Findlay
FINDLAY - Although our referendum petition did not meet Ohio’s new signature requirement, our community accomplished something remarkable. In September 2025, HB96 was passed. Within the large bill, a change was slipped in that changed O.R.C. 731.29. This changed the minimum signatures required by citizens to put
Local
BY JEFF SKINNER SPRINGFIELD - In a surprising turn of events, The FBI has denied a request to expedite the release of investigative records concerning the past bomb threats in Springfield, Ohio, putting citizens in the city in the dark regarding the inner workings of what transpired and what investigative measures
Springfield
BY JEFF SKINNER SPRINGFIELD — Following the abolition of Temporary Protection Status for many in the Haitian community of Springfield Ohio, local commissioners may be shifting their priorities on technocratic surveillance systems in the city. A sweeping debate over the city’s network of automated license plate readers (ALPR) exposed deep
smart meters
BY STAFF CONTRIBUTOR STATEWIDE - Earlier this month, The Ohio Register reported about growing opposition to wireless smart meter installation. While some utility providers are offering “opt out” programs for consumers willing to pay fees, Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-10 allows electric providers to install digital meters with the RF
agenda 2030
This post was originally made on The Heartland Beat STATEWIDE — In the heart of Ohio’s suburbs and bustling interstates, a quiet expansion of surveillance technology is reshaping how unaccountable entities and foreign nations track everyday drivers. Defense contractor Leonardo US is promoting ELSAG SignalTrace, a signals intelligence upgrade that
Springfield
BY JEFF SKINNER SPRINGFIELD - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the Trump administrations' efforts to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians can proceed, rejecting lower court injunctions and limiting judicial challenges to the program’s termination. In a 6-3 decision written by Justice
Statewide
BY JEFF SKINNER STATEWIDE— As reports indicate Iran has again closed the Strait of Hormuz amid fresh Israeli strikes in Lebanon that appear to violate a fragile ceasefire, Ohioans are staring down the barrel of higher gasoline prices at the pump, pricier groceries at the supermarket and mounting electricity bills
voice of geauga
BY JEFF SKINNER NEWBURY— The Voice of Geauga radio program and podcast will host a “Fun-Raiser” fundraiser Wednesday, June 24, at Veterans Legacy Woods to support ongoing production and distribution costs. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with a $25 cover charge. Proceeds will help the local
Local
BY NICK ROGERS CINCINNATI - On February 11, 2026, the Cincinnati City Council voted to unanimously institute an Interim Development Control Overlay (IDC) on approvals for new data centers there; essentially pressing pause until further studies into the sites’ impacts have been conducted. The initial IDC, which lasted only three months,
Ohio's Leading Citizen Journalism Outlet
BY CAREY MORGAN FINDLAY — As a central Ohio developer advances plans for major residential and mixed-use projects in northwest Ohio, a dispute surrounding one of the company's most prominent developments in northeast Ohio is drawing renewed attention from local officials and residents examining the developer's
BY JEFF SKINNER SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — Despite years of promises that a massive influx of Haitian immigrants would revitalize the local economy, Springfield city officials on Tuesday confronted a sobering financial reality: income tax revenue, the backbone of the general fund, has flattened and is now projected to decline, forcing
BY CAREY MORGAN FINDLAY, Ohio (AP) — Tensions flared at the Findlay City Council meeting Tuesday night as members clashed over a proposed $1 million city purchase of 21 acres of partially wetland land from interests linked to a major developer, with critics warning the deal risks subsidizing private growth that
STATEWIDE - As wireless smart meters continue expanding across Ohio, a growing coalition of grassroots advocates and consumer protection groups is launching a coordinated pushback, urging residents to demand utility meter choice legislation from state and federal lawmakers. Advocates argue that the automated metering infrastructure (AMI) has been deployed without adequate
BY CAREY MORGAN FINDLAY, Ohio — Resolute local housing advocates have launched a rapid-response petition drive to fight a controversial city annexation plan, battling a massive signature hurdle triggered by an undemocratic change in state law. The grassroots group, Put It on The Ballot Findlay, filed referendum paperwork on June
BY NICK ROGERS GEAUGA - Over two weeks ago, this author received a pamphlet in his mailbox from FirstEnergy (you know, the electric utility company at the heart of the HB 6 scandal?). The pamphlet features a wireless “Smart” meter on the cover with the title, “Your power is about to
GEAUGA COUNTY, Ohio — The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio is coming under increased scrutiny for what consumer advocates describe as a pattern of delays, technical glitches and procedural roadblocks that appear to shield FirstEnergy subsidiaries from accountability over disputed smart meter deployments. Residents who previously secured opt-out protections for
COLUMBUS — In a boost to Ohio homeowners frustrated with rising property taxes, the grassroots Ax Ohio Tax initiative announced Friday it will carry forward its petition drive and target the November 2027 ballot for a constitutional amendment to permanently abolish taxes on real property. Brian Massie, president of the Committee
BY CAREY MORGAN FINDLAY — Despite passionate opposition from residents citing traffic congestion, flooding risks, strained infrastructure and loss of a beloved local landmark, Findlay City Council voted 7-2 on Tuesday to annex the Shady Grove Golf Course property and rezone it for high-density multifamily housing. The decision on
BY JEFF SKINNER SPRINGFIELD — Despite ongoing fiscal woes, chronic fire division understaffing and resident alarms over misplaced priorities, the Springfield City Commission on Tuesday approved a nearly $240,000 contract with Motorola Solutions to launch a Drone as First Responder pilot program critics fear will expand government surveillance while delivering
BY STAFF CONTRIBUTOR PERRY - Perry Village officials have declared they possess zero written economic impact studies, project descriptions, or internal digital communications regarding a controversial, multimillion-dollar data center project slated for development on local public land. The admission, delivered via a series of public records responses, has ignited sharp
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A little-noticed provision in the House version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act could dramatically expand and institutionalize military cooperation between the United States and Israel, prompting concern among some Ohio lawmakers, residents and national security observers about long-term costs, sovereignty and foreign policy
