Tilk, who was taken into custody without incident and charged, is a Papa Johns employee, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Tilk booked into the Hamilton County Justice Center on a first-degree murder charge, the center’s records show. During Tilk’s initial court appearance on Wednesday, he was held without bond. The 21-year-old man has a bond hearing set for Saturday.
Law enforcement has not said what led up to the shooting or if Tilk and Althawadi knew each other. Police are investigating the shooting.
KDKA reached out to Papa Johns on Wednesday evening for comment, but has not heard back.
Papa Johns is a pizza chain with 6,000 locations globally, according to its website. It has 15 locations in Cincinnati.
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