Federal Funds Pay Ohio Troopers' Holiday Overtime

The State Highway Patrol says it's using federal traffic safety funding to pay overtime for troopers providing an increased presence on Ohio roadways this holiday season.

The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reports that the patrol got $1.9 million in federal traffic safety funding this fall through the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services.

The patrol says the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day can be one of the most dangerous for Ohio drivers.  During that period last year, more than three dozen people died in accidents that involved alcohol.