Strollerderby : ohio

Third Grader Expelled Because He Made A Hit List

Brett Singer — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:00:00 GMT

A third grader at a Hamilton, Ohio private school was expelled because of a "hit list" that was found in his desk. The list contained the names of a teacher and several students that he said he wanted to kill.

Michael Mayo, the principal of the Immanuel Lutheran School, said that he did not believe the boy was actually going to harm anyone, but he felt that he had to take action anyway. (Maybe he could go to that Texas school where they had cage fighting. OK, that's a bad idea.)

This quote bothered me a little bit: "But this sort of thing in this day and age, you just can’t do that. It will never be acceptable." Does that mean it used to be acceptable? I know that's not what it means, but I hate it when things are blamed on "the times we live in."

Without knowing the circumstances it's hard to comment. The report says that the child had "received counselling in the past" which implies that this may not have been an isolated incident. On the other hand, it is possible to overreacted to this sort of thing when it's done by a kid this young.

When I was in 8th grade, I was rehearsing a production of "Bye-Bye Birdie" at my local Y. On the back of my script, I wrote a parody of the song "Kids" in which I made obnoxious comments about the director, an older woman with whom I frequently disagreed about certain artistic matters. OK, I'll admit -- I was an obnoxious 12-year-old. I left my script at rehearsal one day (because I couldn't be bothered to take it home and learn my lines), and the following week I was called into the administrator's office and asked if I intended to do harm to the director. I was told that she had been carrying a pair of scissors in her purse for protection since finding my little ditty. I told them that no, I had no intention of doing anything other than act like a jerk. I continued to do so and never made it to the performance (I wasn't kicked out, I just stopped going to rehearsals).

While I can't remember my song (although I'm certain it contained Mel Brooks-level hilarity) I do know that I didn't make any physical threats in it. Again, I was just being a jerky kid.

I'm not saying that this kid doesn't need counselling, but I guess I'm more inclined to be sympathetic to him than the school was. If he needs help, let's hope he gets it. If not, well, maybe he'll find a school to go to that doesn't make him want to kill everyone.

Source: Ohio Share via ParentDish

Image: sxc

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Zoo Baby: Help Name New Infant Elephant!

Kate Tuttle — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:58:00 GMT

Born a week ago to a 23-year-old mother named Phoebe, an as-yet unnamed baby elephant makes his debut today at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio. He'll be available for the public to look at just a few hours each day until he is old enough to spend all his time in the zoo's elephant habitat. Zoo officials told the Associated Press that it's very rare for zo visitors to see an elephant this young.

The zoo is holding a contest to name the little guy, too. If you want yours to be considered, go to the Columbus Zoo website and enter your ideas; submissions will be accepted up to April 20, with the winner announced on Mothers Day. Just be sure to really bring it, name-wise. Oh, and Petal Blossom Rainbow? That ish is already taken.

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Fired For Pumping Case Reaches Higher Court

Brett Singer — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:30:00 GMT

A woman who worked for Totes/Isotoner Corp. was fired for taking too many bathroom breaks. No, she wasn't snorting coke in there. She was pumping breast milk.

After losing in court in 2008, and again on an appeal, LaNisa Allen is appealing to a higher authority -- the Ohio Supreme Court.

The legal argument seems to be that "the company didn't discriminate because breastfeeding doesn't legally constitute an illness or medical condition." Attorneys for Totes/Isotoner also say that "there is legal precedent showing that employers don't have to give extra breaks to breastfeeding women."

That may be true. But so what? (I mean, it's not like she was driving while she pumped.) No, breast feeding isn't an "illness" but I was surprised to read that someone was fired for doing it at work, sued, and then lost. Twice. It will be interesting to see if the Ohio Supremes are more sympathetic to Allen's cause. Even if the company was legally correct, it seems like bad policy to punish a breast feeding mother like this.

Anyone have any experiences, good or bad, with pumping on the job?

Source: Dayton Daily News via Slate

Image: ymswwc.com

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Pistol Packing Preschooler Shoots Babysitter

JeanneSager — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:28:00 GMT

A four-year-old who was angry that his teen babysitter stepped on his foot loaded a shotgun and shot the teen in the arm. Now he's facing possible charges of aggravated assault.

Wait a minute, what? A four-year-old not only gets ahold of a gun but KNOWS HOW to load it, and police are seriously considering him as the criminal here?

Police in Jackson County, Ohio are also considering charges against Nathan Beavers, the 18-year-old who was shot - and who allegedly stepped on the boy's toes - for child endangerment. Now, would that be for the toe-smashing or for allowing a four-year-old to get hold of a gun? The story, as reported by WSAZ, doesn't say (only stating that the sheriff "isn't sure" if he will pursue charges for either).

Beavers, by the way, is recovering at the hospital. The shot, by a twenty-gauge shotgun, went into his arm.

We've seen the age of criminals dropping in our country. No one needs to remind me of the sad, sad story of the eight-year-old currently facing charges for the double homicide that included his father and his father's friend. But there has to be some age limit, even on violent crimes (and I would say this child was violent - an adult in the same situation would likely face a violent felony).

Can a four-year-old truly know right from wrong? Does he have the capacity to understand the ramifications of loading a gun and pulling the trigger?

I'm still shocked by the fact that this child, at four years old, could already load a shell into a shotgun. I am aware that there is a very different culture surrounding gun ownership in rural areas (according to Ohio state statistics, just one percent of the county's land is devoted to residential/industrial/commercial real estate), and children are often more often to be exposed to guns - and at younger ages. What country kids (myself included) learn about guns comes as much from osmosis as it does actual hands-on instruction. The guns are omnipresent in many rural communities.

So, perhaps, this four-year-old wasn't taught how to load a shotgun. Maybe he's a smart little kid who figured it out on his own. That still doesn't tell me why a gun, and a shell, were accessible by a four-year-old.

As the sheriff says he has't decided, I'm hoping he'll come to his senses . . . and make sure he protects this child's innocence.

Image: HearingVoices

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Kids Stay In Car While Dad Gets A Lap Dance

Brett Singer — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Being a father is very stressful. You have to find ways to relax and enjoy yourself.

Note to self: this is not a good way to relax.

Keith Dodson of Barberton, Ohio is being charged with two counts of endangering a child after he popped into a local strip club for a lap dance. Problem is, he left his two kids in the car. And if that's not enough for you, the kids are very young – a six year old girl and a two year old boy. He told police that he was only in the mammary mecca (apologies to whoever it was coined that phrase) for "a few minutes", but witnesses said it was more like an hour. One dancer said he was with her for 30 minutes.

Now the kids are staying with relatives (no mother was mentioned in the news reports I read), and Dodson could get a year in jail (six months for each kid). To top it all off, he can't even go back to the club, which is called Francois Lounge. What a dope. Hope the kids will be OK.

You know what's scary? This isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened. In fact, it's happened a lot. (Here's one, here's another.) I mean, OK, men are pigs, we know that, oink oink. But guys – maybe get a sitter next time, 'kay?

Source: Ohio.com

Image: woio.com

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What Did Obama Actually Tell 'Joe the Plumber'?

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:26:00 GMT

"Joe the Plumber" (AKA Joe Wurzelbacher from Ohio) has been plunged into instant fame by asking Barack Obama a question about his tax policy. Since this interaction became the cornerstone of last night's debate, I thought I'd share a video of the actual interaction Obama had with Wurzelbacher, in which he clearly and concisely explains how his tax policy will affect working Americans.

Photo: BBC

Palin's Ohio Rallies Reveal Frightening Misconceptions about Barack Obama are Alive and Thriving

Shannon LC Cate — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:00:00 GMT

AlJazeera reports on a Palin rally. It's one thing when political disagreements are based on real differences of opinion, policy, plans, hopes, ideals, visions--even religious views if that is impotant to you. But there is something broken about our system when people cast votes based on pure illusion. Even taking editing into account, (maybe 9 out 10 rally attenders are legitimate, thoughtful, educated supporters of McCain and Palin) the folks that made the cut are more than too many basing votes on ignorance and hatred. It is time for this country to abolish both from public influence. See for yourself below:

Bessie Goes to Jail - A Month Before Halloween

JeanneSager — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:33:00 GMT

Somewhere, Cojo is mooing in disbelief. A Middletown, Ohio woman donned a cow costume one whole month before Halloween and chased kids around the streets before their parents called police.

After peeing on a neigbor's porch (no bathroom for this bovine) and later blocking traffic (she just wouldn't moooove) Michele Allen was picked up by police and carted off to the Middletown Municipal Court - drunk and still wearing her Guernsey get-up. Admitting she'd had a little more than milk to drink that day, Allen pled guilty on charges of disorderly conduct.

She was sentenced to one month in jail - which means she'll be let out of the ~~cowpoke~~ pokey just in time for the holiday.

Image: 700 WLW

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Pregnant Women Compete in Marathon

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:50:00 GMT

Meet the Speed Bumps: a relay team of five women who are planning to beat the pants of off their competition in Ohio’s Road Runner Akron Marathon.

The only difference between this team and their 10,000 or so competitors is that the Speed Bumps will all be running for two. All five women are in or nearing their third trimester, with Kimberly Bucey (pictured) the farthest along at eight months.

All of the women got the OK from their doctors before agreeing to compete, but some of their husbands are nervous nonetheless. Naturally, the key to healthy exercise during pregnancy is to listen to your body’s cues (for instance, if you can’t catch your breath, your baby may not be getting enough oxygen), and this may be harder to do when you’re competing.

But the Speed Bumps are marathon buffs who are thrilled to be able to keep running during their pregnancies, and are confident they can do so in a healthy manner. “It’s great to keep running because it’s great to stay in shape,” said Monica Nowac, one of the Speed Bumps. “And it’s great to spread the word about staying in shape while you’re pregnant. To think anything else is simply archaic at this point.”

What do you think? Is "spreading the word" about exercise during pregnancy a laudable goal, or are those nine months when staying in shape should be the last thing you're worried about?

Photo: Ohio.com

Foster Care Worker Pregnant with Teen's Baby

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:41:00 GMT

In extremely depressing pregnancy news, an Ohio teacher named Carolyn Hatcher is pregnant with her student’s baby. While working as the house mother and teacher for six children in a foster care facility, Hatcher, who is 27, started having marital troubles and ended up getting a bit too close with a 16-year-old boy under her care.

After another child living at the home reported the affair, Hatcher was fired and the 16-year-old boy she had seduced ran away. Fortunately, he returned safely and is living at the home once again.

Now Hatcher is 10 weeks pregnant and faces six counts of sexual battery, or up to 35 years in prison. I’m glad that Hatcher’s actions are being viewed as serious sex offenses—sexual contact between male teachers and female students is much more likely to be taken seriously than the reverse—but I can’t help but wonder what will happen to Hatcher's baby.

Photo: WLWT.com

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Kindergartener Suspended From School For Sporting a Mohawk

Kelly Mills — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:35:00 GMT

Ah, in a day and age when many schools are instituting programs to combat children teasing other children about their appearance, one school has decided to put the bullies out of a job by doing their work for them. Six-year-old Bryan Ruda was suspended from charter school Parma Community School in Ohio. Um, because he has a "mohawk," which in this case does not mean liberty spikes but that he has the sides of his head shaved and his hair is longer on top. The school has a dress code that does not prohibit mohawks specifically, but says students have to be properly groomed. Whatever that means.

Oh, but the rationale for the suspension is classic: Administrators say the hair was "disrupting the educational program" and that other students commented on it, making them disruptive and more difficult to control. I guess that's powerful hair. And this was a "third offense," meaning that Bryan's mom was warned about the problem hair before when it had product in it, and while it was growing out things were sort of okay. However, a re-shaving threw the class into chaos, I suppose. The school board decided over the weekend to suspend the kid, which makes me think they must have zero educational issues at all, since they have time to debate the merits of a kindergartener's style. Nice.

Photo: Peggy Turbett/The Plain Dealer

Best Boring Lecture Ever!

Madeline Holler — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 22:25:00 GMT

High school students not sleeping through a state legislator’s guest lecture on Tuesday were treated to the projected image of a topless woman instead of dry flow charts and detailed outlines which were supposed to have accompanied the talk.

How a bill becomes a law, indeed!

Ohio State Rep. Matthew Barrett had just plugged a memory stick into his computer to retrieve a graphics presentation when the image appeared. Snickering ensued and Barrett immediately pulled it out, the memory stick, of course. He finished the session with printouts (and probably his own nervous laughter).

After class, he went straight to the principal’s office, where, along with the technology staff, the stick was “examined.” Ahem. They found an entire directory of nudie pics(!).

"I have no idea where these came from," the Democrat said, according to the article.

Apparently, the memory stick was a gift from a liaison … a legislative liaison. Police later seized Barrett's stick so they could examine it too.

No word on counselors for the 20 kids affected by this tragic event. Others said they'd never skip school again.

High School Prank Worthy of Suspension, Many Cool Points

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:02:00 GMT

A kid in Ohio, no doubt a bored and restless and dreamy "One day, I'm gonna get outta this podunk place" type of teen, recently pulled a big one over that earned him a three-day suspension, stern verbal reprimand on "sportsmanship" and probably a date with a cheerleader to the Sadie Hawkins homecoming dance. Senior Kyle Garchar tricked fans from a crosstown rival school into hoisting up squares of paper that, when held up together, read "We suck." Instructions for participation told duped fans that the cards would spell out "Go Darby," to cheer on their school. We bring you the YouTube smarty pants wrap-up below.

The stunt required careful planning by Garchar, who applied a similar prank pulled during a Harvard-Yale game three years ago. He took photos of the stadium's seats, drew out a grid, planned how all the details of the slam would fit together and then circled all the hot chicks in Dungeons and Dragons Club he'd reserve front row seats for to make sure they saw his genius unfold. No word whether he enlisted any assistant marching band conductors who are really good at strategic football field stuff like making an exclamation point with tubas or doing a kick-ass medley of Red Hot Chili Peppers hits on the way to the bandstand.

Despite the in-your-facing, the prankster's school lost to Darby 21-20 that day. The real winners are the seniors who, like, totally have good material to write about in their yearbooks now, bra.

If this was your kid's prank, would you high five him or ground him until prom?

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Chiming Lullaby Marks New Births At Ohio Hospital

Karen Murphy — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 15:07:00 GMT

Aww. I hope this marks a trend, because I think this is a sweet idea: a Cincinnati hospital began a program not long ago where a short bit of "Brahm's Lullaby" is played for every birth through the ringing of chimes on the hospital's PA system. Not only does it serve to commemorate a new life, welcome the new baby, and to make the parents feel a bit special, but it also allows the hospital staff, doctors, and nurses to take a second and recognize their own part in the ongoing circle of life that's so present in a hospital setting.

The downside, of course, would be for those parents not bringing a healthy baby home, either through stillbirth or adoption or time in the NICU. Those are difficult situations no matter how you look at it.

Still, the connection felt by new parents every time a chime sounds, knowing that yet another birth has taken place and knowing that they share that remarkable moment with other people unknown to them yet so close by, has got to be amazing.

Clothespins: Effective New Kid-Shusher

Karen Murphy — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 17:53:00 GMT

I remember hating hearing in school that my class was going to have a substitute that day. Having a sub meant that the unruly kids would act up more than usual, and that we'd more than likely just get a whole lot of boring "busy work," and the day would drag on. Having a sub was way worse than having the actual teacher, no matter how much I might have loathed that teacher. I wonder if things might have been different if I had had Ruth Ann Stoneburner of Amanda, Ohio as a sub? She got so fed up with a gaggle of chatty kindergartners that she silenced them by clamping their little lips shut with clothespins. The children weren't hurt but parents, naturally, are outraged; Ruth Ann has been banned from subbing in the district; and the district claims that clothespin usage is not within the scope of their discipline policy.

Well! I should hope so! I would be outraged too! (Clothespins are surely completely useless as disciplinary tools until 3rd grade at least.) I'll bet it sure was quiet in that classroom after that though. And I won't tell anyone if you want to try it at home. (kidding!) (sort of! let me know if it works, will you?)

Foster Parents with Rap Sheets: Who Dropped the Ball on That One?

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 12:31:00 GMT

Officials in Hamilton County, Ohio have been conducting backgrounds checks of foster parents and so far have discovered that 27 "parents" have arrest records on charges ranging from fraud to child endangerment. Officials say their review is only half-way done. Niiiiiiiiice.

The review was prompted by the death of a three-year-old boy in foster care in a neighboring county. His foster parents were convicted of murder and abuse of a corpse. The foster father had previously been arrested on a domestic violence charge. Heart warming.

Seriously. How hard is it to do background checks on the people caring for the most fragile children in our society? And how hard is it to find out when these parents have been arrested? New rule: foster care officials should be held accountable every time a child is hurt or dies in foster care. Effing bureaucracy.

Toledo Mayor Believes Parents Should Pay for Kids' Crimes

JasonAvant — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:33:00 GMT

In the wake of the murder of a Toledo police officer by a 15-year-old boy, the city's mayor has reintroduced a controversial ordinance. Mayor Carty Finkbeiner is proposing that parents and legal guardians be held accountable if their kids break the law. According to the article, this legislation was introduced about a year ago, as part of an effort to curb youth and gang-related crime. If the ordinance is passed, police would issue a written warning to parents whose children have had run-ins with the law. If the children continue to be a problem, parents and guardians would be charged with a misdemeanor, potentially facing 30 days in jail and a $250 fine.

Needless to say, this has caused a bit of debate. Proponents argue that parents should be made aware of who their kids are running around with and what kind of trouble those kids are getting into; the goal, according to police chief Mike Navarre, is not to bust good parents, or even bad parents - it's to remind them of their responsibilities. As he puts it in the article, give them "a wake-up call". Those opposed say that it's unfair to blame parents for the actions of their kids; lower-income parents may lack the resources to help their kids and keep them on the straight-and-narrow.

As much as I'm opposed to giving law enforcement any more power, I gotta say that I'm leaning towards Mayor Carty Finkbeiner on this, and it's not because he has a name that sounds like that of a Dr. Seuss character. I'm not in favor of tossing parents in jail over something that their children did, but I'm a bit tired of hearing the same stories from parents of juvenile offenders. "We had no idea..." (I'm talking to you, Ma and Pa Klebold and Mr. and Mrs. Harris.) Clearly there can be some sort of middle ground, with parents, law enforcement, schools, and social workers addressing these kids before they end up ruining their lives and the lives of others.

Ohio Daycare Discriminated Against Breastfeeding Mother

Karen Murphy — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:18:00 GMT

When my older daughter was younger, I depended on daycare to care for her while I worked. Being a single mom, I had no other options until she was old enough to become a "latchkey child", in itself not a desireable option either, but she had outgrown the program and was mature and responsible and we had helpful neighbors, all the blahdeblah reasons to make it work. Parents do have to make choices sometimes in order to make things work.

Which is why I totally understand the dilemma posed in the life of Ohio's Robin Neorr, mom to her three-month old breastfed infant. Yay to Robin that she still pumped and nursed when she could, even though she was back to work and away from her child. Breastfeeding can be challenging enough without having to work outside the home to boot. However, a big giant "boo" to her daycare center, City Kids, for charging an extra $50 per month to "handle" Robin's breastmilk. An extra $50 per month that parents of formula-fed babies weren't charged. An extra $50 per month to label Robin's milk as a "biohazard", to treat it as a "hazardous body fluid", and to basically send Robin the message that there was something wrong with her.

The special treatment insisted upon by City Kids, by the way, goes against the Ohio Administrative Code's Rules (applicable parts of the Code are found here) for Licensed Child Care Centers, which does not insist on a special pot for warming the milk in or to keep breast milk separate from everything else, both things that City Kids required.

If you're the activist type, or you live in Ohio, or both, check out this post at The Lactivist to see what you can do about this blatant discrimination. Robin has since pulled her child from City Kids and apparently is ready to go to town on the place.

"Parents" Who Caged Their Kids Get Off With Two Year Sentence

Patti — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:39:00 GMT

If you sometimes feel like putting your children in a cage to control them sounds like a good idea, consider moving to Ohio. Sharen and Michael Gravelle only received two years in prison for keeping some of their eleven adopted children, who had a variety of special needs, in chicken-wire covered cribs with urine-stained mattresses. They each faced up to 20 years total for four charges of felony child abuse, as well as seven misdemeanor charges apiece.

Some of the children, who are now in custody, provided written statements which were read at sentencing. One girl wrote of the Gravelles, "[they] are grown adults who know the difference between right and wrong. So I ask that they get as much time in jail for as long as my siblings had to be in cages." Unfortunately, the court seems to have disagreed with her. Hey, ho, way to go, Ohio.