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Ohio is full of vibrant and progressive communities, and it is a proud state to be from. But we are in the middle of an opioid crisis that is hurting people who are struggling with addiction all across the state, and their friends and families as well. Right now, many people who use drugs are being incarcerated for drug-related charges, and when they are released they come back to their communities. But they don’t always get the the help that they need to stay away from drugs. This crisis is hurting the whole country, but the National Institute on Drug Abuse recognizes that it’s hitting Appalachian states the hardest, and Ohio is in the top five states for opioid-related overdose deaths.
Some people think that if a person can’t stay in treatment after being released from prison, it’s because they made a choice not to. But we have to remember that it’s hard to reenter society after being in prison, and it’s hard to recover from drug addiction, so it’s very difficult to do both. In fact, many common ideas about reentry and drug recovery are not helping people as much as we think they are.
(Franklinton): OBLSK is collaborating with Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 Columbus campaign, 400 West Rich, and Chromedge Studios to project "Loops and Life," an animation by motion designer Sabrina Truong.
The motion art piece will be projected onto the brick wall exterior of 400 West Rich Street during the Franklinton Friday event on Friday, May 10, from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.
In addition, beginning at 7 p.m., the Ready for 100 Columbus team will be leading creation of a community art mural in which participants can add their handprints onto a large canvas to show their support for asking the city of Columbus to commit to 100% clean energy.
WHAT: Projection art event and community art mural
WHEN: Friday, May 10, 2019
Community art mural begins at 7 p.m.
Projection art event begins at 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: 400 W. Rich St., Columbus, Ohio, 43215
WHY: To celebrate creative, interactive art while showing support for transitioning to 100% renewable energy in Columbus
Cincinnati, OH – On May 11, 2019, at 10:30am, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will host “Community Conversations: US Deportations and Modern-Day Slavery in Mauritania.” We encourage the widest attendance possible at this event, to spread awareness about a tragedy currently befalling Ohio families and the human rights abuses taking place in Mauritania today.
Mass organizations need people who will fill the role of organizers. Interns, students, and other volunteers are essential along with government paid or subsidized work available through some federal and state programs. In the next order of difficulty though there are invaluable resources for some organizations if you are able to access or repurpose staff through national service programs.
In the United States this largely means divisions currently placed under the Corporation for National and Community Service like the AmeriCorps VISTA program. I know what you’re thinking. These are aimless young people looking for some experience somewhere or trying to pass their time as a placeholder while sorting out their futures after some college experience. They aren’t “real police,” ready to the do the work of building an organization, but more likely people trying to do a little good without much sweat while they keep their eyes on their own future. True enough, but there is another way of looking at these people and their potential to build your organization.
Thursday, May 9, 9am-12noon, Franklin County Municipal Court, 375 S. High St.
Activists will hold support for 17-year-old Masonique Saunders by rallying outside of the Franklin County Courthouse, demanding her immediate release and freedom from all of her charges.
On May 9, Masonique Saunders, a teenager, will have her long-awaited hearing to determine if she will be tried as an adult for felony murder charges. Saunders was arrested for felony murder six days after Columbus Police shot and killed her boyfriend, Julius Tate Jr., while both Tate and Saunders were both sixteen years of age. Originally scheduled for early February, this hearing comes after Saunders has sat in juvenile detention center for over five months. While the court proceedings are happening, activists will rally outside of the courthouse to display support and solidarity for Masonique.
Wed, May 8, 12:30-3pm
275 S. Wilson Rd.Join us in celebrating the reveal of the cross-country, preferred route of the Great American Rail-Trail in Columbus! A signature project of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the Great American Rail-Trail will connect nearly 4,000 miles of rail-trails and other multiuse trails across 12 states and Washington, D.C.—including Ohio!
When: Wednesday, May 8, 2019 | 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.; program starts at 1 p.m.
Where: Camp Chase Rail-Trail at Wilson Road Park
| 275 South Wilson Road, Columbus, OH 43204 (or watch the event on Facebook Live)
This event will be featured in a cascading cross-country live broadcast on RTC’s Facebook Page. If you can’t be there in person, tune in on Facebook to experience the celebration on the Camp Chase Trail.
The event will be an opportunity to:
• Celebrate decades of trail-building success by the Central Ohio community.
• Hear about the ambitious plans to continue providing trail opportunities for all Ohioans.
Columbus City Council Candidate and longtime neighborhood advocate Joe Motil spoke against City Council’s approval last night for a 6-year $3.6 million income tax incentive for the Root Insurance Company. Root Insurance is a local company that has been the rave of major venture capital fund groups across the United States. Root’s auto insurance products are sold, administered and monitored through a smartphone app. The company’s valuation is now estimated at over $1 billion dollars. Root has expanded to 20 states and plans on selling its product nationwide by the end of the year.
Gun violence has become an epidemic in the U.S., with shootings becoming so frequent in the news that many people have become desensitized to them. Over the last few years, some of the most shocking shootings have happened in public schools, causing shock and fear in students, administrators, and parents.
Although there are several reasons behind these shootings, such as lax gun control laws, sexism, bullying, and feelings of entitlement, schools are now looking for ways to prevent these tragedies from occurring in their schools.
Gun Violence in SchoolsIn the world’s most developed countries, 80 percent of all deaths related to firearms occur in the U.S., according to statistics presented by Regis College. Gun violence is considered a public health issue in the country, where shootings are a leading cause of premature death in the general population. The U.S. also has some of the most laidback gun laws, which is a common reason attributed to the high levels of gun violence.