LeBron James

With plenty of out-of-towners and high-profile visitors — from athletes to actors to music stars — NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland sure seemed like the place to be. And the most exciting place to be in Cleveland was Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse for the All-Star Game Sunday night.

The proposed merger between law schools at the University of Akron and Cleveland State University has been called off; The Ohio Department of Health is recommending local health departments shift their practice of COVID-19 contact tracing to a model that follows clusters of cases and not individual diagnoses; officials say a Cleveland Housing Court bailiff shot a man during an attempted eviction; and more stories.

Ohio health officials say they don’t plan to mandate masks in schools this fall but strongly recommend students and staff wear face coverings if they aren't vaccinated against COVID-19; a hedge fund has thrown a $400 million lifeline to troubled electric vehicle startup Lordstown Motors; the Cleveland Clinic is the second best hospital in the country in this year’s U.S. News & World Report Best Hospital rankings; and more stories.

Terry Pluto says after missing 26 games with a sprained ankle and an early exit from the playoffs, LeBron James is likely facing some tough decisions ahead.

Terry Pluto says after missing 26 games with a sprained ankle and an early exit from the playoffs, LeBron James is likely facing some tough decisions ahead.

Gov. Mike DeWine is expanding vaccine eligibility; Cleveland’s mass COVID vaccine clinic opens to the public today at the Wolstein Center; billionaire investor Carl Ichan has reached a deal with Akron-based FirstEnergy to add two board seats; and more stories.

Gov. Mike DeWine says the state's goal is for every school employee to receive the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine in February; Ohio’s former health director is being floated as a potential candidate for U.S. Senate; there are more COVID-19 vaccine doses available that will go to the next group of older Ohioans; and more stories.

LeBron James' fourth NBA title resurrects the debate over who is the greatest basketball player of all time.

Some efforts this year are meant to do more than sway the minority vote.

Here are your morning headlines for Friday, June 26:Ohio youth see virus surgeNFL cancels Canton’s Hall of Fame gameInitial jobless claims rise slightly…