Here are your morning headlines for Wednesday, January 27:
- Ohio plans 1st shot for all school employees in February
- Amy Acton floated as U.S. Senate candidate
- Ohio to give extra vaccine doses to 1B group
- Ohio’s curfew may soon move to 11 p.m.
- Controversial Akron housing development moving forward
- Sen. Portman votes to dismiss Trump’s impeachment trial
- Ohio's Kenyon College receives $100M from anonymous donor
- Man arrested following May riots in Cleveland sues the city
- LeBron James developing “Serial” podcast into TV series
Ohio plans 1st shot for all school employees in February
Gov. Mike DeWine says the state's goal is for every school employee to receive the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine in February. DeWine says Cincinnati public school employees will receive their first shots later this week and other districts will begin next week. Cleveland Schools says it’s hopeful to begin Feb. 8. The governor said Tuesday that Ohio does not have enough doses for all districts to be receiving vaccinations in the next month. DeWine says the goal remains is for all Ohio children to return to in-person learning March 1.
- List of schools included in vaccine distribution Week 1
- COVID-19 Fact Sheet for K-12 School Staff Vaccination Program
Amy Acton floated as U.S. Senate candidate
Ohio’s former health director is being floated as a potential candidate for U.S. Senate. Cleveland.com reports Dr. Amy Acton has been in discussions with Democratic Party officials about running in 2022. The news site said the discussions are preliminary, with sources describing Acton as either not ruling out a run or actively considering it. Acton gained national attention and popularity early in the pandemic during Gov. DeWine’s daily press briefings. However, her coronavirus health orders made her the target of threats and armed protests outside her home and she resigned this past June. She’s kept a low profile since.
Ohio to give extra vaccine doses to 1B group
There are more COVID-19 vaccine doses available that will go to the next group of older Ohioans. Gov. Mike DeWine says about half of nursing home employees have declined vaccines, so about 77,000 extra doses will be available over the next two weeks. The doses will be given to people in the 1B group of Ohioans age 65 and older, which includes 2.2 million people. DeWine also said Ohio medical workers have been able to get six doses of vaccine out of vials coming from Pfizer. Details on Ohio’s vaccine program can be found here.
Ohio’s curfew may soon move to 11 p.m.
Ohio’s 10 p.m. curfew could be shifted to 11 p.m. on Thursday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced at his Tuesday coronavirus briefing. The state will follow a new metric for determining the statewide curfew based on hospitalization rates, he said. Under the plan, if the state has seven straight days of COVID hospitalizations below 3,500, the curfew could be changed to 11 p.m. for the following two weeks. If the numbers drop below 3,000 for seven consecutive days, the state could move the curfew to midnight. If they then drop further to below 2,500 for seven days in a row, the curfew could be lifted entirely. Ohio had just under 3,000 people hospitalized as of Monday.
Controversial Akron housing development moving forward
A controversial housing development in the Merriman Valley area of Akron is one step closer to approval. Akron City Council on Monday added several stipulations to Petro Development’s proposal to build nearly 200 townhomes on a former golf course adjacent to the Cuyahoga River. Committee chair Jeff Fusco added a 100-foot river setback, more open space, flood control measures and other changes. A citizens group opposing the development say the 15-year tax abatement that Akron kept on the table will cost the city and local schools $13 million in revenue. The group “Preserve the Valley” says development along the river should be part of a broader master-plan for the Cuyahoga valley. Council will vote on the revised plan early next month.
Sen. Portman votes to dismiss Trump’s impeachment trial
Republican U.S. Senator Rob Portman says forgoing a run for re-election does not change his approach to the upcoming impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Some believe not running for another term takes political pressure off of Portman if he wanted to vote to convict Trump in the impeachment trial. But Portman says he was always going to be a juror that listens to all sides of the case. He adds that he has questions about the constitutionality of convicting a former president. While he says he plans to hear out the arguments of the case, Portman joined most of his Republican colleagues in voting to dismiss the impeachment trial. You can read his statement here.
Ohio's Kenyon College receives $100M from anonymous donor
A small Ohio liberal arts college has announced a $100 million gift from an anonymous donor. Kenyon College is in Knox County in central Ohio. The school on Tuesday said the donation, the biggest in school history, will fund three new residence halls. The school, which requires on-campus living, says the donation allows it to continue a focus on a residential experience despite the coronavirus pandemic disruption.
Man arrested following May riots in Cleveland sues the city
A man arrested while trying to pick up a grocery order during a curfew imposed because of racial justice protests in downtown Cleveland has sued the city and police officers in federal court. Mehdi Mollahasani spent two nights in jail after his arrest May 31 for a misdemeanor curfew violation. The charge was dismissed with paperwork noting “groceries/Instacart order." Mollahasani, who lived downtown, was arrested when he tried to meet a delivery driver who was unable to get past police barricades. He says a police officer told him he looked like a looter.
LeBron James developing “Serial” podcast into TV series
Akron native NBA star LeBron James and his SpringHill media company are planning to turn the popular podcast “Serial” into television series for HBO. The focus will be on the third season that reported on the inner workings of the criminal justice system in Cleveland. It debuted in 2018. James will be the executive producer. There’s no timetable for a release date.
