Here are your morning headlines for Monday, December 14:
- Ohio reports more than 20,000 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend
- Cleveland VA among first sites to get COVID-19 vaccine
- Report: Cleveland Indians changing name after 105 years
- Effort to change Ohio school funding system falls in State Senate
- Akron to consider redevelopment plan for former Riverwood Golf Course site
- U.S. marshal calls his post-shooting remarks 'premature'
- Northern Ohio USPS has country’s 3rd worst delivery times
Ohio reports more than 20,000 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend
Ohio reported more than 9,200 cases of COVID-19 Sunday. This comes after more than 11,000 cases were reported on Saturday. Cases started to spike last week due to the state changing its measuring system. It now includes both confirmed positive and probable tests.
Cleveland VA among first sites to get COVID-19 vaccine
The Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center will be among the first VA sites in the country to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Cleveland.com reports the VA will send an initial supply of the vaccine for veterans and health care workers. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs selected Cleveland, along with 36 others sites, because it's able to store the vaccine at extremely low temperatures. On Thursday a government panel endorsed widespread use of the vaccine developed by Pfizer. Cleveland.com reports it's unclear how many doses the Cleveland VA will receive or an exact timeline of when the vaccine will be administered. Cleveland Clinic, Metrohealth and Altman are expected to receive doses of the vaccine Tuesday.
Report: Cleveland Indians changing name after 105 years
The Cleveland Indians are changing their name after 105 years. Citing people familiar with the decision, The New York Times reported Sunday night that the team is moving away from a name considered racist for decades. A team spokesman told The Associated Press the franchise has no immediate comment on the report. The Times said the team could make a formal announcement later this week. It’s not known when the name change will take effect or if the team has settled on a new moniker. Cleveland’s decision follows a similar move earlier this year by the NFL’s Washington Football Team, which dropped its name.
Effort to change Ohio school funding system falls in State Senate
State lawmakers pushing to overhaul Ohio's convoluted school funding system to make it more equitable have come up short during the current legislative session. The House approved a bipartisan proposal earlier this month. But Republicans in the Senate, who hold a majority, indicated senators won’t vote on the plan before the legislative process restarts in January. Some GOP senators have questioned the accuracy and feasibility of the eventual price tag, an estimated $2 billion annually. The Senate Finance Committee's Republican chairman says he wants to work on the funding formula in conjunction with the state budget process next year.
Akron to consider redevelopment plan for former Riverwood Golf Course site
Akron City Council will consider a proposed residential development project at the site of the former Riverwood Golf Course at its meeting on Monday. City officials are urging council to approve the development by Petros Homes, which hopes to build nearly 200 homes and townhomes at the 76-acre site. Akron and Cuyahoga Falls residents from the group “Preserve the Valley” have asked Akron City Council to halt the development, calling for a master plan for the Merriman Valley to be completed.
U.S. Marshal calls his post-shooting remarks 'premature'
A U.S. marshal has called remarks he made immediately after the fatal shooting of a Black man by a white sheriff's deputy in Columbus premature. Peter Tobin is the U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio, including the state capital of Columbus. On Dec. 4, Tobin said the shooting of Casey Goodson Jr. earlier that day was justified. Tobin said Friday his comments were based on insufficient information. He also distanced the U.S. Marshals Service from the deputy who shot Goodson. Tobin said the deputy's work for a Marshals task force had ended. His statement came minutes before hundreds gathered in downtown Columbus to protest Goodson's death.
Northern Ohio USPS has country’s 3rd worst delivery times
Northern Ohio's postal service is the third worst in the country for on-time mail delivery. USPS reports the district is among the worst in the country in delays for delivering a single piece of first-class mail, behind only Detroit and Baltimore. WEWS reports multiple drivers say they’ve been waiting days to deliver mail. Three-day first-class mail was delivered on-time about 65% of the time, according to USPS. Two-day mail was delivered on time around 78% of the time.
