Local

On Tuesday night, a Free Press reporter was driving on 71 South and began descending the Greenlawn Avenue exit where the now shuttered Thurns’ butcher shop is directly to the right. As some know and often see, on the left side of the exit in a narrow area of gravel is a male houseless person and his dog. For several years now they have set up a make-shift artist camp here.

His paintings and sketches ask for kindness and a handout in a quirky loving way. As one recent sign stated, “Needing a Space Ship to leave Earth.”

The Free Press reporter rolled down his window and asked: “We’re you not able to get a bed tonight at a shelter?”

The artist quickly replies: “No! They don’t take pets.”

His plight in bone-chilling temperatures is just one of several stories to emerge this week showing how chaotic and challenging it is to protect the community’s houseless from severe cold. Some houseless refuse to leave their tent at night fearing their belongings will be taken. Houseless couples refuse to be separated, as warranted by some shelters. And there is one warming center which does allows pets, it is on the Eastside.

Columbus Stand Up, Ohio Families Unite for Political Action and Change, National Council of Negro Women, Columbus Section are hosting a candidate forum featuring candidates for Franklin County Prosecutor. 

The forum will take place on January 18, at Mt. Hermon Baptist Church, located at 2283 Sunbury rd. Doors will open at 6:30 pm, and the event will commence at 7:00 pm. This non-partisan gathering will bring together all of the candidates running for the position of Franklin County Prosecutor to discuss their vision, priorities, and plans to address the challenges facing the community. 

During the forum, each candidate will have the chance to present their platform and answer questions from Rodney Dunigan, anchor for WSYX 6, the forum’s moderator. No direct questions from the audience will be permitted, but attendees can submit questions upon arrival and in advance via social media. 

Wednesday, January 17, 2024, 7:00 PM
Protecting the rights of solar owners is at the core of our mission at Solar United Neighbors. It has been shown that one of the most effective ways to demonstrate to decision makers that solar matters is giving them an opportunity to hear from constituents like you. Join us for this Lobbying 101 Training where you will learn how to hold an impactful and effective meeting with your elected officials and make your interests known.  

Register here. 

January 16 marks 32 years since the signing of the historic Chapultepec Peace Accords that ended El Salvador's 12-year civil war. Unfortunately, in order to further consolidate his contemporary dictatorship, the current regime of Nayib Bukele has torn down many of the pillars of the Peace Accords that allowed the Salvadoran people to build a post-war democracy

We hope you will join us on Zoom on Tuesday at 12 pm ET (9 am PT) to hear a quick update from organizers about current conditions in El Salvador, ask questions, and get all the information you need to call Congress - then make your calls and report back!

It would be the ultimate stoner irony and hypocrisy. But according to one police brutality activist, fully legal recreational marijuana could someday pay for Ohio’s “Cop City,” which may be built somewhere in Central Ohio.

“It’s very likely the AG [Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost] and Republicans will want to divert those funds for training. Representative Cindy Abrams, former law enforcement, introduced a bill to mandate funds be spent towards law enforcement officer training and equipment,” said Emily Cole, Executive Director of Ohio Families Unite for Political Action and Change (OFUPAC). This is the lobbyist arm of Ohio Families Unite Against Police Brutality, which was founded by Sabrina Jordan of Dayton who lost her son to police brutality in 2017. Jordan’s nonprofit represents 700 Ohio families who have also lost a loved one since the turn of the century to police violence.

It would be the ultimate stoner irony and hypocrisy. But according to one police brutality activist, fully legal recreational marijuana could someday pay for Ohio’s “Cop City,” which may be built somewhere in Central Ohio.

“It’s very likely the AG [Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost] and Republicans will want to divert those funds for training. Representative Cindy Abrams, former law enforcement, introduced a bill to mandate funds be spent towards law enforcement officer training and equipment,” said Emily Cole, Executive Director of Ohio Families Unite for Political Action and Change (OFUPAC). This is the lobbyist arm of Ohio Families Unite Against Police Brutality, which was founded by Sabrina Jordan of Dayton who lost her son to police brutality in 2017. Jordan’s nonprofit represents 700 Ohio families who have also lost a loved one since the turn of the century to police violence.

Monday, January 15, 11am-4pm, Ohio History Center, 800 E. 17th Ave.

The Ohio History Connection presents the annual MLK Open House. Celebrate the life and legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King through visual and performing art performances. This is a unique opportunity to learn about the impact of Dr. King’s teachings and learn how his work changed the trajectory of the country.

Admission is free, but pre-registration is strongly recommended.

We will also be hosting a donation drive for Star House, a space for teens and young adults, to continue Dr. King’s legacy in acts of service to local communities. You may learn more about the mission of Star House on their website.

Most-needed items include the following:

• Winter coats

• Large insulated gloves and wool socks

• Winter hats

• Hand warmers

• New underwear for men and women (boxers/boxer briefs preferred for men)

• Sweatpants

• Leggings

• Solid color T-shirts

• Backpacks

• Blankets

• African American hair care products (oils and gels)

• Large new towels

The January Free Press Second Saturday Salon was held on January 13 over Zoom.

Listen to the recording here.

Mark Stansbery of the Free Press Board, talked about the salon theme, ending militarism and building community. He introduced the first speaker, Rosan Eldadah. Rose relayed the tragic story of how she lost six family members, including small children, in Gaza during horrendous attacks by the IDF on civilians. Rose herself was harassed by the IDF prior to the current war and her family members detained and tortured.

The next speaker was Shayna Solomon, representing Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). She spoke about the work of JVP and their events in Columbus. Both Rose and Shayna emphasized the Israeli oppression and violence of Palestinians that had been going on long before the current situation and the importance of assuring that whatever changes may happen, the horror cannot continue past this war.

Especially in the United States but across the world, we witness a stunning recurrence of an at least 60 year old tradition. University presidents, most loudly former university presidents, publicly blame faculty—most directly tenured professors-—or the  many problems of  higher education today.

There are many motivations. Prominent today are selling books, deflecting all responsibility for their own and other institutions failings away from themselves and on to anyone else; and running for elective office.

In the 1960s and 1970s, faculty and also students were blamed for universities’ awkward and contradictory stances on civil rights and then anti-war movements. Later, it was affirmative action broadly defined from equal opportunity to Diversity-Equity-Inclusion, among many manipulated themes, intended to distract attention from administrative failures of leadership and refusal to accept responsibility. These illegitimate, unprofessional manipulations typically contradict administrators’ wholesale statements about the roles of colleges and universities in the social, moral, and civic orders.

Sunday, January 14, 2024, 2:00 PM
Join Indivisible Central Ohio Friends and Neighbors for our "Kick Gerrymandering to the Curb" Kick off Meet and Greet! Pick up petitions, get shirts and other gear, sign up for events, get tips and tricks, and meet the team as we get set to collect a mountain of signatures and finally end gerrymandering in Ohio! 
Location:  First Unitarian Univeralist Columbus, 93 W. Weisheimer Road.  
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