Buzz

Ohio vies to become Hollywood Midwest

TVB TELEVISION BROADCAST, 1/6/10 Thursday, January 14, 2010

The State of Ohio is laying out $7 million in tax credits for movie makers to encourage more producers to come here to create content, reports TVB Television Broadcast.

The Ohio Department of Development provided tax credits for the makers of "Unstoppable," with Chris Pine and Denzel Washington; "Strangeland 2," a horror movie from an Ohio company; "The Kid Who Only Hit Homers," and "Cleopatra Smiles" from the same production company, Nehst Studios, which is shooting in Cayahoga County. The four productions are expected to create about 3,000 jobsand to bring in around $25 million in "economic activity."

Read the full story here.

Ohio Air Guard expands solar field in Toledo

U.S. AIR FORCE, 1/11/10 Thursday, January 14, 2010

Officials from the 180th Fighter Wing Air National Guard Base at the Toledo Express Airport in Ohio celebrated the fourth phase expansion of their solar field Jan. 5, the Air Force reports.

The expansion is expected to increase the solar power produced to a total of about 1.2 megawatts, or 37 percent of the base's electrical needs, said Lt. Col. William Giezie, the 180th Civil Engineer Squadron commander.

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Cincinnati Preservation Association to host home sustainability program

SOAPBOX, 1/12/10 Thursday, January 14, 2010

Cincinnati Preservation Association is sponsoring Cincinnati's first-ever program on energy efficiency and sustainability for old-house owners. 'Old House, Green House' will take place on Saturday, January 23 at the Art Academy of Cincinnati in historic Over-the-Rhine.

CPA officials say that while much of the green building movement is about new construction, older existing buildings also play a significant role.

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New report bodes well for Toledo area's technology firms

The Toledo Blade, 12/15/09 Thursday, December 17, 2009

A new government report predicting energy use in the United States for the next quarter century has good news for northwest Ohio, showing large increases in the use of technologies such as solar energy and biofuels that were pioneered locally, reports the Toledo Blade.

The Department of Energy's predicts a relatively modest increase in energy use over the period but says much of the increase will be met by alternative energy sources.

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Business group urges renewal of Ohio Third Frontier

Dayton Daily News,12/11/09 Thursday, December 17, 2009

An organization of prominent Ohio business executives is praising the accomplishments of the state's technology-supporting Third Frontier and is endorsing renewal of the program, reports the Dayton Daily News.

"The Ohio Third Frontier delivers results," leaders of the Ohio Business Roundtable said in a joint statement. "It has proven itself and must be renewed in as robust and timely fashion as possible."

Read the full story here.

Census to create 24,000 Ohio jobs

Business Courier of Cincinnati, 12/10/09 Thursday, December 17, 2009

The U.S. Census Bureau expects to create 24,000 new temporary jobs in Ohio, reports the Business Courier of Cincinnati.

The job numbers are far more than the 5,000 the Bureau originally announced.

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New biofuel manufacturing facility opens in Magnolia

IndustryWeek,12/8/09 Thursday, December 17, 2009

11 Good Energy, based in Canton, has announced the opening of its G2 Diesel plant in Magnolia, reports IndustryWeek.

The plant has a capacity of 16.5 million gallons per year of a proprietary fuel made from up to 99 percent natural and renewable ingredients.

Read the full story here.

Editorial: Dayton still counting on Third Frontier

Dayton Daily News, 12/3/09 Thursday, December 17, 2009

As much as any area in the state, Dayton has a stake in what the legislature does next with the Third Frontier, says the Dayton Daily News in an editorial.

The editorial says the initiative is "one thing Ohio is doing right," and called for a politics-free debate regarding renewed funding for the initiative.

Read the full editorial here.

Renewable energy venture blossoms at new R&D center

Wooster Daily Record, 12/15/09 Thursday, December 17, 2009

It was nearly 10 years ago that local officials began kicking around the idea of establishing a research park to find practical applications for the ongoing studies at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, reports the Wooster Daily Record.

On Monday, with a 500,000-gallon anaerobic digester tank serving as the backdrop, the first on-site business venture at the BioHio Research Park became a reality.

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Ohio company has hand in first bionic fingers

Good Morning America,12/14/09 Thursday, December 17, 2009

A company based in the United Kingdom and Hilliard, Ohio, has fitted a man with bionic fingers that are "part Star Wars, part human," reports Good Morning America.

Each finger contains a motor smaller than a dime. Controlled by a small computer processor and powered by a tiny rechargeable battery, the prosthetics, called ProDigits, allow owners unheard of control over their hands.

Read the full story and view the TV report here.

Akron research institute lands $1 million

Akron Beacon Journal, 12/14/09 Thursday, December 17, 2009

A regional effort to promote medical research and development is getting a $1-million boost from the federal government, reports the Akron Beacon Journal.

Federal lawmakers approved funding for the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, a partnership among Akron's three hospital systems, the University of Akron and the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Read the full story here.

Three Over-the-Rhine developments win $7.1M in historic tax credits

Soapbox, 12/15/09 Thursday, December 17, 2009

Three new development projects in Over-the-Rhine have been awarded $7.1 million in historic tax credits from the State of Ohio, reports Soapbox.

The three developments will restore a handful of historic structures throughout Over-the-Rhine's burgeoning Gateway Quarter.

Read the full story here.

U.S. officials see bright future for new Toledo biofuel plant

The Blade, 12/6/09 Thursday, December 17, 2009

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Friday the technology being developed in Toledo to convert biomatter as simple as yard waste into a clean alternative to traditional diesel fuel is likely to have broad-reaching effects on communities across the world, reports the Toledo Blade.

Mr. Chu was in Toledo, along with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, to announce a $20-million federal stimulus grant to Red Lion Bio-Energy LLC of Toledo and its west-coast business partners.

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American Municipal Power reconsiders coal plant

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, 11/26/09 Thursday, December 03, 2009

American Municipal Power Inc. scrapped plans to build a coal-fired power plant in southern Ohio because construction costs jumped from $3.3 billion to $4 billion, the Associated Press reports.

The 1,000-megawatt coal plant, which would have provided electricity to parts of Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia, had been the target of environmental groups since its announcement six years ago.

Read the full story here.

Rail panel on board with diesel cars from Ohio

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 11/25/09 Thursday, December 03, 2009

State rail officials are considering some innovation with their plan to extend passenger rail service through Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati, reports the Columbus Dispatch.

The Ohio Rail Development Commission passed a motion last week expressing its preference for Diesel Multiple Unit passenger rail vehicles. Unlike conventional passenger trains in which a locomotive pulls the cars, the diesel multiple units combine the passenger car with the locomotive. Each railcar is self-propelled.

Read the full story here.