The Clever Peasants

04/05/2020

Hocking Hills State Park Closed Until Further Notice

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In response to the developing public health situation with COVID-19 and the Ohio Department of Health’s (ODH) guidance, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will close Hocking Hills State Park and all of its trails at sunset on Friday, April 3.

“In order to protect the health and safety of our visitors, we are temporarily closing Hocking Hills State Park,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “This was a difficult decision, however, this unique trail system is not designed to allow for adequate social distancing without potential risks.”

Hocking Hills State Park is the only full park closure in Ohio’s state park system and will include the closure of several features and sites including: Ash Cave, Cantwell Cliffs, Cedar Falls, Old Man’s Cave, Rock House and Whispering Cave. This closure will also include Conkle’s Hollow State Nature Preserve.

03/20/2020

PUCO directs utilities to suspend meter readings, non-essential work

COLUMBUS, OHIO—The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) today issued an order directing Ohio’s electric, natural gas, water & wastewater distribution utilities to suspend any in-person meter reading activities, and any other non-essential work that would create unnecessary social contact.

In its order, the Commission noted functions that are necessary to initiate new service or to ensure the continuity of service should be deemed essential and should continue during the state of emergency.

Utility customers who have questions or concerns regarding their utility service are encouraged to contact the PUCO online at PUCO.ohio.gov/contact-us.

For information and updates related to COVID-19, visit the Ohio Department of Health website at www.odh.ohio.gov or coronavirus.ohio.gov

A copy of today’s entry is available on the PUCO website by clicking the link to the docketing information system (DIS) and searching for case 20-591-AU-UNC.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) affects every household in Ohio. That's because the PUCO regulates providers of all kinds of utility services, including electric and natural gas companies, local and long distance telephone companies, water and wastewater companies, rail and trucking c...

03/20/2020

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reports 111,055 Ohioans applied for unemployment from Sunday through Wednesday of this week. During the same period last week, 3,895 Ohioans applied for jobless benefits.

It probably comes as no surprise that unemployment claims in Ohio have skyrocketed this week as businesses continue to temporarily close and lay off

10/11/2019

By Jo Ingle, Statehouse News Bureau

One Ohio lawmaker says current penalties for people convicted of cruelty to pets and other companion animals are too lax. His bill would increase

03/15/2019

The weather's a little warmer, the snow is gone and the Jerseyville Jammers are ready! Come join us this Friday at the Shade Community Center at 7 p.m. for an evening of music and friendship!

03/07/2019

GM is cutting its plant here because it no longer wants to make small cars such as the Cruze in the United States. As of this week, the company has laid off 4,500 workers since cuts began in early 2017, and another roughly 900 have lost jobs at nearby suppliers.

The automaker is shutting down production at its Lordstown plant, home of the Chevy Cruze — affecting 5,400 people

03/07/2019

The Commerce Department said Wednesday that the United States last year posted an $891.2 billion trade deficit in merchandise, the largest in the nation’s 243-year history despite more than two years of President Trump’s “America First” policies.

After two years of ‘America First’ policies, the United States is likely to post the biggest trade gap in its history. The gap with China is also set to hit a record.

03/07/2019

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In an effort to fill some of the 30,000 health care professional vacancies at the nation’s Veterans Health Administration medical centers, the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday adopted legislation by Toledo Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur intended to steer college students toward VA health care careers.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday adopted legislation by Toledo Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur intended to steer college students towards VA health care careers.

03/05/2019

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States Supreme Court rejected a rural Nebraska county's appeal of a $28 million court judgment aimed at compensating six people wrongfully convicted of a 1985 slaying. The Beatrice Six spent a combined 75 years in prison.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a rural Nebraska county's appeal of a $28 million court judgment aimed at compensating six people wrongfully convicted of a 1985 slaying.

03/04/2019

Students at charter schools like E-Prep Woodland Hills are shortchanged by the state by having less money than school districts, some charter schools say. Charter school leaders are pressing state officials to give them $2,000 more per student in the upcoming state budget. - Patrick O'Donnell

Ohio's charter schools want more money from the state because they have much less than school districts. Can the troubles schools be trusted with more money?

03/04/2019

Ohio Issue 1: Curbing gerrymandering in Ohio
What is gerrymandering, and where did the term originate? Ohio Issue 1, on the ballot May 8, is a bipartisan attempt to curb gerrymandering in Ohio.
THE ENQUIRER/MIKE NYERGES

A federal trial set to begin in Cincinnati will examine whether Ohio's congressional map is constitutional.

03/04/2019

Brown, currently on a “Dignity of Work” tour inspired by King, returned to Selma for the fifth time. He frequently draws connections between civil rights and worker’s rights. A former secretary of state in Ohio, Brown also has a reputation as a leader on expanding voter participation.

They marked the anniversary of a key moment in civil-rights history 54 years ago

12/03/2018

Marietta Police are asking for help in identifying a male subject wanted in connection with an armed robbery of the Rite Aid pharmacy, 301 Greene St. at 5:49 p.m. Sunday.

Marietta OhioLike Page 10 mins · Marietta Police are asking for help in identifying the person in the attached photograph. The male subject is wanted in connection with an armed robbery of the Rit…

11/18/2018

Ohio state Rep Jay Edwards, R-Nelsonville, voted for House Bill 258, which does not include exceptions for r**e or in**st.

ATHENS — With the passing of the controversial “Heartbeat Bill” in Ohio’s Statehouse on Thursday, state representatives took a stand on a woman’s right to abortion in the state. The bill, which does not include exceptions for r**e or in**st, passed easily, with a vote of 60 to 35 in favor....

11/02/2018

Coming up at the Shade Community Center
2380 Old US 33
Shade, Ohio 45776

11/02/2018

Father Henry Christopher Foxhoven, 45, of Glouster, was charged with eight counts of s*xual battery in Athens County Municipal Court today (Tuesday) for alleged s*xual conduct with a 17-year-old minor,

11/02/2018

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is headed to Ohio University Thursday to stump for fellow Democrat gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray.

11/02/2018

Violence plagued West Virginia prison before Bulger killing

11/02/2018

A fugitive who officials said eluded capture for two years crashed his vehicle this morning trying to flee U.S. Marshals in the township.

10/02/2018

Update:

Thank you so much for all your help, Isaac has been located!

Missing Child:

Name: Issac Zuspan (aka Daulton Unroe)
Age: 13
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 130

Last seen from residence near Fifth Street in Racine, Ohio wearing a Black Steph Curry T-Shirt and Shorts.

On 10/1/18 around 2100 hours, Issac Zuspan went missing from his residence in Racine, Ohio. Issac was known to frequent Star Mill Park in Racine. Issac also goes by the name of "Daulton Unroe." If anyone has any information about the whereabouts of Issac Zuspan, please contact the Meigs County Sheriff's Office at (740) 992-3371.

10/01/2018

POMEROY — The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office is currently on the scene of an area near Flood Road where skelital remains were found on Saturday

09/04/2018

Dog paired with inmate in prison program found dead in cell. The charity rescue which administered the program has removed all of its dogs from the prisons.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A foster dog placed in a program that pairs Ohio inmates with dogs was found dead in a cell in a violent death, an animal rescue group said. Th

05/14/2018

ODNR Holds New Hocking Hills
Visitors Center Groundbreaking

LOGAN, OH – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) today held a groundbreaking for the new Hocking Hills Visitors Center at Hocking Hills State Park. The visitors center is scheduled to open in December. The first visitors center at Hocking Hills State Park was built in 1989.

“Out of our 74 Ohio State Parks, Hocking Hills has brought Ohio the most national and international recognition,” said ODNR Director James Zehringer. “With the increase in visitation and busier trails, now is the perfect time to reinvest in Hocking Hills to enhance the experiences of our visitors.”

The top priorities of the new Hocking Hills Visitors Center will be safety and education, with a focus on orienting people to the area before they head out on the trails. With an estimated 2 million visitors per year, and new visitors discovering the park every day, spreading the safety message of the importance of staying on trail and being prepared for the many hikes and terrains Hocking Hills has to offer is crucial. Another highlight of the visitors center will be education, focusing on the specific geology of the Hocking Hills, wildlife, plant life and the history of the area. The building will also have new restrooms, as well as a gift store with drinks, snacks, apparel and hiking sticks.

Below are the list of improvements that have been implemented at Hocking Hills State Park.

Opened Hemlock Bridge Trail and Whispering Cave

Renovated all 40 state park cabins

Built new flush restroom at Cedar Falls

Upgraded 47 campsites to full-service sites

Added new restroom at Cantwell Cliffs

Installed Green Flush restroom at Conkles Hollow

Expanded parking lot at Old Man’s Cave

Added new composting restroom at Ash Cave

Made electric upgrades to horse camp area

Upgraded water treatment plant
Renovated water tower in the campground

Replaced A-frame bridge by Old Man’s Cave and curved stairway to Lower Falls

Renovating two showerhouses in the campground

Establishing a new disc golf course near the cabin area and Hemlock Bridge Trail, which will open this summer.

Director Zehringer mentioned the anticipated replacement of the Hocking Hills Lodge and said this project remains a priority for the department and the community. Additionally, Hocking Hills State Park also celebrated the one-year anniversary of opening the Hemlock Bridge Trail, which features Whispering Cave, on May 8, 2017. Whispering Cave is the second-largest cave in the state park, and the Hemlock Bridge Trail was the first trail that had been opened up at Hocking Hills State Park in 50 years. The Hemlock Bridge Trail connects with the gorge trail to Old Man’s Cave and Cedar Falls.

03/21/2018

Reward up to $15,000 for information.

03/16/2018

09/21/2017

Sept. 21, 2017 4:36 p.m.

ALERT - Athens, Ohio Police Department Searching For Bank Robbery Suspect

Police describe the suspect as a white male, wearing red or pink hat, skin tight light tan mask, dark glasses, dark colored jacket. The alert also referred to a "red color, i, design on the back of the hand."

The suspect is thought to be driving a dark colored 2007-2011 Nissan Versa

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Athens Police and 740-592-3315.

09/19/2017

CINCINNATI (AP) - A new gorilla is making himself at home at the Cincinnati Zoo.

09/19/2017

A painter who put the state's bicentennial logo on a barn in each of Ohio's counties in 2003 has a new project.

09/19/2017

SHAWNEE — Brenda Shreves wants to rebuild her hometown.Not because she longs to restore Shawnee to its former glory, but because she sees it for

09/06/2017

The Trump leans heavily on privatization of the country's common wealth

If you want a peek at Trump’s grandiose infrastructure plan, look at how Indiana rode the privatization of public roads into a ditch.

09/04/2017

CROFTON, Ky. (WZTV) -- Four southern Kentucky volunteer firefighters are arrested for arson, including the fire chief.A building fire that occurred on August 20 has been deemed to be a result of arson started by members of the Crofton Fire Department, acco

09/04/2017

President Trump has made the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program with a six-month delay, Politico reported on Sunday.

04/09/2017

Oil and gas drilling operations in southeastern Ohio were shut down on Sunday after a 3.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Wayne National Forest, according to the Ohio Environmental Council. The state continues to investigate the causes.

Ohio's Department of Natural Resources said that the earthquake was not felt but the department immediately went to work to determine the source.

Oil and gas drilling operations in southeastern Ohio were shut down on Sunday after a 3.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Wayne National Forest, according to

04/09/2017

Aspiring medical ma*****na growers can begin applying for Ohio licenses in June. That's according to information released by the Ohio Department of

04/09/2017

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - Three Veterans Affairs medical centers in Ohio have earned the top rating from a national LGBTQ civil rights group.The Human Rights Campaign evaluates health-care facilit