Symphony Silenced

When the musicians of the Columbus Symphony put down their instruments on May 31, there is no word on when they might pick them up again. The orchestra's Board of Directors announced Thursday afternoon that it has canceled its Picnic with the Pops and Popcorn Pops summer concert series and may not reopen for the 2008-2009 season. The symphony has run out of money after failing to reach a new labor agreement with the musicians and Board President Robert Trafford says a new agreement is the only way the orchestra could continue to operate. "The reality is while the CSO has the funds to operate through May, we do not have the funds to operate beyond that point," Trafford said. A large gift from a board member allowed the orchestra to finish out its current season, with its final performance scheduled for May 31.

Severe Weather

No injuries or serious damage were reported when severe weather moved through western Ohio Thursday evening. The National Weather Service confirmed three tornado touchdowns west of Columbus. A tornado in Clinton County caused minor damage to trees and trailers at around 5:18 PM. Police report a tornado hit I-71 and two more were seen in Greene County at 5:25 PM and in Clark County at 6:18. Sheriffs offices in the two counties reported no damage. One person was killed an two hurt in a tornado in North Carolina as a line of severe storms swept across the Southeast.

Marine's Funeral

Funeral services are schedule for Saturday at Bloom-Carroll Middle School in Fairfield County for a Marine killed in Iraq last week. Lance Cpl. James Kimple was a 21-year-old married father of three and a graduate of Bloom-Carroll High School on his second tour of duty when he was killed May 2, along with three other Marines, when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in al-Anbar province.

Record Territory

Oil prices surged to another new record trading high, above $124 a barrel Thursday and that meant gasoline prices spiked before the weekend. The AAA Fuel Gauge Report says the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped 21 cents in Columbus between Wednesday and Friday to a new record high price of $3.74. Motorists in Akron are paying the highest price in Ohio, almost $3.75 a gallon. Among states neighboring Ohio, the average price ranges from $3.67 a gallon in Pennsylvania to $3.81 in West Virginia. The statewide average went up to above $3.73, a new record. The statewide price has risen 25 cents since April 21 and is 46 cents higher than it was a month ago. The nationwide average is also at an all-time high of $3.67 a gallon, up 30 cents in the last month.

Facebook Safeguards

A popular social-networking Web site is getting safer. Attorneys-general from Ohio and several other states say Facebook, the second-largest of those sites, is adding more than 40 new safeguard to protect young users from sexual predators and cyberbullies. Under the deal with attorneys-general in 49 states and the District of Columbia, Facebook will provide automatic warning messages when a child is in danger of giving personal information to an unknown adult, restrict the ability of users to change their listed ages, more aggressively remove inappropriate content and groups from the site and require third party vendors to adhere to Facebook’s safety and privacy guidelines, according to a release from the office of Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann. Facebook also has agreed to monitor and sever links to any pornographic sites, remove groups for incest, pedophilia, cyberbullying and other violations of the site’s terms of services, as well as expel from the site individual violators of those terms. Facebook also will participate in a task force to design age and identity verification software. MySpace reached a similar agreement with the state officials in January.

Costly Apology

It was anything but business as usual at 86 Papa John's pizza stores in Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo and other Ohio cities on Thursday as the chain made good on its apology to Cleveland Cavaliers fans by selling large, one-item pizzas for 23 cents. The move was an attempt to make up to Cavs fans after the chain's Washington, D.C., stores sold T-shirts featuring Lebron James jersey number 23 and the word "crybaby" after James complained about some hard fouls during he NBA playoff series with the Wizards. A regional manager in Columbus asked for help closing some stores in the face of the run on cheap stores. Pizza lovers waited 2-1/2 hours in some cities and, in Akron, a store issued rain checks. Police were called to help with crowd control at a store in University Heights, near Cleveland, where the line of pizza buyers was two blocks long. The Cavs return to Cleveland this weekend after dropping the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals in Boston.

AMBER Alert

High-Tech AMBER Alerts

AMBER Alert information may be coming soon to a billboard near you. The Ohio AMBER Alert Steering Committee and a private outdoor-advertising company have announced a plan to post information on abducted children, including photographs, on eight digital billboards around Columbus during AMBER Alerts. Information provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will take the place of advertising on the billboards for the first hour after local law enforcement agencies request an AMBER Alert.

The billboards are located at the following locations around Columbus

-Dublin Road and Grandview Avenue

-Georgesville and Clime Roads, facing south

-Lane Avenue and North Star, facing west

-Rome-Hilliard and Roberts Roads, facing south

-S. Hamilton and Refugee Roads, facing south

-Spring and 5th Streets, facing east

-Westerville Road and St. Rte. 161, facing south

-Wilson and Fisher Roads, facing south

AMBER Alert License Plate Petition Drive Underway
In an effort to offer Ohio motorists an AMBER Alert Specialty License Plate through the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Mid-Ohio AMBER Alert is circulating petitions to gather the 1,000 signatures necessary to begin the process of having the plate approved and offered by the Bureau. When the required number of signature are gathered, submitted and approved, the Ohio General Assembly must enact legislation authorizing the sale of the plate, which must be signed into law by the Governor. Ninety days after the signing of the bill into law, the plates will be available for sale to the public. Motorists who are willing to sign the petition stating that they intend to purchase an AMBER Alert Specialty License Plate can find forms at the offices of some Central Ohio law enforcement agencies, Radio and TV stations and supporting businesses, including:

• Bexley Police Department, 2242 E. Main St,.Bexley
• Pickerington Police Department, 1311 Refugee Road, Pickerington
• Sharon Township Police Dept., 137 E. Dublin-Granville Road, Worthington
• Columbus Radio Group, 4401 Carriage Hill Lane, Columbus
• Farmer’s Insurance, 11299 Stonecreek Dr Suite 200, Pickerington
• HER Real Living, 1450 Tussing Rd., Pickerington

The AMBER Alert Plan was created in 1997 in honor of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped and murdered while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas. AMBER is America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Alert.

Ohioans can receive AMBER Alerts on their cell phones or computers. Click here for more information.  Cell phone and BlackBerry subscribers can sign up to get alerts with the major carriers. Cell phone users will receive messages similar to the highway text messages that currently alert drivers about missing children. Click here to sign up.  AMBER Alerts are bulletins issued by broadcasters in the event of an abduction of a child by a stranger or when authorities believe the life of the child is in imminent danger. The Mid-Ohio AMBER Alert is a voluntary public-private partnership between Central Ohio law enforcement community and broadcasters. In January, 2003, Governor Taft signed a law mandating statewide coordination of AMBER Alert plans in Ohio. Click on the featured links below for more information on local, statewide and national efforts to recover missing children.

Mid-Ohio AMBER Alert

Ohio AMBER Plan

Ohio Missing Children's Clearinghouse

Nathional Center or Missing and Exploited Children

Wireless AMBER Alerts

AMBER Stamp

The US Postal Service has issued a new AMBER Alert stamp. None of the proceeds from the 33-cent stamp will go to support AMBER Alert programs. It was issued in May, 2006. Amber Hagerman, whose abduction and murder inspired the AMBER Alert, was killed in January of 1996. The stamp is illustrated with a chalk pastel drawing by artist Vivienne Flesher and shows a reunited mother and child entwined in each other's arms. The type on each stamp and text across the header of the stamp pane reads "AMBER ALERT saves missing children." Current U.S. stamps, as well as a free comprehensive catalog, are available by toll-free phone order at 1-800-STAMP-24. A wide selection of stamps, other philatelic items, and licensed products are available at the Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop. Beautifully framed prints of original stamp art for delivery straight to the home or office are available at www.postalartgallery.com.

Getting Around

AAA Fuel Gauge Report

AAA Fuel Cost Calculator

Find the Lowest gas Price in Columbus

Construction

Click here for a  list of road construction projects in central Ohio.

Click on the orange barrel for updates on road construction and useful links for motorists.

News Links

Amber Alerts

Ohio Attorney General's "Internet Safety and Cyber Predator Awareness" page

Ohio Coalition on Sexual Assault

eSORN - Ohio's Registered Sex Offender Web Site

Ohio Attorney General Crime Victims Services Section

Ohio Domestic Violence Network

Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Central Ohio Crime Stoppers 

Ohio Missing Adults web site

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

The Transportation Security Administration

Port Columbus International Airport

Ohio Emergency Management Agency

Emergency Management Agency of Franklin County

National Weather Service

        -Watches and Warnings

        -Radar

Get a look at your driving record at the BMV's web site.

Columbus City Council

Columbus Public Schools

Ohio Department of Education

Ohio Department of Health

   West Nile Virus Information

   Information on monkey pox

   South Bass Island Illness

Columbus Pandemic Flu Information

Ohio Secretary of State

Ohio Elections Commission

Franklin County Board of Elections

Free credit reports online

Better Business Bureau

Columbus Blue Jackets -Click here for schedule and ticket information

Memorial Tournament - Click here for the Memorial Tournament web site

Buckeye Sports - Click here to follow the action.

                             Click here for information on game day traffic and parking

Columbus Zoo - Click here for the Columbus Zoo web site.

Ohio State Fair -  Visit the official State Fair web site.

Columbus Marathon

QuestionPoint - a service of OCLC and the Library of Congress

Ohio Association of Realtors

United Way of Central Ohio