Joe Eaton, OFCC's Business Education Task Force Coordinator, has received the following notification from First Clermont Bank:

Dear Joe,

We have removed our "no guns" signs from all First Clermont Bank locations.

We gave the issue considerable thought before we added the signs in the first place, and went through a similar process before taking them down. Your letter was helpful, as were the comments of two customers who have passed the conceal carry certification process.

FYI,

Ed Brady
VP, Administrative Services
First Clermont Bank
400 TechneCenter Drive
Milford, OH 45150
(513) 576-0600 phone
(513) 576-6454 fax
Ed.Brady@firstclermont.com
www.firstclermont.com

Please take a moment to thank Mr. Brady and his staff for their wise decision. There are no credible studies that show increased dangers to businesses because of concealed carry, yet many prove the benefits.

First Clermont Bank joins a host of other Ohio businesses who are removing their "No CCW' signs after learning more feeling more comfortable with concealed handgun licensees.

To view the rapidly expanding list of businesses which have removed signs banning concealed handgun license-holders from their businesses, click here.

To view the list of businesses which have registered as "Safe Alternatives" - places where CCW is not only allowed, but welcomed, click here.

Ohioans For Concealed Carry and the OFCC PAC are pleased to announce that efforts to receive clarification with the Ohio Division of Liquor Control over the law's requirements for Class D liquor permit holders have been met with complete success.

At issue was the question of whether groceries and convenience stores which possess Class D liquor permits, but which do not dispense liquor by the drink, were automatically rendered off-limits to concealed handgun license-holders by House Bill 12.

In an April 5 letter to 415 liquor agency stores, Superintendent Rae Ann Estep correctly informed class D permit holders that "the Concealed Carry Bill does not specifically address the issue of carrying concealed weapons into spirituous liquor agency stores." She went on to state that
"since agency stores are private businesses, the issue [of whether or not to post signs banning concealed carry] is within the sole discretion and business judgement of each spiritous liquor agency store."

Unfortunately, the letter ended in with a statement that confused many of the letter's recipients:

"...No policy can authorize the carrying of a concealed weapon in any room or open air arena where a class D liquor permit in force."

This statement was also repeated in a "Superintendent's Message" on the Division's website in the month of May, and some store owners told OFCC the statement was repeated or reinforced when they called the Board for clarification.

There are many business-owners at Ohio groceries and convenience stores who do not wish to post "no-CCW" signs, believing they discriminate against CHL-holders and advertise defenselessness to criminals. Unfortunately, up to now, they were under a false impression that they had a legal obligation to post these signs.

OFCC PAC Vice Chairman Chad Baus has been working for more than two months to correct this problem with the Division of Liquor Control, and can now announce that the matter has been corrected.

A Division official confirmed Tuesday that the confusing statement has been removed from the Liquor Control website.

A June 24 letter from this official states as follows:

..."As private employers, the Class D permit holders are governed by Ohio Revised Code Section 2923.126(C)(1) regarding whether they choose to post a sign stating that no person shall carry a concealed weapon onto their property."

"If class D permit holders have chosen to post a sign other than the sign the Division was statutorily required to provide them [the Firearms Warning sign described in 4301.637(B)], this was not done upon the direction of the Division."

Division stresses that any legal interpretations regarding compliance with statutory requirements should not be asked of the Division, but should be addressed to the business' private legal counsel.

As we have long maintained, the choice to post "no CCW" signs is strictly a private one for non-serving Class D permit holders. Unless they dispense liquor for on-premises consumption (served by the drink), Class D permitees are under no legal requirement to post "no CCW" signs.

"Persons obtaining Ohio concealed handgun licenses are trained as to where they can and cannot go," said Baus. "CHL-holders know that the law currently forbids them entry into any establishment that holds a Class D liquor permit and which serves liquor by the drink. We are pleased that the Division of Liquor Control has acted to confirm the facts for all interested parties."

"OFCC volunteers will now set about to inform stores listed on the Do Not Patronize While Armed database of the facts," said Joe Eaton, OFCC's Business Education Task Force Coordinator. "We know this will be a relief to many grocers and convenience store owners who have posted signs out of confusion about the law."

For a look at the many stores which may be misinterpreting the law, read our Do Not Patronize While Armed database.

NOTICE: This story has been updated at the request of the Division of Liquor Control. The letter from Division Counsel is now available for grassroots volunteers wishing to share it with business-owners in their area:

Download June 24 letter from Division of Liquor Control (.pdf)

June 29, 2004
Akron Beacon Journal

Security guard Donald Swartout felt like he didn't have a choice. He had to shoot the man who was trying to rob a charity ``Las Vegas Nite.''

"It was him or me,'' said the 68-year-old former policeman. ``I'm not sorry I shot, but I didn't shoot to kill. I was protecting myself. I just fired. He already had his gun pointed at me.

"I would have rather caught him alive.''

The shooting occurred about 4:30 a.m. Monday in a rear building on the National Guard Armory grounds on North Hawkins Avenue. Akron police identified the dead man as 19-year-old Kevin E. Moss II of Cleveland Heights.

About 20 people were gathered for the card-playing andcasino-style event, which organizers say was being held to raise money for a youth football program in Coventry Township. A masked gunman rushed into the building and leaped behind a counter where the money was being kept.

Swartout said he sneaked out of the "money room'' as the robber struck. He was trying to slip back into the room to confront the gunman when the shooting happened.

"I figured (the robber) would have his back turned, scooping the money,'' Swartout said. "But I turned the corner and he was standing right there with a gun pointed at me.''

Swartout refused to drop his gun, and the robber didn't lower his. A single shot in the face ended the quick standoff.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

June 28, 2004
San Francisco Chronicle

Washington -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein knows the odds are increasingly daunting as she tries to win congressional renewal of her 10-year-old assault weapons ban before it expires Sept. 13, and she warns that if the law lapses "you can expect the market to become flooded'' with such guns as AK-47s and Uzis.

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The California Democrat will be home in San Francisco on Tuesday to join her colleague Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom in marking the 11th anniversary week of the 101 California St. shootings that killed eight people and left six others wounded. The shootings helped persuade Congress to pass the assault weapons ban a decade ago. A frustrated Feinstein is looking toward November's elections to produce a president and a House leadership more supportive of gun control.

"I really believe passionately in this,'' Feinstein said in an interview about her bid for the renewal. "I'm not going to give up.''

Feinstein won a momentary victory on March 2 when the Senate voted 52-47 to adopt the renewal as an amendment to a gun manufacturers' liability shield legislation backed by the National Rifle Association. But the NRA scuttled the entire bill when it told its supporters that it didn't want the liability shield, which was the industry's main legislative goal for the year, to pass with Feinstein's assault ban amendment.

Feinstein is searching for another piece of legislation to serve as a vehicle for her amendment, which bans the manufacture and sale of 19 types of semiautomatic weapons and ammunition clips of more than 10 rounds. But there are only about 20 legislative days left in Congress before Sept. 13, and even if the bill passes the Senate, the House Republican leadership has said it won't allow the renewal to come up for a floor vote.

The NRA and other elements of the powerful gun lobby say the Feinstein's assault weapons ban has been ineffective and violates what they consider Americans' Second Amendment rights to own guns. The groups have lobbied vehemently to keep the legislation from reaching the floor.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

The Warren Tribune Chronicle was one of the first of now four Ohio newspapers to have published the names of concealed handgun license-holders as though they were social pariah. For this act, the paper was awarded the "Bandemonium Award" in the July issue of the NRA's national First Freedom magazine.

June 27, 2004
Warren Tribune Chronicle

For proponents of Ohio's conceal carry law, we offer a brief history lesson on the Tribune Chronicle's position.

On July 16, 1995, we stated in an editorial, ''The Senate last week voted 26-6 to make Ohio the 43rd state to issue permits for concealed weapons. The measure now goes to the House, where we think it should be passed as well.
''We think the outright ban on concealed weapons was too restrictive. This bill will restore some freedom to Ohioans.''

Last year, when Ohio Gov. Bob Taft threatened to veto the conceal carry legislation, we published Taft's phone number and e-mail address in Michael Hoffman's outdoors column.

Later in the year, Hoffman wrote, ''I'd like to wish Gov. Robert Taft a clear look back at his campaign promises to approve concealed carry legislation if it ever reached his desk. He made them when he wanted people to vote for him. It would certainly be a shame if those who did vote for him because of those promises were left with the memory of them being broken.''

On March 28, 2002, after the bill was passed in the house, we said in an editorial, ''It is a bill Ohioans want, and Taft has a responsibility to sign it should it come to his desk.''

This year, on several Web sites and gun-advocate publications across the state, the Tribune Chronicle's position on the Second Amendment has been misrepresented.

This is because we regularly publish the names, ages and counties of everyone locally who applies for a concealed carry permit. This upsets some gun-advocates who have subsequently labeled the Tribune as being against the new law.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

June 27, 2004
Toledo Blade

I was intrigued by Marilou Johanek's June 18 column regarding Ohio's new concealed-carry law.

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In the course of her ill-informed rant against this law she made mention of "obsessive nuts" and "misguided ideologues with aggressive tendencies." I think that I'll leave the name-calling to her.

What was most telling about Ms. Johanek's column was her assertion that Ohioans applying for a concealed-carry permit "will still represent only a fraction of the state's population." I can't help but wonder how many other minorities that "represent only a fraction of the state's population" will be offended by such bigotry and hatred.

TOM SUSSMAN
Rolandale Avenue

Click on the "Read More..." link below for another letter to the Blade editor on City of Toledo's "invalid" and unenforcable park ban.

Ohio has one of the highest rates of bank robbery in the nation. Certain banks disarm customers by hanging discriminatory signs banning concealed carry. The signs, which are often obtained from the Ohio Bankers League, have done nothing to deter robbers.

June 26, 2004
Columbus Dispatch

A would-be bank robber walked away empty-handed this week after two tellers simply ignored him.

A man walked into the National City Bank, 2700 Cleveland Ave., about 1:15 p.m. Thursday and handed the first teller a note demanding money.

The teller simply walked away, so the man took his note to a second teller.

The woman told him "No" and walked away.

None the richer, the robber, who did not show a weapon, left the bank muttering to himself, Columbus police said.

The man was captured on a surveillance camera walking out of the bank, said Harry Trombitas, an FBI agent working with Columbus police on the case.

Information concerning central Ohio bank robberies, including the picture of Thursday’s unsuccessful robber, can be viewed at: www.publiceyes.org.

June 26, 2004
Columbus Dispatch

Guard shoots man he says stole groceries
Shot fired into car after fight in Kroger parking lot

A struggle over a shopping cart full of meat led to the shooting of a man by a security guard at a grocery on the Far East Side yesterday.

Early this morning, police charged the security guard in the incident.

The man who was injured was in stable condition at Grant Medical Center with bullet wounds in his right forearm and chest, Columbus police said. They wouldn’t release his name last night.

Police said the security guard told them the man pushed the cart full of food from the Kroger at the corner of Gender and Refugee roads about 6 p.m. without paying for it.

The guard, identified as Roger Loesel, 35, of 6023 Crossgate Place, followed him out and confronted the man as he approached a car with a woman in it who apparently was waiting for him, said police Sgt. James Branam.

"Apparently there was a struggle," he said.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

June 25, 2004
Akron Beacon Journal

Barberton man sought in robbery

AKRON - A Barberton man is wanted in connection with a violent robbery Wednesday night.

Ozzie M. Mannwright, 22, of the 1000 block of South Avenue faces charges of aggravated robbery, felonious assault and assault.

The robbery took place outside Onyxx Marketing, 1522 Home Ave., around 10:20 p.m., according to the Akron Police Department. Three employees were locking up the business when they were confronted by two men who ordered them to the ground at gunpoint and kicked them in the face.

The other suspect in the robbery was not identified. Anyone with information about Mannwright or his whereabouts can call Akron police at 330-375-2181.

Commentary:
Many businesses allow customers with CHLs to patronize their establishments, but have policies which prohibit employees from bearing arms for self-defense while at work.

Statistics show most multiple victim public shootings occur where firearms are banned. There are no credible studies that show increased dangers to businesses because of concealed carry, yet many prove the benefits.

Related Stories:
Heads in the sand: Gun ban extremists pretend this doesn't happen

Attacked at work: Robber shoots at employee during chase

Man beaten and robbed while at work

Extraordinary Liability Advisory

What Business Owners Need to Know About CCW

June 26, 2004
Cleveland Plain Dealer

The June 20 pdQ article "Ohio concealed-weapon law carries its own smoking gun" portrayed a 12-gun-toting, villainous fictional character, "Captain Ohio." I see this as another misrepresentation of the character of law-abiding citizens who have earned the privilege to carry concealed weapons.

To carry a concealed weapon, one must first get an application from the local sheriff's office, successfully complete a minimum of 12 hours training in firearm safety and practice-range shooting, be fingerprinted, present a photo I.D. and submit to a criminal background check. This does not fit the profile of a 12-gun-toting "Captain Ohio."

Ivan G. Nassar
Cleveland Heights

The June 20 "smoking gun" item looks like a blatant at tempt to instill fear in the general populace regarding CCW permit holders. Yes, it is theoretically possible to carry that many guns, but not likely.

Aside from the fact that few people can afford that many handguns, someone carrying them would look very lumpy and obvious. Ask any law-enforcement officer how hard it is to properly conceal one weapon when leaning over or reaching for something.

Dave Leeds
Cleveland Heights

Related Story:
Another Plain Dealer news story fit for the editorial page