After holding their 15th negotiation session this Monday, the Mason City Schools Board of Education and the district's teachers union, the Mason Education Association, still have not reached a contract agreement for the upcoming school year.
The two parties have been working to reach a deal since February and began using a federal mediator in April.
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Baristas at the Starbucks on the corner of Beechmont and Five Mile Road in Anderson Township have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to hold a union election.
The group of Cincinnati baristas are joined by eight other groups of workers at Starbucks locations across the country who also filed for union elections this week. Starbucks Workers United, the worker-led organization that represents more than 10,000 unionized Starbucks employees, says it expects more filings to come later this month.
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A chilly Six O'Clock Symphony to help cool you off on this 90 degree summer day! Picture this: snowy peaks, the scent of pine, the sound of a bubbling brook, flower meadows and pastures as far as the eye can see, and even a snow storm before you reach the summit. A total of 11 hours admiring and climbing a frosty Alpine mountain, condensed into less than an hour of your time, but just enough chill to fight off the summer heat! Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony, tonight on #WGUC !
Photo: Jiří Bubeníček - Meadow with flowers in the Swiss Alps above Saas-Fee, 2018
The Cincinnati area is not in a drought, but it could still use rain. Julie Dian-Reed with the National Weather Service says June ended with many places getting significantly less rainfall than usual.
“More so in western Hamilton County, getting into areas of Northern Kentucky, toward Boone County, that’s the areas where we’re kind of getting into the classification of what you would call 'moderate drought,' ” she says. “Like the type of drought you would have maybe every five to 10 years. Not extreme values. We’re not looking at water shortages or that sort of thing, but certainly stress on plants and very dry conditions.”
Scattered thunderstorms are in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, Independence Day. Dian-Reed says some places are reporting five inches below normal precipitation.
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One of the biggest barriers to progress is, of course, money. The only source of funding for fixing these problems is sewer rates; advocates say the MSD rate structure puts unfair burden on residential customers, while big corporate customers get significant discounts. Plus, county officials are considering a brand new stormwater fee. See a transcript of Episode 5 of #BackedUp along with more photos and videos at wvxu.org/backedup.
If approved by voters, the "Citizens Not Politicians" amendment would replace the current Republican-driven commission with the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission.
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A local high schooler’s science fair project turned into a nationally recognized innovation.
Recent Walnut Hills graduate Angelina DiPaola began experimenting with sensors and composting in eighth grade.
“I didn't have a very successful science fair,” DiPaola said. “All the bins turned out very smelly and made my basement completely uninhabitable. But I did come away with the idea that, 'Oh, I could use sensors to help people start composting.' ”
She’s since developed a smart home composting system with her dad and sister. They call it Compai. The device tracks the moisture levels and temperature of a compost pile — key indicators of its success.
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The city of Newport, meetNKY, Newport on the Levee, and BB Riverboats are coming together to celebrate Independence Day this year with a "Newport Blast" event Wednesday, July 3, on the Levee.
The carnival-inspired Fourth of July event will feature live music, food, kids' activities, and a hot dog-eating contest to go along with a fireworks and drone show later that night.
Cassie Pennington with Newport on the Levee says Newport Blast's location at the shopping, dining, and entertainment center offers something for everyone who comes to celebrate the holiday.
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Khaladou Sy is waiting.
He's waiting to see whether the journey he made to Lockland earlier this year will be permanent. Waiting to see if he'll be sent back to his native Mauritania. Waiting for a work permit so he can support his young child.
Mauritanians have been coming to Lockland since the 1990s to escape harsh persecution against Black people in the West African country. Recently, their numbers have increased dramatically, adding significantly to the population in a village that had about 3,500 people a year ago. Like Sy, they wait to see what their fate will be in the U.S. immigration system.
In the meantime, there are English classes. Volunteering at the local food pantry.
And, there are bicycles.
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