Here are your morning headlines for Thursday, October 15:
- Ohio reports daily record of 2,039 COVID-19 cases
- YSU faculty strike ends
- Quinnipiac poll shows presidential race is a dead heat
- Harris heading to Cleveland, continuing Dems' push into Ohio
- Summit BOE cuts ties with company after ballot mailing delays
- Men abused by Ohio State doctor call for NCAA investigation
- Northeast Ohio gets eight NCAA championships through 2026
Ohio reports daily record of 2,039 COVID-19 cases
Ohio broke a new record for daily COVID-19 cases, reporting 2,039 on Wednesday. It shatters the record of around 1,800 cases last Friday. The Ohio Hospital Association reported Wednesday that 1,042 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, up 26% from last Wednesday. The percentage of tests coming back positive also increased to 5.7% on Monday.
YSU faculty strike ends
The faculty strike at Youngstown State University is over. Mahoning Matters reports a deal on a new three-year contract was reached early Thursday morning. More details are expected today, but the university offered a proposal late Wednesday afternoon that included increasing base salaries by 4%. The more than 300 faculty members have been on strike since Monday, after talks on a new deal broke down over wages and issues including class sizes, curriculum and programs. Students returned from fall break on Wednesday.
Quinnipiac poll shows presidential race is a dead heat
The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows the presidential race is a dead heat in Ohio. The poll of around 1,000 likely voters from Thursday to Monday shows Democrat Joe Biden leading President Donald Trump by 1 percentage point, 48% to 47%. Two percent said they were voting for someone else while 4% said they were unsure. Those figures are identical to a poll released Sept. 24.
Harris heading to Cleveland, continuing Dems' push into Ohio
Vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris will visit Ohio on Friday, as she and former Vice President Joe Biden continue their push into a battleground state that Democrats see as newly competitive. The Biden campaign said the California senator will speak in Cleveland. Her visit follows Biden's swing through Toledo and Cincinnati on Monday and a recent advertising push by the campaign into traditionally Republican counties. Aside from the presidential debate in Cleveland last month, Trump’s last Ohio appearances were Sept. 21, when he campaigned in Toledo and Dayton. Vice President Mike Pence stumped in Columbus on Monday. Ohio has 18 electoral votes.
Summit BOE cuts ties with company after ballot mailing delays
Summit county elections officials say they'll take over mailing out absentee ballots after a private vender in Cleveland has been hampered by equipment slowdowns. The Beacon Journal reports the board of elections decided to end its temporary contract with Midwest Direct, hired to print and ship the influx absentee ballot requests. Last week it was reported that some 95,000 Summit County voters would receive their ballots a week late due to an equipment malfunction. Now, the board has a list of another 15,000 ballots to send out, which Midwest Direct said wouldn't be ready to mail until Saturday. Board officials say they'll be able to mail the ballots much faster in-house, and will send out a postcard letting voters know there's a delay.
Men abused by Ohio State doctor call for NCAA investigation
Some of the men alleging decades-old sexual abuse by an Ohio State team doctor are asking the NCAA and Big Ten conference to investigate the university and force changes to protect student-athletes in the future. In letters shared Wednesday, they contend Ohio State enabled and covered up the doctor's abuse for years. They suggest that the school face sanctions even harsher than the $60 million Penn State was fined for the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. Asked for comment, an Ohio State spokesman said only that the school isn't currently under investigation or aware of a future investigation. Messages seeking comment were left with the NCAA and the Big Ten.
Northeast Ohio gets eight NCAA championships through 2026
Cleveland will be the site of the 2024 Women's College Basketball Final Four, and will host the first and second rounds of the 2025 Men's March Madness. Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse will also host the 2026 Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships as part of eight national championship events awarded to Northeast Ohio over the next six years. Cleveland lost out on hosting the 2020 NCAA basketball tournament due to the pandemic.
