Latest news with #ThomasHall
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill targets affordability of EMS coverage for towns
(WKBN) – WKBN 27 First News has reported on local municipalities grappling with the affordability of providing EMS services to their residents. With a nationwide shortage of emergency medical services, cities and towns are looking for ways to make sure that ambulances are available when they are needed. Some local areas use private services while others staff ambulances through their fire departments. However, it's a costly endeavor. House Bill 274 would provide a mandate of EMS services for townships, villages and cities, just like what is ensured for police and fire protection, while creating grant money for those municipalities that combine or create formal shared services to save money for taxpayers. The incentive would include a $100,000 grant or 50% of operations for the first year following the combination of first responder departments. The lawmakers say this incentive will help to offset startup costs for new services and provide an incentive to decrease costs to taxpayers in the long run. The bill and the money it provides are sponsored by State Representatives David Thomas (R-Jefferson) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township). They say it's part of an effort to reform property taxes. By sharing services, the cost of ambulance service can be spread out. 'Our taxpayers cannot continue to pay for the equipment, personnel, and structures in every entity for each of our counties,' said Rep. Thomas. 'Our goal is to meet that reality with an encouragement to broaden the base of taxpayers contributing to the costs of services.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-04-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Bay Area has an ultramodern new ferry. Meet ‘Karl the boat'
The first thing to learn about naming a new ferry boat: There are a lot of rules. You cannot name your San Francisco Bay Ferry vessel after a human being or a corporation. Never duplicate the name of another ship operating in San Francisco Bay. And perhaps most importantly, be very careful when taking suggestions from hormonal middle schoolers. The transit agency received 'a lot of nominees from sixth-, seventh-, eighth-grade boys, which we didn't understand,' ferry spokesman Thomas Hall said. 'And then when we did understand, from talking to our own children, we said, 'Oh, no, that's off the list.'' SF Bay Ferry settled on 'Karl' for its new ultramodern vessel, which passed under the Golden Gate Bridge at 3 a.m. two weeks ago after a 30-hour voyage from Seattle, where it was built. The name is a Bay Area insider nod to the anthropomorphization of San Francisco's marine layer, which showed up in 2010 on social media as Karl the Fog. Karl the boat will be christened this Friday, and the new 320-passenger ferry starts taking passengers in May. But first the Chronicle got a tour. The system's first four-engine ferry and California's cleanest workhorse ferry yet — a 'Tier 4' diesel particulate filter boat that traps soot from the engine exhaust — Karl was built as the next step in the system's quest for a zero-emissions fleet. Karl is cleaner, faster and more versatile, leading to in-house comparisons to a famous Golden State Warriors do-a-bit-of-everything player. 'These were initially designed as the Iguodalas of the fleet,' Hall said. 'They're fast enough to work out of Vallejo, big enough for all of the routes and small enough to fit in all of the marinas.' Karl and its under-construction twin Zalophus, the scientific name for a sea lion, were named by Bay Area students who last year presented more than 350 nominations that were whittled down to 12, then voted on publicly. Other finalists included 'Painted Lady' and 'Chowder'; the latter was narrowly beaten by Zalophus and could appear on the side of a future ferry. There were sports-related nominations, too, including nods to Willie Mays and seafaring ex-Warriors star Klay Thompson, who was a ferry rider before he bought his own boat and started commuting to Chase Center from across the bay. 'We did get some nominations to call it 'Say Hey,'' Hall said. ''Splash Brother' I thought was a pretty good nomination that didn't make it through the process.' Hall said when Sigma was a popular nomination, he asked his teen daughter to explain the Gen Alpha term. 'She said 'No, don't name your boat that.'' (It loosely translates to a lone wolf-type of dominant male.) Karl is a Dorado class boat, a sister ship to the sleek and fast Dorado and Delphinus, which launched in 2022 and 2024, respectively. But Karl and the Zalophus have subtle differences, including an enclosed top deck and a four-engine configuration that add speed, but also the option to conserve fuel on shorter runs. KARL is painted in all caps on the side of the ferry. Taking Chronicle journalists on a run through the Napa River into San Pablo Bay, veteran captain Chris San Miguel used the name frequently during radio chatter with the Coast Guard and other boats. ('Karl copies, thank you.') 'It's going to take a little while to get used to it,' San Miguel said, laughing. Adding to the confusion: Karl will likely be a regular on the Vallejo run, where there's a regular deckhand named Carl. San Miguel started in 1989 as an engineer on the Bay Breeze, now the fleet's oldest boat that is overdue for retirement. He says Karl's controls are 'just plain smoother,' moving laterally with jets of water instead of propellers and a rudder. The inside is sleek and white, looking more like a sterile 'Star Trek' spaceship corridor than the grimier 1980s and 1990s ferries still in the system. The prime spot for passengers may be the back of the top deck, where bar-style seats surround an elevated table like a lounge on a cruise ship; part of the ferry system's shifting functions which include things like shuttles to Giants games and special scenic Fleet Week runs. 'It works wonderfully for a commute and it will work wonderfully for those summer days, when people don't have a destination in mind and want to hang out on the water,' Hall said. 'It's a commuter boat and a party boat all in one.' But there's always a younger, faster, cleaner boat coming into town. Next after Karl and Zalophus are three battery-powered ferries holding 150 passengers each, set to arrive in 2027. They'll shuttle riders on the system's shortest routes from the Ferry Building, including Treasure Island and Mission Bay. Battery-powered boats with room for 450 passengers are coming in 2028. Until then, Karl the boat will rule local waterways. 'Once you know the history,' Captain San Miguel said, 'it fits the bay.'
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Political signs don't belong in peaceful HOA neighborhoods
Ohio House Bill 16, sponsored by state Rep. Brian Lorenz (R-Powell) and Rep. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township), proposes to void existing homeowner associations' yard sign rules as they apply to political signs. HOAs are created by an agreement among homeowners to follow some common rules, which can include a "no signs" rule. HB 16 would override these agreements, letting people not honor their commitments. Let the individual HOAs decide on their own rules. Letter: The Bengals should be grateful to Cincinnati. Instead, the Brown family is greedy Alternatives exist to address the proponents' issues without overriding existing agreements. Reducing the majority needed to change HOA rules, for example, or help prospective homebuyers find out about HOA restrictions. HOAs could establish "reasonable restrictions" regarding political signs, but that involves hiring lawyers and an HOA-wide vote and arguments the HOA didn't ask for. A "no yard sign" rule is a bright-line standard that is easy to apply and keeps our neighborhoods more peaceful. Michael O'Neill, Lewis Center, Ohio This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Proposed Ohio law shouldn't overrule HOAs on yard signs | Letter
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to create criminal offense for harassing first responders introduced
Two local lawmakers introduced a bill that would make harassing first responders a criminal offense in Ohio. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] State Representatives Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) and Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) introduced House Bill 20. TRENDING STORIES: 2 winning Powerball tickets sold in Ohio; $551M jackpot won 1 seriously injured in crash involving 14-year-old driver Injuries reported after vehicle crashes into ditch in Dayton Both representatives said the bill was created to make sure first responders can safely and efficiently complete their work during emergencies The legislation would set a 14-foot perimeter around first responders on the scene of an emergency, according to the bill analysis. Those who approach or remain in the perimeter after a warning could be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor offense. The bill defines harassment as any behavior directed at a first responder that could cause 'substantial emotional distress' or interfere with their 'ability to lawfully perform a legal duty.' 'As a former Sheriff, I understand the high stress situations our first responders can come across, and to alleviate any of those stressors allows for first responders to better address any given situation,' Plummer said. 'This bill simply allows first responders to focus on their duties and protect our community.' The bill also looks to add probation officers to the definition of emergency service responder in Ohio, according to the analysis. 'This is common sense legislation to allow our first responders the space to do their jobs,' Hall said. 'Our first responders' – police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and others – ability to safely and efficiently carry out their duties is essential to the functioning of our society.' The bill remains in the House Public Safety Committee for hearings and could be subject to changes. News Center 7 will continue to follow this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio lawmakers introduce bill to protect first responders
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Ohio legislators want to make harassing first responders a crime. House Bill 20 was introduced to the Ohio House of Representatives earlier this year, seeking to assure first responders can safely and effectively do their jobs in stressful situations. Investigation into Zaden McKnight disappearance continues The bill aims to 'prohibit a person from knowingly harassing or impeding an emergency service responder who is engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty,' as well as adding probation officers to the list of first responders. If HB-20 goes through, individuals accused of harassing first responders could face a first-degree misdemeanor. The bill is currently in the House Public Safety Committee. It was introduced by Rep. Thomas Hall and Rep. Phil Plummer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
