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State Fair Ends With Lower Attendance, And Higher Ed Head Says Budget Might Help With High College Costs

After years of big numbers, attendance at this year’s Ohio State Fair plummeted to its lowest number in 13 years. The numbers are now in for the first month of the new fiscal year, and with income tax collections off 11 out of the last 12 months, they're being closely watched.

Bars and restaurants that have patios statewide have been welcoming canines and their human friends to sit down to have dinner and drinks in those outdoor spaces finding themselves in a quandary. That’s because those dog owners, rescue groups and businesses are at odds with health departments over a current state law that prohibits dogs on patios of businesses that serve food and drinks. As Statehouse correspondent Jo Ingles reports, a freshman lawmaker has proposed legislation that seeks to change that.

A recent report from the personal financial website WalletHub ranked Ohio as number 1 as the worst state for student debt. Another report analyzing financial data from the college information group Peterson’s found about six in ten Ohio college graduates in 2015 borrowed money – with the average debt load around $29,000. The average cost for tuition in Ohio for last academic year was around $6,000 for in state students and nearly $18,000 for those from out of state. These costs are huge for students and their families. But colleges and universities are working to compete for students with high-tech facilities and great amenities along quality education, and have been dealing with less state money to accomplish their goals. John Carey is a former state lawmaker and has been the state’s Chancellor of Higher Education since he was appointed by Gov. John Kasich in 2013. He heads up the $5.2 billion system overseeing Ohio’s 14 main public universities, their regional campuses and the state’s 23 community colleges.