Here are your morning headlines for Monday, September 5:
- Voter registration deadline is today, early voting begins Tuesday
- Ohio reports no COVID-19 deaths Sunday
- Two Cleveland bars cited for violating state health orders
- Summit County Council scraps return to in-person meetings
- DeWine proclaimed Sunday a “Day of Prayer” for president, first lady
- Judge: Energy company can continue donations to lawmakers
- Man charged with firing at another driver during parade
- Vistra Energy to close coal power plants in Illinois, Ohio
- Marijuana chocolate products recalled
- Mayfield, Garrett right at home as Browns beat Cowboys 49-38
Voter registration deadline is today, early voting begins Tuesday
Today is the deadline for Ohioans to register to vote in the Nov. 3 presidential election. Once registered, voters have the option to vote early in person, to request a mail-in absentee ballot or to wait and vote at their precinct on Election Day. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is noon on Oct. 31, but election and postal officials are urging people not to wait that long if they want their ballot to arrive on time. As of Tuesday, Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose says county election boards had received more than 2 million absentee applications.
Ohio reports no COVID-19 deaths Sunday
There were no new COVID-19 deaths reported in Ohio Sunday, and the number of new cases was 941, below the three-week daily average. Ohio’s coronavirus figures tend to lag on weekends due to reporting delays. Ohio is closing in on 159,000 total cases and 5,000 deaths.
Two Cleveland bars cited for violating state health orders
Two more Cleveland bars and clubs have been cited for violating the state's COVID-19 health orders. The Ohio Investigative Unit cited Club Paradis, as well as popular West 6th Street bar Barley House on Saturday. Agents said they found more than 50 people congregating in each establishment, along with serving alcohol past the 10 p.m. cutoff. The cases will go before the Ohio Liquor Control Commission for possible penalties. Last week Gov. Mike DeWine signaled he may soon lift the restrictions on bars and clubs.
Summit County Council scraps return to in-person meetings
Summit County Council isn't returning to in-person meetings after all. The Beacon Journal reports County Council had planned to reopen its chambers in downtown Akron's Ohio Building to council members for today's meeting, but is postponing following President Donald Trump testing positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Meetings will continue via Zoom and will be live-streamed on the Summit County Council Facebook page.
DeWine proclaimed Sunday a “Day of Prayer” for president, first lady
Sunday was a "Day of Prayer" for President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. Gov. Mike DeWine issued the proclamation after it was announced the president and first lady tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. The proclamation was also for all who are suffering from and have been affected by the coronavirus.
Judge: Energy company can continue donations to lawmakers
A judge has ruled that Ohio’s attorney general's effort to block an energy company and its affiliated entities from donating to lawmakers is an infringement of First Amendment rights. A Franklin County judge denied Attorney General Dave Yost’s attempt to stop campaign contributions to Ohio lawmakers from First Energy while the House is considering a repeal of a $1.3 billion bailout of two nuclear plants formerly owned by the company’s subsidiary. The lawsuit sought to freeze the assets of former House Speaker Larry Householder’s $1 million campaign fund and dissolve the dark money groups involved in the bribery scheme.
Man charged with firing at another driver during parade
One man has been charged with firing a shot at another driver on a Central Ohio interstate during a highway parade in support of President Trump Saturday morning. Hilliard police say a semi-truck driver on I-270 North reported that another driver in a pickup had fired a weapon toward his vehicle following an altercation between the two drivers. No one was injured. Police say 58-year-old Todd Crawford of Homer has been charged.
Vistra Energy to close coal power plants in Illinois, Ohio
A Texas-based company is closing its remaining coal-fired power plants in Ohio and Illinois. Vistra Energy says it will close the W.H. Zimmer Power Plant in Clermont County, east of Cincinnati, and the Miami Fort Power Plant in North Bend, west of Cincinnati. Both will close by the end of 2027. The closings will mean the loss of more than 6,211 megawatts of coal-based electricity generation, which is equivalent to a year’s worth of carbon emissions from 10.4 million passenger vehicles, according to the Sierra Club. A megawatt can power about 1,000 homes. The company also is closing five coal-fired plants in Illinois.
Marijuana chocolate products recalled
Marijuana-infused chocolate products are being recalled in Ohio. The product called Encore Edibles is sold by Canton-based Mother Grows Best, which medical marijuana regulators say didn't pass all the required tests before being sold at eight dispensaries across the state. The products were sold between Aug. 17 and Oct. 1. The recall is the fourth mandatory recall for Ohio's program, which began sales in January 2019, and the first for Mother Grows Best.
Mayfield, Garrett right at home as Browns beat Cowboys 49-38
Baker Mayfield and Myles Garrett enjoyed a happy homecoming in Cleveland's 49-38 win over Dallas. Mayfield threw for two touchdowns, and one of those was set up by a strip sack from Garrett, the third straight week the star defensive end has forced the quarterback to fumble. Jarvis Landry threw his first career touchdown pass in the receiver's 100th career game. It was to Odell Beckham, who had his first multi-TD game with the Browns with three. It’s the highest-scoring performance for the Browns since 2007, and they're 3-1 for the first time since 2001. Browns star running back Nick Chubb left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury. He’ll undergo an MRI today.
