It really shouldn't surprise us anymore, but the Akron Beacon Journal has done its duty for their friends in the gun ban lobby once again.

A story by BJ reporter Stephen Dyer, entitled Portage killings spark debate, gives the Brady bunch/ Million Mom crowd a platform to assert that the expiration of the Clinton Gun Ban is somehow to blame for a tragedy involving a convicted felon with an extremely violent history who murdered three people in northeast Ohio over the weekend.

While the story contains several other problems, the most egregious error occurs in the following statement:

"...The AR-15 used in the weekend shootings -- the civilian version of the military's M-16 -- was specifically banned by federal legislation that became effective in 1994."

An informative email exchange between Dyer and OFCC's Chad Baus is available by clicking the "Read More..." link below.

Thanks to the attention of an astute supporter, Ohioans For Concealed Carry has learned that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Division of Watercraft has been incompletely/ incorrectly informing its officers and the general public about how the state's concealed carry law, passed a year ago, affected the practice of bearing arms on watercraft.

OFCC can also report that we have made some progress in correcting the problem, but that there is much work to be done to stop the flow of bad information and get the truth out to the general boating public.

Following is the original notification from an OFCC supporter:

Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2005 6:18 PM
Submitted by: Ray K.

This year's "Ohio Boat Operator's Guide: A Summary of Laws & Rules"(page 44) and the Watercraft Officers at the Cleveland Mid-America Boat Show, both say the new Ohio law gives no provision for firearms on boats. However, section 1547.69 (H) (Pages 12-14 of the 141 page law), seems to state otherwise. The law appears to exempt CHL-holders from the prohibition of firearms on vessels.

Akron: Woman Uses Body To Shield Son
A woman used her body to shield her son before both were killed by her boyfriend, authorities said. James Trimble, 44, of Brimfield Township, was arrested Saturday and charged with three counts of aggravated murder. He is accused of killing Sarah Positano, 22, a Kent State University student from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, his girlfriend, Renee Bauer, 42, and her 7-year-old son, Dakota. Portage County Coroner Roger G. Marcial said the crime scene where the bodies of Bauer and Dakota were found was "hideous." Investigators found six stuffed animals near Dakota's body and Marcial said the boy was found lying on his back, partially covered by his mother's body "like she was trying to put her arms around him."

Fremont: Man reports armed robbery in his home
A Fremont man reported being robbed at gunpoint at his home Sunday after he said he allowed a woman into the residence to use the phone. About 3 p.m. Sunday, a man in the 400 block of Bidwell Avenue told Fremont police a woman asked if she could use the phone in his house. The man said he agreed, and after the phone call, the woman also asked to use the bathroom. The man told police that the woman came out of the bathroom with a handgun and demanded his wallet.

Dayton: Elderly woman tied up, robbed during home invasion
An elderly woman was tied up with a shoe string, duct-taped and robbed after a man carrying a firearm knocked on her door and forced his way into her apartment in the 3500 block of Delphos Avenue Wednesday. Police were called to the woman's apartment sometime before 11 a.m. "She opened the door without looking," Sgt. Richard Blommel said, noting that the victim was expecting company. Once the man made his way into the apartment he told the woman that he knew she had money, Blommel said. The man then tied the woman with a shoe string and "put duct tape on her mouth." A friend of the victim's eventually showed up at the apartment and when he entered the suspect also tied him up, Blommel said. The suspect then took an undetermined amount of money from the victim's apartment before leaving.

Dayton: Participant describes torture, death of local businessman in home invasion
David Michael Vaughn testified Tuesday that he and three others broke into the home of a Clay Twp. businessman and tortured him before Joseph William Taylor shot him to death. Vaughn's testimony stuck to one story: The four assailants were looking for what they believed was $1 million in a safe in Brown's garage; they left with a handful of coins they found ransacking the 52-year-old nurseryman's home before they killed him.

Columbus: A different kind of home invasion
Alfred Tibor thought a tree had fallen onto his house when he heard the sound of broken glass in his living room late Monday afternoon. But after he climbed the stairs from his art studio in the lower level of his East Side house, the 84-year-old sculptor came face to face with a deer. A big deer. A 10-point buck.

The Associated Press is reporting that two criminals have been permanently retired by Bobby Doster and Gloria Turner, who own Shoats Grocery & Package, where the criminals attempted a robbery.

According to the story, two men walked into a popular country store outside Atlanta, and announced a holdup. After one robber fired a shot at Turner's husband (and missed), his gun jammed. Doster and Turner reacted quickly by pulling out their own pistols and opening fire. The armed suspect and his partner were killed.

The story says Turner, has been around guns all her life, and has used them for target shooting. "But I never figured I'd have to use them on anybody," she said.

The owners won't be charged, according to local officials, because they were acting in self-defense.

Meanwhile in Ohio...

Family Dollar store employee robbed at knifepoint

WHIOtv.com is reporting that Dayton police are searching for a man they believe held a knife to the throat of an employee during a robbery Monday night in Dayton. The incident happened at the Family Dollar store in the 500 block of Troy Street. Police said a man entered the store with a knife and put it up to a cashier's neck before grabbing the money in the register and fleeing the scene.

The news station failed to note that some Family Dollar stores post "no-guns" signs at entrances, as an effort to keep employees and customers safe.

Family Dollar can be contacted at its corporate offices as follows:

Post Office Box 1017
Charlotte, North Carolina 28201-1017
Telephone (704)847-6961

Click here to send an electronic message.

Related Stories:
Despite history of violent robberies, some Family Dollars still posted

Victim zone robbery: Another Family Dollar gets hit