INDIANAPOLIS – Dorian LaCourse, 66, of Milford, Ohio, was sentenced on June 2 to 3 years’ probation, including 6 months home detention for conspiracy and making false statements. LaCourse is the former Chief of Police in the Village of Addyston, Ohio. Two federally licensed firearms dealers in Indiana were his coconspirators, Johnathan Marcum, 34, of Laurel, Indiana, and Christopher Petty, 58, of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, previously pleaded guilty in separate cases to participating in the same conspiracy and will be sentenced later this year.
LaCourse also placed direct orders for German-made machine guns that were purported to be paid for by the Police Department. In fact, the purchases were fully funded by Marcum and Petty and intended to bypass restrictions on the importation of such weapons by anyone other than the police or the military.
The conspirators purchased or caused the importation of approximately 200 fully automatic machine guns. LaCourse received over $11,500 from the gun dealers for his role in the scheme.
The Addyston Police Department was never authorized to purchase any of the machine guns, and the Indiana gun dealers never provided any demonstrations of machine guns to the police department. Instead, the gun dealers resold the machine guns at a significant profit. In some instances, a gun dealer resold illegally acquired machine guns for five or six times the purchase price. The conspirators purchased or caused the importation of approximately 200 fully automatic machine guns. LaCourse received over $11,500 from the gun dealers for his role in the scheme.
“Law enforcement officers are sworn to protect our communities and uphold the law, and the public has a right to expect police powers are used for the public good,” stated Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Instead, the defendant sold his badge to facilitate a criminal machine gun trafficking conspiracy. With heartbreaking regularity, we see the carnage that criminals can inflict on our communities with weapons of war. Today’s sentence demonstrates that officers who violate the public’s trust with utter disregard for the public’s safety will be held accountable.”
“LaCourse committed an egregious betrayal of the public’s trust by engaging in this machine gun trafficking scheme,” stated Travis S. Riddle, Acting Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “I hope that this sentence serves as an example to anyone else out there who might be tempted to betray their oath of office and their responsibility to their community.”
Clermont County, Ohio – Clermont County Water Resources’ 5-year Capital Improvement Plan calls for 63 waterworks projects totaling $42 million and 55 wastewater projects estimated at $72.7 million.
Water Resources Director Lyle Bloom reviewed the plan with the Board of County Commissioners on May 9. Commissioners approved the plan May 11.
Waterworks projects include 32 water main replacements ($25 million), eight water storage tank rehabilitation/removals ($4.3 million), eight water treatment plan renovations/upgrades ($4.7 million) and eight new water main extensions ($5.4 million).
Funding for the waterworks portion of the plan includes $3.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and $813,000 in Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) money.
Wastewater projects include 14 sewer replacements ($25.1 million), 12 lift station upgrades/eliminations ($9.8 million), nine wastewater treatment plant projects ($19.1 million) and 13 new sanitary sewer main extensions ($16.4 million). Funding for the wastewater part of the plan includes $4.8 million in ARPA funds, $3 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture funds and $864,000 in OPWC money.
Deerfield Township, Ohio – Weather permitting Rich Road between Fields Ertel Road and Ball Road will be closed for pavement repairs from June 6th through 8th, starting at 8 AM on June 6th until completion. Below is a map that shows the location of the roadwork.
The newest bill to regulate school curriculums and keep out what legislators see as “divisive concepts” entered the Ohio House on Tuesday.
State Reps. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, and Mike Loychik, R-Bazetta, brought House Bill 616 to the State and Local Committee, which prohibits all Ohio schools from “teaching or providing training that promotes or endorses divisive or inherently racist concepts.”
Though the co-sponsors said they want to deputize the State Board of Education with making decisions about what those concepts would be, the bill includes “critical race theory,” a misnomer used by conservatives to refer to the teaching of race in American history, and name the “1619 Project,” a New York Times project that laid out the chronology of slavery and racism, as concepts that would be prohibited under the bill.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion learning outcomes” (DEI) are also named as “divisive or inherently racist concepts” under the bill. When asked to explain DEI and why it’s being prohibited, Loychik connected DEI to “critical race theory,” saying the two are connected based on research he and Schmidt had made.
“The word ‘critical race theory’ was not very well accepted at that point in time, so it was re-developed into DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion – and based off our research, like I said before, it’s very, very similar to the teachings under critical race theory,” Loychik told the committee.
DEI trainings have been used in schools to train employees about learning disparities that can happen in education.
The well-known conservative public policy think tank The Heritage Foundation connects CRT and DEI, saying diversity trainings “pressure employees to become activists or to discuss controversial topics in the workplace.”
Part of the bill prohibits teaching kindergartners about topics related to gender.
“It ensures that sexual orientation and gender ideology are not taught in kindergarten through third grade,” Loychik said. “Starting in fourth grade it must be age appropriate.”
Loychik has made his feelings on gender in schools clear through posts on his Twitter, in which he said “the left thinks a 6-year-old should be able to change their gender but an 18-year-old shouldn’t be able to buy a firearm,” and asks for support not to allow “teaching transgenderism or allowing teachers to discuss their sex life with kindergarteners.”
Under the newest bill, the State Board of Education would also be required to “establish a procedure by which individuals may file complaints against a teacher, school, administrator, or school district superintendent alleging a violation of the bill’s prohibitions and to adopt rules to govern the implementation of and monitor compliance with the bill’s provisions,” according to Legislative Service Commission analysis of the bill.
Democratic committee members pushed back on the bill’s language, decrying it as “censorship” and questioning the vague language used, and the state board of education’s role in defining the off-limits topics in school curricula.
“That’s the responsibility of legislators to define these terms,” said state Rep. Mike Skindell, D-Lakewood.
The co-sponsors said they would be willing to consider amendments to the bill, but said the focus of the bill is on curriculum, not disciplinary regulations or hallway disagreements.
Loychik said the school district’s role would be to address disciplinary problems, and “hall monitors” could deal with school-day disagreements regarding “divisive concepts.”
Schmidt said “invited guests,” such as state legislators, would be allowed to “talk about what they want to talk about,” because it’s not a part of the curriculum, answering a question from state Rep. Tavia Galonski, D-Akron.
“There is a lot to discuss in the schools, and by no means would any kind of prohibition or any type of censorship be the answer for it,” Galonski said.
Education groups like Honesty for Ohio Education have criticized the bill as a “nationally coordinated educational gag order.”
This is the third “divisive concepts” bill to come through the Ohio legislature, with the last bill receiving heavy criticism after one of the co-sponsors said equal time should be given on both sides of Holocaust lessons. Neither bill has passed through the General Assembly.
The Ohio Senate advanced fast-tracked legislation Tuesday that would allow local boards of education to permit teachers to carry guns in classrooms.
Passage would eviscerate current law in Ohio that allows teachers to arm themselves only after completing more than 700 hours of police training and receiving approval from their local school board.
Under House Bill 99 — which was largely rewritten and unveiled at the hearing — a school board could allow teachers to arm themselves. The latest version doesn’t specify any minimum amount of training hours, although it states that four hours must be “scenario-based or simulated training exercises.” Instead, it says teachers would need to undergo “initial instruction and training” to carry a weapon that “shall not exceed” 24 hours. From there, the teacher would need annual recertification training which “shall not exceed” eight hours.
A local board of education would need to opt in to allow its teachers to arm themselves. That board could choose to mandate additional training, but it wouldn’t be required. The training required in the legislation includes the “scenario-based” training, “tactical live firearms training,” and “realistic urban training.”
Earlier versions of the bill established a minimum of 20 hours of training, plus concealed carry training (another eight hours). It also called for more specific, somewhat warrior-like training requirements.
“On signal, take a flanking step while drawing and fire three rounds into the preferred area. Upon completion, take appropriate post-shooting actions,” reads a training requirement of the House-passed version of the bill. “The distance from the target shall be thirty feet, the time allowed shall be eight seconds, and the number of rounds allowed shall be three.”
The Senate committee vote comes on the heels of the May 24 shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in which a teenager purchased two assault style rifles that he used to kill 19 young children and two teachers. Seventeen others were wounded.
At Tuesday’s hearing, two men spoke in support of the bill. The rest of the four hours were occupied by dozens of teachers, teachers’ union officials, anti-gun violence activists, and a Fraternal Order of Police lobbyist, all testifying in opposition.
The teachers who testified argued it’s unrealistic to think an educator would react prudently and fire accurately at a shooter in a chaotic and precarious situation after mere hours of training. They’d need to execute keen marksmanship in a fraught situation to avoid hitting their own students. Several noted the bill makes no consideration as to how teachers must store the weapon, which could yield a flood of gun violence of its own.
At times, Sen. Frank Hoagland, a Republican who chairs the committee that reviewed the bill, struggled to rein in the testy crowd. After hearing the hours of testimony in opposition to the bill, Republican Senators passed it regardless. The vote was a flex of political power, and drew shouts of “Shame! Shame!” from the crowd.
Hoagland, and Sen. Terry Johnson, the number two Republican on the committee, both declined interview requests after the hearing. The legislation will likely go to the Senate floor for a vote Wednesday. The House could, in theory, accept the Senate’s changes on the same day and send the bill to Gov. Mike DeWine.
Republicans in the Ohio House passed HB 99 earlier this year on a 59-33 vote (Republican Rep. Gayle Manning joined Democrats in opposition). Tuesday’s vote came in lieu of the typical process of holding several hearings on a bill before a roll call. Several speakers said they were unable to procure a copy of the latest version of the bill before Tuesday’s hearing.
Standing room only for a possible vote on fast tracked legislation that would allow school boards of education to allow for armed teachers. Bill has been largely rewritten and being publicly unveiled just now.
As of 2019, 18 states allow anyone with permission from school authority to carry a weapon, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The idea, which gained popularity after a spate of school shootings in the U.S., is broadly unpopular with educators. In a 2019 national survey of 2,926 teachers, more than 95% indicated they don’t believe teachers should carry a gun in the classroom. Even among the 16% of respondents who were gun owners, only 11.5% of them said being armed while teaching should be a part of teacher’s duties. Gallup polling from 2018 found 73% of teachers oppose the idea.
More Ohioans died from guns last year than any year on record from the Ohio Department of Health’s data warehouse. Earlier this year, analysis in the New England Journal of Medicine found that firearms have overtaken vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death for American children, teens and young adults.
In the gun friendly and Republican-dominated legislature, the policy response has included eliminating training and background check requirements to carry a concealed weapon; and eliminating a duty to retreat before responding to a perceived attack with deadly force.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Rob Sexton, a lobbyist with the Buckeye Firearms Association, argued in support of the bill. He said it gives students a “fighting chance” in the face of a shooter. Rep. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Twp., who sponsored the bill, told Senators at a previous hearing the legislation is about clearing up Ohio law.
“I’m not here to argue whether or not guns should be in schools,” he said. “I’m here to help clarify a gray area in law that will give schools the tools to protect their students if they wish to utilize them.”
New legislation from Ohio state Reps. Tom Young, R-Washington Township, and Andrea White, R-Kettering, would require next year’s class of high school freshmen to take a course on recognizing and responding to threatening situations in order to graduate. The idea for the so-called “Student Protection Act” came from a number of recent high school graduates as part of an extracurricular project.
Abby Purdy described how the proposal came from conversations she had with fellow Olentangy High School students Sydney Schultz and Vaidehi Patel about walking to their cars after work in the dark.
“Everyone had very similar fears, and it kind of just sprouted from there,” Purdy explained. “We had a survey and many of the responses conveyed the same fears and we felt that self-defense would be the best way to help people feel that they have the tools to protect themselves.”
Patel, Purdy and Schultz repeatedly invoked the idea of self-defense, as did the bill’s sponsors, but that’s a bit of a misnomer. Speaking afterward, Young acknowledged they struggled with how best to describe the course’s aims, but he was clear they’re not envisioning some sort of martial arts training.
“No, this is not Tae Kwon Do, throwing people across a mat or anything like that,” he explained. “It’s raising an awareness on how to prevent and then respond to an aggressive situation — mentally, and perhaps a way to get out of a situation.”
Rep. White emphasized the importance of teaching students how to respond to bullying and assault.
“These behaviors should never be tolerated or allowed to go unreported,” she said. “And reinforcing this message with our young people while equipping them with the defensive tactics and proactive strategies that they can use to help protect themselves and avoid dangerous situations is critical.”
Although the measure isn’t explicitly meant to teach students how to respond to a school shooting, last week’s shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas looms large. Young offered hopes that the coursework they’re proposing might discourage violence indirectly.
“I would hope that this would not only raise awareness to prevent things happening to yourself and how to de-escalate, but also hopefully being aware of their classmates or somebody who’s struggling, that it opens up a dialog.”
Young and White want districts to bring in school resource officers or certified self-defense instructors to provide demonstrations of self-defense. The legislation is silent, however, on who qualifies as an outside instructor or what form their demonstrations should take. Because the course will be part of the health class, teachers will also have to complete a course in self-defense training, but it’s up to the districts to determine which programs qualify.
Loveland, Ohio – Here are two video slide shows from the still photos I captured on Memorial Day. The first is of the parade and the second is photos from the ceremony. The photos were taken from West Loveland Avenue during the parade and at the Loveland Veterans’ Memorial at the corner of Riverside Drive and West Loveland Avenue in the West Loveland Historic District of Loveland.
Loveland, Ohio – It was Memorial Day Weekend, Sunday, May 28, 2017, when an 11-alarm fire in Downtown Loveland did extensive damage to two historic buildings and minor damage to a third. There were no injuries to occupants, and only one firefighter suffered a minor injury. One firefighter was treated for exhaustion.
Here are “then and now” photos.
NOW photos
EDITOR’S NOTE:
After reading this story today, firefighter Steve Pegram sent us the following message:
“11 departments yes there is no such thing as an 11 alarm fire. A 1 alarm in Loveland brings 4 departments and 7 stations. For example, the initial dispatch to Tano’s was LSFD (60, 61, 62, 63), Goshen (19), Miami Township (27), and Deerfield (57). So 11 departments would be 2-3 alarms of course the only people that would know that are fire people like me.”
Thank you Steve for helping us be more accurate!
Below you can view all of the photos of the fire’s aftermath in this re-print of the first story we published that day.
Early morning fire destroys 2/3 block in Historic Downtown Loveland
Loveland, Ohio– An 11-alarm fire in Downtown Loveland early Sunday morning did extensive damage to two historic buildings, and minor damage to a third. There were no injuries to occupants, and only one firefighter suffered a minor injury. One firefighter was treated for exhaustion.
West Loveland Avenue, Karl Brown Way, and Railroad Avenue remain closed to traffic. There are nearby businesses that remain closed until electrical service is restored.
The former Julian’s Deli, now owned by Paxton Grill, which recently had sprinklers installed on both floors, has slight structural and water damage.
The fire apparently started in the rear of Tanos Bistro at 1:20 AM. Four businesses lost almost everything. Firefighters remain on the scene, and inspectors are assessing damage and looking for cause.
The buildings are close to the street so roadways may be closed for quite some time as inspectors evaluate possible danger to motorists traveling West Loveland Avenue and Karl Brown Way.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A reader has brought to our attention that residents of five apartments lost “everything” in the fire, including damage to automobiles. There is a goFundme page already set up to help a photographer, Brad Uhrig and his son who lost their personal belongings, including Brad’s photo gear.
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland/Symmes Fire Chief Otto Huber told Loveland Magazine Sunday evening that the structural engineer the City brought in to inspect the buildings damaged by an overnight fire in Loveland’s Historic District said that after a preliminary look, the buildings could be restored. He also told Huber that he had seen building with more damage, brought back to life.
Huber also said that they suspect the fire began because of an electrical problem, and there is one spot that will receive more attention in the coming days as they try to determine how the fire started.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-5466420906099875&output=html&h=280&adk=3608273107&adf=861100906&pi=t.aa~a.829776362~i.5~rp.4&w=640&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1653835819&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=6519503178&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=640×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lovelandmagazine.com%2Fup-date-on-major-fire-in-historic-downtown-loveland%2F&host=ca-host-pub-2644536267352236&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=160&rw=640&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&adsid=ChAI8LPMlAYQjbq74J6XuOpSEjkAVlULhMUZ-KBfG4ut-551NNObiVGl4gzYun23M2AwN1mprUxRkA8pldhSON69Z9vBHbybFRatluY&uach=WyJtYWNPUyIsIjEwLjEzLjYiLCJ4ODYiLCIiLCIxMDEuMC4xMjEwLjUzIixbXSxudWxsLG51bGwsIjY0IixbWyIgTm90IEE7QnJhbmQiLCI5OS4wLjAuMCJdLFsiQ2hyb21pdW0iLCIxMDEuMC4xMjEwLjUzIl0sWyJNaWNyb3NvZnQgRWRnZSIsIjEwMS4wLjEyMTAuNTMiXV0sZmFsc2Vd&dt=1653835819579&bpp=4&bdt=733&idt=-M&shv=r20220525&mjsv=m202205240101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D55acfa9313540311-22b78d0427d2007c%3AT%3D1649684162%3ART%3D1649684162%3AS%3DALNI_MbdGaiL61apm8KZ6Qgpxz9HlDC9qw&gpic=UID%3D000004535653105b%3AT%3D1649278188%3ART%3D1653833522%3AS%3DALNI_MbJ0mrFVpN2Wbw5Y_9INzMkwkCYhQ&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1034x280&nras=3&correlator=5928493865838&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=371103363.1615984224&ga_sid=1653835819&ga_hid=296308691&ga_fc=1&u_tz=-240&u_his=4&u_h=800&u_w=1280&u_ah=777&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=2&dmc=8&adx=27&ady=1437&biw=1034&bih=698&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C44759837%2C44763505%2C31062931&oid=2&pvsid=2612451399889931&pem=491&tmod=431814633&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lovelandmagazine.com%2F%3Fs%3Dhistoric%2Bfire&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=93%2C23%2C93%2C23%2C1280%2C23%2C1049%2C777%2C1049%2C698&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&jar=2022-05-21-17&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=p8So1WQZgB&p=https%3A//www.lovelandmagazine.com&dtd=69
An 11-alarm fire in Downtown Loveland early Sunday morning did extensive damage to two historic buildings, and minor damage to three others. There were no injuries to residential occupants, and only one firefighter suffered a minor injury. One firefighter was treated for exhaustion.
Residents of five apartments on the upper floors have lost everything, including damage to automobiles
The building that housed Tano’s Bistro and the Bishop Building sustained substantial fire damage. Three businesses had extensive damage: Tano’s Bistro, Cincy Fashion Wheels, and Gina Dubell-Smith, a Comey & Shepherd Realtor.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-5466420906099875&output=html&h=280&adk=3608273107&adf=1403234929&pi=t.aa~a.829776362~i.11~rp.4&w=640&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1653835819&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=6519503178&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=640×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lovelandmagazine.com%2Fup-date-on-major-fire-in-historic-downtown-loveland%2F&host=ca-host-pub-2644536267352236&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=160&rw=640&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&adsid=ChAI8LPMlAYQjbq74J6XuOpSEjkAVlULhMUZ-KBfG4ut-551NNObiVGl4gzYun23M2AwN1mprUxRkA8pldhSON69Z9vBHbybFRatluY&uach=WyJtYWNPUyIsIjEwLjEzLjYiLCJ4ODYiLCIiLCIxMDEuMC4xMjEwLjUzIixbXSxudWxsLG51bGwsIjY0IixbWyIgTm90IEE7QnJhbmQiLCI5OS4wLjAuMCJdLFsiQ2hyb21pdW0iLCIxMDEuMC4xMjEwLjUzIl0sWyJNaWNyb3NvZnQgRWRnZSIsIjEwMS4wLjEyMTAuNTMiXV0sZmFsc2Vd&dt=1653835819579&bpp=3&bdt=732&idt=-M&shv=r20220525&mjsv=m202205240101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D55acfa9313540311-22b78d0427d2007c%3AT%3D1649684162%3ART%3D1649684162%3AS%3DALNI_MbdGaiL61apm8KZ6Qgpxz9HlDC9qw&gpic=UID%3D000004535653105b%3AT%3D1649278188%3ART%3D1653833522%3AS%3DALNI_MbJ0mrFVpN2Wbw5Y_9INzMkwkCYhQ&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1034x280%2C640x280&nras=4&correlator=5928493865838&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=371103363.1615984224&ga_sid=1653835819&ga_hid=296308691&ga_fc=1&u_tz=-240&u_his=4&u_h=800&u_w=1280&u_ah=777&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=2&dmc=8&adx=27&ady=2029&biw=1034&bih=698&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C44759837%2C44763505%2C31062931&oid=2&pvsid=2612451399889931&pem=491&tmod=431814633&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lovelandmagazine.com%2F%3Fs%3Dhistoric%2Bfire&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=93%2C23%2C93%2C23%2C1280%2C23%2C1049%2C777%2C1049%2C698&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&jar=2022-05-21-17&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=ARY9cT2lAF&p=https%3A//www.lovelandmagazine.com&dtd=174
The former Julian’s Deli, now owned by Paxton’s Grill only suffered minor fire damage. The fire sprinklers in the building did not activate. Huber said the heat inside the building wasn’t great enough to activate the sprinklers, but the interior of the building has damage from the water used to keep the fire from spreading. Cleanup was already underway on what will be called, Bike Trail Junction. Co-owner, Kevin Egan said their opening was scheduled in the coming weeks, but the opening will have to be rescheduled.
Narrow Path Brewing Company on Karl Brown Way had roof damage that was being repaired Sunday evening. The business remained closed throughout the day. Another building, further north on Karl Brown Way had newly installed plastic siding, buckle from the heat.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-5466420906099875&output=html&h=280&adk=3608273107&adf=2317031084&pi=t.aa~a.829776362~i.15~rp.4&w=640&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1653835819&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=6519503178&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=640×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lovelandmagazine.com%2Fup-date-on-major-fire-in-historic-downtown-loveland%2F&host=ca-host-pub-2644536267352236&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=160&rw=640&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&adsid=ChAI8LPMlAYQjbq74J6XuOpSEjkAVlULhMUZ-KBfG4ut-551NNObiVGl4gzYun23M2AwN1mprUxRkA8pldhSON69Z9vBHbybFRatluY&uach=WyJtYWNPUyIsIjEwLjEzLjYiLCJ4ODYiLCIiLCIxMDEuMC4xMjEwLjUzIixbXSxudWxsLG51bGwsIjY0IixbWyIgTm90IEE7QnJhbmQiLCI5OS4wLjAuMCJdLFsiQ2hyb21pdW0iLCIxMDEuMC4xMjEwLjUzIl0sWyJNaWNyb3NvZnQgRWRnZSIsIjEwMS4wLjEyMTAuNTMiXV0sZmFsc2Vd&dt=1653835819579&bpp=3&bdt=732&idt=-M&shv=r20220525&mjsv=m202205240101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D55acfa9313540311-22b78d0427d2007c%3AT%3D1649684162%3ART%3D1649684162%3AS%3DALNI_MbdGaiL61apm8KZ6Qgpxz9HlDC9qw&gpic=UID%3D000004535653105b%3AT%3D1649278188%3ART%3D1653833522%3AS%3DALNI_MbJ0mrFVpN2Wbw5Y_9INzMkwkCYhQ&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1034x280%2C640x280%2C640x280&nras=5&correlator=5928493865838&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=371103363.1615984224&ga_sid=1653835819&ga_hid=296308691&ga_fc=1&u_tz=-240&u_his=4&u_h=800&u_w=1280&u_ah=777&u_aw=1280&u_cd=24&u_sd=2&dmc=8&adx=27&ady=2647&biw=1034&bih=698&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=44759875%2C44759926%2C44759837%2C44763505%2C31062931&oid=2&pvsid=2612451399889931&pem=491&tmod=431814633&uas=0&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lovelandmagazine.com%2F%3Fs%3Dhistoric%2Bfire&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=93%2C23%2C93%2C23%2C1280%2C23%2C1049%2C777%2C1049%2C698&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&jar=2022-05-21-17&ifi=5&uci=a!5&btvi=3&fsb=1&xpc=xqJK2oAOI5&p=https%3A//www.lovelandmagazine.com&dtd=182
Huber also said that if possible, scaffolding will be erected on the west side of the Bishop Building on Monday. He said it will depend on whether they can get someone to do the work on the Memorial Day Holiday. The scaffolding will be erected to shore up the brick exterior, making it safe to be inside the building where crews could better assess the structural damage, and make it possible for rebuilding to begin.
At 8:30 PM Sunday, a fire crew was still at the scene.
In a press release issued this afternoon by Loveland City Manager, Dave Kennedy, he said, “It is the City’s desire to save these historic structures and will work with the building owners to make this happen. This is a tragic event but the City of Loveland is a very strong community and will work together to repair this part of our downtown. The City of Loveland is thankful that the fire caused no injuries or loss of life and salute the efforts of the City’s first responders.”
“There is so much we need to do – we must do – to prevent more tragedies. We can’t discuss it all here today, but one step I hope members of both parties take is to finally get a permanent ATF director on the job.” – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced Steve Dettelbach at his U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing to serve as the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Mr. Dettelbach is a Cleveland native and from 2009 until 2016, served as the Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
“I have known Steve for years, and watched him tackle some of the Department of Justice’s most sensitive cases – cases at the intersection of law enforcement and civil rights,” said Brown. “I can think of no better way to support law enforcement, to reject hate, and to keep Americans safe from violent crime, than for this committee and the entire Senate to confirm Steve Dettelbach as ATF Director.”
Dettelbach has earned the endorsement from numerous law enforcement groups including the National Sheriffs’ Association, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association, Women in Federal Law Enforcement, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Dettelbach has also been endorsed by more than 140 former federal prosecutors and eight former ATF Directors, and civil rights organizations, like the National Urban League and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and faith organizations like the Jewish Federation of North America.
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