United States Bowling Congress Making Changes for Safety of Young Bowlers

The United States Bowling Congress is taking steps to keep the children who participate in its programs safe from predators.

As of Aug. 1, all organizations under its umbrella that run youth bowling programs will be required to enter the USBC's Registered Volunteer Program, which will mandate criminal background screenings and require volunteers to abide by a code of conduct.

Volunteers always have been, and always will be, the backbone of the USBC. Most are dedicated, hard-working, unselfish people who have the sport's best interests at heart. It is extremely important in today's world that all volunteers who work with USBC Youth programs understand that USBC is facing the same problem every youth sports and social organization in America is facing: Protecting our kids against a handful of people who prey on the innocence of children. The only practical way to make youth bowling safe is to identify those persons who refuse to abide by acceptable standards of behavior and conduct, remove them from contact with our young people and establish barriers to prevent other predators from gaining access to children who bowl.

Illegal Immigrant Asks for Background Check

An illegal immigrant was arrested this week in the lobby of the Butler County Sheriff's Office when she allegedly passed fake identification while trying to get a background check for a job, according to sheriff's officials.

Genesis Mahelet Garcia-Garcia, 25, of Sixth Avenue in Hamilton was arrested Wednesday, July 16. She is charged with two counts of forgery and one count of identity fraud.

She is in the country from Mexico illegally, according to deputies. Garcia-Garcia is being held in the Butler County Jail and faces possible deportation.

Ohio Camps Aren't Checking Up On Employees

Just 42 percent of summer day camps surveyed by the state's Department of Job and Family Services have completed mandatory background checks of employees, a newspaper reported on Sunday.

But camps that fail to carry out the checks have little to fear. The state's Department of Job and Family Services has little recourse, since there's no real punishment provision in the state law that requires the checks, department spokesman Dennis Evans said.

LIcense to Prey On Kids?

For most kids, the biggest danger associated with the neighborhood ice-cream truck is the brain freeze they get from gulping down their purchases.

Columbus officials want to keep it that way, so they're vowing to change the way they screen and monitor ice-cream truck drivers and everyone else required to get a peddler's license from the city.