Investigations into the death of 10-year-old Takoda Collins are continuing. Despite years of alleged abuse by his father, Al Mclean, and complaints from school officials, Mclean removed the boy from school in order to homeschool him. Now, some people are saying it’s time for Ohio to change its homeschooling laws. They say Takoda’s case is a wake-up call - and changes in state law are necessary in order to protect students who are at risk of child abuse - and who are removed from school. To discover more on the ins and outs of homeschooling, and what protections are in place for children at risk, we spoke with Milton Gaither, a professor at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Gaither has written extensively on homeschooling in America and is the author of the book “Homeschool: An American History.”
Dam removals along the Cuyahoga River in northeastern Ohio have gotten attention for years. Now, an effort to remove dams along the near-by Mahoning River will improve safety and fish habitat — but not everyone is ready for it. The Allegheny Front’s Julie Grant reports. *This story is part of Good River, stories about the environment, economy and culture of the Ohio River. There’s more at ohiowatershed.org.
NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization are working on a new satellite that will use advanced radar technology to investigate global environmental change. In preparation for that launch, NASA has been offering research grants to scientists interested in this new data. University of Dayton Professor Umesh Haritashya won a hundred thousand dollars in funding to try to detect what is happening below the surface of glaciers. WYSO’s Leila Goldstein spoke with him about the project.
Ohio sculptor James Mellick carves life-sized dogs from wood. He uses walnut for chocolate labs, basswood for yellow labs, cedar for red Dobermans. He’ll work a single sculpture for over a month, crafting it to perfection. He makes dogs that are playful, dogs that serve as allegories,
dogs that were injured in combat. His exhibit of service dogs at the United States Air Force Museum is closing this week. Community Voices Producer Jason Reynolds spoke with Mellick about his work.
Army veteran Mason Rick of Cincinnati wears a memorial bracelet in honor of his friend and fallen solider, Army veteran Mike Runyan. Today on Veterans’ Voices, Mason talks with his coworker, Henry Saas, and remembers his comrade, Mike.
Many parents want their teenagers to be financially responsible. And when Darnell Terry was a student at Ponitz Career Technology Center, he said he had it all figured out. This story originally aired in 2016 and we're rebroadcasting it today as part of the Best of Dayton Youth Radio.
