Mansfield, Ohio

Pennsylvania State Police have charged Timothy David Geisler, 63, of Mansfield, Tioga County, with terroristic threats after he allegedly sent threatening emails to the office of state Rep. Jamie Walsh (R-117), including one vowing to kill Walsh and his family "in front of town." Geisler reportedly claimed to be President of the United States and accused Walsh of "rigging another election" in a message containing numerous graphic threats. He also allegedly left voicemails threatening lawmakers at the Pennsylvania Governor's Office, identifying himself by name and address. Mansfield police arrested Geisler on October 3; he remains held at Tioga County Prison, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for October 28.

A new bill from Rep. Brian Lorenz (R-Powell) would cap the number of residents at addiction recovery houses located in single-family residential neighborhoods at five people, while allowing higher occupancy in multi-family zones. The measure follows growing bipartisan concern over overcrowded and unsafe conditions at some Ohio group homes, which have proliferated amid the opioid epidemic. Ohio's Department of Behavioral Health took direct control of recovery house certification earlier this summer over similar concerns.

Lorenz, who previously worked at a group home in Mansfield, says the bill isn't meant to punish operators but to protect both residents and surrounding communities from unsafe, overcrowded setups, including makeshift rooms in garages or basements without proper egress or sprinklers. The bill would let communities limit new clusters of recovery houses but would not allow existing homes to be shut down. Lea Dooley of Ohio Recovery Housing has not taken a position on the bill, noting the bigger issue is a shortage of accredited, affordable recovery housing across the state rather than existing quality standards.