A “CHOOSE LIFE” sign sits outside St. William Church in Cincinnati’s Price Hill neighborhood. Photo: Aidan Mahoney

The battle on abortion rights got wordy this week, with the famous “CHOOSE LIFE” signs in Cincinnati finally getting the official campaign signage designation from Hamilton County elections officials, at least on Nov. 7. And Republicans at the Ohio Statehouse have decided the ballot language voters will see when they decide on the issue; too bad it’s full of baffling inaccuracies, exaggerations and propaganda.

This is your CityBeat news roundup.

Hamilton County Elections Officials: “CHOOSE LIFE” Signs are Campaign Signs on Nov. 7 The white and black “CHOOSE LIFE” signs that have dotted countless Cincinnati yards, fences and windows for years will now be considered official campaign signage during the Nov. 7 election. Alex Linser, deputy director of elections for the Hamilton County Board of Elections (BOE) told CityBeat that, like any campaign signage, “CHOOSE LIFE” signs will need to remain at least 100 feet from polling place entrances come Nov. 7, including the dozens of churches that double as polling locations. “The rule is that a sign is a campaign sign or campaign paraphernalia when it is advocating for or against a candidate or issue that is currently on the ballot,” Linser told CityBeat. “With a constitutional amendment about abortion on the ballot, I have a hard time understanding how a ‘CHOOSE LIFE’ sign could be anything other than a political statement.” Read CityBeat‘s story about the ubiquitous signs and how elections officials plan to enforce their presence at the 100+ churches that double as polling locations.
UC Officials: Student Sexually Assaulted by Man Posing as Resident Advisor Police are looking for a man they say sexually assaulted a University of Cincinnati student while posing as a resident advisor. According to the UC office of Public Safety, the assault took place on Aug. 24 around 3 a.m. at The Deacon, an off-campus apartment for UC students at 424 Straight St. UC said the suspect identified himself as a resident advisor and implied he had a weapon, but it was never seen. The university is urging students to practice caution with people claiming to work for UC. The investigation is being handled by Cincinnati Police. CPD did not immediately respond to CityBeat’s request for comment on the status of the investigation. Read CityBeat‘s story to find a description of the alleged attacker.
More than 600 Volunteers Needed for October Rotary Do Days Blitz Local celebs are looking for more than 600 people to participate in a three-day volunteer blitz this October. Called Rotary “Do Days,” the Rotary Club of Cincinnati has collaborated with CincinnatiCares.org, an online volunteer matching service that pairs volunteers with community needs. Projects range from serving meals to stocking shelves, painting fences, planting gardens, stuffing envelopes and organizing archives. Volunteers can sign up for a project on just one or all three days from Oct. 26-28. The time commitment is low, ranging only from 90 minutes to a few hours. “So many smaller non-profits struggle to get volunteers,” said Do Days chair Linda Muth. “There are a lot of needs and a lot of people who want to help. Rotary Do Days can connect them.” Read CityBeat‘s story to find out how you can secure your spot.
Mason Company Webhelp Americas to Lay Off Up to Half of Workforce A tech company based locally has recently announced plans to lay off up to 150 staff members over the course of the next two months out of their approximately 300 total employees. Webhelp Americas, which is originally based in Paris, France, but has a branch locally in Mason, Ohio, primarily works in the field of social media content moderation. The Mason branch specifically is contracted with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. The recent layoffs at Webhelp were announced in a move to reduce overhead costs, as per the wishes of ByteDance. Some of the employees may, however, be chosen to remain on staff as part-time employees or for reduced hours, though it’s unclear to what degree this will affect their ability to afford living costs.

Read CityBeat‘s story about the mental toll of content moderation in big tech.

Ohio’s Final Abortion Ballot Question is Full of Republican Propaganda In a 3-2 split decision Thursday, the Ohio Ballot Board rejected using the full text of a proposed reproductive rights amendment on the ballot in November, adopting instead summary language written by the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office that was criticized for being incomplete and inaccurate. In the summary language approved by the board, the medical term “fetus” is changed to “unborn child,” and the amendment’s “decision” language is changed to “medical treatment.” The summary passed by the board does not include a list of the rights to “reproductive decisions” spelled out in the ballot measure, including contraception, fertility treatment, continuing one’s own pregnancy and miscarriage care, all of which would be impacted under the new constitutional amendment. Also, the phrase “pregnant patient” in the ballot measure was changed to “pregnant woman” in the summary. Read CityBeat‘s story about what voters will see when they vote on abortion rights in November.


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This article appears in Aug 23 – Sep 5, 2023.