Community

Former Councilman To Be Steubenville’s Next City Manager

STEUBENVILLE — A former councilman has been tapped to be Steubenville’s next city manager. Councilman at large Joel Walker said Tuesday Steubenville native Mike Johnson, a former Second Ward councilman, had been offered the job “and now we have to work out the contract and other details.” “I believe he brings a new and different perspective to the job,” Walker said after the meeting. “He is a life-long resident, and I hope he will do what’s best for the city and help us move forward.” The job offer followed a closed-door session during which council discussed their ...

Groups Skeptical Of Proposed Child Care Fraud Legislation

Policy experts are sounding off about proposed legislation heard by the Ohio House Children and Human Services committee recetly to address potential fraud in the child care sector. The Republican-introduced would establish rules for surveillance of child care facilities and expand state monitoring of Publicly Funded Child Care programs. “Ohio has a responsibility to ensure that children in publicly funded child care centers are safe and that taxpayer dollars are being used honestly,” said Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania Township, who sponsored HB 649. In order to ensure that ...

Lawmaker Wants To Stop Funding Schools That Sue Over Vouchers

An Ohio state representative wants to cut off state funding for public school districts that are challenging the constitutionality of the state’s $1 billion private school voucher program. But even supporters of the voucher program concede that the legislation, if passed, would face serious legal challenges. House bill 671 was introduced this month by Rep. Jamie Callendar, a Republican from Canton. Calendar did not respond to requests for comments on the legislation. His proposal drew immediate criticism from school boards challenging the voucher program. “HB 671 is a classic ...

Moundsville City Manager Gives Construction Update

MOUNDSVILLE – Moundsville City Manager Rick Healy told City Council members this week that he hopes to be celebrating the opening of the new municipal building later this year with the public. During this week’s council meeting Healy gave another update on the building’s ...

Belmont County 4-H Plans To Host Inaugural Open House

ST. CLAIRSVILLE – Belmont County 4-H is hosting its inaugural open house meeting, hoping to educate residents unfamiliar with the organization. 4-H Program Assistant Sarah Galavich said that the open house will be held from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, at the Ohio State University Extension ...

School Spending Rises Nationally Amid Enrollment Decline

Public school enrollment has declined in recent years even as staffing and spending have increased, prompting debate among education leaders over how resources are being used and whether they are improving student outcomes. Total annual public school spending is nearing $1 trillion nationally, according to a Reason Foundation report. According to Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, public school enrollment has declined by roughly 750,000 students since 2014. In that same time, public school employment has grown by more than 600,000 positions. Only about one-third of students score ...