Top Cincinnati Stories of 2005

Well, that's it for another one. The Enquirer lists their top local stories and the limit it to 5. They failed to cover many other important stories. These may or may not have gotten the level of press coverage the should have, but I believe these stories were the most significant in city and the region. Everyone had their chance to voice their top lists. Here are my top local stories for 2005.

1. The election of Mark Mallory as Mayor. New leadership brings with it a chance for an improved image of the city.
   
2. The election of a centrist, slightly right leaning City Council. This might make for a better run city, but one where racial division is not reduced.
   
3. Fountain Square rehab and the Banks Project Collapse. 3CDC looks good, and the county government looks inept.
   
4. Paul Hackett's showing in a GOP stronghold. He should have been trounced, but he showed that many conservatives are not pleased with the GOP and want change. Senator Hackett is not a pipe dream, it is a strong possibility.
   
5. Railcar styrene leak and the evacuation that followed. Someone is going out of business over this one.
   
6. WHO-DEY: The Bengals making the playoffs. This is important for a simple thing that will make a big difference in 2006, increased civic pride.
   
7. Jean Schmidt's shameful attack of Rep. Murtha. Schmidt is a disgrace. She will have a tough time getting the GOP nomination.
   
8. Bob Taft pleas guilty to crime. This was a first for a sitting governor who has the lowest poll rating of any governor in polling history.
   
9. Councilman Sam Malone charged with beating his son. A thug should not be on council. He nearly got reelected. That is a sad case of a misinformed electorate or a nutty one that approves of beating your son with a belt.
10. The firing of Bob Huggins. Cleaning up college sports should be the most important goal of all Division I University. UC may not win tournaments, but they have improved the ethical standards of their sports program 1000%.
    

So what did I leave off that should have made it or what did I list that should not have made my top ten?

Hmmm, Hustler Store Not Causing Harm?

I am shocked! I guess Touchdown Jesus (aka Buttery Jesus) was the counter force to keep the youth from looking at naked boobies.

Huh?

This article is so short and the headline claims so much it is confusing. Why it has a Cincinnati dateline is very strange. If anti-abortion "scientists" are putting out a study claiming RU486, then yes I think a different headline is warranted. I think far more detail is needed to now what report was issued, and who really issued it. It should also be a warning sign that the report is not very credible when it is only good enough for a website, not a print medical journal. If people want to talk about bias, this article existence is a sign of bias, its lack of detail is a sign of either lack of time or bad reporting.

Hear This Peter Bronson

Bronson speaks of bias when he really should be saying there are not enough people in Newsrooms that share his desire to push his conservative views. His list shows no bias. These are all stories and people worthy of attention. I guess the puff pieces we have read about Jean Schmidt are just the "truth?"

Peter should also face another reality about bias in the newspaper he writes for: there is not a liberal local political columnist who provides any kind of retort or balance when Bronson provides cover in print for local bigots like Tom Ullum. CRAP is well represented Peter, you just can't get everyone to accept your propaganda as truth.

Nate Turns on Mallory, Kinda

It didn't take long for Nate to come out and criticize the Mayor. He may have done so before, but here he is making it close to a race issue. Nate seems to be making it more of a religion issue. I guess an attack on a religious institution by random strangers is no big deal, but when someone is killed at a party, and little apparent cooperation from those who were there, that should get the FBI going. Never mind the fact that terrorism and murder are looked at differently. Never mind that the FBI rarely ever opens an investigation on the State crime of murder. Nate is doing his usual, fanning the flame of racial division. He appears to want outrage over a murder that has failed to outrage those in attendance enough to come forward and help catch the criminals responsible for the horrible crime. If the community doesn’t care, why would the media or public officials? The police are doing what they can. If they don't get leads, they can't do much. Announcing a big investigation is only a dog and pony show for the press anyway. If the Mosque bombers are caught, it will not be because of a massive investigation, it will be because they were stupid and left evidence behind.

The media is lazy, remember. If they can't get the family to come on camera and cry, they don't push the story. See the WCPO story that only aired because it had pictures. No video, no eyeballs. WCPO and the other local TV stations treat viewers like trained dogs. Viewers unfortunately give them reason to.

Michigan Terrace in Hyde Park Square

The old timers and purists are begrudging change. What is lacking is progress on what retail will fill the first floor of the project. Hyde Park square has a specific retail feel. Any retail added shouldn't detract from the Square's general theme, which maintains a boutique centric focus. What ever goes in should not be a store you can visit at the mall.

The Mayor Comments

Mayor Mallory issued a press statement today on the shootings at the Legacy on Christmas Eve:

"I am horrified and saddened that a teen dance on Christmas Eve could end in gun violence and another tragic loss of life. This is absolutely unacceptable. We must do everything that we can to find the people behind
the shooting and bring them to justice. I am calling on the community to help in that effort. We as a community must stand up and say that enough is enough. I encourage anyone with any information about this incident to come forward and help solve this senseless crime."

Are people holding back information on who the shooter is? If they are doing that, why?

WCPO has video footage from inside the club, but we learn little from it. It was disgusting how the reporters had to tell us the CPD was the "second organization" to view the video. Who cares! It's not even sweeps weeks.

Another Puff Piece

What is it with the local media doing constant puff pieces about extreme religious nut cases? There is no criticism about the delusional people at Answers In Genesis in the article. The even dare call people working there "Scientists." Where did they get their education and who, if anyone accredited them?

I know there are plenty of conservative Christians around here, but are there that many who are stupid enough to think the Earth is less than 10,000 years old? That many who really want to read a puff piece about these idiots?

Where's the puff piece on a local office of Planned Parenthood? They actually do good works. Ken Ham's clan is out making people ignorant, and his groups gets the Post's pat on the back. Just a little balance would be nice. Hell, in the Planned Parenthood piece I propose I would expect a similar type of opposing view present, not as a focus, but acknowledging some would not agree with what they do. In the case of Answers in Genesis, I hope most don't buy their extreme views on the age of the earth or of evolution, making criticism not only valid but imperative.

Local news?

Is the last news brief listed really a Cleveland story or does it have one big typo?:

Bodies found in trunk

Two bodies were found in the trunk of a vehicle Monday, police said. The bodies, a male and a female, were found about 10:30 a.m. on the city's east side. They were taken to the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office to determine their identities and cause of death, Sgt. Dan Galmarini said. The car was discovered by some people looking for a missing Richmond Heights man. Galmarini said the car was connected to the man, but he didn't know how. Authorities hope to identify the bodies today through autopsies.

It this happened on the Cincinnati East side I would have thought it would have been much bigger news. If this did happen in Cleveland, then how is this "local news?"

Now Who's a Thug?

The answerman has his new Christian way to live: using fear and the threat of violence to get what you want from people who have not faced due process. This discarding of the rule of the law and the discarding of a peaceful approach to civil authority is the means of a thug. This is how third world countries operate. Bronson and the rest of the thugs pushing for pain on anyone they hate need remember a few words: the ends don't justify the means. Call it a cliché, but it holds true. If honor matters to wanna-be soldiers like Peter Bronson, then how we treat people should matter as much as the results we seek to gain. That conflicts with Christian Capitalists, where morality and ignoring profit don't make for good foreign policy.

Sad Christmas

It has been asked before and will be asked again: How do we as a community stop this? I have no answers. I have only questions.

As opposed to this

The sports department did well, while the Gannett Washington office put this GOP fluff piece in print. Mean Jean is given a make over with the meaningless actions of adding language about the Flying Pig Marathon to the congressional record. It is great that the Flying Pig Marathon was recognized as a good marathon, but why have the human interest story about someone with an orchestrated effort to rehab her image? Oh, right, they want to help rehab her image.

Nice Miami Football Story

More like this, please.

Happy Holiday's

I wish everyone a great Holiday! Please be safe if you are traveling this weekend. If you are lucking enough to get Monday off (I have to work) then take it easy and go out and pour some money into local businesses!

Next week I plan on having issue a few lists. My aforementioned top stories of the year list. I also may have my favorite local concerts/shows of the year, and my favorite local "moments" of the year. If I have time I will issue a resolution or two that I will likely break and make some predictions for 2006 that likely will not come true.

Be Well!

Upstar Crow is now Arnie's

Arnie's on the Levee fills the space left when Upstar Crow closes. The place now will have the feel of a nice sports bar, at least from the article. It claims to be trying for a "club" crowd for late nights. It is good to see the prime space used. The theme appears to be nothing unique.

Editor on Vacation

It appears that the editor who is pushing the Lindbergh Jesus story is on vacation. Letting this gem get through is an indicator that someone is getting really bored covering this story and needs to vent some disdain on the fools concerned about it:

Asked if officers would stand among the scene's life-size figures and go undercover dressed as wise men or shepherds, Neal replied:

'Where Baby Jesus is concerned, I won't rule out anything.'

This makes the people of Cheviot look nutty, and it mocks the cops there big time. It is funny as Hell. Those making a big deal about this are really nutty. How much public money is being wasted on this while other criminals go stealing someone else's Christmas presents? Priorities need refining on the Westside this year.

Women Blogging and Leading

Listening to the radio gets you several things. It pointed me to a new blog headed by CinExer Jen Spillane called Not Your Woman. The radio also introduced Vanessa Enoch, the new YP member of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Board.

Get Thee To The Store

Shop suckers, SHOP!

If you are not going to shop, then OPEN THREAD!

How Long Will It Take?

Has anyone already compared the Mosque bombing to the stolen Jesus doll? Calls will be made to charge the teenagers involved with a hate crime, that is going to happen. Bets on how long it will take?

Suspect Dies In Custody

I hope and at this point evidence indicates we don't have another Nathaniel Jones case on our hands. We have something else. What that is, we'll just have to wait and see.