Latest news with #GroveportMadison
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Village responds to ‘speed trap' accusations from Columbus
BRICE, Ohio (WCMH) — The Village of Brice responded to accusations from Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin that the village is acting as a 'speed trap' and putting a strain on the court system. Hardin criticized the village on social media this month over its use of automated traffic cameras to enforce the speed limit. His criticism comes six months after he was ticketed there for speeding. Hardin was ticketed for driving 30 mph in a 20 mph school zone, according to the traffic citation, and was ordered to pay a $236 fine — $111 of that went to court costs, with the village collecting the remaining $125. Groveport Madison school board members sued after appearing at committee meeting Hardin said the village of 93 people is operating as 'little more than a speed trap,' accusing the police department of using its automated cameras like slot machines to collect revenue for the municipality. 'Despite the Village of Brice's modest size, over 7,500 vehicles per day travel through the Brice Road school zone,' the village said in a statement. 'Speeding through our school zone is a voluntary activity, and the citizens of Brice expect their public safety representatives to mitigate and deter the speeding activity.' The village said that the speed limit signs are highly visible, and there are signs that the school zone is photo-enforced. Brice also said its speeding fines are 'relatively modest' compared to other school zone fines in Ohio, but said the Franklin County Municipal Court's fee is almost five times higher than other courts. The village suspended its use of the automated cameras in mid-2021 but resumed the program last fall. Since then, Hardin said the village has taken in nearly half a million dollars in speeding fines, something he said is putting a disproportionate burden on the Franklin County Municipal Court. Lori Tyack, the Franklin County Municipal Court Clerk, agreed with Hardin. Tyack said 4,680 citations have been filed with the clerk's office since the start of 2025, which has 'caused a drain on office resources by requiring deputy clerks to focus on the processing of these citations instead of their assigned tasks.' Additional funding has been requested for staff 'specifically designated to process the Village of Brice citations,' Tyack said. 'The Village would argue that the safety of our children should not be described as 'a loophole' as previously reported, and we would invite everyone driving through our community to do so with care and consideration,' the village said. A 2022 news release from the Ohio Auditor of State said Brice did not have 'adequate controls to ensure traffic citations issued and fines ultimately collected from automated speed enforcement cameras were in proper order.' The release said the village would include increased reporting requirements in its third-party contracts with the administrators. As of Thursday morning, the village had not responded to an NBC4 email with follow-up questions on whether the increased reporting requirements were implemented when the program resumed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Groveport Madison prohibits cell phone use during school day ahead of statewide ban
GROVEPORT, Ohio (WCMH) — Starting this fall, Groveport Madison students will no longer be allowed to use cell phones in schools. The district announced the change on Thursday, telling parents and students that phones and other internet-connected devices must be turned off and out of sight during the school day. The district said there will be exceptions for emergencies or when use is specifically approved by school staff. The new policy affects all students K-12 and begins this upcoming school year. 'Over the past several years, we've seen a noticeable increase in distractions, conflicts, and disciplinary issues tied to phone use during school hours, particularly those related to social media and texting,' the district said in a statement. 'Research also shows that excessive screen time can negatively impact mental health, attention span and classroom engagement.' Ohio schools face $185 million losses in federal funding freeze Groveport Madison's cell phone ban requires students to be cell phone free for the entire school day, including lunch and other breaks from instruction. The district said they believe it will minimize conflicts and distractions and create a better learning environment. The district said it is making the change to be in line with Senate Bill 158, which is not yet law but would ban cell phone use in schools. The Ohio Senate passed S.B. 158 on May 14, and the bill is awaiting further action in House committee hearings. See previous coverage of Ohio's proposed cell phone bans in the video player above. Groveport Madison's change also preemptively ensures compliance with a new Ohio law that requires all districts to ban cell phones by Jan. 1, 2026. That requirement was included in Ohio's biennial budget bill, which Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law on June 30. DeWine has been pushing for cell phone regulations like this for over a year. In 2024, he signed legislation that required all Ohio public school districts to limit cell phone use in school by the start of the 2025-2026 school year. Now, schools must implement full bans, with exceptions for emergencies and medical concerns. Parents have raised concerns about students not having phones during emergencies or to help with medical issues, but Groveport Madison and the state legislator have adopted exceptions for those situations. Some parents also told NBC4 banning cell phone use infringes on parents' rights in education. Study ranks multiple Ohio cities among most stressed in United States Groveport Madison said it made the decision alongside its Board of Education, district safety committee and a Parent and Student Advisory Committee. Despite feedback, the district said it anticipated the change would be an adjustment, and provided research supporting minimal cell phone use for parents to use in conversations with students. According to the American Psychologists Association, too much screen time can be damaging for kids and teenagers. The APA said social media are built for adults, and they can be harmful for growing brains, especially as minors are still developing impulse control and various mental guardrails. Groveport Madison now joins many other central Ohio districts that have full or partial cell phone bans on the books. Last summer, South Western and Whitehall school districts implemented similar bans to Groveport Madison's, and Dublin City Schools has been DeWine's poster child for cell phone ban effectiveness. 'As we went through this process in Dublin City Schools, we had near unanimous support from parents for banning cellphones from our schools,' Dublin Superintendent John Marschhausen said. 'We are home to more than 90,000 residents and I've received one complaint.' Groveport Madison's ban begins with the first day of school, which will be Aug. 11 for grades 1-6 and freshman in high school, and Aug. 12 for all other students. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
