Some of Today's State News Headlines
Today is Thursday January 3, 2008
Attorney: driver in deadly wrong-way wreck distraught
TOLEDO (AP) - A man accused of killing a woman and four children in a wrong-way crash on an interstate while he was drunk is distraught over the deaths, said an attorney speaking for the man's family.
Michael Gagnon, 24, kept his head bowed and said little in court Wednesday during his first appearance since the crash on Sunday that killed five members of a family returning home from a holiday trip.
Toledo Municipal Court Judge Michael Goulding set bond at $1.25 million for five counts of aggravated vehicular homicide.
Gagnon, who still has a cut across his chin, spoke with attorney Rick Sanders on Tuesday while in jail.
"He couldn't believe this had happened," Sanders said. "He's distraught for the situation he's in. He's distraught that people are dead."
Police said tests showed Gagnon, of Adrian, Mich., had a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit when he drove his pickup truck in the wrong direction on Interstate 280.
(Refer to page 8 of today's Daily Chief-Union)
Ohio's teacher mentor program cuts early career attrition
CLEVELAND (AP) - Veteran teachers who mentor classroom rookies have helped Ohio sharply trim the number of new teachers who quit the profession after just a few years, according to the Ohio Department of Education.
About 28 percent of new teachers in Ohio leave the profession after five years compared to 46 percent nationwide, according to Marilyn Troyer, senior associate superintendent at the Ohio Department of Education.
"Having that kind of structured support during the first year is really helpful," Troyer said.
The mentoring program, in which veteran teachers observe and coach newcomers, also keeps down the cost of replacing teachers.
A recent study by the New Teacher Center at the University of California showed that for every $1 spent on recruiting and training novice teachers, districts save $1.66 after five years due to low turnover.
(Refer to page 8 of today's Daily Chief-Union)
Ohio foundations seek to tap into billions of dollars in wealth
CLEVELAND (AP) - About $160 billion in wealth could be passed from one generation to the next in Ohio by 2015 and foundations are looking to catch some of the windfall.
If the state's community endowments were able to harvest just 5 percent, they would capture about $8 billion in permanent assets.
"It's a staggering number," said George Espy, president of the Ohio Grantmakers Forum, which released a study by a Nebraska-based policy group. Capitalizing on the expected transfer of wealth, "could make a huge difference in the quality of life for generations to come."
Most of that money - reaped from post-World War II prosperity - will go to heirs of the deceased. But some will go to charitable bequests and at a 5 percent payout, that $8 billion would make roughly $400 million available every year for local improvement projects.
To put the potential windfall in context, Ohio's 68 community foundations reported assets of almost $4.6 billion in 2005 and giving of about $259 million.
(Refer to page 1 of today's Daily Chief-Union)
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