[???]
MIKE ALLEN: The former Hamilton County prosecutor has told The Enquirer he’s thinking about returning to politics. Allen — who also is an ex-cop and a one-time county GOP chairman — decided not to seek reelection as prosecutor in 2004 once it was revealed he had an extramarital affair with Rebecca Collins, an assistant prosecutor who later sued the county. Allen is mulling running for Cincinnati City Council as an independent. Current prosecutor Joe Deters wished him well, adding he’s a believer in “redemption.” So are we, but ... Allen served as the regional campaign manager for the Bush reelection campaign in 2004 and helped boost GOP turnout by pimping a statewide ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage, which was approved. Supposedly, the sacred institution of marriage needed protection from gays and lesbians, we were told. That makes Allen an opportunistic hypocrite, and lord knows politics doesn’t need another one of those.
[LOSER]
JEAN SCHMIDT: It’s beginning to look more and more like the embattled congresswoman from Miami Township will be one of two lawmakers to lose her seat in redistricting. Schmidt continues to embarrass the Republican Party due to the ongoing probe by the House Ethics Committee into her acceptance of hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Turkish special interest group without reporting the gift as required by federal law. The cash apparently was used to help pay her legal fees in a defamation lawsuit she filed against a former political opponent. The committee could choose to acquit, censure, reprimand or expel Schmidt from the House; a decision is expected Aug. 16. Schmidt also has been accused of lying about which degrees she holds and altering a marathon photo to make her finish time look better. While we wait on a decision, maybe someone can explain why she needs to take paid trips to Turkey or has drawn the attention of Turkish interest groups. Odd.
[WINNER]
OTR FOUNDATION: If this were the Olympics, the Over-the-Rhine Foundation would’ve been awarded a bronze medal, which isn’t bad at all. Despite a concerted online lobbying effort, the nonprofit agency placed third in an online voting competition recently held by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It will receive $5,000 to help save at-risk buildings in OTR, a neighborhood that’s believed to be the nation’s largest, intact historic district and has the largest collection of Italianate architecture in the United States. The foundation placed ahead of more than 100 contestants, losing only to groups trying to save The Breakers mansion in Newport, R.I., and an old theater in Wellington, Tex. The “This Place Matters” contest was made possible by a $75,000 donation from the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. to the National Trust. Here’s a hat tip to everyone who voted for Cincinnati’s historic treasure.
[WINNER]
SUMMIT BEHAVIORAL: Ohio officials announced July 11 that they will spend $52,000 to improve the energy efficiency of the Summit Behavorial Healthcare Center in Roselawn. The project includes removing outdated lighting on 67 poles in the parking lot and replacing them with LED fixtures. The change will mean less wattage is consumed and fewer maintenance costs are incurred. The project is estimated to shave $9,000 in utility costs each year. Combined with a Duke Energy smart-grid rebate, the project will pay for itself in about 4 years. The state-owned Summit facility provides inpatient and outpatient services to about 350 mentally impaired adults on a daily basis. It is the largest freestanding psychiatric facility in Ohio. About 32 percent of its patients are from Restoration to Competency programs, for persons charged with but not yet adjudicated for a crime, or are being treated after being acquitted of crimes as Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity.
