Local
On March 3, 2025 the Franklin County Board of Elections heard the residency challenge of Columbus City Council candidate Tiara Ross. The candidate protest was filed by Columbus resident and social media political blogger (The Rooster) D.J. Byrnes.
While under oath, Ms. Ross was asked by Board member Meredith Freedhoff “Is your driver’s license suspended?” Ms. Ross replied “I am unaware of it being suspended.” When further questioned by board members about her license being suspended and also her registration having expired, Ms. Ross stated, “I would have to double check on these records. I don’t know if it was something I missed like a notice I missed in the mail, all of that had to be changed when I moved so it’s certainly something I can follow up with.” (see attached video of hearing).
Mr. Byrnes made a records request to the BMV of Ms. Ross’s license which showed that her license had been suspended (see attached). Further evidenced showed that her registration had also expired. The registration sticker on her vehicles license plate while in the parking lot of the Board of Elections was dated September 2024.
Ohio’s cannabis industry has seen rapid expansion since voters approved adult-use legalization in 2023. Licensed dispensaries began serving consumers in 2024, but now lawmakers are moving to tighten regulations, introducing new bills that could reshape how cannabis is grown, sold, and consumed.
Two key pieces of legislation—Senate Bill 56 and Senate Bill 86—are currently under debate in the Ohio Senate. These bills propose new restrictions on home cultivation, public consumption, THC potency, and the sale of hemp-derived intoxicants, signaling a more controlled and regulated market.
Senate Bill 56: Stricter Rules on Cultivation, Consumption, and THC Limits
The Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 56 on February 26, 2025, introducing significant changes that could impact both consumers and businesses. The bill focuses on tightening personal cultivation rules, enforcing public consumption bans, and capping THC potency in cannabis products.
Pearl River President Trump engaged the country in 90-minutes of “me-time” in a rant before Congress, but that’s hardly news. While the Republican side of the House rose in applause, the rest of the room, and world, continues to recoil in horror. In the wide, wild world,
some of the reaction is more personal than the handwringing of politicians and businesses over the damage that is being wrought.
I saw a Facebook post of a friend, a labor lawyer in DC, who is housing federal employees suddenly thrown out of work. A book reviewing organizer for Social Policy missed the issue deadline, because he was dealing with so many federal workers in chaos over the loss
of livelihood.
Returning to type, “As a measles outbreak expands in West Texas, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health and human services secretary, …cheered several unconventional treatments, including cod liver oil, but again did not urge Americans to get vaccinated.” What children
dying, me worry?
Thursday, March 6, 2025, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
More info here
Buckeye Environmental Network has put together a big statewide meeting at the State Capital to hear from workers affected by oilfield brine and what grassroots activists are doing to protect their community. Show up to tell our State Legislature this issue needs to be addressed!
This is a family friendly event, but RSVP is required to be accounted for in serving lunch!
Questions – call or text Anton at 216-716-0647.
Hundreds of OSU students sit on the Oval in front of Thompson Library in protest of Senate Bill 1 and the university’s recent DEI rollbacks. When asked about her perspective on the speak-out, Brielle Shorter said “Last week when OSU sunsetted ODI, there were lots of tears, there was lots of pain, there were lots of hugs. Less than a week later, today, we are here in joy and celebration, because you cannot legislate us as human beings.”
Have you noticed those cool ComFest T-shirts the volunteers are rocking? Well, guess what? You could be the one designing this year's logo! ComFest is reaching out to all creative minds to submit their logo ideas! #ComFest2025
Requirements:
Incorporate the dates: June 27, 28, & 29, 2025
Include "Community Festival" and "Goodale Park"
Integrate the Hopewell symbol
Your design should be entirely original - no clip art, copyrighted, or AI generated material allowed. Keep it simple: one-color designs only, and make sure it's print-ready.
Send your entry to logo@comfest.com by March 4th to be considered OR bring your entry directly to the contest on March 6th
Wednesday, March 5 President Trump threatened to strip federal funding from colleges and universities that allow their students to “illegally” protest and threatened to deport, imprison, and/or expel students who are using their right to free speech. These threats are a desperate attempt to silence a movement that is working—we won’t back down.
Wednesday, March 5, 6:45pm
University Square, 15th and High Streets
Join us in opposing ex-‘israeli’ Prime Minister’s welcoming on our campus. This war criminal has the blood of thousands of Palestinians on his hands and is a direct perpetrator of the ongoing ethnic cleansing and occupation of Palestine.
We vehemently oppose any attempts to welcome or commemorate war criminals. We will not remain silent while they are platformed on our campus.
Residential Installations Decline in 2023
The U.S. residential solar industry struggled last year, seeing declines in installations by about 26 percent in 2023. Much of this decline was due to changes in the net metering policy in California, which reduced compensation for those exporting power to the grid by about 75 percent. As a result, residential installations in California dropped by over 40 percent.
In 2023, California accounted for 25 percent of all residential solar installed nationwide.
Other factors leading to the nationwide decline were higher interest rates as well as increased tariffs which added to the cost of installing a system.
Residential solar only makes up about 22 percent of the overall solar market. Utility scale solar accounts for 72 percent of all solar installations with a dramatic 44 percent growth rate in 2023.
Renewables Continue to Surpass Fossil Fuels as a New Generating Supply
Tuesday, March 4, 6pm
Ohio Statehouse
EMERGENCY RALLY
Join us at the Statehouse this Tuesday at 6pm to STAND FOR AMERICAN VALUES and Support Ukraine's Fight for Freedom.