Most of the million Ohioans who were without power as a result of last weekend's violent thunderstorms are back on line. But it wasn't an easy journey for them or for the utility crews that have worked around the clock all week, and have battled more storms that set back their progress. President Obama came to Ohio this week, for a two-day bus tour of the Buckeye State and Pennsylvania. His 250-mile "Betting on America" bus tour took him through four northern Ohio communities where he received strong support in 2008. And this time, Republicans dispatched Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty to some of the same towns along Obama's tour to offer a rebuttal. As you may have heard here last week, a coalition is pushing a proposal to change the way the Congressional and state district maps are drawn. And this week, Voters First filed more than 430,000 signatures to put onto this fall's ballot the plan to have the maps created by a 12-member citizens' commission - with no politicians, lobbyists or big donors allowed. Meanwhile, an anti-abortion group pushing an amendment that would declare that life begins with a human egg is fertilized has fallen short in its attempt to put it on the ballot. And Gov. John Kasich signed two more big bills this week. He signed the plan to overhaul the Cleveland schools on Monday. And on Thursday, Kasich traveled back to Cleveland to do a ceremonial signing of the measure that makes changes in the state's tourism department - at a popular tourist destination, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The state's oil and natural gas industry is booming along, and now has new rules and regulations to operate under thanks to a package of changes signed into law earlier this month. Last week, a panel of experts met to discuss the oil and gas industry and the environmental and economic effects of fracking before the Columbus Metropolitan Club - including Ohio State geophysicist Jeff Daniels, Mike Sliva with PNC Bank in Cadiz in Harrison County and Ohio Environmental Council executive director Keith Dimoff. Terry Fleming with the Ohio Energy Resource Alliance speaks for the drillers.
After 16 years, the second longest serving justice on the Ohio Supreme Court is in her final months on the job. Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton announced a few weeks ago she's leaving the bench to focus on causes she feels are important to the court system overall, such as mental health issues and juvenile justice concerns. Justice Stratton discusses her decision to step down, and expands on her desire to focus on those issues she feels are critical to the courts in Ohio and elsewhere.
