Ohio Republicans get energized, organized
The GOP opened several new campaign centers around the state in what the party called its 'Buckeye Blitz' over the weekend. Prominent GOP figures, including Congressmen John Boehner and Jim Renacci of Wadsworth, state Treasurer Josh Mandel and former U.S. Senator George Voinovich, rallied volunteers at new centers in Canton, Stow and Richmond Heights in Northeast Ohio, as well as in Liberty Township in southern Ohio. Volunteers then spent Saturday canvassing neighborhoods on foot and manning phone banks. Recent polls show Democrats more enthusiastic about the upcoming election than Republicans, and GOP leaders including Cuyahoga County chairman Rob Frost see a challenge in matching the Obama campaign’s aggressive ground game Ohio is one of a dozen battleground states that saw a flurry of Republican get out the vote activity this weekend, and the party plans to hold similar drives once each month until the election.

Portman says no meeting with Romeny
Ohio U.S. Senator Rob Portman says he did not travel to New Hampshire over the weekend to meet privately with Mitt Romney. Portman, who is likely on Romney’s short-list for vice president, headlined a state GOP fundraiser in New Hampshire Saturday night…but he says he did not visit Romney’s vacation home 40 miles from the event and has no plans to meet with Romeny before he leaves New England. Portman is expected to host a Boston-area fundraiser to benefit the Romney campaign today. 

Chardon gets grant in wake of shooting
The northeast Ohio high school where three students died in a shooting last February is getting a grant from the federal government to pay for a security guard and mental health screenings for students and staff. The U.S. Department of Education is giving $56,000 to the Chardon school district to help it recover from the shootings. The money also will go toward paying for substitutes for teachers and staff who need time for counseling. Seventeen-year old T.J. Lane has pleaded not guilty and is being held at a youth detention facility awaiting trial as an adult. 

Record lottery sales for schools
A year of record-high sales for the Ohio Lottery has led to its highest payout yet for public schools, totaling $771 million. The lottery topped $2.7 billion in sales for the fiscal year that ended June 30, up from $2.6 billion the previous year. By law, the profits are given to the Ohio Department of Education to support schools. Lottery sales in Ohio have increased for the past 11 years.

Ohio lawmakers disclose incomes
Annual disclosure forms filed by Ohio lawmakers find that more than 40-percent make $100,000 or more, coupled with their outside jobs. A state legislator is considered a part-time job, and lawmakers are required to report each outside source of income. The Columbus Dispatch reports State Representative and oil company owner Gary Scherer of Circleville tops the list of earners in 2011 with a minimum income of $385,000. He reported three salaries netting $100,000 or more on top of his legislative salary. The base salary of an Ohio legislator is about $60,000. That ranks seventh highest in the country.

Charges likely after fireworks injure deputy
Trumbull County authorities are likely to file charges after fireworks during a rodeo scared a horse ridden by a deputy, seriously injuring the man. Investigators say a rodeo official had been told that fireworks weren't allowed without a license, but that the explosives were used anyway during the show at the Trumbull County Fair.

Groundwater to be tested for arsenic 
Water samples from homes and public water systems will help government officials identify parts of Ohio where arsenic in groundwater could threaten residents' health. The Columbus Dispatch reports the U.S. Geological Survey plans to develop a model illustrating which parts of the state have hazardous concentrations of the poisonous metal in groundwater. It will be based on data collected by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and on samples from residents. That effort seeking the public's help in the project begins Tuesday in Licking County.

Gas prices up about 25-cents
Gas prices are on the way back up after dropping last week. Ohio gas prices have jumped about a quarter a gallon after a series of thunderstorms battered the state last week, leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power for days. The average price for a gallon of regular gas is $3.51 in today’s survey. 

Eliot Ness memorbilia on the auction block
Rare memorabilia from Eliot Ness has surfaced and will go on the auction block in September in Massachusetts. The Cleveland safety director during the 1930’s is most known as a member of the untouchables who brought down mobster Al Capone in Chicago. The entire collection has been appraised at $30,000 to $50,000. The items include Ness’ Department of Justice credential and campaign photographs and brochures from his unsuccessful 1947 run for Cleveland mayor.