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A28 u.s. news
Diamars 14 Juni 2022

Ohio governor signs bill allowing armed school employees

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) made a concealed weapons
— Ohio school districts permit optional for those le-
could begin arming em- gally allowed to carry a weap-
ployees as soon as this fall on. The concealed weapons
under a bill signed into change took effect Monday.
law Monday by GOP Gov. “The politics got hard and
Mike DeWine. Mike DeWine folded,”
\ Whaley said. “Nine people in
The law, as enacted, requires Dayton was worth the politi-
up to 24 hours of training cal risk.”
before an employee can go In the wake of the Day-
armed, and up to eight hours ton massacre, DeWine an-
of annual training. The train- nounced his “STRONG
ing programs must be ap- Ohio” plan to address gun
proved by the Ohio School violence. His proposals in-
Safety Center, and DeWine clude higher penalties for vi-
announced he’s ordering the olent felons caught with guns
center to require the maxi- and ensure that mentally ill
mum 24 hours and the maxi- people don’t have guns if a
mum eight hours. court deems them dangerous
Schools can provide addi- to themselves and others.
tional training if they wish, Cracking down on violent
DeWine said. felons is also a way to pro-
Before announcing the bill tect children, the governor
signing, the governor out- said. “We’re seeing a lot of
lined several other school children who are killed not
safety measures he and law- in school, but in their own
makers have promoted, in- homes, on their own streets,”
cluding $100 million for sion they can make with the control proposals. The may- Also Monday, former Dayton DeWine said. “And they’re
school security upgrades in best information they have,” ors are seeking universal Mayor Nan Whaley, DeW- killed by violent offenders,
schools and $5 million for DeWine said. background checks, red flag ine’s Democratic opponent and they’re usually repeat
upgrades at colleges. The governor said his pref- laws to take firearms away for governor, criticized DeW- violent offenders, who are
The state is also adding 28 erence remains that school from anyone who is per- ine for signing the armed shooting randomly, or shoot-
employees to the school districts hire armed school ceived a threat, raising the school employees bill, saying ing at somebody and the kid
safety center to work with resource officers, but said legal age for gun purchases he had failed to make good gets in the way.”
districts on safety issues and the law is another tool for to 21, and a ban on assault on his promise to address gun Last year, 120 children died
to provide training under the districts that want to protect rifles like the kind used in the violence after a mass shooting of gunfire, compared to 96 in
new law. Ohio has also pro- children. He emphasized that Uvalde, Texas, school shoot- in Dayton killed nine people 2020 and 71 in 2019, accord-
vided $1.2 billion in wellness it’s optional, not a require- ing that killed 19 elementary and wounded more than two ing to state Health Depart-
funding for schools to ad- ment. students and two teachers. dozen in August 2019. ment data.
dress mental health and other Several big-city Ohio mayors “All of these things are com- Whaley also criticized DeW- DeWine on Monday once
issues, the governor said. — all Democrats — joined mon sense,” said Toledo ine for previously signing again called on fellow Repub-
The new law “is giving together Monday afternoon Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz. bills that eliminated Ohioans’ lican lawmakers to approve
schools an option, based on to criticize the measure and “We’re in a situation where duty to retreat before using those measures, though
their particular circumstanc- failure of Republican law- we can’t pass legislation that force — the so-called “stand they’ve shown no interest in
es, to make the best deci- makers to consider any gun 95% of our citizens support.” your ground” bill — and the bills so far.

Yellowstone flooding sweeps away bridge, washes out roads

HELENA, Mont. (AP) some areas of the park. and wastewater systems, we when the park might reopen loop will be closed for a sub-
— Major flooding swept “Due to predictions of higher will begin to move visitors in until the flood waters subside stantial amount of time,” he
away at least one bridge, flood levels in areas of the the southern loop out of the and they can assess the dam- said.
washed away roads and set park’s southern loop, in ad- park later today,” Sholly said. age, he said. The park was experiencing
off mudslides in Yellow- dition to concerns with water Officials won’t be able to say “It is likely that the northern record flooding, officials said.
stone National Park on Scientists say without exten-
Monday, prompting offi- sive study they cannot di-
cials to close the entranc- rectly link a single weather
es to the popular tourist event to climate change, but
attraction and evacuate climate change is responsible
visitors. for more intense and more
frequent extreme events such
The flooding hit after recent as storms, droughts, floods
“unprecedented rains,” park and wildfires.
officials said on Facebook. Recent heavy rains and spring
“Our first priority has been to runoff also led to flooding
evacuate the northern section in southern Montana, with
of the park where we have water running down streets
multiple road and bridge fail- in Red Lodge on Monday.
ures, mudslides and others Evacuation orders have been
issues,” Sholly said in a state- issued in Carbon County, the
ment. Office of Emergency Man-
The community of Gardiner, agement said.
Montana, just north of the Montana has been dealing
park, was isolated because with flooding while else-
the roads going in and out where in the West wildfires
of town are impassable, offi- burned in hot, dry and windy
cials said. The power is out in weather.