Monday Reds cruise past Brewers
Homer Bailey allowed one run and three hits in eight innings, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-1 on Sunday. PAGE 13
It’s Where You Live! www.troydailynews.com August 19, 2013
Volume 105, No. 196
INSIDE
Cities, schools in crossfire Budget debate continues in Ohio
Prosthetics field advances Back when Aaron Jurkis started at Abilene Artificial Limb in 1995, he was sweeping the floors. Today he is a certified prosthetist. Jurkis said the options and technology available to patients are amazing compared to when he began his humble rise. See Page 6
Clouds, added crews aid fight against Idaho fire Fire managers are expressing optimism in their battle against a wildfire that has scorched nearly 160 square miles and forced the evacuation of 2,300 homes near two central Idaho resort communities. See Page 10
INSIDE TODAY Calendar . ....................... 3 Entertainment................. 8 Deaths............................. 5 William Frederick “Fred” Wagner Marcella R. Mahan Darla E. Behm Lynne L. Crusey-Dembski Opinion............................4 Sports............................ 13
OUTLOOK Today Partly cloudy High: 84º Low: 60º Monday Partly cloudy High: 88º Low: 65º Complete weather informaiton on Page 10 Home Delivery: 335-5634 Classified Advertising: (877) 844-8385
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COLUMBUS (AP) — The common belief is that if Ohio’s cities and villages, counties and school districts are healthy, the overall financial picture is healthy. As with anything in politics, the picture of Ohio’s financial health at the local level is either grim or rosy depending whose camp you’re in. For the local governments themselves, the question is answered day by day. Hit by a national recession and significant state budget cuts, communities and schools have laid off staff, cut vital services, closed parks and senior centers, raised fees on garbage collection and school sports, eliminated field trips, and even held bake sales to make ends meet. Around the state this year, there are glimmers of improvement. A few have seen projected deficits disappear and dozens of local
governments are predicting a rosier outlook as income-tax and sales-tax collections rise. “They’re struggling, but I don’t think they feel they’re going under,” said Sue Cave, executive director of the Ohio Municipal League that represents towns, villages and cities. “There was a feeling there for a while that things couldn’t get any worse.” Ohio’s local government fund — the highest profile pot of state discretionary money for locals — has been cut in the past two operating budgets, falling from $641 million a year in 2010 to $343 million this year. In that same time, Ohio’s estate tax has been eliminated and tax replacement dollars to local governments have fallen from $557 million to $152 million, according to figures from the Ohio Office of Budget and Management. School districts’ share
of state tax collections — a figure different than state education funding — dropped from $1.1 billion in 2010 to $510 million this year. “What they’re seeing is their state aid crumbling and no relief on the horizon,” said Wendy Patton of Policy Matters Ohio, which has detailed local government and school cuts by Gov. John Kasich and his fellow Republicans in the state Legislature. The Kasich administration is focused on positive developments in communities across the state: a projected budget shortfall evaporating in Canton, record-breaking sales tax revenue in Mercer County, a rare tax cut being doled out by the Springboro Schools near Cincinnati. Randy Cole, a policy analyst at the state budget office, said there are two ways of viewing Ohio’s local fiscal outlook. “Critics are focusing on a small subset
• See CROSSFIRE on page 2
Congress split on aid to Egypt WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Congress are split over whether the U.S. should cut off military aid to Egypt, highlighting the difficult choices facing the Obama administration amid spiraling violence on the streets of an important Middle East ally. Democratic leaders have generally supported the president’s approach. But on Sunday, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., said he would end aid to Egypt. Ellison is the first Muslim elected to Congress and is co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “I would cut off aid but engage in intense diplomacy in Egypt and in the region to try to say, look, we will restore aid when you stop the bloodshed in the street and set up a path towards democracy that you were on before,” Ellison said. “In my mind, there’s no way to say that this was not a coup. It is. We should say so. And then follow our own law, which says we cannot fund the coup leaders.” Among Republicans, there were growing calls to eliminate military aid to Egypt. But others were more hesitant. Rep. Pete King, R-N.Y., said curtailing aid could reduce U.S. influence over Egypt’s interim government, which controls Staff Photos | ANTHONY WEBER access to strategic resources , Troy resident Olive Wright holds a book she wrote while discussing its meaning with her niece Judy Cress Friday. “She’s is a including the Suez Canal. blessing to me everyday,” Wright said. “We certainly shouldn’t cut off all aid,” said King, who chairs the House panel on counterterrorism and intelligence. King said there are no good choices in Egypt. Ousted President Mohammed Morsi, By Mickey Zezzo courage. In what amounts to a birthday a member of the Muslim For Civitas Media And with a positive attitude, jinx, she celebrated despite the Brotherhood, was democratitdneditorial@civitasmedia.com the former Tipp City resident fact it was the third that had to cally elected. But, King said, the observed her 92nd birthday be planned and scratched due to group has not demonstrated a TIPP CITY — When you talk Saturday at the Troy Center, a serious injuries. commitment to democracy. about the ageless Olive Wright, Genesis Healthcare rehab facilThe injuries suffered by the “The fact is, there’s no good the first adjectives that come ity, with family blessings around to mind are determination and her. • See BOOK on page 2 • See CONGRESS on page 2
By the book:
Aw Yes! By Jim Davis
Civitas Media jdavis@civitasmedia.com
If you can get ‘em while they’re hot, go for it. So when Hobart Arena officials had a chance to bring one of country music’s rising stars to Troy, they jumped at it. Chris Young has been signed for a Nov. 24 show at the historic arena on Adams Street, with opening act Charlie Worsham scheduled to open the 7:30 p.m. show. “Chris has been one of the art-
Wright publishes second collection of word scrambles
Chris Young signed for Nov. 24 show at Hobart Arena ists on our radar for a while now. We felt like this was a great time to bring him to Hobart Arena,” said Hobart Arena Director Ken Siler. “He has some great momentum right now after the release of his latest and current single and the scheduled release of his next album in a few weeks … plus the exposure he is getting on the Brad Paisley tour. “It all comes down to timing and we felt this was the right time to bring one of the bigger rising stars of country music to Miami County,” Siler continued. “He is a great fit for our venue.”
• See YES on page 2
Staff file photo | ANTHONY WEBER
Chris Young, shown performing at the 2013 Country Concert in Fort Loramie, has been signed to play at Hobart Arena in Troy on Nov. 24.
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