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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > April > 06
Monday, April 6, 2009
More than 50 vie for EMA post
More than 50 people from across the United States submitted applications to become Butler County Emergency Management Agency director by the Friday, April 3 deadline.
I started listing all of them when I got the first few in, but I don’t have time to type up all 50. Sorry.
The list includes Middletown City Councilman Bill Becker, who has served as both police chief and city manager.
Becker can legally hold both jobs, as long as he abstains from any discussion or vote concerning city funding of the EMA, according to a March 25 opinion from Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray (You can read that here: click on 2009-010).
Former EMA Director William Turner had cautioned against this, saying it would call into question any large grants that went to Middletown.
Becker believes his long history in Middletown is an asset, though, according to his application’s cover letter.
“I have been involved in public service most of my adult life and I see this as an opportunity to continue to serve Butler County in a meaningful capacity,” the letter says. “My experience as a police chief and city manager allows me to bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.”
Other applicants include the former emergency management director of Monroe County, former Clearcreek Fire District fire chief in Warren County, current emergency services coordinator for Madera County, California, and deputy directors of emergency management in Ottawa County, Ohio, and Winnebago County, Wisconsin.
Pay for the job starts at $60,000 per year, according to the job announcement.
Mark Sutton, Fairfield Twp. trustee and chairman of the EMA board, said the board will meet Tuesday, April 7, to narrow down the field and decide which candidates to interview.
“I don’t know of any reason we can’t have somebody hired by the end of May,” Sutton said.
The lack of a director could already be taking a toll. The EMA board is trying to decide whether to turn down an $18,000 homeland security grant because there’s no one to plan the training exercise the grant is supposed to fund.
Turner stepped down after harsh criticism from local law enforcement and county commissioners following the Sept. 14 windstorm.
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The future of journalism
With all the bad news about newspapers these days, it was good to see that at least one aspect of the future is bright: tomorrow’s journalists.
I was privileged last week to speak to a Journalism 101 class at Miami University Hamilton about the field they are studying. I talked about the trials and tribulations of my job, and answered questions. The students were particularly fascinated with the story about the exotic dancers busted at V’s Nightclub in Hamilton for allegedly violating the city’s adult entertainment ordinance.
No surprise. They are college students, after all.
I was impressed by their inquisitiveness, and how well informed they are on local issues. People say newspapers are in trouble because young people don’t read them. But that was clearly not the case.
How they read them is changing, though. The class was in a computer lab, and as we went through this blog and other stories online, I watched as some of them pretty much ignored me and surfed news Web sites as I talked.
My talk came on the heels of this story about how journalism majors at MU are way up. I find that amazing, considering these stories about the health of newspapers these days.
And the irony of the fact I just linked to a Google news search is not lost on me.
But amidst all this dour news about news, let me assure you that this newspaper and I aren’t going anywhere any time soon.
But I’m curious: Why do you think so many newspapers are in trouble? Why do you think young people are drawn to the field in spite of it? What do you think is the future of news?
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Butler County roundup - Children Services, roads and GOP
A few stories you may have missed in the paper this weekend:
- In this story, Miami University professors point out that claims by Butler County officials, state lawmakers and others that data says children do better when raised by a traditional married couple is not correct. In fact, there is no difference between children raised by a man and woman and those raised by a same-sex couple, they say. This speaks to a proposed Children Services policy that would give preference in foster and adoption placement to married couples.
- This is a follow-up story to the one above, where MU professors and marriage advocates agree that children do better when raised by more than one person. This story includes the argument by the Washington D.C.-based Family Research Council, which questions whether the studies put forward by the MU profs is unbiased.
- Orange barrel alert. This story outlines road projects planned by the Butler County Engineer’s Office this year. It includes a great map, so you can find where and when traffic will be snarled near you. I suggest you print it out and tape it to the fridge.
- Here is the coverage of Friday’s Butler County GOP Lincoln Day dinner, which included several rallying speeches by Rob Portman (former Ohio Congressman and Bush White House budget director, and U.S. Senate hopeful) and U.S. Rep, John Boehner, House minority leader from West Chester Twp. It also featured a blast against state Sen. Jon Husted’s campaign for secretary of state by Butler County’s own Sheriff Richard K. Jones.
Any thoughts on any of these stories?
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