Tallmadge Blue Devils Wheelchair Basketball

Floor Speech

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Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize the Tallmadge Blue Devils coed wheelchair basketball team as Ohio's 13th District Champions of the Week.

The Wheelchair Blue Devils recently won the Ohio Interscholastic Wheelchair Basketball State Championship title, defeating the previously unbeaten and top-ranked Austintown Falcons.

During this championship game, freshman Ta'Shaun Meyers scored 16 points to help lead the Wheelchair Blue Devils to a well-deserved victory. The win capped off an impressive 15-2 season for the Wheelchair Blue Devils.

In addition to the hard work and determination of these outstanding student athletes, I also recognize Head Coach Monica Currey and Assistant Coach Greg Michalec for guiding and supporting the team throughout this impressive season.

In all, the success of the Blue Devils wheelchair basketball team, both on and off the court, has made our community very proud, and I am confident that the team will continue their dominance next season.

Once again, I congratulate the Blue Devils wheelchair basketball team for their incredible season and for being named Champions of the Week. Congratulating Lulu Emanuele

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Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize Lulu Emanuele as last week's 13th Congressional District of Ohio Champion of the Week.

Lulu is a sophomore from Firestone Community Learning Center in Akron, and she is my district's first-place winner for this year's Congressional Art Competition.

I had the opportunity to view Lulu's winning piece at the community art show hosted at the Summit Artspace in Akron, and I can truly say that her piece titled ``Neon Dreams'' is captivating. As you can see, Lulu uses bold, dramatic neon colors that immediately catch your eye and show off her impressive technical expertise.

As the winner of our district's Congressional Art Competition, her work will proudly be displayed on the walls of the United States Capitol, where visitors from across the country and the world can see our community's artistic talent and creative abilities.

I personally can't wait to see her piece each time we walk past the Congressional Art Competition on our way to the House floor.

In addition to recognizing Lulu's exceptional artistic talent, I also thank her teachers and her family for supporting her in her endeavors.

I also recognize all the students who participated in the Congressional Art Competition because they all made this year's art challenge especially fantastic, and we are very proud of them, as well.

Again, I congratulate Lulu on being the winner of Ohio's 13th District Art Competition and the Champion of the Week. Supporting Law Enforcement During National Police Week

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Mrs. SYKES. Mr. Speaker, this is National Police Week, and I rise to recognize the courage and dedication of police officers in Ohio's 13th Congressional District and honor those who have lost their lives while serving our communities.

Being a police officer is already a tough and dangerous job. However, in recent years, staff shortages have made this job even more difficult. As I have talked to law enforcement agencies across Ohio's 13th District, the number one thing I continue to hear is that they are having a hard time keeping and retaining officers.

Our police officers are constantly overworked, overburdened, and tired, and this constant strain on law enforcement agencies simply does not create an environment where police officers can perform to the best of their abilities to keep our communities safe.

That is why I joined several members of the Ohio delegation to introduce the Enhancing COPS Hiring Program Grants for Local Law Enforcement Act. This bipartisan, commonsense piece of legislation would expand the current COPS Hiring Program to allow local law enforcement agencies to utilize these grants for recruitment and retention bonuses and also modify the program to reduce costs and administrative burdens associated with the annual applications.

Giving law enforcement agencies the resources they need to provide recruitment and retention bonuses will ensure these departments can hire the best and most qualified and responsible officers to protect our communities.

In all, this bipartisan legislation will simultaneously improve our safety and the safety of our communities and increase the trust between police officers and the people they have sworn to protect and serve.

When I came to Congress, I promised I would put the people of Ohio's 13th Congressional District first, and that is exactly what I have continued to do. I will keep working with anyone from anywhere on real solutions, just like my enhancing COPS grant legislation that will provide our law enforcement with the resources they need to keep our communities safe.

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