Author: Hannah Poling

Spokesperson: Ohio Governor DeWine Agreed with Decision to Execute East Palestine Controlled Burn but Did Not Give Order

Hannah Poling

In an exclusive interview with The Ohio Star on Friday morning, Governor Mike DeWine’s spokesman Dan Tierney said he was unaware that legal authority was required to execute the February 6 controlled burn of vinyl chloride from five carriages of the Norfolk Southern train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3rd. He added that Norfolk Southern executed the controlled burn after consultation with representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and that DeWine agreed with the decision to execute a controlled burn – but was not the person who gave the order to execute the controlled burn.

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Ohio House Speaker Stephens Sets Legislative Priorities

Hannah Poling

Following several weeks without any measures being formally submitted with bill numbers, the Ohio House Speaker and his leadership team have announced their legislative priorities, which range from adjustments to property taxes, to adoption, to protecting the integrity of girls’ sports.

Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) was joined by his allied House Republicans as he listed 12 of the more than 50 bills that were assigned numbers and sent to committees as priorities. These bills ranged from changes to property and income taxes to an affordable housing tax credit, the “Backpack Bill” universal voucher program, and making certain that biological males cannot compete in female-only athletics.

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Questions Remain Unanswered About Who Authorized East Palestine Controlled Burn

Hannah Poling

Twelve days following the catastrophic train derailment on February 3rd and the controlled release and burn of noxious gasses in East Palestine, Ohio questions still linger about the decisions that were made and who authorized the controlled burn.

A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spokesperson did not directly comment early Monday to The Ohio Star if an On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) was at the East Palestine derailment, or if such an officer may have recommended or authorized the controlled burn.

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Attorney General Dave Yost Drops Charges Against Reporter Arrested in East Palestine

Hannah Poling

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Wednesday that his office is dropping the charges against a NewsNation reporter, who law enforcement arrested, while covering the railway crash in East Palestine.

Evan Lambert, a Washington DC-based correspondent with NewsNation, was thrown to the ground, handcuffed, and arrested for trespassing last week while covering Governor Mike DeWine‘s public press conference regarding the derailing of a train transporting hazardous materials. Local prosecutors filed misdemeanor criminal trespassing and resisting arrest charges against Lambert, but they requested that Yost’s office take over the case from there due to the complex nature of the parties involved.

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Northern Ohio Sees 145 Fugitives Arrested in U.S. Marshal Service Operation

Hannah Poling

A total of 145 fugitives have been apprehended in northeast Ohio as part of a U.S. Marshals effort to reduce violent crime. 

The U.S. Marshals Service said the arrests were part of the second phase of Operation North Star, which focused on the apprehension of the country’s most violent offenders. It brought a total of 830 total arrests nationally. They also seized 181 firearms and hundreds of pounds of drugs.

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Ohio Attorney General to Lead Investigation into Reporters Arrest at East Palestine Press Conference

Hannah Poling

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office will handle the case involving a TV journalist who the East Palestine Police Department arrested while he was documenting a railway wreck in East Palestine.

Columbiana County Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino confirmed on February 10th that Yost will be in charge of the investigation surrounding Evan Lambert’s arrest.

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Former Ohio City Official Charged with Stealing $1.5 Million from Housing Authority

Hannah Poling

A former Athens city official is accused of stealing more than $1.5 million from the city and using it for personal expenditures.

Ohio Auditor Keith Faber said in a press release that law enforcement arrested Jodi Rickard, who was the executive director of the Athens Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA) at the time of the alleged embezzlement, on Monday.

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Governor DeWine: ‘We Made the Decision to Go Ahead with the Controlled Release’ at East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment Site on February 6

Hannah Poling

Following the catastrophic train derailment on February 3rd and controlled release of poisonous gasses in East Palestine, Ohio that wrecked havoc on the environment and negatively impacted the health of residents Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s press secretary told The Ohio Star that the controlled burn was the “least bad option.”

Press secretary Dan Tierney told The Star that officials from state agencies, federal agencies, and Norfolk-Southern were in collaborative communication regarding the emerging chemical threat at the East Palestine.

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Ecological Disaster Unfolds After Ohio Toxic Train Derailment; Transportation Secretary Buttigieg Ignores

Hannah Poling
East Palestine Train Wreck

The effects on the environment and the local population after a flaming train disaster in East Palestine, Ohio are still being assessed.

Following the derailment of 50 train carriages, 10 of which were carrying hazardous materials, in East Palestine on February 3rd, officials permitted locals to return home last week. Hundreds of residents had to be evacuated as a result of the controlled release of poisonous gasses that was carried out on February 6th to stop an explosion.

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Ohio Governor DeWine Aims to Double Sports Betting Tax Rate in Proposed Budget

Hannah Poling

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is attempting to double the tax rate from 10 percent to 20 percent just over a month after sports betting became legal in the state. This increase is part of his biennial executive budget plan for the 2024–2025 fiscal years.

The budget doubles the tax on sports wagering that casinos and teams operating mobile sportsbooks must pay. A Bloomberg Tax analysis shows that the tax is just a little bit higher than the average 19 percent levied by other states.

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Ohio State Lawmakers Introduce Common Sense Bill for Financial Transparency in Colleges

Hannah Poling

Two Republican state representatives have introduced a common sense bill to provide more financial transparency to incoming college students in Ohio.

The Higher Education Return on Investment Act, sponsored by State Representative Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and State Representative Jim Thomas (R-Jackson Township), aims to clarify financial expectations for college students better as they begin their futures.

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Ohio House Republicans Prepare to Sue over Control of Campaign Account

Hannah Poling

Who controls the House GOP’s campaign funds is still the source of contention between the factions supporting the Ohio House speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) and State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Monclova).

The majority of GOP members selected Merrin last month to serve as the formal chairman of the House Republican Caucus and vice-chair of its campaign arm, giving him authority over the group’s spending.

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Lucas County GOP Unanimously Censures Republican Lawmakers Who Backed Speaker Stephens

Hannah Poling

The Lucas County Republican Party voted unanimously this week to censure the Republican representatives who voted in favor of newly elected House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill).

Last month, lawmakers elected moderate Republican Stephens as the new speaker to succeed State Representative Bob Cupp (R-Lima) despite the Republican Caucus‘ previous selection in November of State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Moncolva) as the new speaker. Although the GOP caucus voted for Merrin as Speaker of the House in December, Stephen fought in collaboration with the Democrats to collect votes and garner a win.

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East Palestine, Ohio Police Silent When Asked Why They Arrested NewsNation Reporter at DeWine Press Conference

Hannah Poling

On Wednesday, police in Ohio arrested a NewsNation correspondent as state Governor Mike DeWine spoke at a press conference to announce the lifting of an evacuation order due to last week’s railway incident in East Palestine.

Last Friday, a 50-car freight train near Pennsylvania crashed while transporting hazardous goods.

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Abortion Fund of Ohio Launches Program to Help Minors Get Abortions Without Parental Consent

Hannah Poling

The Abortion Fund of Ohio (AFO) launched the “Legal Access Program” on February 3rd that will undermine parental rights in Ohio. This program aims to help minors get abortions without parental consent in addition to provide free legal guidance, case management, and link patients with pro bono attorneys.

An unemancipated minor in Ohio under 18 years old may not obtain an abortion unless one of her parents or her guardian has given written consent or she obtains a court order known as a judicial bypass, in which case the judge authorizes the procedure. The Legal Access Program is Ohio’s first judicial bypass program.

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Ohio Proposal Aims to Require Verified Parental Consent Before Kids Can Use Social Media

Hannah Poling

A new proposal spearheaded by Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted would require certain online companies to obtain verified parental consent before permitting kids ages 16 and under to use their platforms.

The executive budget for 2023–24 that Governor Mike DeWine submitted last week to the Ohio General Assembly includes the Social Media Parental Notification Act.

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Bipartisan Bill Aims to Move Ohio’s Presidential Primary from March to May

Hannah Poling

A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers want to keep the state’s primary elections at the same time every year, whether it’s a presidential election year or not. Under the introduced legislation, all primaries would take place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May.

The bill has the backing of nine cosponsors from both sides of the aisle in the Ohio House.

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Cleveland Proposes Ban on Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products

Hannah Poling

Mayor Justin Bibb proposes banning the sale in Cleveland of flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes and flavored vape products.

The Columbus City Council approved a similar law in December of last year, and it will go into effect on January 1, 2024. Also in December, a bill to ban local governments from outlawing the sale of flavored tobacco products was approved by both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly; however, Governor Mike DeWine vetoed the measure.

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Ohio GOP Chairman Triantafilou Releases Statement Prior to President Biden’s State of the Union Address

Hannah Poling

Alex Triantafilou, the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, made a statement on Tuesday prior to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. Triantafilou stated in a news release that “anything short of an apology during tonight’s State of the Union will be unacceptable to working Ohio families.”

At nine o’clock Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States, will give the annual address before a joint session of Congress.

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Toledo and Cleveland School Administrators Admit to Deceiving Parents and Promoting Critical Race Theory in Ohio Classrooms

Hannah Poling

Despite Republican State Senator Sandra O’Brien (R-Ashtabula) re-introducing the Parental Education Freedom Act to empower parents to be the primary decision-makers regarding where and what type of education their children receive, an undercover investigation revealed that school administrators in both Toledo and Cleveland, Ohio are deceiving parents and teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the classroom.

As part of Accuracy in Media’s investigation, numerous school administrators acknowledged that teachers discreetly and subtly introduce CRT to their students without the parents’ knowledge, and that they have no plans to stop even if politicians approve legislation outlawing this practice.

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Ohio House Bill Requires Doctors to Inform Expectant Mothers of Health Risks Following an Abortion

Hannah Poling

A Republican state lawmaker in Ohio introduced a bill to prioritize the health of pregnant women in the state, leading to better maternal outcomes with each pregnancy.

The legislation sponsored by State Representative Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) will impose obligations on medical professionals who perform abortions, requiring them to remain informed of the most recent, correct medical knowledge regarding the possibility of adverse effects. Then, this measure mandates that the provider inform the expectant mother of the information.

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Senator Vance Cosponsors Bipartisan Resolution Challenging Biden’s ESG Rule Politicizing Americans’ Retirement Plans

Hannah Poling
JD Vance

U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) is joining a bipartisan challenge alongside 49 other U.S. Senators in opposition to President Biden’s new Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) rule, which politicizes the retirement assets of millions of Americans in order to support Biden’s ideological viewpoints rather than obtaining the highest returns for Americans.

“Joe Biden’s ESG investing rule is a brazen attempt to funnel Americans’ retirement savings toward far-left special interest groups,” Vance told The Ohio Star.

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Ohio Auditor Backs Anti-Corruption Training and Quick Reporting

Hannah Poling

Republican Ohio Auditor Keith Faber wants to improve the state’s capacity to identify and pursue wrongdoers, prosecute them, and recover taxpayer money by requiring public employees to receive more training on spotting government fraud and corruption and requiring them to promptly report suspected crimes.

Faber claimed on Thursday that his office has upped the threshold for capturing public servants who are attempting to steal from the public coffers at all levels of government.

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Ohio Woman Sues Columbus Hospital for Refusing Religious Exemption to COVID Vaccination

Hannah Poling

A Pickerington woman is suing Nationwide Children’s Hospital, saying she was wrongfully fired because she refused to get the COVID-19 immunization. She asserts that the hospital ought to have honored the request for a religious exemption she made as a Christian.

Invoking the violation of her civil rights, Tina Moore filed a federal civil complaint in U.S. District Court in Columbus.
She claims in the lawsuit that she was a surgical scheduler for the hospital for 24 years.

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Former Judge Russell Mock Elected Hamilton County GOP Chair

Hannah Poling

The Hamilton County Republican Party elected former Judge Russell Mock as its new chairman early on Thursday evening.

Green Township Trustee Triffon Callos, who has served as the temporary party chair for the previous month, said that Mock defeated former state representative Tom Brinkman at a closed-door meeting of the county party’s central committee at Clovernook County Club by a vote of 125 to 66.

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Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment Not Approved by Lawmakers in Time for May Ballot as Anticipated

Hannah Poling

Although State Representative Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) said that there was ample time to have the “Ohio Constitution Protection Amendment” on the May ballot, it did not pass in the Ohio House and Senate prior to the February 1st deadline.

Stewart introduced House Joint Resolution (HJR) 6 in November; however, the legislation did not pass before the end of the session. Stewart indicated at the end of the year that he intended to resurrect the legislation in the 135th General Assembly which he did along with 30-plus GOP cosponsors last month.

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Ohio U.S. Senator Vance Introduces Bipartisan PARTS Act to Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft

Hannah Poling

U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) in collaboration with Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the PARTS Act on Monday, to prevent the thefts of catalytic converters by making the highly sought-after auto part traceable.

The PARTS Act, Preventing Auto Recycling Thefts, is a piece of bipartisan legislation that aims to reduce catalytic converter thefts by requiring new vehicles to have the VIN stamped onto the converter, allowing law enforcement officers to link stolen parts to the originating vehicles.

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Retired Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor to Spearhead Ohio Redistricting Reform in 2024

Hannah Poling

According to former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor , a group seeking to overhaul Ohio’s redistricting procedure plans to put a constitutional amendment before voters in November 2024.

Last year, the Ohio Supreme Court rejected maps produced by Ohio’s Redistricting Commission on numerous occasions. O’Connor sided with the Democrats in redistricting lawsuits despite the GOP holding a one-seat majority.

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Athens County GOP Will Not Comply with Ohio GOP Censure of State Rep Edwards for Disregarding Party Obligations and Voting for Speaker Stephens

Hannah Poling

Following the Ohio Republican censure of the 22 lawmakers who voted with Democrats last month to choose the new Speaker of the Ohio House, saying they had disregarded their obligations to the party and the public, the Athens County GOP has said that they will not comply with the state party’s censure of Representative Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville).

Edwards was among the 22 GOP representatives who joined forces with the Democrats to choose State Representative Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) as speaker. The choice came despite the Republican Caucus‘ previous selection in November of State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Moncolva) as the new speaker.

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Man Charged with Public Indecency After Using Women’s Changing Facilities in Xenia YMCA

Hannah Poling

A male stating he is a female has been charged with three counts of public indecency for using the women’s changing facilities at the Xenia YMCA. This comes just weeks after Green County prosecutor David Hayes requested an opinion from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost clarifying if Ohio civil rights law requires local governments to permit individuals to use public restrooms according to their stated gender identity rather than their biological sex.

Darren Glines was accused of three charges of public indecency at Xenia Municipal Court for instances that occurred in September, November, and a third time between November 2021 and 2022 and involved three young girls. The accusations are all misdemeanors in the fourth degree.

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Ohio City’s Sanctuary City for the Unborn Goes into Effect After Abortion Activists Drop Lawsuit

Hannah Poling

After pro-abortion groups decided to abandon their lawsuit, the city of Lebanon, Ohio may start implementing its Sanctuary City for the Unborn ordinance once more.

In May of 2021, Lebanon, Ohio became the first in the state to enact a measure outlawing abortion and declaring itself “a sanctuary city for the unborn.” According to the Sanctuary City for the Unborn website, more than 60 other cities across the U.S. have passed similar ordinances.

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Republican Think Tank Leader Matt Mayer Announces Exploratory Campaign for Ohio Governor in 2026

Hannah Poling

Republicans swept the statewide positions, beginning with the governor, in the November general election. However, a probable Republican candidate for the upcoming 2026 election for governor has already been identified.

Former president of the conservative policy organization Buckeye Institute, Matt Mayer now serves as president of Opportunity Ohio. Due to the time and resources required to create that campaign, he has decided to launch an exploratory campaign for the Republican nomination for governor in 2026.

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Ohio Senate Bill Allows Drivers with Marijuana in Their System to Prove They’re Not Impaired

Hannah Poling

A bill filed by Republicans in the state Senate would allow Ohioans stopped by law enforcement for driving with marijuana in their system to attempt to demonstrate that marijuana usage did not impair their driving.

Senate Bill (SB) 26 sponsored by state Senator Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) would allow people the possibility to avoid an OVI even if they tested positive for marijuana by claiming they were sober. Manning told The Star that the legislation looks to address the challenging science of marijuana use and how long it lingers in the body after any benefits have worn off.

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Rittman City Council Seeks to Reinstate Higher Tax Rates After Overtaxing Mistake

Hannah Poling

Angry community members confronted municipal leaders over taxes at a tense meeting on Monday after learning they had been overtaxed for 15 years.

Residents had the chance to express their concerns and ask questions of city council members and other local leaders while there was standing room only inside the Rittman Recreation Center. Most were irate after receiving a letter informing them that Rittman had been overtaxing them on municipal income tax.

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Dayton Ohio School Administrators Admit to Misleading Parents and Teaching Critical Race Theory in Classrooms

Hannah Poling

Despite Republican State Senator Sandra O’Brien (R-Ashtabula) re-introducing the Parental Education Freedom Act to empower parents to be the primary decision-makers regarding where and what type of education their children receive, an undercover investigation has revealed that school administrators in Dayton, Ohio are misleading parents and sneaking Critical Race Theory (CRT) into the classroom.

As part of Accuracy in Media‘s investigation, numerous school administrators admitted that teachers are sneakily and covertly introducing CRT to their students unbeknownst to their parents and that they don’t plan to stop even if lawmakers pass legislation prohibiting this.

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Ohio to Invest $5 Million in Maternal Infant Health

Hannah Poling

Through a program including physicians and community partners, Ohio Medicaid plans to invest $5 million over the course of the coming year in an effort to improve the general well-being of mothers, newborns, and families.

Governor Mike DeWine stated in a news release that the goal of the community-based statewide program is to establish a framework for providers and community partners to collaborate on the development of a person-centered, customized intervention to support women and families who traditionally lack access to high-quality care before and after pregnancy.

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Utah School Administrators Admit to Deceiving Parents by Using ‘Loopholes’ to Teach Critical Race Theory in Classrooms

Hannah Poling

Less than a week after an undercover investigation revealed that school administrators in Cincinnati, Ohio have admitted to covertly indoctrinating students with Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the classrooms, they discovered similarly that school officials throughout Utah, are prepared to use “loopholes” in order to promote social justice and CRT to their students.

Ohio and Utah are both conservative states, which is why activist instructors have devised more covert methods of presenting divisive subjects.

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Lake County Commissioners Rescind Sales Tax Increase

Hannah Poling

The three-member Lake County Board of Commissioners unanimously decided on Thursday to repeal the 0.5 percent sales tax hike they had just approved for the entire county two weeks earlier.

Following concerns from county citizens and even city governments, the all-Republican board made the decision to abandon the tax increase before it even took effect. After numerous public meetings, officials arrived at the conclusion that “the current and projected revenues in of Lake County will be insufficient by a substantial amount to fund the current budgets and statutory responsibilities.”

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