Local
Ohio’s non-residential solar industry – also known as utility-scale solar energy – is entering into a boomtime. Across the state’s vast farmlands massive solar panel farms are coming online, under construction or in a planning phase, with several of these projects a few miles west and southwest of I-270.
According to the Ohio Power Siting Board (a state office), just three solar farms are currently operational, but 11 are under construction and 22 are in a planning phase.
The Highland Solar Farm in southern Ohio, for example, will be a 300-megawatt facility built on 3,500 acres and expected to produce enough clean energy to power over 49,200 homes. What’s more, Ohio may someday be home to the nation’s largest solar panel farm if Microsoft’s Bill Gates – one of Ohio’s biggest land owners – decides to build it in Ohio.
Monday, March 13, 2023, 6:30 – 7:30 PM
The time is NOW to protect Abortion access in Ohio. Overwhelmingly, Ohioans support abortion, and other types of reproductive healthcare, and believe that the government should stay out of people's healthcare decisions. The ACLU of Ohio, along with a multitude of organizations, is working to put abortion on the ballot this year through a citizen-initiated effort. Join us on Monday, March 13th, to hear about our efforts and how you can help protect and defend this human right.
Register here.
Ginther Continues to Display a Lack of Leadership and Vison To Address our Affordable Housing Crisis
Candidate for Mayor of Columbus Joe Motil states, "The Conference of U.S. Mayors tweeted Saturday that, “Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of the signing of the American Rescue Plan Act, which provided $65.1B directly to America's cities. Over the past two years, mayors have put this funding to work to address long-standing challenges and build stronger, more equitable cities.”
Mayor Andy Ginther’s reply on Twitter conveniently neglects to inform voters that he has not spent a dime of our city’s $187 million share of ARP funds to build a single unit of affordable housing. The city has $84.6 million remaining. Since 2021, there has been 36,500 evictions, close to 300 homeless in Columbus have died, and about 60,000 people are paying 50 percent or more of their incomes to pay for rent.
The March 2023 Free Press Second Saturday Cyber-Salon happened on Zoom and Facebook Live on March 11, facilitated by Free Press Board member Mark Stansbery.
International Women’s Day was March 8 and Mark pointed out how women are the backbone of all peace organizing and he talked about women organizing in Sudan.
Cathy Cowan Becker spoke on the timeline and issues surrounding the East Palestine train derailment in Ohio. She mentioned a group operating in East Palestine, River Valley Organizing, a labor and environmental group who wanted the area called a disaster area, but Biden has not done it yet. She showed a detailed Powerpoint presentation on the timeline from the day of the derailment.
She noted that the rail industry blocked safety regulations that may have prevented the derailment for many years. The cover-up after the derailment has been obvious, especially when a reporter at the scene was arrested and charged with trespass, though charges were finally dropped.
Sandra Kienzler (Léa Seydoux) is a widowed young mother raising her daughter Êlodie (Sarah Le Picard) alone, while also caring for her sick father Michel (Pierre Meunier). She’s dealing with the loss of the relationship she once had with her father, while fighting to get him the care he requires. At the same time, Sandra reconnects with Clément (Melvil Poupaud), a friend she hasn’t seen in a while and, although he’s married, their friendship soon blossoms into a passionate affair.
Sandra Kienzler (Léa Seydoux) is a widowed young mother raising her daughter Êlodie (Sarah Le Picard) alone, while also caring for her sick father Michel (Pierre Meunier). She’s dealing with the loss of the relationship she once had with her father, while fighting to get him the care he requires. At the same time, Sandra reconnects with Clément (Melvil Poupaud), a friend she hasn’t seen in a while and, although he’s married, their friendship soon blossoms into a passionate affair.
Sandra Kienzler (Léa Seydoux) is a widowed young mother raising her daughter Êlodie (Sarah Le Picard) alone, while also caring for her sick father Michel (Pierre Meunier). She’s dealing with the loss of the relationship she once had with her father, while fighting to get him the care he requires. At the same time, Sandra reconnects with Clément (Melvil Poupaud), a friend she hasn’t seen in a while and, although he’s married, their friendship soon blossoms into a passionate affair.
We’re busy putting together the next volume of the Ohio Migration Anthology, tentatively titled (Everything Is) Cells and Bodies, and we need your support.
Now until March 23, 2023, donate at least $10 and receive a FREE electronic copy of "Far From Their Eyes: Ohio Migration Anthology, Volume 1!"
As is the case of long wars, the warring parties and their affiliated media in the Russia-Ukraine conflict have painted each other using uncompromising language, making it nearly impossible to offer an unbiased view of the ongoing tragedy that has killed, wounded and expelled millions.
While it is understandable that wars of such horror and near complete disregard of the most basic human rights often heighten our sense of what we consider to be moral and just, parties involved and invested in such conflicts often manipulate morality for political and geopolitical reasons.
This same logic is underway in Ukraine. Both sides are adamant that nothing less than a complete victory is acceptable. The Ukrainian view is fully supported by western countries in word and deed - as in tens of billions of modern weapons that have done little, aside from worsening an already bloody conflict.
Saturday, March 11, 11am-8pm, Ohio Statehouse
Since our mainstream media and government are all being paid to downplay the severity of this, I would like to start this event to gather anyone who this may impact and people who aren’t even impacted. What is being done to East Palestine people is not right. The government and rail companies think we are stupid. They think that their pennies are enough to just have everyone turn a blind eye. I refuse to turn a blind eye and would love all the support we can get to create actual change. These corporations need to be held accountable. Our congressmen and women need to be held more accountable. They are lying about everything.
Bring your signs and passion for humanity. Violence will not be tolerated.
Hosted by Ryan McClellan and Mike Huffman.