Ohio Dems duke it out over new party boss; may be looking ahead to gubernatorial race
Ohio’s Democratic leaders will decide this week whether to dump state Party Chairman Chris Redfern and replace him with Lorain County Democratic Party Chairman Anthony Giardini.

Giardini needs at least 34 state central committee members to back him tomorrow night in his challenge of Redfern.  Giardini has the support of some major unions, including the UAW and United Food and Commercial Workers. And former Attorney General Richard Cordray’s longtime political adviser is hosting a reception for Giardini just before the vote.

But Sen. Sherrod Brown is backing Redfern.

And according to the Columbus Dispatch, all of this may have to do with Democrats lining up to run for governor in two years. Redfern has been aligned with U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan; Giardini is aligned with Cordray.

Report: Preschool is a low priority for Ohio, federal Race to the Top could change that
A new report puts Ohio near the bottom in how much it spends and what quality it achieves with public preschools.

The National Institute for Early Education Research says Ohio is spending just a little over half what it spent per child on public preschools in 2002.

Back then, the report says Ohio served 9 percent of its 4-year-olds; now it serves only 2 percent. The state eliminated both its own Head Start program and its Early Learning Initiative, which together served nearly 20,000 children.  

The director of the Institute, Steve Barnett, says he’s concerned that “Ohio’s commitment to preschool education comes and goes with the political and economic winds.”

He’s hoping federal Race to the Top grants will change that.

Bat fungus may have traveled to North America via humans
Scientists are now saying that the mysterious deaths of millions of bats in the United States and Canada over the past several years were caused by a fungus that hitchhiked aboard people visiting from Europe.

In North America, more than 5.7 million bats have died since 2006 when white-nose syndrome was first detected in New York. The syndrome was discovered over the past winter in Cuyahoga, Summit and Geauga counties, as well as southwestern parts of Ohio, and naturalists fear the brown-bat population in the state could be wiped out in as little as three years.

That could lead to a big increase mosquitoes, and other destructive insects, which the bats devour.

 A single bat eats as many as 600 mosquitoes an hour.  The disease does not endanger humans, but people can spread the illness on their clothing.


Sierra Club sues Ohio to get records on public-land drilling plans 
The Sierra Club is suing the state to see the plans the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is developing for oil and gas drilling in state parks. The club has filed public records requests with the department since October and has been ignored. ODNR had said last fall it would have a model lease for the parks, possibly by January.

The Columbus Dispatch also filed a public records request last month, and quotes an ODNR spokesman saying it is – quote – “ in the final stages of gathering information to comply” the request.

State lawmakers approved drilling on state parts and other public lands last fall. A five-member Oil and Gas Leasing Commission will oversee the leases, but its five-members  have not yet been appointed.


Carlos Santana agrees to stick with the Indians for at least five more years 
Catcher Carlos Santana is signing a five-year contract with the Indians today, and the club will have an option to resign him to the 2017 season. 
The 26-year-old Santana finished last season as the first Indians catcher to hit 30 doubles and 25 home runs and get at least 90 base on balls.
He’s also hit the two home runs over the weekend that  were key to Cleveland’s only win so far this season.