Latest news with #LaRose
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Potsdam Food Co-op will build new store; general manager named
Jun. 14—POTSDAM — The Potsdam Food Co-op will use their 2019 2019 Downtown Revitalization Initiative award to build a new store. The co-op board also named Jessie LaRose as the store's new general manager. The $1.6 million DRI award will construct a new 5,340 square foot grocery store at 24 Elm St. to accommodate a larger store, office space, and parking. About 3,000 square feet will be allocated for retail. The new store will replace the existing co-op structure. The store design was completed by Aubertine & Currier, an architectural and engineering firm based in Watertown. The DRI funds will pay for design, engineering, and environmental work. Roughly $3.7 million in additional resources will need to be secured from other sources including grants and loans for building construction, fixtures, equipment, inventory, and project management. The new co-op building will be fully accessible and fully electric in support of New York State's renewable energy and decarbonization goals, a news release from the co-op board says. The co-op board unanimously voted LaRose from acting general manager to general manager. She has nearly 17 years of experience at the co-op. She was named acting general manager in February 2024. "I've lived in and loved Potsdam for more than half of my life and the Co-op has been like a second home for the majority of that time," LaRose said in a news release. "It's a privilege and an honor to be in this role, especially as we move forward with our long-awaited expansion." She added, "I'm grateful for the Board of Directors for their support and trust in me and the opportunity to lead our food co-op. I look forward to continuing to work with the board and the staff to achieve the goals we have set together, and grow this vital community organization." "I am so excited to see all of the progress we have made on our expansion efforts, and even more excited for the new co-op that will result from all of this hard work," LaRose said in the release. "It is very rewarding work. We are incredibly grateful for everything that has allowed us to get to this point in the project. The DRI is a real blessing, and we are thrilled to be under contract with New York State." "Jessie has been instrumental in shepherding the co-op through very challenging times as our acting general manager," co-op board president Andre Comandon said in the release. "We have been excited to see her and the staff's hard work pay off with an improving financial outlook and concrete steps toward the co-op expansion."
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio purges 12,000 voters, and 350,000 more are at risk. How to check your registration
Ohio is removing 12,000 voters from its rolls and another 350,000 registrations are on the chopping block. Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced June 11 that nearly 12,000 registrations that belong to people who have registered and voted in other states for the 2024 general election are being removed from Ohio's rolls. The Ohio Secretary of State's Office of Data Analytics and Archives identified the registrations through multi-state data-sharing agreements. 'We have a duty under Ohio law to maintain accurate voter rolls,' LaRose said in a press release. 'This is a commonsense safeguard that's basically designed to prevent double voting." In March, LaRose published a list of more than 350,000 voter registrations that are eligible to be removed from the state's rolls. Voters on that list have until September 2025 to maintain their registrations. The 350,000 represents roughly 4.3% of the 8,159,946 registered voters Ohio had for the 2024 general election. Here's what you need to do to confirm your voter registration is valid or register to vote again. Election 2024: Ohio purged 155,000 voters from the rolls To check if you're registered to vote in Ohio, visit and enter your first and last names, and your county of residence. If you are having trouble finding your voter registration, the Ohio Secretary of State's office offers the following tips: Are you registered to vote? Could you be registered with a derivative of your first name, such as Bob or Robert? Could you be registered with a former last name? Could you be registered at a previous address in another Ohio county? If you are unable to locate your voter registration information, but believe you are registered to vote, it is recommended that you search again making sure all the information you provided is accurate. Contact your county board of elections regarding any questions pertaining to your voter registration. Election 2023: Ohio canceled over 26,000 inactive voter registrations To register to vote, or update your registration, head to To complete the process online you will need the following information: Ohio driver's license or Ohio identification card number Name Date of birth Address The last four digits of your Social Security number If you don't have all that information, download and complete a paper form and mail it to your county board of elections. You must register or update your voter registration no later than 30 days before an election. The deadlines are: July 7, 2025, for the August 5, 2025, Special Election. October 6, 2025, for the November 4, 2025, General Election. Boards of election are open until 9 p.m. on the registration deadline days. Early voting begins the following day. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 350,000 Ohio voters at risk in purge. How to check your registration
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Election investigation uncovers alleged noncitizen voter registration, double voters in multiple states
FIRST ON FOX: Ohio's secretary of state referred dozens of registered noncitizens and double voters for potential prosecution in eight states and Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. The official, Frank LaRose, says his office uncovered evidence of 30 non-U.S. citizens who were registered to vote in Ohio. Likewise, the investigation uncovered eleven individuals from Virginia, Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, and South Carolina who appeared to have voted in multiple jurisdictions. "We must send a clear message that election fraud won't be tolerated," LaRose said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "The only way to maintain Ohio's high standard of election integrity is to enforce the law whenever it's broken." Ohio's Election Integrity Unit conducted the investigation by reviewing Ohio's voter registry and comparing it with federal and state data. LaRose sent letters to the attorneys general of all states involved in the investigation and referred the individuals for prosecution. Federal Judge Orders Nc To Certify Supreme Court Election Results With Democrat Leading Read On The Fox News App "Critics of Ohio's election integrity efforts may try to minimize the significance of these referrals, as though some small amount of election crime is acceptable," LaRose wrote to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. "Even one illegal vote can spoil the outcome of an election for the citizenry at large, whether it be a school levy, majority control of a legislative chamber, or even a statewide election contest." "Just this last election, a single vote in Licking County decided the outcome of a local levy after the final certified count," LaRose noted. Yost's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Federal Judge Kicks Battle Over Nc Supreme Court Election Back To State Court Ohio's move comes just days after President Donald Trump's Justice Department sued the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Board of Elections last week for allegedly failing to maintain an accurate voter list. The Trump administration claims the Tar Heel State is in violation of the 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA) after board officials provided a statewide voter registration form that did not make clear whether an applicant must provide a driver's license number, or if the applicant does not have a driver's license, the last four digits of the applicant's social security number. If an applicant has neither, the law says the state must assign a special identifying number. The lawsuit claims that a "significant number" of North Carolina voters who did not fill out voter registration forms in compliance with HAVA were "nonetheless registered by their election officials." A previous edition of the state elections board, which had a Democratic majority, acknowledged the problem in late 2023 after a voter complained. The board updated the voter registration form but declined to contact people who had registered to vote since 2004 in time for the 2024 elections so they could fill in the missing numbers. Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this article source: Election investigation uncovers alleged noncitizen voter registration, double voters in multiple states
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State leaders still think it's too easy to amend the Ohio Constitution
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Should it become more difficult to amend the state's constitution? That's a question that has been debated at the statehouse for years and is now coming back up. Back in 2023, Ohio Republicans voted to create an August special election in order to ask voters one question: Should it take a simple majority or 60% of Ohioans to amend the state constitution? 57% of Ohio voters ultimately decided to keep the status quo, which is a simple majority. The question brought out hundreds of protesters, hours of debate, and millions of dollars were spent on the campaign on each side. Now, state leaders are bringing the conversation back up. Four inmates escape from minimum security facility in southeast Columbus The Ohio Ballot Board must certify that a proposed constitutional amendment is only about one topic before petitioners can start collecting signatures to get their question on the ballot. Since the start of the year, the board has met twice to discuss citizen-led constitutional amendments. At the most recent one, on May 14, Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R-Ohio) took a 'moment of chairman's privilege.' 'This brings to mind — the fact that we are meeting for the second time within the last month — a warning that I had a few years ago,' LaRose said. The warning, LaRose said, was that there would be 'a real uptick in people attempting to legislate by constitutional amendment.' LaRose said in his opinion, that is not a proper way to govern. 'Legislation should be done by the legislature and that's something to be discussed in this building going forward,' he said. Ohio Republican explains why he voted against Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' So, how do state leaders feel about trying to increase the threshold for a second time? 'I think it should be [increased],' Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said. 'I vote yes.' 'We will remain opposed to that,' Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said. 'The petition process is already extremely difficult and burdensome for citizens to be able to exercise their right for direct democracy.' Right now, in order to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot, nearly half a million signatures must be collected by petitioners from 44 of Ohio's 88 counties. Russo said the process, while difficult, gives Ohioans recourse when they do not agree with what legislators are doing. '[Republicans] are not in line with where the public is on many issues and the public has pushed back,' Russo said. 'And [Republicans] don't like it when the public and the people use their power to push back.' 'As we have witnessed time after time, deep-pocketed dark money groups see the state constitution as an easy target for a constitutional amendment campaign because it can be changed with a simple majority vote,' spokesperson for Ohio Senate Republicans John Fortney said. 'Even the Ohio Democratic party had bylaws up until recently that required a 60% vote of its members to change its charter. Increasing the threshold is always a worthwhile discussion.' In order to make it more difficult to amend the state constitution, lawmakers will either need to pass a resolution to put on the ballot or Ohioans would need to petition their own amendment. Monte Carlo, longtime central Ohio Italian restaurant, to close last location Huffman said right now there are too many Ohioans looking to change the constitution, so that will create an uphill battle if they want to try and increase the passing threshold again. 'The folks who want to eliminate real estate tax in the state of Ohio, they don't want it raised to 60%, qualified immunity folks,' he said. 'I guess there may be good government folks who want it raised to 60%.' While Republicans and Democrats may be torn on the proper action to take here, they do agree that Ohioans likely will not change their minds just two years after voting the question down. 'People tend to think about what is important to them, short of everybody steps back and says, 'we really should raise the limit,' which I don't see that happening,' Huffman said. 'Undermining the ability of voters to have access to democracy through the ballot initiative process does undermine voters,' Russo said. 'The voters made it very clear back in August of 2023 that they want to protect their right to direct democracy.' A statehouse source told NBC4 there are not any current talks to increase the threshold but noted that the budget debate is taking up most of the air in the room right now. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bombas looks to keep growing beyond 'Shark Tank' with a new CEO
In a bold step forward — albeit in socked feet — Bombas is lacing up for its next phase of growth with a new leader at the helm. Per CNBC, David Heath, co-founder of the direct-to-consumer sock company, is stepping down as CEO, handing over the reins to Jason LaRose, the company's president and a retail veteran who previously led Under Armour's (UA) North America business. The leadership change, effective Thursday, marks a strategic shift as the brand known for its comfortable basics and one-for-one donation model matures beyond its 'Shark Tank (DIS)' roots. Bombas has created the TV show's best-selling product in history. 'We've reached a size and scale that is beyond my expertise,' Heath, who is staying on as executive chair, told CNBC (CMCSA). 'I found myself more so over the last 18 months saying, 'I don't know what to do next.'' 'So then, when I looked at someone with Jason's background … having that tried-and-true experience is what will set Bombas up to succeed for the next chapter, and I think I feel more comfortable having someone with Jason's experience in the driver's seat.' Bombas, largely a sock company, has topped $2 billion in lifetime revenue and boasts double-digit EBITDA margins, and the company grew sales 22% in its current fiscal year through April. Its fastest-growing category? Not socks, but slippers. Still, socks remain central to Bombas' identity, with sales in the segment up 17% year-over-year in April. But scaling a sock empire online only goes so far, and LaRose is now tasked with expanding the brand's reach in the physical world. 'More than 60% of socks in this country are sold in physical locations,' LaRose said to CNBC. 'The wholesale opportunity is big for us.' Right now, about 7% of Bombas' revenue comes from wholesale partnerships with retailers such as Nordstrom (JWN), Scheels, and Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS). LaRose wants to grow that to 10-20% over time. The company is also exploring its own stores, viewing retail not just as a sales channel, but as brand theater. For a brand like Bombas — its flagship socks retail for about $15 and promise 'soothing compression, seamless toes, and no blisters' — tactile experiences matter. The shift acknowledges a growing consensus in the DTC world: Digital-only brands eventually hit a ceiling. Between rising acquisition costs and the diminishing returns of online ads, physical retail — whether through partnerships or proprietary stores — can offer more efficient growth and better brand visibility. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Sign in to access your portfolio
