SUBMITTED PHOTO

Mike and Mark Mellick.

BY LOU WHITMIRE
News Journal
MANSFIELDAbout 400
people rallied against Ohio
Senate Bill 5 on Tuesday in
Central Park, shielding
themselves from the cold
rain with umbrellas.
The crowd cheered as
more than a half a dozen
speakers spokeinsupport of
union employees.
Brad Strong, a Mansfield
CitySchools teacher andvice
president of the Mansfield
Schools Education Associa-
tion, said public employees
are trained, educated indi-
viduals who have specific
talents that enhance their
communities.
Wedotheworkthatmakes
life easier, better, safer and
trains future citizens inevery
community, Strongsaid.
Rallies were scheduled
throughout OhioonTuesday
as part of a day of action to
demand Gov. John Kasich
andlawmakers focus oncre-
ating jobs instead of trim-
ming the budget, Strong
said. Ohio Senate Bill 5
would make major changes
incollective bargaininglaws
affecting public employees.
CallingSenateBill 5adan-
gerousvirus,Strongsaidpeo-
plehaveforgottenthepast.
RepublicanScott Hazen, a
Third Ward Mansfield City
Councilman, said he does
not want to see Senate Bill 5
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2011 MANSFIELD, OHIO | 75 CENTS
Reach thousands of readers with a classified ad. Call 419-524-3545 or 877-513-7355. On the Web, go to CentralOhioClassified.com. A Gannett newspaper
TODAYS WEATHER
Cloudy, chance of rain. High 48, low 35.
Forecast, page 2A
0 40901 50401 6
Jane Marie Ackerman
Eric Todd Baird
Frederick E. Beutel
Kenneth H. Bletz
Helen Whiting Pond Burns
Lorine Douglas
Gerald F. Futty
Ernest Wayne Lambert
Violet Mae Parish
Quinn J. Petty
William F. Rath
Clifford J. Tadder
Paul Tolsty Jr.
Michael Andrew Van Doren
Jennifer L. Wolfenbarger
Hazel Winifred
Averyt Zeigler
Obituaries,
pages 4A, 5A, 6A
BREWOLOGIST
Blue Moon turns
out refreshing
seasonal | LIFESTYLE 5B
Mansfield schools
to cut three
administrators
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Staff and wire reports

COLUMBUSGov. John
Kasich unveiled a $55.5 bil-
lion, two-year state operat-
ing budget onTuesday that
he said cant be compared
to past proposals because
it contains somanyinnova-
tive approaches to state
operations.
The one thing that I
think you need to under-
stand is that this budget is
loadedwithonereformafter
another, Kasich said at a
media briefing onthe plan.
It is, I would guess, the
most reform-orientedbudg-
et inmodernOhiohistory.
For that reason, the new
Republicangovernorandhis
Cabinet resisteddirect com-
parisons tothecurrent state
budget. Their proposal is
based on newassumptions
abouthowbusiness-likeflex-
ibility could help in areas
ranging frompublic educa-
tionandeconomicdevelop-
ment to government health
caretocrimereduction.
Kasich proposes selling
five state prisons to private
interests. His budget ex-
pandsschool choicevouch-
ers and gives parents,
students andteachers ways
to take over failing schools.
It funnels Medicaid recipi-
ents into a more coordinat-
edstyleof healthcare. It uses
state liquor sales as seed
money for the newprivate,
nonprofit called JobsOhio,
whichwill provide grants to
fuel business growth.
Kasich said the adminis-
tration wants to reward
teachers for performance
andhospitalsanddoctorsfor
goodcareinthesamewayhe
sayshewill rewardJobsOhio
employees for bringingnew
worktothestate.
Before he had even fin-
ishedexplaining his vision,
though, critics were assail-
ing his budget for killing
jobs, hurting the poor,
DANIEL MELOGRANA/NEWS JOURNAL
Melissa Carrington holds up a sign supporting unions and against Ohio Senate Bill 5 on Tuesday afternoon at
a rally in downtown Mansfield. See more photos at MansfieldNewsJournal.com.
Radiation in
Japan not
a threat to
U.S. yet
NATION/WORLD 6A
400 rally against SB5
BY MARK CAUDILL
News Journal
MANSFIELD A new
lead has given the family of
Mark Mellick a flicker of
hope.
Mellick, 35, was found
beaten to death outside his
Amoy Ganges Road home
March 14, 1985. He was
foundfacedowninhis back-
yard with a trail of blood
leading to his truck. A fin-
gerprint found at the scene
has never been identified.
Mellick, who was beaten
with a blunt object, owned
Lehr Awning Co. across
from Arlin Field. An em-
ployee discovered his body
when Mellick didnt show
up for work.
The trail has been largely
cold for the past 26 years. A
rumor with robbery as the
motive is the latest develop-
ment.
There was a possibility
that Mark was playing cards
that night, and he won a lot
of money, saidPamRichter,
Mellicks older sister. We
hadcompletely never heard
that before. They didnt plan
on killing him; they just
wantedtojumphimandget
the money back.
Richard Duffey, an inves-
tigator with the Richland
County Prosecutors Office,
previously told the News
Journal he feared the truth
might never be known.
Were still hopeful,
Richter said. We want to
have these people brought
tojusticebecausethepeople
who know what happened
are too afraid to talk.
Probablynothingis going
to come of this (latest tip),
but we wanted it on file.
Mellick left behind twin
daughters whowere 9 at the
time. Theynowarethesame
agetheir father was whenhe
was killed. Onelives inTexas,
the other in Colorado.
They usually call my
mother on (the anniver-
sary), Richter said.
Mellicks parents are both
86 and hoping for some
type of closure.
Mellick also left behind a
twinbrother, Mike, wholives
in Atlanta. They were espe-
cially close, Richter said.
Through June 1, a family
member is offering a $5,000
rewardfor informationlead-
ingtoanarrest. Anyonewith
information is asked to call
theprosecutors officeat 419-
774-5676 during business
hours or the 24-hour tipline
at 419-525-2583.
mcaudill@nncogannett.com
419-521-7219
BY JAMI KINTON
News Journal
MANSFIELDMansfield
firefighters are willing to re-
open their contract to help
battle the citys precarious
budget, according to union
president Phil Dollish.
OnTuesday, the unionof-
feredtoreduceits minimum
manning clause from 21 to
18 per shift.
Dollish said the offer
should help the city reduce
cuts tothepoliceforcebut
he remains troubled by the
effects tothefiredepartment
and Mansfield residents.
People shouldknowthat
thecityis puttingadevalued
priceontheir lives bychoos-
ing not to staff us, Dollish
said. I know finances are
Mansfield City Council
opposes SB 5, page 3A.
Read the state budget at http://obm.ohio.gov/
SectionPages/Budget/FY1213/ExecutiveBudget.aspx
ON THE WEB
AP PHOTO/GEOEYE, DIGITALGLOBE
Cold case still haunts Mellick family
Firefighters agree to negotiate
Union backers
fill Central Park
See SB 5, page 2A
OHIO OPERATING BUDGET
Reform
budget
unveiled
See BUDGET, page 2A
Per-shift staff reduction on the table
See FIREFIGHTERS, page 2A
Tressel address
draws a crowd
Coach retools speech
for benefit | SPORTS 1B