Here are your morning headlines for Wednesday, July 21:
- Ohio reports highest single-day COVID cases since May
- Ohio colleges, universities getting $260M in relief aid
- State agency: Guards used excessive force before inmate died
- A year out, $60M bribery scandal felt in business, politics
- Anti-abortion group protests Catholic school hosting Biden
- Northeast Ohio is seeing a medical building boom
- Time limits set for Hall of Famers' acceptance speeches
Ohio reports highest single-day COVID cases since May
(Cleveland.com) -- Ohio saw a second day of a spike in COVID-19 cases. There were 744 reported on Tuesday, the most in a single day since May. Cleveland.com reports Ohio has seen an average of 525 cases a day over the past week, more than doubling the averages from earlier this month. As of Tuesday, just over 48% of the population in the state has begun their vaccinations, with Lake County having the highest percentage of residents who are vaccinated at more than 55%. Cuyahoga, Medina, and Summit counties are all over 50%. Portage County is at 48%.
Ohio colleges, universities getting $260M in relief aid
(Cleveland.com) -- Colleges and universities in Northeast Ohio are getting around $260 million as part of the American Rescue Plan. Cleveland.com reports that Kent State University will receive the highest amount, nearly $64 million. Tri-C will receive nearly $42 million, along with $40 million allocated for the University of Akron, and $35 million for Cleveland State. Half of the money, by law, must go directly to students as tuition aid or support. The funding comes at a good time for the University of Akron which is still seeking to recoup $27 million in lost tuition.
State agency: Guards used excessive force before inmate died
(AP) — Ohio's correctional agency says at least five prison guards used excessive and unjustified force against a Black inmate before he died in custody in February. Security footage released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction showed 55-year-old Michael McDaniel's encounter with guards at the Correctional Reception Center in a Columbus suburb. The Franklin County Coroner’s office had declared McDaniel’s death a homicide and ruled the cause of death as “stress-induced sudden cardiac death.” The investigation has been sent to the Pickaway County prosecutor for a decision on charges.
A year out, $60M bribery scandal felt in business, politics
(AP) — The arrests one year ago today of then-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four associates in connection with an alleged $60 million bribery scheme have rocked politics and business across the state. The Republican Householder has pleaded not guilty but been expelled from the House. The $1 billion nuclear plant bailout Householder’s team is alleged to have delivered for money to Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. in HB 6 has been repealed. FirstEnergy has sought to stabilize its damaged reputation by firing its CEO and others and enacting operational reforms. Democrats are positioning to capitalize on the sweeping scandal in 2022.
Anti-abortion group protests Catholic school hosting Biden
(AP) — An Ohio anti-abortion group is protesting a local Catholic university’s involvement in an upcoming visit by Democratic President Joe Biden. Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati urged members of the public to call Mount St. Joseph University and Cincinnati Archbishop Dennis Schnurr to object to the school’s hosting of Biden at a CNN town hall today. The group calls Biden the “most pro-abortion president in U.S. history." Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, has said he supports abortion rights for others while personally opposing the procedure. The university said it is and will continue to be a “diverse and inclusive" place.
Northeast Ohio is seeing a medical building boom
(Cleveland.com) -- Construction is underway on a $236 million expansion of University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center in Beachwood. Cleveland.com reports it's part of a regional medical building boom, with more than a dozen hospitals and clinics in Northeast Ohio currently spending $1.4 billion on expansions and renovations. Those include Summa’s new $20 million Stow-Kent Medical Center and its $77 million Behavioral Health Pavilion in Akron.
Time limits set for Hall of Famers' acceptance speeches
(AP) -- With 19 live speeches and nine video tributes this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction talks will be limited to six minutes apiece. If they go over, there will be an Academy Awards-style cue at the eight-minute mark to usher the inductee off the stage. The Centennial Class of 2020 that was delayed a year because of the pandemic will be inducted on Saturday night, August 7 in Canton. The Class of 2021 that includes Peyton Manning will be inducted on Sunday night, Aug. 8.
