Thanks to WMD regular Kevin Irwin, I can bring you this story about eminent domain getting a defeat in Portsmouth, Ohio.
Apparently, a developer had been buying up properties areound the campus of Shawnee State University but there were a few holdouts who didn't want to sell. There was a deal made between the developer and the former mayor in which eminent domain was to be declared, but the city council voted unanimously to support the right to private property.
This looks like a case where a local university is doing their best to grow an expand in an urban setting, but failed to secure the land before other people built their homes and lives there. I'm all for growth, but we can not support the revocation of the right to own property. This sort of thing is just poor planning on the part of the university and the good people of Portsmouth shouldn't have to pay for their shortsightedness.
The above linked story is something of a teaser and not the full story. I searched the Portsmouth Daily Times site for the full story, but this was all I could find. Kevin sent me the text of the rest of the story which was the foundations of my reporting. Anyone who wants the full story can email me and I would be happy to send it to you.
