News
Early voting in Franklin County began Tuesday October 6 and ends on November 2. Hours of operation are here. The Early voting location at 1700 Morse Rd is within a 20-minute drive from most everywhere within I-270 outer-belt. Based on my own experience and some friends who have voted, I was very much impressed by the professionalism and ease of voting. The Franklin County Board of Elections has taken all the necessary COVID -19 precautions. The location is large, and at every point, social distancing is greater than 6 feet, and there is plexiglass everywhere.
Voting enthusiasm is incredibly high. The location at Morse Road was formerly a Kohl's, neighbored by Sam Ash Music and a HomeBuys store that formerly was a Kroger. On the first day of voting, the line began forming at 4:30 in the morning. By the time the Board of Elections (BOE) opened the doors, the line wound all the way behind the building. Of course, voters observed social distancing and the line moved quickly, as the BOE can process 800 voters an hour. A friend of mine waited in that long line, which was a 90-minute wait.
TOLEDO, OH: Yesterday, an Ohio court of appeals reversed a previous trial court order, ruling residents suing to enforce the Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR) and hold the State of Ohio accountable for its failure to protect Lake Erie have stated a legitimate claim. The court also suggested the State of Ohio has been hypocritical and may not be fulfilling its obligations toward Lake Erie and her people. The state argues it is protecting Lake Erie—which is the people of Toledo’s drinking water supply—but instead is busy trying to slow down the people of Toledo from advancing historic Rights of Nature protections for the imperiled lake.
· Use this link to send an AddUp email to your Ohio Representative, Senator, and Governor DeWine.
· Make an easy call to your State Senator using this handy Sierra Club number: 855-980-2397. OR simply text HB6 to 69866.
· House Reps and Senators need to be engaged on social media! Use this spreadsheet to make calls and social media posts to the legislators that supported HB6 but have not signed on to a repeal bill. Please also use the #RepealHB6 hashtag so others can find and amplify your actions.
Livestream Response to the Trump/Biden Presidential Debate
11 pm, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runhowierun2020/
Media Availability
Hawkins will be available for phone interviews throughout the day at 315-200-6046 and for in person interviews at the news conference in Columbus and at the debate exclusion protest in Cleveland.
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At the 11 am news conference in Columbus, Hawkins presented his Green New Deal to create a manufacturing revival and full employment in Ohio and across the nation.
The power of Wikileaks in upholding whistle-blower rights is the reason millions of dollars has been spent by a global coalition of the rich, powerful, and corrupt to discredit the co-founder, Julian Assange.
The case is widely viewed as a global landmark event that violates press freedom, purportedly enshrined in the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution.
President Donald Trump seeks Assange's extradition from the UK this week to face 175 years in prison for publishing outside the United States about US war crimes, as a foreign journalist.
The extradition result will impact our so-called information-based economy and shape the power balance between the world's rich and poor masses for generations to come, broadly impacting tomorrow’s workforce.
BREAKING: ICE Detainee Faints After Hours with Breathing Difficulties and No Medical Care, Taken to Hospital, Status Unknown
Call 419-947-4085 and tell the Morrow County Commissioners to Close the Jail Before More People Die
On Friday, September 11, a man who had recently been booked into the Morrow County Correctional Facility (MCCF) for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began to complain that he could not breathe. There were no medical staff on duty, and the Corrections Officers did nothing to help him. He was listless and unable to sleep all night, clearly in need of serious medical attention.
The next day, around lunch time, this man fainted in the chow hall. He bled everywhere and the area was cleared. Again, there were no medical staff on duty. Another detainee attempted to perform CPR. An ambulance was called and arrived about fifteen minutes later. There must be video of all of this, as there are cameras in the chow hall. Ohio Immigrant Alliance is calling on Morrow County to release the video footage to the man's family.
Last night’s Columbus City Council 4-3 vote that indefinitely tabled an ordinance which would have put limits on the Columbus Division of Police use of chemical agents, helicopters, military-type rifles and “less-lethal” munitions – such as rubber and wooden bullets, which injured numerous peaceful protesters – was especially shocking due to the fact that three Black Democratic City Council members voted against it.
I believe the message these three Black City Council members sends is, they have joined the ranks of #BlueLivesMatter and #AllLivesMatter while turning their backs on police reform and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Black citizens of Columbus and others fighting for reform measures should be outraged over this vote.
The three Black Councilmembers who voted to indefinitely table the ordinance were Council President Shannon Hardin, Priscilla Tyson and Mitchell Brown. Emmanuel Remy, who is not African American, also voted to table. Councilwoman Elizabeth Brown, who wrote the legislation, and Councilmembers Rob Dorans and Shayla Favor (who is African American) voted for the ordinance.
How much incompetence can one county jail exhibit, and continue to operate? A jail break Tuesday (September 8th) from the Morrow County Correctional Facility in Mt. Gilead should be the last straw.
Despite warnings this would happen, the Morrow County Correctional Facility (MCCF) became 100% COVID-positive this year. Since the jail doubles as a federal detention center for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), MCCF became the first 100% COVID-positive ICE facility in the nation.
Now, with two jailbreaks and a suicide in the past few weeks, one has to wonder: When will the Morrow County Commissioners, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, or anyone else with authority step in and say enough is enough, this jail needs to close?
How much incompetence can one county jail exhibit, and continue to operate? A jail break Tuesday (September 8th) from the Morrow County Correctional Facility in Mt. Gilead should be the last straw.
Despite warnings this would happen, the Morrow County Correctional Facility (MCCF) became 100% COVID-positive this year. Since the jail doubles as a federal detention center for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), MCCF became the first 100% COVID-positive ICE facility in the nation.
Now, with two jailbreaks and a suicide in the past few weeks, one has to wonder: When will the Morrow County Commissioners, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, or anyone else with authority step in and say enough is enough, this jail needs to close?