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November 2008 |
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By MATT NICHOLS
Staff Writer
A former Wapakoneta law enforcement officer’s future is now in the hands of seven state Supreme Court justices.
Former Wapakoneta Police Chief Dave Harrison’s 6-year-old sex crime case reached the pinnacle in Ohio’s court system Wednesday, as justices heard arguments from Harrison’s attorney Dean Boland and state prosecutor Scott Longo.
Each party had 15 minutes to present their case to the justices. After both attorneys argued their cases, a single word in Harrison’s sentencing entry and a grilling delivered to Longo by justice Maureen O’Connor left Boland optimistic about his client’s future.
In June, 2003, Harrison plead guilty to a six-count bill of information after child pornography was found on his computer. After entering his plea, the man who served as police chief from 1988 to 2002 was sentenced to one year in jail.
Seven months after he completed his sentence, it was discovered by county prosecutors that Harrison should have been sentenced with an additional five years of mandatory post release control, or probation.
During a court hearing, Harrison was given the option to either be re-sentenced or withdraw his plea. Harrison chose the latter, taking things back to square one.
With the plea withdrawn, the state of Ohio slapped Harrison with a 23-count indictment which he was ultimately found guilty of and sentenced to six years in prison.
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Fixing debt to aid safety |
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Friday, 01 August 2008 |
Voinovich: Energy tied to national security
By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Staff Writer
As Americans struggle with soaring food and fuel costs, a U.S. Congressman from Ohio says legislators must take an proactive approach to reducing the nation’s dependency on foreign oil while exploring alternative energy sources.
“There are somethings that are coming together that should be disturbing to everyone,” U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Cleveland, said Thursday during a teleconference with national media. “For the folks back home in Ohio, the standard of living is changing because of high gasoline prices. Back in 2001, we paid $3 per mcf in Cleveland and now it’s $11. The cost of food is going up and we have some real problems in this country that have to do with energy costs.”
According to a release from the Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. budget deficit is expected to soar to $480 billion in 2009. Voinovich attacked the current fiscal standing of the nation and said legislators need to fixed the problem or risk placing the nation’s national security in jeopardy.
“We are sending $600 billion overseas to a lot of people who don’t like us — like Venezuela,” Voinovich said. “These people control the cost of something we need. At the same time, the people who control that have loaned (us) money.”
Since 2001, Voinovich said Japan, China and nations in OPEC have picked up 70 percent of the nation’s debt.
The Republican said that percentage is too high and could hinder the country’s national security.
“We are in real jeopardy,” Voinovich said. “We are on thin ice in terms of national security.”
With tensions in Iran flaring up, Voinovich said chances of an oil disruption are high.
Approximately 40 percent of the world’s oil supply travels through the Strait of Hormuz — a body of water patrolled by Iranian forces.
“The odds of a foreign oil disruption are 80 percent,” Voinovich said while citing a report on the topic. “We have a major problem here and what I have been trying to do is get us to harmonize our environment, energy and economy — and now national security. If this Chavez down in Venezuela decides to do something crazy, God only knows where we would be. I don’t want to take the risk of being at someone’s mercy.”
Expanding domestic drilling is an option Voinovich said he supports as a way to reduce dependency on foreign oil.
The senator has voted in favor of opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) 10 times while in the Senate.
“If this country made up its mind and told the world that we are going after what we have, in 10 years we could be at the top of the barrel,” Voinovich said. “We would be one of the least reliant (nations) on (foreign) oil.”
In terms of clean sources of fuel, Voinovich expressed a desire to continue research on alternative energy while continuing to expand drilling for domestic oil supplies.
Voinovich touted nuclear energy among the cleanest alternatives available.
“We need to have a full-court press to deal with alternative oil in this country and also put that same kind of commitment into wind, solar, nuclear, clean coal technology and natural gas,” Voinovich said. “Renewables make up 8 to 9 percent and most of that is hydroelectric.”
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Last Updated ( Monday, 04 August 2008 )
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