From yesterday’s Youngstown Vindicator: YOUNGSTOWN Forum Health will reimburse the U.S. government $2,862,484 for inadvertently overbilling Medicare. In a settlement agreement negotiated with the U.S. Attorney’s office and the Department of Health and Human Services, Forum agreed that its Western Reserve Care System (Northside Medical Center in Youngstown) and Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren will [...]

Columbus—President Obama supporters and protestors lined 4th Street downtown to await his noon arrival to the Columbus Athenaeum. The President arrived last arrived in Columbus last night and spoke this morning at the private residence of Rhonda and Joe Weithman.  A group of the Weithman’s neighbors spoke with the President for an hour, asking questions [...]

Columbus—The deadline for The Ohio Budget Planning and Management Commission (BPMC)’s public solicitation for advice on how to address Ohio’s budget problem has been extended indefinitely. On July 7, Rep. Vernon Sykes (D- District 44), Chairman of the BPMC, announced that the committee will be taking recommendations and suggestions on how to address the budget [...]

Columbus—The iPad is one of this year’s hottest electronic gadgets and the Grandview Heights School District in Columbus isn’t missing out. Last month, the school district purchased ten base-model iPads (16 GB and wi-fi only) for the price of nine at $5,580 or $499 plus a $99 Apple Care package for each machine. This new [...]

Columbus- State Auditor Mary Taylor and her office released their performance audit of the Cuyahoga County Auditor’s Office today. The performance audit was authorized by the Cuyahoga Board of County Commissioners and the County Auditor’s Office in November 2009 by a joint resolution. The nearly 80 page audit made almost two dozen recommendations. If fully [...]

Columbus—The Main Street bridge opens today and Mayor Michael B. Coleman is betting that, eventually, taxpayers will forget it cost $60.1 million. The original design selected for the bridge with its unique inclined steel arch, only the fifth in the world, had an estimated $19.5 million budget and was slated to be finished in 2006. [...]

Columbus—State Auditor Mary Taylor may be indirectly to blame for LeBron James picking Miami to relocate his basketball prowess and not staying in Cleveland. At least, that’s the latest heat Taylor is getting after publicly saying she gave the option of moving to states with lower income and estate taxes to some of her wealthy [...]

Columbus–A new bill was introduced today to reduce waste and increase government accountability. State Representative Ross McGregor (R- District 72) was inspired to draft now-HB 561 after a project budgeted five years earlier sought re-appropriation. According to the press release, “When enacted, the proposed legislation would allow the public and the legislature to better monitor [...]

Cincinnati— “I support the Cincinnati Streetcar because it will help make the city more economically competitive,” says the official website. But first, a word from the government: As part of the country’s $293 million dollar transit project, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has allocated $25 million to Cincinnati for its streetcar program as an Urban [...]

Columbus—The day before LeBron James called Cleveland quits for Florida, a move that will deprive the city and state of major tax revenue, Gov. Ted Strickland and AT&T announced the investment of $120 million in Akron, Ohio for AT&T’s ninth mobility data center. “Ohio’s strong business climate and tax structure makes it easier for companies [...]