Police disperse block party with flash grenades

On Saturday, April 21, Kent police, with assistance from other law enforcement agencies, used smoke bombs, pepper gas and flash bang grenades to break up College Fest, an annual block party held at Kent State University.

The police were forced to disperse the crowd after several attendees were taken to area hospitals to receive treatment for injuries resulting from fights at the party.

Partygoers also threw bricks and beer bottles at the officers. The police even received reports that one attendee was carrying a gun, though he was never located.

Though the cold temperatures and sporadic rain likely kept the size of the crowd down, it was reported the party had attracted more than 3,000 attendees by 6 p.m.

It was around this time the fights began. Police began breaking up the party around 8 p.m. More than 30 arrests were made.

14-year-old accused of raping 12-year-old

A 14-year-old boy from Springboro has been charged for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 12-year old female classmate in a bathroom at Springboro Junior High School.

Though the sex was reportedly consensual, Ohio law states that sexual contact with any person under the age of 13 is considered rape.

The incident was reported to police by a relative of the girl.

The investigation found the students arranged to meet each other in the bathroom during a study hall period.

The teacher claimed the students were not gone for an unusually long amount of time.

The alleged incident occurred on March 26. The boy appeared for arraignment in Warren County Common Pleas Court Juvenile Division on March 29.

The boy is currently on house arrest and is not allowed to use the Internet, cellphones or social media.

Though he could be sentenced to register as a sex offender, it is likely his proximity in age to the victim will exclude him from this punishment.

Police discover 499 ecstasy capsules in traffic stop

At around 4 p.m. on April 20, police in Preble County pulled over a 2012 Chevrolet Impala on I-70 for following another vehicle too closely. After the driver was found to have a suspended license police brought in a drug-sniffing dog to inspect the vehicle.

With the help of the dog, police found 499 ecstasy capsules as well as a .40-caliber handgun. The drugs are reportedly worth more than $8,000.

The driver of the vehicle was 28-year-old Alexius Lacour from Dallas, Texas.

If convicted, he could face up to eight years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

Film industry brings jobs, millions of dollars to Ohio

Since 2009, the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit has been in place. This credit gives movie production companies a refundable tax credit so that they have more incentive to film in the state.

The tax credit allows for $30 million in reimbursements to be made for productions that are filmed in Ohio.

So far 27 productions have taken advantage of the credit. Though it is set to expire in June, there are plans to extend it as well as raise its cap.

Ohio’s quickly growing film industry has also created 1,143 full-time equivalent jobs and around 9,000 temporary jobs over the past three years.

A study that was done at Cleveland State found that for every $1 the state spends on the tax credit, it makes back $1.20 through job creation and increased business.

Some of the movies that have been shot in Ohio include the upcoming film “The Avengers” as well as “The Ides of March” starring George Clooney.

Grant restrictions would target Planned Parenthood

Recently, the Ohio Legislature bumped Planned Parenthood to the end of the list to qualify to receive federal funding for family-planning services. Public health departments as well as other organizations that offer such services have priority.

The reason Planned Parenthood was bumped to the bottom of the list was because the state doesn’t believe facilities that offer abortions should receive federal funding over those that do not offer them.

A similar provision in Texas caused five of the six Planned Parenthood facilities there to lose funding.

Though Texas is the only state to have enacted such a plan so far, they will most likely not be alone for long, Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York and Tennessee are all in various stages of setting up a similar system.