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Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024
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Releasing kids for religion gets OK DeWine has to sign bill approved by Ohio lawmakers Owen MacMillan The Community Guide
The Ohio Legislature has passed a bill that would require schools to adopt a policy allowing religious release time during the school day and to out students’ gender identity to their parents. Gov. Mike DeWine has 10 days to either sign House Bill 8 into law or veto it.
grade classrooms. Additionally, the bill State law now allows sexuality was to be taught had not seen any evidence, would require schools to for local school districts in the classroom and offer either on the House floor or notify parents if a student to adopt a policy allowing alternative learning options. in her local districts, of any- requests to identify by any gender other than what they students to leave during the According to the language thing she would describe school day to participate in of the bill, “‘Sexuality as “gender ideology” being were assigned at birth. The language requiring religious education procontent’ means any oral or taught in schools. grams, but the language of written instruction, presen“I go into schools and talk religious release time was added into the bill by the H.B. 8, called the “Parents’ tation, image, or descripto kids, parents and teachSenate Education Commitbill of rights” by supporters, tion of sexual concepts or ers,” she said. “We’re not would make such policies a gender ideology provided in having any issues. They’re tee last week. requirement. a classroom setting.” teaching the core curricuThe amendment language The House passed H.B. 8 The bill offers no definilum.” is similar to the language of in June 2023 and would tion of “gender ideology.” It also completely bans House Bill 445, which was require districts to alert State Rep. Gayle Manteaching such topics in introduced earlier this year parents when content about ning, R-Avon, said that she kindergarten through third- by state Rep. Gary Click, R-
Vickery and the bill, introduced by state Sen. Michelle Reynolds, R-Columbus. The Senate Education Committee added the religious release time language to H.B. 8 by a vote of 5-2 on Wednesday and the Senate as a whole then approved the bill by a vote of 24-7. Later that day, the House passed the amended language of the bill 57-31, sending the legislation to DeWine to be signed into law. “In the end it’s parents who should get to make the
County sets 2025 budget Republicans elected in November, “we really want The Lorain County Board to give them some time to of Commissioners has set get their hands around their the 2025 county budget at working budget.” just over $86.7 million. “I’m sure the prosecutor “I’m pretty sure we will be back and the Sheriff can make payroll,” Comwill be back,” he said, a missioner Jeff Riddell, a statement Riddell echoed. Republican, said with a Real estate conveyance chuckle when asked if the fees are “way up” this year, county could meet its finan- even though sales tax is cial obligations. down, Auditor Craig SnodThe appropriation is for grass said. the full year, not a tempoHe said the budget is due rary appropriation for three to him by Dec. 31, and the months like there was last board can’t present him a year at this same time, Rid- budget that’s out of balance. dell said. Under the law, judges Projected tax revenue for in the county court sys2025 is just under $87.2 tem, including Common million, according to num- Pleas, Domestic Relations/ bers provided at a board Juvenile, and Probate, can meeting Tuesday, leaving issue legal orders to the an estimated $430,000 unBoard of Commissioners to spent and unappropriated. give them their requested Commissioner David budget. Moore, a Republican, on The 2024 budget was an Tuesday said it took a lot approximate $84.4 million. of hard work under a tight For the second year in a deadline to get the budget row, the board did not hold balanced. public budget hearings with “Every elected official elected officials or departworked with this board,” he mental directors. Prior to said. 2023, the commissioners Moore said when it comes often called elected offito Prosecutor-elect Tony cials and department heads Cillo and Sheriff-elect before them to present their Jack Hall, Moore’s fellow budget requests. Dave O’Brien The Community Guide
BRUCE BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Damage to the neighboring house can be seen as the home is demolished.
Woman faces arson charges Kurta created “a substantial risk of physical harm” to a victim identified A Lorain woman who allegedly set her own Brownell Avenue home only by the initials I.H. and also “by on fire, causing flames to spread to a means of fire or explosion knowneighboring residence, is now facing ingly cause(d) physical harm to any three felony arson charges in Lorain occupied structure,” namely 529 and 537 Brownell Ave. in Lorain. County Common Pleas Court. The Lorain Fire Department, reA grand jury on Dc. 19 indicted sponded at approximately 4:30 p.m. Amber Bodnar-Kurta, 38, of 529 Oct. 20 to a fire at 529 Brownell Brownell Ave., on three counts of aggravated arson in connection with Ave., the home of Bodnar-Kurta and her soon-to-be ex-husband. The the Oct. 20 fire. Bodnar-Kurta is free on a $25,000 couple reportedly are going through a divorce, police wrote in a report. surety bond, according to court and The fire allegedly started in a firstjail records. Bodnar-Kurta is befloor living room, spread throughout ing represented by attorney Jenifer the two-story house and spread to a Berki. The charges allege that Bodnarneighboring house at 537 Brownell. The Community Guide
Chuck Gamble, an officer from Grafton Correctional, loads a box of food into a waiting car at the Elyria Salvation Army offices on Broad Street.
Witnesses told police Bodnar-Kurta and her boyfriend sped away from the Bodnar-Kurta house as the fire started. A state Fire Marshal investigator found Bodnar-Kurta walking on Euclid Avenue near Randall Street, and she allegedly told them she started the fire according to police. A neighbor told police that Bodnar-Kurta told them her soon-to-be ex-husband wouldn’t get anything in the divorce and that “she was going to set the house on fire to make sure he didn’t,” according to a Lorain police report.
Salvation Army distributes gifts The Community Guide
BRUCE BISHOP / CHRONICLE
Rows upon rows of black bags sat on the floor of the gymnasium at the Salvation Army Elyria, some with odd shapes and corners to them, others with toys that didn’t quite fit poking out the top. Volunteers walked up and down the rows, looking for the names labeled on the bags. After finding the ones they were looking for, they would take the bags out to the curb of Broad Street where families lined up to receive
Christmas gifts. At Elyria’s Salvation Army Thursday, thousands of Christmas gifts were distributed to more than 500 families, giving them the help they needed, said Capt. Jamal Agnewel. “It’s very gratifying to know that whatever a parent or parents may be going through, they had the opportunity to do something for their child. Their child may never necessarily know that that was an issue, but they got to wake up to something wonderful,” James Agnewel said.
INSIDE THIS WEEK ‘Picasso and Paper’
Long recovery
Hoops for the holiday
Exhibit highlights artist’s early works. A4
Woman badly hurt in I-90 head-on. A3
Area basketball teams take to the courts. A6
SPORTS A6 • CROSSWORD A7 • SUDOKU A7 • KID SCOOP A8