Here are your morning headlines for Tuesday, July 6:
- More drowned in Great Lakes in 2021 than this time last year
- Former Columbus officer accused in Andre Hill murder wants trial moved
- Columbus Blue Jackets goalie dies from fireworks blast
- Four injured in Toledo fireworks explosion
- Cleveland struggles in loss to Rays, now seventh straight loss
- Game postponed due to Tropical Storm Elsa
- José Ramírez back in starting lineup, Plesac to return Thursday
More Drowned in Great Lakes in 2021 than this time last year
(AP) -- More people have drowned in the Great Lakes so far in 2021 than were reported by this time last year, and officials are urging swimmers to practice water safety measures. Data collected by the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project shows 32 people have drowned in the Great Lakes as of July 2 compared to 25 by early July in 2020. That includes six in Lake Erie. The nonprofit is encouraging the “flip, float and follow” drowning survival strategy, which instructs swimmers caught in dangerous currents to prioritize floating and breathing before identifying an exit from the water.
Former Columbus officer accused in Andre Hill murder wants trial moved
(AP) -- The former Columbus police officer who shot and killed Andre Hill wants the trial moved, saying publicity has made it impossible for a fair proceeding locally. Ex-officer Adam Coy, who is white, fatally shot Hill, who was Black, as Hill emerged from a garage on Dec. 22 holding a cellphone. Coy has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder. Coy's attorney says extensive publicity in the news and on social media makes it impossible to convene a fair jury.
Columbus Blue Jackets goalie dies from fireworks blast
(AP) -- Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast in what authorities described as a tragic accident on the Fourth of July. Police in Novi, Michigan, say the firework tilted slightly and started to fire toward people nearby. Kivlenieks tried to get clear with several other people. Blue Jackets president of hockey operations calls Kivlenieks’ death a “devastating time” for the team.
Four injured in Toledo fireworks explosion
(AP) -- Police in Toledo say stacks of fireworks piled next to a rental truck ignited and set off a cascade of explosions at a Fourth of July block party. Four people were hurt but none of the injuries are life-threatening. A video from a neighbor shows people yelling and running for cover as the fireworks exploded in every direction Sunday night. At one point, the rental truck briefly caught fire. A fire department spokesperson says they're investigating what ignited the explosions.
Cleveland struggles in loss to Rays, now seventh straight loss
(AP) -- It’s now seven losses in a row for Cleveland’s struggling baseball team as the Tampa Bay Rays rallied in the ninth inning last night for a 9-8 victory. Franmil Reyes homered and drove in five runs and Jose Ramirez was back in the lineup after missing three games with a sore left elbow. He went 2-for-4.
Game postponed due to Tropical Storm Elsa
(AP) — Tonight’s game between Cleveland and Tampa Bay has been postponed because of the path of Tropical Storm Elsa and will be made up as part of a doubleheader tomorrow. The Rays and Major League Baseball announced the adjusted schedule about two hours before the start of the last night’s game. The doubleheader will start at 12:10 p.m., with Game 2 beginning about a half-hour following the conclusion of Game 1.
José Ramírez back in starting lineup, Plesac to return Thursday
(AP) -- Cleveland All-Star third baseman José Ramírez was back in the starting lineup for Monday night’s game at Tampa Bay after missing three games because of a sore left elbow. Zach Plesac is scheduled to return and start Thursday night’s game against Kansas City after being out with a broken thumb on his pitching hand. The right-hander will go to the team’s complex in Arizona during the All-Star break next week for a simulated game and then is scheduled to pitch against Oakland on July 18.
