Here are your morning headlines for Monday, May 17:
- Daily COVID cases lowest since August
- Protestors demand end to Israeli-Palestinian violence
- Columbus 2nd in U.S. for juveniles killed by police
- Browns owners propose Cleveland lakefront development plan
- Columbus reaches $10M settlement for family of Andre Hill
- Otto Beatty Jr., fighter for Black-owned businesses, dies
Sunday’s COVID cases lowest since August
Ohio on Sunday reported just 618 COVID-19 cases, the fewest in a day since last August. There were 919 cases reported Saturday, still below the three-week average. As of Sunday, just over 42% of Ohio’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, and around 37% are fully vaccinated. Monday morning, the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Lottery Commission will release official terms, conditions, and eligibility information regarding the five weekly so-called Ohio Vax-a-Million drawings. Ohioans 18 and older who have received a received at least one dose of the vaccine are eligible for drawings with a prize of $1 million. Ohioans ages 12-17 who have received at least one dose can enter to win a full-ride scholarship to any Ohio state college or university.
Protestors demand end to Israeli-Palestinian violence
Palestinian-Americans gathered at Cleveland’s Public Square Sunday to protest and demand an end to Israeli assaults on Palestinians. Groups participating include The United Church of Christ Palestine-Israel Network Ohio and Jewish Voice for Peace Cleveland, which has called on the U.S. government to take action. Similar rallies were held in Westlake, Columbus, and Cincinnati throughout the weekend. Meanwhile, about 100 people gathered in Cleveland’s Public Square Saturday for a Unity Against Hate rally. Several Asian American high school and college students shared stories, recalling racial slurs from classmates and harassment on social media. The rally was part of a nationally coordinated effort held at the same time in cities across the country.
Columbus 2nd in U.S. for juveniles killed by police
The city of Columbus ranks high in the nation in a somber statistic – the number of juveniles killed by police. The Columbus Dispatch cites the nonprofit Mapping Police Violence, which has been tracking fatal uses of force by law enforcement agencies back to 2013. The death of 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant on April 20 was the fifth juvenile to be fatally shot by Columbus police since September 2016. Only the Chicago Police Department has killed more juveniles — 12.
Browns owners propose Cleveland lakefront development plan
A new downtown Cleveland lakefront development proposal has been unveiled, this time by the owners of the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland.com reports the proposal from Haslam Sports Group calls for building an elevated park connecting the lakefront area around FirstEnergy Stadium, Great Lakes Science Center, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of downtown, specifically to the mall atop the Huntington Convention Center. It also calls for development all along the lakefront. Cleveland.com reports the Browns have spent a million dollars getting the idea to this point, and the city now seeks millions in Ohio transportation dollars to study it further. Cleveland City Council's Finance Committee will look at the proposal in more detail Monday.
Columbus reaches $10M settlement for family of Andre Hill
Ohio’s capital city has reached a $10 million settlement for the family of Andre Hill, a Black man who was fatally shot by a white Columbus police officer in December as he emerged from a garage holding a cellphone. The settlement announced Friday is the largest in city history. The city attorney says no amount of money will bring Hill back to his family, but called the settlement an important and necessary step in the right direction. The shooting was recorded on the officer's body camera. The officer was fired and has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder.
Otto Beatty Jr., fighter for Black-owned businesses, dies
Attorney and former state lawmaker Otto Beatty Jr., a leading figure in the fight for racial equality in Ohio, has died. He was 81. His wife, U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, announced his death on Twitter, calling him “a devoted father, grandfather, amazing husband, and confidante." No cause of death was given. As a lawyer, Beatty successfully used his Columbus law firm to fight discrimination and the grip that white-owned businesses held at the time on lucrative government contracts. He was elected to the Ohio House in 1979, spending the next 18 years advocating for minority-owned businesses and the disadvantaged.
