10TV Video - Realtor Warns of New Real Estate Scam

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The link to help renters mentioned in the story is here

A new real estate scam is targeting would-be tenants and their hard-earned cash.

It surprised even an experienced realtor, and nearly cost a young couple big.

Brian Barker and Jaime DeBois spent Wednesday night packing up their Grandview apartment, preparing for a move to the Short North.

"It was a big weight off our shoulders to finally find a place," says Barker.

Especially after the bullet they dodged during their search.  While apartment shopping online, they thought they'd found a perfect place in an Italian Village rental on 2nd street.  So they responded to the ad.

"We started to correspond," Barker says, "and the emails were a little strange, so I just decided to drive past the house one day. And I saw that it had the 'for sale' sign, so I decided to give the realtor a call."

Terry Penrod was that realtor.  "I got a couple of phone calls asking me if the unit was for sale or for rent. And I said 'no, this unit is definitely for sale.' And they said, 'well, it's on the internet for rent,' which raised my eyebrows very quickly."

Penrod says someone swiped his online listing, even using the photo he'd posted.

But they listed it for rent, at a too-good-to-be-true price.

"For $800 a month, this would be a huge buy," says Penrod. "Someone's scamming the system and trying to get people to send in an application fee or first month's rent."

"And that's how we kind of obviously found out that whoever I was corresponding with wasn't the owner," says Barker.

Penrod says in 20 years in real estate, he's seen a lot of scams, but this is a new one.

Brian and Jaime happily didn't fall victim, but fear someone else might.

"I always thought I was doing pretty good due diligence in weeding out the scams versus what's actually real," says Barker, "but it shows you that even on a legitimate website where there are legitimate people on there posting houses for sale, people can sneak these things in."

Penrod contacted police, but says he was told since money didn't actually change hands, there wasn't much they could do.

Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for the latest.

HRC - 40,000 People Say It’s Time to End Discriminatory Ban on Gay Scouts, Scout Leaders, and Parents

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 24, 2013
Paul Guequierre

40,000 People Say It’s Time to End Discriminatory Ban on Gay Scouts, Scout Leaders, and Parents

14,000 Scouting families in all 50 states are ready for inclusive scouting

WASHINGTON – With the discriminatory ban on gay Scouts up for a vote by leaders of the Boy Scouts of America next month, over 40,000 people have signed HRC’s petition calling on their local Boy Scouts of America council to vote in favor of a national policy prohibiting discrimination against gay Scouts and Scout Leaders.  Of those 40,000 people, 14,000 are Boy Scouts or in a Scouting family and 1,600 are Eagle Scouts.  

“Tens of thousands of Americans have spoken up to declare that the Boy Scouts of America have a moral duty to be inclusive,” said HRC President Chad Griffin.  “Americans of all stripes are urging the BSA to seize this moment to live up to its own creed.”   

Last week, the BSA Executive Committee sent a resolution to representatives from the organization’s nearly 300 local councils which would establish a non-discrimination policy ending the longstanding ban on gay Scouts, while keeping discriminatory practices in place for gay and lesbian parents, Scout leaders, and in employment.  1,400 members of the local councils will vote on the resolution at the annual meeting the week of May 20. 

This week, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) sent a letter to the Boy Scouts of America calling on leadership to end the ban.  The letter said in part, “[W]e call on you to end the ban for the betterment of all young men.  We urge you to recognize the importance of Scouts for all boys and the critical need for volunteer leaders, and end discrimination towards adult leaders based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”  For more than a decade, the American Medical Association has called the ban on gay Scouts potentially psychologically traumatizing. 

HRC’s recent survey of LGBT youth reinforces the need to remove obstacles to full participation in extracurricular activities like the Boy Scouts: 64% of LGBT teens (compared to just 47% of non-LGBT teens) report that they never participate in afterschool or other recreational activities.  Exclusion from Scouting negatively impacts the overall well-being and sense of community connection among LGBT youth.

Sign HRC’s petition at: www.hrc.org/BSA.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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"Don't Get Towed" flyering volunteers needed for Italian Village

"Don't Get Towed" flyering volunteers needed! Italian Villagers, Street sweeping in our neighborhood will occur Wednesday, May 15 and Tuesday, May 21. In preparation, we will put reminder flyers on cars the Sunday prior to the first May street sweeping day, which is May 12. I am looking for some volunteers who are able to place flyers on car windshields that day. We aim for early morning or late evening because most cars are still parked. The time commitment would be approximately 1 hour, and you choose exactly when that day you flyer your assigned area. Please let me know if you are interested by emailing me at italianvillage@shortnorthblockwatch.org by next Tuesday, April 30. I will follow-up with you about your area or preference and other details.   -- Amelia Costanzo Short North Block Watch Coordinator Italian Village Captain on behalf of the Short North Block Watch

HRC - New Boy Scouts Resolution Continues Discrimination Against Parents and in Employment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 19, 2013
Paul Guequierre

New Boy Scouts Resolution Continues Discrimination Against Parents and in Employment

WASHINGTON – Today the Boy Scouts of America Executive Committee proposed a resolution that would establish a nondiscrimination policy ending the longstanding discriminatory ban on gay Scouts, while keeping discriminatory practices in place for gay and lesbian parents, Scout leaders, and in employment.   The resolution, which proposes a policy that, “no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone,” is national in scope, as opposed to a previous approach that would have allowed local sponsoring organizations to make their own decisions.  The resolution will face a vote by 1,400 leaders of the Boy Scouts of America during the National Council Meeting, May 22-24. 

“It is good news that BSA leadership is open to ending the ban on gay Scouts, but this resolution must go further,” said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin.  “Parents and adults of good moral character, regardless of sexual orientation, should be able to volunteer their time to mentor the next generation of Americans. What message does this resolution send to the gay Eagle Scout who, as an adult, wants to continue a lifetime of scouting by becoming a troop leader?”

Unanswered in today’s resolution is the issue of employment discrimination by BSA.  Currently, the BSA job application for “professional commission” explicitly says gays need not apply. The application, which comes from the BSA’s national office and appears to be in use across the country, reads:  "The Boy Scouts of America will not employ atheists, agnostics, known or avowed homosexuals.” The full application can be viewed here.

In anticipation of a resolution, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, launched a petition asking its 1.5 million members and supporters, and in particular those who are a part of the scouting family, to call on their local Boy Scouts of America council to vote in favor of a national policy prohibiting discrimination against gay Scouts, parents, and Scout Leaders.   HRC’s petition will generate messages to those local council representatives, so they can hear directly how the ban harms members of their own community.    

HRC’s recent survey of LGBT youth reinforces the need to remove obstacles to full participation in extracurricular activities like the Boy Scouts: 64% of LGBT teens (compared to just 47% of non-LGBT teens) report that they never participate in afterschool or other recreational activities.  Exclusion from Scouting negatively impacts the overall well-being and sense of community connection among LGBT youth.

In April 2012, Ohio mom Jennifer Tyrrell launched a Change.org petition calling on the Boy Scouts of America to end its national ban on gay scouts, parents, and scout leaders after she was ousted as her son's den leader because she is gay. She sparked a campaign led by GLAAD and Scouts for Equality to advocate for an inclusive BSA, which has resulted in several corporate sponsors withholding funds as well as hundreds of celebrities, elected officials, scouts and religious institutions speaking out against the ban. In February of this year, GLAAD and Scouts for Equality delivered more than 1.4 million Change.org signatures to BSA headquarters with gay scouts and scouting families impacted by the ban.

Sign HRC’s petition at: www.hrc.org/BSA.


The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

10TV - Students Fight For Teacher Who They Say Was Fired For Sexual Orientation

The story is here

COLUMBUS, Ohio - A teacher at Bishop Watterson High School is out of a job, and her firing has created a storm of criticism. 

Sources tell 10TV that gym teacher Carla Hale was let go the end of March, a month after an obituary of Hale's mother appeared in the Columbus Dispatch. Carla Hale is listed as a survivor with her partner, Julie, in parentheses. 

The sources also said that someone then sent a complaint letter to the Catholic diocese and within weeks, Hale was out of a job.

Former Bishop Watterson students Adell Wagy and Natalie Hornback are now students at Ohio State University.

They say that they are disappointed but not surprised that their former gym teacher is out of a job.

An attorney for Hale said she was fired from her position at Bishop Watterson High School after 19 years on the job.

"I think it's wrong,” said Hornback.

"It's very hypocritical in my eyes,” said Wagy.

They are not alone in their condemnation.  

Hale's termination has fueled hundreds of comments on social media, tagged on Twitter with #halestorm.

"She would always push us to go and do our best,” added Adell.

"She was all about teamwork, and just treating everybody with respect, she was just very respectful,” said Hornback.

10TV asked the diocese about the firing, but a spokesman said that "personnel matters are, by diocesan policy, confidential."

More than 3,000 individuals have signed an online petition, appealing to the diocese to give Hale her job back.

"I think if there's one thing I got out of my education at Watterson, it's to see God in everybody, and so I think by saying she can't teach there because of her sexuality - is just completely contradicting what we've been taught for those four years,” said Hornbeck.

Hale’s attorney said she is now exploring her legal options and would like to get her job back.

Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for more information. 

Outlook - Ad Firm Drops Event With Stonewall Ties

  

Street Hop Advertising via Facebook

By Bob Vitale

A local marketing company that deploys sign-spinning acrobats to curbs and street corners throughout Central Ohio has pulled its support for a local scavenger-hunt event because its charity beneficiary this year is Stonewall Columbus.

Melvin Harter, owner of Street Hop Advertising, told organizers of a September event called the Pointless Pursuit that he and his company stand for “traditional marriage” and suggested they raise money instead for some other cause.

Harter told Outlook that he would have stayed on as a supporter of the Pointless Pursuit — his company donated its services — if Stonewall addressed other LGBT issues such as suicide prevention or anti-bullying efforts, which it does.

He also said he couldn't find any information indicating that Stonewall is a nonprofit organization, which it is.

“We aren’t a hater group or anything like that,” Harter told Outlook. “I am a Christian. I just believe that traditional marriage should be what we stand for. One man, one woman.  I don’t believe two men should get married. I don’t think a man should marry three wives. If it was polygamy, I would not support that, either.”

“I wasn’t very impressed with the things that they’re supporting,” he said.

More here

Republican National Committee to Consider Anti-Marriage Resolution

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 11, 2013

RNC to Consider Anti-Marriage Resolution

Restating a freedom limiting plank would alienate party from those it seeks to welcome

WASHINGTON – At their spring meeting in Los Angeles this weekend, the Republican National Committee will consider a resolution that, if adopted, would dig in the party’s heels opposing marriage equality while the American people – Democrats, Independents and Republicans alike – continue to move in the opposite direction. 

“As the country and the GOP evolves on the issue of marriage for gay and lesbian couples, this resolution is a step backward from the party that Republican leaders say they are trying to build,” said Chad Griffin, Human Rights Campaign president.  “Instead of passing this resolution, the party should use this as an opportunity to reach young and independent voters who are tired of the divisive culture wars of the past.”

The latest Washington Post/ABC News poll shows nationwide support for marriage equality at 58 percent, and adults under 30 support marriage equality at 81 percent.  Support among seniors has jumped 26 percentage points in the last nine years, Republican support has jumped 18 points since 2004, and Independent support is at 62 percent compared to 38 percent nine years ago.  Evangelical Millennials also support marriage equality at 64 percent.

Additionally, a number of Republican leaders have spoken out for marriage equality recently including Sens. Rob Portman and Mark Kirk.  More than 100 prominent Republicans also signed on to a brief urging the Supreme Court to strike down bans on marriage for gay and lesbian couples in the Perry case.

“Party leaders should look to credible science and independent research rather than tired stereotypes and debunked reports to inform their position on this issue,” said Griffin.  “Every credible child welfare organization, most recently the American Academy of Pediatrics, says that marriage equality is good for children.”

After an extensive review of the academic literature on the subject of children being raised by gay and lesbian parents, the American Academy of Pediatrics said that marriage equality as well as adoption helps protect children’s rights to maintain relationships with both parents, eligibility for health benefits and financial security.

Even the star expert witness opposed to marriage equality in the Proposition 8 trial, David Blankenhorn, testified that equal marriage is undeniably good for the children of gay and lesbian couples. In 2010, he testified under oath that, “adopting same-sex marriage would be likely to improve the well-being of gay and lesbian households and their children.” He has since fully embraced marriage equality.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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7 Tips for Staging Your Home

Make your home warm and inviting to boost your home’s value and speed up the sale process.

Image: Radius Images/Getty Images

Warm, neutral-colored paint is key when staging your home. 

The first step to getting buyers to make an offer on your home is to impress them with its appearance so they begin to envision themselves living there. Here are seven tips for making your home look bigger, brighter, and more desirable.

1. Start with a clean slate

Before you can worry about where to place furniture and which wall hanging should go where, each room in your home must be spotless. Do a thorough cleaning right down to the nitpicky details like wiping down light switch covers. Deep clean and deodorize carpets and window coverings.

2. Stow away your clutter

It’s harder for buyers to picture themselves in your home when they’re looking at your family photos, collectibles, and knickknacks. Pack up all your personal decorations. However, don’t make spaces like mantles and coffee and end tables barren. Leave three items of varying heights on each surface, suggests Barb Schwarz of www.StagedHomes.com in Concord, Pa. For example, place a lamp, a small plant, and a book on an end table.

3. Scale back on your furniture

When a room is packed with furniture, it looks smaller, which will make buyers think your home is less valuable than it is. Make sure buyers appreciate the size of each room by removing one or two pieces of furniture. If you have an eat-in dining area, using a small table and chair set makes the area seem bigger.

4. Rethink your furniture placement

Highlight the flow of your rooms by arranging the furniture to guide buyers from one room to another. In each room, create a focal point on the farthest wall from the doorway and arrange the other pieces of furniture in a triangle around the focal point, advises Schwarz. In the bedroom, the bed should be the focal point. In the living room, it may be the fireplace, and your couch and sofa can form the triangle in front of it.

5. Add color to brighten your rooms

Brush on a fresh coat of warm, neutral-color paint in each room. Ask your real estate agent for help choosing the right shade. Then accessorize. Adding a vibrant afghan, throw, or accent pillows for the couch will jazz up a muted living room, as will a healthy plant or a bright vase on your mantle. High-wattage bulbs in your light fixtures will also brighten up rooms and basements.

6. Set the scene

Lay logs in the fireplace, and set your dining room table with dishes and a centerpiece of fresh fruit or flowers. Create other vignettes throughout the home—such as a chess game in progress—to help buyers envision living there. Replace heavy curtains with sheer ones that let in more light.

Make your bathrooms feel luxurious by adding a new shower curtain, towels, and fancy guest soaps (after you put all your personal toiletry items are out of sight). Judiciously add subtle potpourri, scented candles, or boil water with a bit of vanilla mixed in. If you have pets, clean bedding frequently and spray an odor remover before each showing.

7. Make the entrance grand

Mow your lawn and trim your hedges, and turn on the sprinklers for 30 minutes before showings to make your lawn sparkle. If flowers or plants don’t surround your home’s entrance, add a pot of bright flowers. Top it all off by buying a new doormat and adding a seasonal wreath to your front door.

The story is here

More from HouseLogic

Spring cleaning guide

Green cleaning products for the bathroom
Green cleaning products for the kitchen

Other web resources

How to make a small room look larger

How to arrange bedrooms

Read more: http://buyandsell.houselogic.com/articles/7-tips-staging-your-home/#ixzz2PcMT2GAE

NBC: Columbus Named Most Intelligent City In America

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If you are feeling brainy it could be because you are part of the smartest workforce in America.  The Intelligent Communities Forum has named Columbus in the top seven most intelligent cities in the world, and it is the only American city to make the cut.

ICF founder Robert Bell came to Columbus to present an award marking the achievement, and to also judge the city for signs of intelligence that could lead to the city being named the most intelligent city in the world for 2013.

Bell said that more than 400 cities around the world vie for the intelligence designation.  An international team of academic leaders whittles the list down to about two dozen and eventually the final seven are named.  Each city goes through a rigorous process of identifying the factors that set it apart, then an international panel of judges – from business and academia – will determine the overall smartest city.

Bell is spending three days gathering information, and making sure Columbus lives up to the claims it made about technology and collaboration.  He is looking at a number of criteria, and likes what he sees in Columbus.

"Is what's taught in your universities and your technical schools informed by the needs of business? Is government at the table trying to shape the outcomes for the good of all the citizens not just the top-tier citizens? Columbus has those things in abundance. While I've been here I've heard two words over and over again, you want to be open and want to be smart, and those are great advantages in the 21st century," Bell said.

City business and government leaders are taking Bell on a whirlwind tour of research, education and technology centers.  Bell visited Battelle, Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, the OSU Super Computer, the Columbus Metropolitan Library and TechColumbus.

But, he said, "technology is just a tool.  It's an enabler.  The magic happens when people all up and down the income ladder, all up and down the education ladder, of many cultures come together and use it to create something new and exciting."

ICF will name the overall most intelligent city in the world at a conference in June.

A Majority of U.S. Senators Back Marriage Equality

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 5, 2013
Charles Joughin

A Majority of U.S. Senators Back Marriage Equality

Donnelly, Heitkamp latest to put support behind marriage for gay and lesbian couples

WASHINGTON – Today two more United States Senators publicly endorsed marriage rights for same-sex couples, following a groundswell of support in recent weeks.  With announcements from Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND ) today, the total number of U.S. Senators backing marriage equality has reached 53, including 49 Democrats, 2 Independents and 2 Republicans.  Following the Senators’ announcements today, Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin released the following statement:

“The bipartisan tidal wave of support for marriage equality will only continue to swell as time progresses.  Our leaders in Washington are finally catching up to the American people, who believe that committed and loving gay and lesbian couples deserve the right to marry.  We thank Senators Donnelly and Heitkamp for planting themselves firmly on the right side of history today.”

Yesterday U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) publicly endorsed marriage for same-sex couples.  With his announcement, a majority in the Senate support marriage equality. HRC tracks the positions of Members of Congress on marriage and other issues pertinent to LGBT equality as part of its Congressional Scorecard. 
“Today, young LGBT people in these Senators’ states and across the country are hearing a powerful message of acceptance and support from their representatives in Washington,” continued Griffin.  “We look forward to continuing this conversation with the remaining 47 Senators and the American people.”

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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50th Sitting Senator, Republic Mark Kirk, Endorses Marriage Equality

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 2, 2013

50^th Sitting Senator, Republic Mark Kirk, Endorses Marriage Equality

Support for marriage for gays and lesbians hits milestone in Congress’s upper chamber

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, today celebrated the announcements by Sens. Tom Carper, Democrat of Delaware, and Mark Kirk, Republican of Illinois, that they support marriage equality.  Kirk is the second current Republican Senator to support marriage for gay and lesbian couples and with his announcement, half of the United States Senate supports marriage equality.  Both Kirk and Carper represent states where legislatures are currently considering marriage equality bills.

HRC President Chad Griffin issued the following statement:

“Senator Kirk and Senator Carper have shown tremendous leadership in announcing their support for marriage equality.  It is a sign of our progress that so many of their colleagues are showing the same political will. Democrat or Republican, there can simply be no excuse for standing on the wrong side of history when it comes to this basic question of justice.”

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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WOSU All Sides with Ann Fisher: "Drag Kings and Queens of Columbus"

The audio only podcast is here

11:00

Not that RuPaul isn’t fabulous, but drag queens seem to get all the attention. What about drag kings? In this hour, we’ll talk to a local king and queen about their ground-breaking work in the Columbus drag scene. We’ll also be joined by a documentarian who was surprised by the narrow scope of films about drag, and created one about the innovations right in here in her own backyard.

 Guests

• Gabrielle Burton, documentary filmmaker, creator of Kings Queens and In-Betweens
• Andrew Levitt, AKA “Nina West,” drag performer

Nina's website

• Liz Balk, AKA “Cool Ethan,”  drag performer

Events

Don’t miss upcoming showings of “Nina Does Columbus,” featuring Nina West and Cool Ethan: http://superdragqueen.com/nina-does-cbus/