Franklin County commissioners approve early voter outreach despite dispute

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After two years of contention, the Franklin County commissioners signed off Tuesday on a plan to support early voter outreach efforts for the general election.

The $420,000 allocation was approved by two of the three members of the Board of Commissioners, John O’Grady and Marilyn Brown. Commissioner Kevin Boyce voted against the resolution, expressing concerns over outreach to minority publications and senior residents.

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Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano looks at racial inequalities in housing appraisal process

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The Franklin County Auditor’s Office has partnered with the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity to help eliminate inequalities in the housing appraisal process.

On Monday, Auditor Michael Stinziano and researchers from the Columbus-based Kirwan Institute held the Making of Metropolitan Inequality conference, the first of a two-part series aimed at discussing the policies that created redlined communities and suggestions on what’s next.

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Franklin County, Columbus team up to help nonprofits through COVID-19 pandemic

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Franklin County commissioners have approved a $5.4 million grant to help nonprofit organizations suffering from revenue losses and unanticipated expenses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Resiliency Grants, funded by federal CARES Act dollars, will serve as a lifeline for nonprofit groups throughout the county, said Jodi Andes, county board spokeswoman.

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New Tech students interview WWII veterans, bringing deeper meaning to their coursework

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Nostalgic thoughts ran through Gerald Kinsey's mind as he spoke to several New Tech Institute students Wednesday for the school's Seventh annual Hoosier Veterans Consortium.

Kinsey, an Army and United States Air Force veteran, was nearly speechless when asked how it feels to share his life story. Stories like Kinsey's are what many of the students at the event have been studying in books in their U.S. History and freshman English classes.

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The Telling of America – An in-depth interview with journalist Wesley Lowery

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Wes Lowery is an emerging professional in the world of journalism, and one that’s accolades exceed many his age (26). Upon graduating from Ohio University in 2012, Lowery has worked for renowned publications like the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, and The Washington Post where he’s covered stories centered on social justice issues in the U.S. He’s gained national recognition for his reports on the police shootings in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland.

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