Month: April 2020

By Del Duduit

Ohio State Representative Brian Baldridge has a unique perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic that has shut down most of the nation, including his state.

Baldridge, a Republican from Adams County, is not only a legislator in his first term, but he is also a firefighter and paramedic. He was a four-term county commissioner and was in office during the national economic downturn in 2008. His experience, he believes, will guide him to help his constituents get through this current situation.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was one of the first in the nation to shut down his state and is being credited with getting ahead of the virus that has spread all over the world.

But as a result, many people have had to close their businesses, and the numbers of people filing for unemployment have skyrocketed.

“This is certainly new territory,” he said on Good Friday. “But we did see how the economic recession in ‘08 affected our communities. For some, it was devastating. When we get past this, we know how to work with local governments to help them and better assist our citizens.”

Baldridge represents the 90th District, which includes all of Adams and Scioto and a portion of Lawrence County. He was appointed by the Ohio Speaker of the House to serve on the Economic Recovery Task Force and will examine ways to help Buckeyes get back on their feet as soon as possible.

“We will discuss the economy with business owners and leaders and find a new direction to help bring everyone together and help each other,” he said. “This is our opportunity to move forward to help local communities and businesses lift themselves out of this financial problem.”

From a first responder standpoint, Baldridge said he is more aware than ever about making sure he takes precautions to protect himself and his family and friends.

“This is a very serious time in our nation, state and community,” he added. “This pandemic has changed me and how I do business. I am more safety cautious, and I make sure that I don’t wear the same clothes I had on at the fire department at home. When I make my transition toward home, I disinfect and make sure I don’t bring anything potentially dangerous to anyone.”

Schools in the area remain closed, and students are either learning online or from their parents. One area Baldridge said he will focus on as soon as possible is to put an emphasis to make broadband available to all Ohioans.

“A lot of my district is rural, and there are some people who don’t have access to broadband,” he said. “A big portion of my district has people who are off the grid and cannot work at the same speed because of this, and it’s not a good situation. We don’t want anyone to fall behind because they don’t have broadband, especially students and people who are encouraged to work from home.”

School districts are doing all they can to ensure students have what they need to complete assigned work, he added, but they are limited if there is no broadband access.

“Many districts are providing hard copies to students, and that’s great because they are doing their best,” he said. “But every student needs broadband access, and we are going to look at this issue right away.”

He added the current situation is a trying time in Ohio and the nation, but it’s also a good opportunity to connect with people who are close to each other.

“We are going to get through this,” he said. “And we will be wiser and stronger. But I am a firm believer in my faith, and this is a time to rely on friends and family and grow closer and stronger. That’s one big thing I see coming out of all this.”

Del Duduit is an award-winning writer and author who lives in Lucasville, Ohio with his wife, Angie. They attend Rubyville Community Church. Follow his blog at delduduit.com/blog and his Twitter @delduduit. He is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary Agency.

 

Netflix’s wildly popular Tiger King has sparked renewed interest in the tragic tale of a Zanesville man and the wild animal escape of 2011.

Before Joe Exotic and Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness hit the airwaves, Ohio had its own Tiger King, the late Terry Thompson. Like Joe Exotic, Thompson had an affinity for fast cars, guns and collecting wild exotic animals.

After purchasing two Bengal cubs in 1977, Thompson was hooked. The Vietnam veteran started a 73-acre wild animal sanctuary in Zanesville where he housed a wide array of creatures, from macaws to bears.

Ohio’s Tiger King, sadly, had a much more tragic fate than Joe Exotic. What happened on Thompson’s sanctuary would lead to the state adopting some of the strictest wild animal laws in the nation.

Police say that on Oct. 18, 2011, in an act of anger and revenge, Thompson set loose dozens of dangerous wild animals into the city of Zanesville, population 25,000, before committing suicide by shooting himself in the head.

In the hours that followed, law enforcement and an army of volunteers carrying high-powered weapons massacred numerous wild animals, including 18 tigers, 17 lions, 8 bears 3 cougars, 2 wolves and a baboon.

Thompson had recently been released from federal prison, where he served a year on gun charges, and his wife of 40 years left him, setting the stage for a mental breakdown that led to the release of the animals, said authorities.

Several of the animals were shot dead in their cages, including some young tiger cubs, according to sanctuary caretaker John Moore, who told his story to author Teresa Headley in the book, Eighteen Days to the Massacre. 

Thompson’s body was discovered on a horse trail in the sanctuary. It was reportedly was being eaten by a Siberian tiger. According to the sanctuary caretaker, police said Thompson used his left hand to fire the weapon, even though he was right-handed and his left arm had a fresh injury where he had been clawed.

Another interesting detail is that Thompson used a Muskingum County deputy’s pistol to shoot himself, said Moore.

There was no crime scene investigation and police did not follow up on other details, like who purchased the bullets for the pistol,  even though a receipt was found near the crime scene, according to Moore.

Other little-known details of Thompson’s death also are revealed in the book.

Many have disputed law enforcement’s claims that Thompson would jeopardize the lives of his beloved animals and commit suicide.

One of the people who spoke out on behalf of Thompson was Joe Exotic, himself.

Not long after the Zanesville massacre, Joe Exotic produced a video for Joe Exotic TV entitled The Lion Sleeps Tonight. In the video, he explained why he did not believe Thompson released the animals and committed suicide.

“There are so many questions people have that were never brought to light by the police department …” said Joe Exotic, including the timeline of the events, which he said do not add up.

Joe Exotic pointed out that Thompson’s leopards were the only cats that were not released that day. “Leopards are the most dangerous of the big cats,” said Exotic. “He would have let the most aggressive animals out if he wanted to cause mayhem for the town and community.”

Also, the valuable animals, like Celebes apes, which he said are worth about $10,000 each,  were not released from their cages.

Joe Exotic pointed out that authorities chose not to use tranquilizing or paralyzing agents, even though two Ohio zoos were called to help and that these would have been available. These and other questions have not been answered.

He said there also were no crime scene pictures taken.

Several years before Thompson died, he began selling firearms as a way to finance the feeding, housing and care of his animals. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives eventually caught on and charged Thompson with possession of 133 unregistered firearms.

While at the property, ATF agents said they noticed animals being kept in horrible conditions. However no charges were brought against Thompson for animal neglect or abuse. Thompson attempted to fight the firearms charges, but he eventually pled guilty as money ran out to defend himself in court.

Shortly after the Zanesville tragedy, Senate Bill 310 which contained new, stricter Exotic Rules and Regulations was enacted. Ohio went from having some of the nation’s loosest laws on private exotic animal ownership to having some of the toughest.

Owners had to register and micro-chip their animals, and meet strict standards on housing, training, transportation, insurance and enclosures. The law also prohibited the acquisition of more animals — except for certain species — and the state could seize animals from owners who failed to meet the standards. Animals that did not meet the new criteria were surrendered by owners or were seized by the state and taken to a facility in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.

In 2013, the ODOA disclosed that the new $2.9 million, 17,920-square-foot Dangerous Wild Animal Temporary Holding Facility had been built to accommodate the animals.

An op-ed piece in the New York Times recently did not blame the Chinese government for the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought the world to a standstill.

The post did not blame Republicans, Democrats or Independents. Of course not.

Katherine Stewart instead tossed the responsibility and blame on people of faith.

After all, the religious right is anti-science, as she claimed, and they support President Donald Trump, who the “newspaper of record” clashes with at press conferences on a regular basis.

Stewart’s opinion article was published on March 27, 2020. It is titled “The Religious Right’s Hostility to Science is Crippling Our Coronavirus Response,” and Stewart makes her opinion clear that people of faith are the reason we are all might die.

She blathers that Trump came into power with the determined assistance that denies science and bashes government. She opines that loyalty is stronger than expertise.

If Trump had not chosen to align himself with anti-science Bible-thumpers, then we would not be in this mess, she suggests.

This is straight out of the leftist playbook. Blame the deplorables and the gun-toting Bible thumpers.

When all else fails and you are void of an intelligent argument, toss the blame and call names.

The editorial writer then made an appearance on MSNBC to further point the finger at Christians.

This is a prime example why many Americans do not trust the mainstream media. Journalism used to be a proud profession–one that held esteem and honor.

A Gallup poll recently released a piece, and the title said it all: “Most Americans say they have lost trust in the media.” A CBS poll in March said that President Trump is trusted more than the media.

Stewart’s unwarranted attack on people of faith is just another reason why Americans do not trust the outlets and the people who are supposed to be fair and neutral.

I would have expected the blame to be directed at Communist China for the release of the virus. After all, that is where it came from.

Instead, journalists and left-leaning members of Congress chastise the President as being a racist for calling the disease the “Chinese Coronavirus.”

I see nothing wrong with that characterization. I go to “Chinese” restaurants and “Italian” restaurants to dine. I speak the “English” language, and one of my pets was a “German” Shepherd. These assumptions of racism are ridiculous.

Stewart is fine with offending American people who are Christians but will not dare put the responsibility of this pandemic where it belongs out of fear of being labeled a racist or frustrating a country that has a documented history of population control – China.

Instead, she attacks Christians.

I remember when journalists were brave and sought to tell the truth no matter the consequence.

Stewart is neither. She puts a target on those she assumes have been taught to “turn the other cheek.”

Christians are not anti-science. I have many friends who are doctors, and I have put my trust in them. Just because I am a person of faith does not mean I don’t appreciate doctors and hospitals.

If I am sick or need attention from a healthcare provider, I go. I never ask about their religious background because that’s not really important to me when I am in an emergency room.

The fact that I rely on the “ultimate healer” is not a slap in their face. If an atheist is put in the position to save my loved one and has the skills needed to save lives, then I am ready to receive his help.

But Stewart’s attack on people of faith is deeper than what she claims. She must possess a deep hatred for Christians in order to blame them for this pandemic. Many in the media mock Vice President Pence for his Christian beliefs. But he handles it with class.

I believe there is more to this pandemic. Many high-profile people warned two years that this could happen.

Tragic events usually bring the country together, and citizens are more lenient and loving toward each other.

But in this case, this writer expressed disdain and blame for a certain population which only works to divide the country even more.

President Trump has been working hard to fight this pandemic and to encourage private and public entities to partner together to fight this enemy. Inconvenience is a way of life for now. He is criticized by the media for holding too many press briefings. If he didn’t make daily appearances, they would bang on him for that. The mainstream media cannot be satisfied or trusted.

But to scapegoat Christians because of this pandemic is a low blow, even for the New York Times.

Del Duduit is an award-winning writer and author who lives in Lucasville, Ohio with his wife, Angie. They attend Rubyville Community Church. Follow his blog at delduduit.com/blog/ and his Twitter @delduduit. He is represented by Cyle Young of Hartli

Few people realize the preparation, time and expense that goes into planning a wedding, not to mention the hopes and dreams of a young couple in love.

There’s the venue, the guest list and invitations, the cake, catering, music, flowers … and the list goes on.

But this is 2020 and there’s more than just love in the air. Enter the coronavirus.

With so many couples struggling to decide what to do, a website has been set up by a wedding planning service called The Knot to help couples navigate the crisis.

Here are the stories of two brides-to-be whose wedding plans were altered due to an uninvited and unwelcome guest: COVID-19. These young ladies are first cousins and both happen to be in the nursing profession.

“When all this started in February, we never thought our May wedding would be affected,” said Casie Contos, who works at the Cleveland Clinic. Casie and is engaged to medical student Tyler Karras. Tyler is about to start a residency at Mercy Health in Youngstown.

“Slowly, the realization came that this MIGHT cause us some problems,” said Casie.

The couple came up with a Plan B, to have an intimate backyard wedding ceremony. “We still didn’t take this plan B too seriously. This coronavirus thing would all blow over soon, right?”

Casie said there were so many things to consider when deciding if they should postpone the wedding.

“Will we be able to confidently hug our guests? Am I going to make someone feel uncomfortable if I get too close? Do I have to pay hundreds of dollars for new invitations? Will there be a different date available that works for us and our vendors?”

“How do you make a decision for an event in May when information on this virus changes daily?” the future bride questioned.

The fact that the couple works in health care added another dimension to the problem.

First, Casie decided that it would be best to cancel her March bridal shower. Then Tyler cancelled a bachelor party cruise. Then Casie called off her bachelorette party.

The couple continued to hang onto the hope that the wedding could still happen.

“Finally, today, we gave in to the inevitable and made the heartbreaking decision that it was no longer safe to move forward with our May 30, 2020 wedding,” said Casie. “This decision came after many sleepless nights, emails, long conversations, etc.”

The couple had already paid for or made deposits on a photographer, a DJ, a minister, a florist, a hair stylist and a chair rental company, each under a separate contract.

“Do you think every one of these vendors will have the same date open to reschedule for us? Probably not,” said Casie. And having their payments returned if they decided to cancel was also unlikely.

Then there was the venue that the couple had already paid several thousand dollars to reserve. “They said if we cancel our wedding, we will only get back 50 percent of what we have paid,” said Casie.

“There have been moments where we hope our venue just cancels on us. At least then we would get our money back. Isn’t that crazy? The biggest day of our lives. We planned for this day for two years. And we hope our venue cancels.”

In addition to this, some counties in Ohio are not issuing marriage licenses, so getting legally married may not even be possible anytime soon.

“We aren’t sad – we haven’t cried,” said Casie. “We’re just completely speechless and utterly dumbfounded.”

Brandy Contos, who is Casie’s cousin, said she and her fiancé have not decided yet if they will postpone their July wedding in Nashville, TN.

Brandy  is employed at an outpatient surgical center that has temporarily closed. “I have applied to every site, willing to be on the front lines with my fellow nurses but have not been contacted,’ said Brandy.

“Obviously, we will have to make sure our bills are paid and food is on the table, over the costs of a wedding,” she added.

Brandy’s fiancé Nathan Nichols is from San Diego and works in the hotel industry.  Though Nathan’s line of work has been impacted by the coronavirus, Nathan is still working.

The couple resides in Chicago.

“I didn’t go through the extent of planning like Casie, so I really feel for her,” said Brandy. “We still have a number of months yet and the direction of this virus isn’t clear. For now, we are just staying informed regarding the virus and mandates/legislation and stay-at-home orders” said Brandy.

The future bride said the unknown course of the virus has prevented them from committing to floral arrangements, a bakery for the wedding cake and a justice of the peace, among other things.

“I can only imagine the economic stress this must put on those small businesses,” she added.

Another uncertainty is their venue, which is a hotel. Many hotels have now closed or have limited staff.

Brandy recently cancelled her May bachelorette party.

“And, of course, our honeymoon is booked so we will have to see what to do with that,” she said.

“I’m currently thinking that if we have to postpone or cancel the wedding, that we just won’t have a wedding,” Brandy said.

“I don’t want to start over. I just want to marry my best friend.”

The CDC also offered some advice for couples who choose to go through with their celebration on the original date.

“Events of any size should only be continued if they can be carried out with adherence to guidelines for protecting vulnerable populations, hand hygiene and social distancing,” the new CDC guidelines said. “When feasible, organizers could modify events to be virtual.”

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), “small businesses can obtain up to a $10,000 advance on an Economic Injury Disaster Loan even if a previous application was denied.”

This loan advance will provide relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a loss of revenue because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SBA has stated that the funds will be made available within 3 days of a successful application. This advance does not have to be repaid.

The application for this advance is online and Ohio small businesses can apply by clicking here. There is no word yet on how long these reviews will take or when these advances will take place.