P
The
Since 1972
A taste of Tuscany See Entertainment
Woodville chief honored
RESS June 6, 2016
FREE
Serving More Than h 33 33,000 000 H Homes & B Businesses i iin 4 C Counties ti
Pitcher of the year See Sports M
Oregon and Northwood police winners
Continued on page 6
Q
uote
of The Week
Is organic really better and worth the extra cost? Matt Reece See page 8
Memorial Day
A free breakfast and flag raising ceremony was held on Memorial Day at the Christ Dunberger Post, Oregon. The East Toledo Club sponsored the event. At left, Don Zellner, Tito Martinez, and John Hatfield raise the flag. Top right, WW II veteran Ira Zautner chats with guest speaker Captain Melanie Grosjean of the 180th Fighter Wing, Air National Guard. Bottom right, the color guard continued on at the St. Ignatius Church cemetery where Corky Walters laid a wreath for the fallen. (Press photos by Ken Grosjean)
State compensation
Unemployment system under review By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com An informal working group of members of both chambers of the Ohio legislature will continue to meet to discuss changes to House Bill 394, a bill sponsored by Representative Barbara Sears, (R-Monclova Township), that overhauls the unemployment compensation system. Senator Randy Gardner, (R- Bowling Green) said last week he expects the group to continue to meet during the summer and fall and possibly then have proposals for consideration by the legislature. The bill received six hearings in the House Insurance Committee before the working group was formed to address concerns, many of which were raised by labor and other organizations. “I don’t expect there to be any votes taken on H.B. 394 until next fall or early winter,” Sen. Gardner said.
“
While this provision may work in many industries, it is especially burdensome for the construction industry.
“
Owens Community College’s Alumni Association has chosen seven members of local safety forces to receive the 13th annual Outstanding Service Awards for their contributions to Northwest Ohio’s communities. The recipients were honored as part of a community celebration April 29. This year’s awards are presented within the categories of “Outstanding Police” and “Service to Community.” Selection criterion is based upon a nomination process for candidates demonstrating exceptional service related to dedication, ingenuity, bravery, special skills and/or community service over a sustained period of time. The awards are not limited to a single recipient and can be a group honor where teamwork was a key element. The recipients of the Outstanding Police Award are Ken Reno, of Curtice (sergeant, Oregon Police Division); Jeffrey Martin, of Northwood (sergeant, Oregon Police Division); Tim Stecker, of Oregon (patrolman, Oregon Police Division); Fred Genzman, of Northwood (sergeant, Northwood Police Department); John Kersker, of Perrysburg (patrolman, Northwood Police Department); and Krystal Sellers-Kominek, of Maumee (patrolman, Northwood Police Department). These officers were nominated by Paul Magdich, assistant chief, Oregon Police Division, for their quick, decisive and heroic actions in taking three dangerous individuals off the streets. The event took place in the early morning of Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, when Oregon police officers were dispatched to a restaurant on Navarre Avenue. Initial reports indicated that two men and a woman had assaulted another male patron. The victim had been pistol-whipped and at least one round fired into the air. The trio then retreated to a nearby hotel. As officers were preparing to enter the hotel, Sergeant Reno observed a vehicle with no lights on, speeding away. He alerted the other officers and pursued the vehicle and upon arrival, it appeared as though the driver was about to surrender. However, as Sergeant Reno began to give verbal orders, the vehicle sped away and
A major point of contention cited by opponents of the bill is a provision reducing the maximum timeframe for claiming unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to a window of 12-20 weeks, based on the unemployment rate in Ohio when an application is filed.
Under the bill, the taxable wage base on which employers pay state unemployment taxes will rise from $9,000 to $11,000 until the Unemployment Compensation Fund is at its minimum safe level – the lowest amount at which the fund is considered solvent. The bill also requires someone to have earned wages in at least three of the four calendar quarters to be eligible for benefits and disqualifies an individual from benefits for a week if he or she receives most types of workers’ compensation payments or Social Security disability insurance benefits for that week. In testimony last November before the insurance committee, Shaun Enright, executive secretary and business manager of the Northwest Ohio Building Trades Council, said the bill, as then written, created problems for those in the construction industry. “H.B. 394 requires an individual to Continued on page 4