Morning News and Stuff

Despite challenges to its constitutionality, JobsOhio is moving forward with a bond sale. The agency, which is meant to create jobs, is holding a bond sale Jan. 23 to raise money for economic development. But ProgressOhio, which is suing Gov. John Kasich’s administration over JobsOhio, says the governor should halt the sale until legal issues are resolved: “There are serious legal questions about the funding of JobsOhio. Gov. Kasich's own commerce director said his duty to uphold the Ohio Constitution was stopping him from moving JobsOhio forward until these questions were resolved.”

Ohio will give schools $37.9 million in casino profits. When casinos were approved by voters, one of the caveats was that some of the tax revenue raised would go into improving the state’s education system. Cincinnati will get its own casino in March 2013.

To avoid rules regarding how to properly seal a case, charges have been dropped in the rape flier case. That’s despite the fact the student who allegedly posted the “Top Ten Ways to Get Away with Rape” previously pleaded guilty. Judge Robert Lyons, who was presiding over the case, was previously criticized by The Enquirer for not following proper procedure, but dropping the charges and letting the student withdraw his guilty plea may put the judge in the legal clear. Lyons says he regularly seals cases for students.

The old building for the School for the Creative and Performing Arts will be converted into 170 apartments.

Northern Kentucky University could soon ban smoking on campus. Several other schools in Kentucky are already tobacco-free. The Ohio Board of Regents encouraged Ohio campuses to ban smoking on July 23. 

Applications for Gov. Kasich’s worker training vouchers are going fast. The program is meant to improve Ohio’s business climate. It reimburses businesses for eligible employee training expenses in an effort to make Ohio companies more competitive and improve workers’ skills.

A portrait of Jesus will remain in an Ohio school after 300 people showed up in support at a school board meeting. An atheist group is already planning on suing the school over the portrait. In a letter, Freedom from Religion Foundation claims that “if a district were to promote a religion over non-religion, it would impermissibly turn any non-believing student, parent, or staff member into an outsider.”

With former governor Ted Strickland dropping out of the governor’s race, The Washington Post posted an early look at whether Gov. Kasich can survive re-election. At this point, Kasich’s most likely opponent is Ed FitzGerald, former mayor of Lakewood and Cuyahoga County’s executive.

Apparently, Australia is so hot meteorologists had to add two new colors to heat maps to properly show the country’s temperature. Americans can probably relate, considering 2012 was the hottest year ever recorded for the United States.

The cure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria may be panda blood. Will pandas abuse their newfound powers to take over the world?