Town Hall Ohio

State of the Economy - Episode 494 by Town Hall Ohio

Any fan of Law and Order or a John Grisham novel knows that the really big decisions made within our judicial system are made by the United States Supreme Court. And while presidents and lawmakers are in the news almost every day, it is far less frequently that we hear from or about the nine men and women who sit on the supreme court of the United States. How’s the court function? What’s in store with the recent passing of an associate justice? Why’s it matter to you and me? These are a few of the questions we’ll explore today on Town Hall Ohio.

One of the many really smart things America’s founding fathers did was to be guided by the concept of property rights. The ability of individuals to own things and determine how it’s used. Of course, with rights come responsibilities. Today on Town Hall Ohio, our guests are three lawyers. Today, we’re going to explore with them what it means to own property, what rights and responsibilities come with that and talk about some of the more common situations that may be the cause of some conflict, either with neighbors or the government.

On this episode of Town Hall Ohio, we talk with three close observers of all things policy and politics in the Buckeye state. Statehouse reporters, Jackie Borchart of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Northeast Ohio Media Group, Marc Kovac of Dix Newspapers and the Youngstown Vindicator and Mike Thompson of WOSU - TV join us to discuss upcoming elections and pending legislation.

Speakers from recent Ohio Farm Bureau meetings including World Food Prize laureate Dr. Robert Fraley on feeding the world, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine on Ohio's illegal drug epidemic, NFL Hall of Famer Larry Csonka on work ethic, farming and football and Farm Bureau president Steve Hirsch on current ag issues.

What do you think of when you hear the term “environment”? Air, water, soil…Mother Nature? On this episode of Town Hall Ohio, we’re going to get a crash course in environmental issues, including how the environment affects us, and how we affect it. Helping us better understand these things are Dr. Brian Lower of Ohio State University and Dr. Larry Antosch of Ohio Farm Bureau. Two environmental scientists who are going to chat with us about complex issues in plain English.

Every year Ohio Farm Bureau hosts the discussion meet. It could also be called the leadership training contest, because in a nutshell, the idea is to help young adults develop their skills in small group communications. Which would lead to them being capable leaders for Farm Bureau and their communities. Our 2016 Discussion Meet finalists are our guests this week on Town Hall Ohio. The four finalists are Stephen Caraway of West Union, Mike Derringer of Eaton, Andy Korb of Oxford and Joy Sizemore of Monroeville. Joy Sizemore was unable to join for the Town Hall Ohio episode.

OSU President Dr. Michael Drake and Ohio Farm Bureau’s Jack Fisher talk about food security, college affordability, athletics and campus safety

Americans eat a lot. But with only around 5 percent of the world’s population, there are billions of mouths to be fed elsewhere. At the foreign agriculture service of the United States department of agriculture, they’re working to help American farmers, businesses and workers earn and maintain a sizeable share of that world marketplace. Ohio is the nation’s 9th largest exporting state. We sell into more than 200 different countries. Supplying foreign buyers creates jobs in manufacturing, transportation, finance and many other areas, including farms. Nationally, agriculture is a large positive contributor to our nation’s balance of trade. This week’s guest is someone who’d like to keep it that way. Mr. Phil Karsting heads up the foreign ag service, and joins us to talk about the opportunities and challenges of feeding the world.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, retiring AFBF President Bob Stallman and new president Zippy Duval plus county Farm Bureau members from Ohio are among the highlights of our coverage of the 97th annual meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

One of Ohio’s most recently developed economic engines is the huge supply of shale oil, gas, and bi-products. But for it to be useful, it has to be moved from where it’s drilled to where it’ll be used for fuel, manufacturing and other needs. For the most part, that transportation is via pipeline. There are some 2 million miles of pipelines across the United States, and the operator of much of that system is the Texas based company Kinder Morgan. They’re the largest energy infrastructure company in America. And they have in place a plan to put in a new pipeline stretching across the breadth of the state. On this episode of Town Hall Ohio, their vice president, Allen Fore joins us to talk about infrastructure, safety, jobs and environmental protection.

Tis the time of year for top ten lists. The biggest news stories. Top ten albums, exceptional TV moments, buzzwords or whatever some media outlet deems worth of memorializing. So as to not get left out, Town Hall Ohio joins the fray. Not so much a top ten, but maybe more like a greatest hits show. Politician, educators, environmentalists... We'll look back at some of the more prominent guest who took the time to visit with you during 2015 Town Hall Ohio.

For some farmers, the developing market for locally grown food is an exciting business opportunity. For some consumers, access to these local food is greatly enjoyed. But what would it look like if local food production and consumption wasn't just for some people. What if it were a part of the mainstream? On this episode of Town Hall Ohio, we explore the possibilites of scaling up to a local food systems that would benefit farmers, consumers and communities. Guests: Brian Williams, agricultural specialist with the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission; Tony Logan, director of USDA Rural Development in Ohio; and Steve Berk, Ohio Farm Bureau organization director.

Craft brewing output has more than doubled in just five years. Nationally, it’s a 102 billion dollar market. Ohio ranks fourth nationally in craft-brew production at 1.27 million barrels a year. This episode looks into this exploding industry. Guests are Tim Ward of North High Brewing in Columbus, executive director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association Mary McDonald and Akron Beacon Journal reporter and craft brewing blogger and author Rick Armon.

Our grandparents learned about Presidential Candidates by reading the paper or even actually pressing the flesh. Today, we're informed by tweets, robo calls and TV shouting matches disguised as debates. We're in the midst of presidential primaries, and if we hope to end up with a couple of solid candidates, we're obliged to do our part. In this episode, two professors who know politics and how voters behave are in to help us perform our civic duty. Guests: Dr. Dan Birdsong from University of Dayton, where he teaches courses on politics, campaigns, media and public opinion; and Dr. Jerry Miller from Ohio University where he specializes in political communication, advertising and debate.

From fishing to fracking, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is charged with taking care of Ohio's great outdoors. Heading that agency is Director, Jim Zehringer. Today he joins OFBF Executive Vice President, Jack Fisher, to talk about energy, water, wildlife, recreation and more. Length 39:20

Educator & author Dickson Despommier mentions in his book that 10-12,000 years ago, humans began to systematically modify their environment to meet their basic biological needs. Among those was the need to feed themselves. He has some ideas to a modern modification: the vertical farm. Length 39:20

Columbus Dispatch, Journalism, and More - Episode 477 by Town Hall Ohio

Food, farming, jobs, and education. These are just a few of the topics watched over and influenced by the House Agriculture and Rural Development committee of the Ohio General Assembly. Let's focus on some key issues. Guest: Rep. Brian Hill, chair, and Rep. Tony Burkley, vice chair. Length 39:20

Maureen O'Connor is the 10th Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, and the first women to hold that position. One of her latest initiatives is to tackle the problem in Ohio...our less than enthusiastic participation in judicial elections. Length 39:20