From Broadband expansion, to cool new tech startups; we're spotlighting big tech issues and innovation statewide.
Featured guests include Ohio Lt. Governor, Jon Husted, on the state's new broadband expansion grant program, and the Director of the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program, Chris Reeg, on robocall scams targeting Medicare recipients.
We also talked to Akron-Summit County Public Library Director Pamela Hickson Stevenson on why digital media is so much more expensive than traditional library materials, and Bounce Innovation Hub-Senior Director of Entrepreneurial Services, James Hilton, on their upcoming Startup Showcase.
Ohio Lt. Governor, Jon Husted
Akron-Summit County Public Library Director, Pamla Hickson-Stevenson
Bounce Innovation Hub-Senior Director of Entrepreneurial Services, James Hilton
Stanley Ford, the Akron man accused of setting three fires, including two dealy house fires that killed nine people between 2016 and 2017, is guilty on 26 of the 29 charges against him.
The 62-year-old Sherbondy Hill resident was found guilty by a Summit County jury Tuesday all 22 counts of aggravated murder, the most murder charges filed against anyone in Summit County history.
Akron Police accused Ford of setting two house fires on Fultz Street in Akron, just four doors down from one another.
The first fire was set in April 2016 that claimed the lives of Lindell Lewis, 66, and Gloria Hart, 65. One person was able to escape the house fire unharmed.
Nearly one year later, Ford set fire to the second home on Fultz Street, where a family of seven lived. All of the members of that family were killed, including 35-year-old Dennis Huggins, 37-year-old Angela Boggs, 14-year-old Jared Boggs, six-year-old Daisia Huggins, five-year-old Kyle Huggins, three-year-old Alivia Huggins, and 16-month-old Cameron Huggins.
The sentencing phase of the Stanley Ford murder trial begins Monday; he is facing the death penalty.
Customer demand for digital library materials like e-books, audiobooks, movies, and magazines, is sky high because of the pandemic. But, so is their cost, compared to traditional, hard copy library materials.
Listen now to Jeanne Destro's interview with Akron-Summit County Public Library Director, Pamela Hickson-Stevenson, to find out why, how that might affect taxpayers, and what, if anything, you can do about it.
Pamela Hickson-Stevenson, Director, Akron-Summit County Public Library
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost negotiated big legal settlements with Opiod drug distributors, and ticket seller StubHub this week.
As Yost explains in this interview with Jeanne Destro, Cardinal Health, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen agreed pay a record $808 million dollars to settle litigation alleging illegal practices that led to the Opiod epidemic.
In addition, StubHub agreed to give refunds in cash, instead of just in vouchers for future concerts, to ticket holders who didn't get to see shows cancelled because of the pandemic.
Ohio Attorney Genereal, Dave Yost
Ohio Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Ohio Senate-28) was hoping Ohio's new Ohio voting district map would more accurately reflect Ohioans' voting preferences.
But that didn't happen this week, when the Republican-controlled redistricting redistricting commission voted to approve a new map.
Even though voters approved anti-gerrymandering reforms, and Republicans only outnumber Democrats in Ohio by a slight margin; the new district map is still solidly red. But, because there was no bipartisan consensus on the new map; it will be in effect for four years, instead of ten.
In the meantime, Sykes says legal challenges are already in the works that could keep it from going into effect as it is right now.
Jeanne Destro talked to Sykes about it this morning.
She also talked to 17th District US Congressman Tim Ryan:
State law enforcement officials are joining the Federal government to fight illegal robocalls.
Today, we'll hear from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, and networking technology expert, ZipDX LLC CEO David Frankel, on why robocalls are such a problem, and what can be done to stop them.
Ohio Attorney General, Dave Yost
ZipDX LLC CEO, David Frankel