Glass City Jungle

Those of you who watched the May 10th Conklin & Company or read the rough transcript of the show here will recognize the name Keith Sadler of the Foreclosure Defense League. It was stated during that broadcast that they were going to have a protest today at the Lucas County Court House.
This morning [...]

The following piece was submitted as a Guest Post From Representative Barbara Sears:
House Democrats Pass Unbalanced, Unsustainable Health Care Budget
As ranking member of the House Healthcare Access and Affordability Committee, as well as a member of the Finance and Appropriations Human Services Subcommittee, I am invested in issues affecting all aspects of health services [...]

An article written by Michael Hayes is online at the Sojourner’s Truth, Toledo Police Accused of Using Unreasonable Force in Subduing Teenager that provides additional background information, part of the article:

According to the testimony of over two dozen witnesses, Trevor was obedient and compliant with all orders from the police arresting him.
He only moved when [...]

The Community & Neighborhood Development Committee Meeting of May 18th; Joe McNamara, Wilma Brown, George Sarantou were in attendance, the main topic was the layoffs to the Inspection Department. This is not a full transcript…
The inspection department has been close to self sufficient as far as amount of revenue collected versus what has been [...]

Fox Toledo has the story in full.
Trevor was rushed to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center’s emergency room after he started shaking uncontrollably while in community control. He underwent a battery of tests. His brother David said he underwent a CAT scan and is being checked out by an ophthalmologist.
According to family publicist, Tyree Page said [...]

Today’s agenda review had six council members present when it began, McNamara, Sarantou Sobczak Waniewski Webb and Craig, Ashford arrived shortly after it started. This is long, I know, it ended up being over 4000 words so the titles are in bold for those of you looking for something specific it is not [...]

Today at Toledo City Council’s agenda review a “revised” piece of legislation concerning the fire fees will be presented. The Toledo Free Press reported on this Thursday but at that point, Council did not have the legislation.
Now it’s there…Establish and implement fire service fees for Fire & Rescue Operations – nothing appears [...]

This in via e-mail from the office of Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken (Thank you!):
COMMISSIONER GERKEN TO SEEK PUBLIC OVERSIGHT FOR MENTAL HEALTH & RECOVERY SERVICES BOARD
Toledo, OH – Commissioner Pete Gerken will announce Tuesday a plan to seek public oversight for the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board (MHRSB).
Commissioner Gerken is requesting public [...]

This in via e-mail:
City of Toledo was awarded a $2.75 million state loan Monday for intermodal improvements at Airline Junction
The City of Toledo was awarded a $2.75 million state loan Monday for intermodal improvements at Airline Junction – a loan that could become a grant if the project is finished within budget and [...]

This in via e-mail from Ohio House Representative Matt Szollosi:
Rep. Matt Szollosi Announces Port of Toledo Expansion Funds
State Approved Money Will Create New Jobs in Northwest Ohio
COLUMBUS –State Representative Matt Szollosi (D-Toledo) this afternoon announced that the Controlling Board of Ohio has approved $7.5 million for the Port of Toledo expansion. The state money [...]

Brandi Barhite of the Toledo Free Press and I went to the Press Conference today held by Stephen Ward and the family of Trevor Casey – the Toledo Free Press news brief is now online, and the complete video of the press conference is below the fold.

Almost all of the media stations are reporting that the SWAT team started gathering about 9:30 a.m. Monday on Delence Street, between Main and East Broadway streets, where they believed a suspect who fired at police earlier, Leemon “Scotty” Armour, was hiding in one of the homes. It was then reported that about 20 [...]

Updated via e-mail from Stephen Ward:
To assist the media outlets with the coverage of the Trevor Casey story…the press conference has been changed to 2 PM today. It will be held at the same location.
This in via e-mail from Stephen Ward, a word of warning the photo below the fold may be disturbing to [...]

Fox has the story and some of the disturbing video NBC24 also has the story and some of the video.
CENTRAL TOLEDO, Ohio – The family of Trevor Casey is searching for answers Saturday night, after they say two cops used excessive force on the 14 year old teenager.
It happened Friday evening outside the Brand [...]

In today’s Blade there was an article about the press conference held yesterday by Mayoral candidate Jim Moody, where he made several suggestions, including the title of this post in Neighborhood’s help key to battle against crime, mayor hopeful says.
I agree that neighborhoods are key, especially when it comes to neighbors being more aware of [...]

This in via e-mail from the Teamwork Toledo campaign:
Teamwork Toledo will officially launch a collective campaign for Toledo City Council at a press conference on Monday, May 18, 3 p.m. at International Park. All six candidates who represent Teamwork Toledo will run as an independent slate.
The announcement will occur in the same location [...]

First up the Zoo with Dr. Anne Baker of the Toledo Zoo and Deb Ernsthausen from National City Bank which is now owned by PNC. Second segment was with Stephen Ward, Toledo City Council at large candidate and Take Three with Bob Reichert, Jeff Simpson and Schylar Meadows. As always this is a [...]

I received a phone call telling me that in parts of Toledo, especially in South Toledo near the Heatherdowns area, the campaign signs are being purposely destroyed and stolen. The larger ones that are being destroyed are being knocked down and cut with a box cutter so that they are not able to be [...]

This in yesterday from the office of Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop who is also running for Mayor:
City Parks Mowing an Avoidable Fiasco
Commissioner Konop says Finkbeiner administration continually ignored offers for county-city-schools partnership for lawn maintenance
As Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner prepares to saddle up on a riding mower Saturday in Brookford Park and likely [...]

The Mayor volunteering to be responsible to cut the grass at Brookford Park would mean more if he wasn’t using City equipment to do so, especially since most of us don’t have access to that type of equipment. However, others are making similar pledges, though it’s not clear if this is going to include [...]

This week’s cover story of the Toledo Free Press reports on the creation of Teamwork Toledo that was alluded to in a recent column by Jim Harpen. Who all the six candidates were going to be was not public until today, their formal announcement is scheduled for May 18th. When you read the [...]

This in via e-mail from the Wilkowski for Mayor campaign:
Democratic Mayoral Candidate Keith Wilkowski Biking to Work Today
Wilkowski Supports Making Toledo a Bike-Friendly City
Democrat Mayoral Candidate Keith Wilkowski will join other Toledoans today in supporting Bike Week ‘09, by riding his bike from Ottawa Park to downtown Toledo.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Northwest Ohio Citizens to Receive Lower Energy Rates
Today, PUCO issued a press release (posted in full below) announcing that as a result of recent energy auctions, Northwest Ohio residents will soon find their energy bills reduced by nearly 13%.
Following this announcement, Mayor Finkbeiner issued the following statement: “The [...]

This in via e-mail:
Exempt Employees Begin 32-Hour Workweek Tomorrow
Beginning tomorrow (Friday, May 15), all exempt employees will begin working a 32-hour workweek. The Mayor’s Office will now be open from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Friday. All other departments will operate at [...]

This in via e-mail from the Lucas County Commissioners:
County Commissioners to Receive Award
For Strong Partnership With Local Community College
Toledo, OH – The Lucas County Commissioners will be receiving the Terry M. Thomas Friend of Community Colleges Award from the Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC) on Friday, May 15, 2009 for their strong [...]

There does not appear to be video of the exchange that was between Representative Marcy Kaptur and AIG trustee Jill Considine, but Politico is reporting:
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) grilled members of AIG’s board of trustees during a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Wednesday – but the real fireworks started when [...]

Directly from the Court docket, on Carl Beckman the former Sylvania Police officer accused of stealing over $20,000 received the following sentence this morning:
The Court finds on March 19, 2009, the defendant entered a plea of Guilty to the offense of Theft in Office, a violation of R.C. 2921.41(A)(1)&(B), a felony of the 3rd [...]

Two media sources reporting this, Blade and WTOL. The Blade is reporting that:
Mr. Webber said the mayor usually comes to work at 9 a.m. As of 9:10 a.m., the mayor had not arrived for work.
From my understanding the Mayor was not scheduled to come in until later in the morning he has appointments scheduled [...]

If you go to the Toledo Journal notation for when the vote was taken on what was then expected to be a charter school for SFS Knight Academy you’ll read:
AN ORDINANCE NO. 554-08 GRANTING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR A CHARTER JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL FOR A SITE LOCATED AT 2727 KENWOOD BOULEVARD, SOUTHWEST CORNER OF [...]

This in via e-mail from the Moody for Mayor campaign:
Mayoral Candidate Jim Moody Stands With Old Orchard Neighbors
Mayoral candidate Jim Moody met with nearly 200 Old Orchard neighbors tonight to demand the City of Toledo and the planning commission grant them due process in the approval/denial of a special use permit with regards to [...]