Here are your morning headlines for Wednesday, July 28:
- Daily COVID cases rise to 1,317
- Group seeks state law to regulate marijuana like alcohol
- Climate change is costing Lake Erie communities
- Ohio University suspends another frat for hazing violations
- Men sentenced for ‘grandparent scam’
- Football standout killed in Akron shooting
Daily COVID cases rise to 1,317
(WKSU) -- Coronavirus cases on Tuesday spiked to the highest number seen since early May. The more than 1,300 new cases are a nearly three-fold jump from earlier this week. It’s not clear yet if that number includes any backlogged cases. Health officials say nearly 99% of COVID hospitalizations and deaths are among unvaccinated people.
Group seeks state law to regulate marijuana like alcohol
(AP) — A pro-marijuana group is pushing to have the Ohio Legislature legalize recreational marijuana in the state. A spokesperson for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol says 1,000 signatures will be submitted to the Ohio Attorney General's Office on Tuesday to review the summary language for the proposed law. Supporters will then have to collect nearly 133,000 signatures to put the issue before the Republican-led Legislature. Supporters can collect an additional 133,000 signatures to get a measure on the ballot if the Legislature votes against legalization. It voted to make medical marijuana legal in 2016.
Climate change is costing Lake Erie communities
(WKSU) -- Ohio communities along the Lake Erie shore are facing more than $370 million in damage over the next five years, according to a survey by the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. The survey of 24 Ohio lakeshore municipalities shows those communities have already spent $30 million in repairs over the past two years. Water levels in Lake Erie have been at record highs in recent years, driven in part by climate change throughout the Great Lakes region. Fluctuating water levels are expected to cause nearly $2 billion in damage to cities throughout the Great Lakes. The survey found that less than one-third of lakeshore communities are currently working on flood and erosion protection projects.
Ohio University suspends another frat for hazing violations
(AP) — Ohio University has suspended another fraternity for violating hazing rules. The Athens-based school says the Delta Pi chapter of Sigma Chi has been suspended for four years for providing false information to school officials or law enforcement and two hazing-related counts. It comes about two weeks after the university suspended the Beta Chapter of Delta Tau Delta, also for four years. Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed a measure that put in place tougher penalties for hazing at Ohio universities and colleges starting this fall.
Men sentenced for ‘grandparent scam’
(WKSU) – Two Florida men have been sentenced to more than two years in prison for running a “grandparent scam” that netted nearly $400,000. Prosecutors say last summer, John Tyler Pla, 25, and Johnny Lee Palmer, 26, both of Tampa, called eight elderly Northeast Ohio residents saying a family member had been arrested and needed money for bail, which they would then collect in person. The men also have been ordered to pay restitution.
Football standout killed in Akron shooting
(Beacon Journal) -- A high school football standout was killed in a shooting in Akron. The Beacon Journal reports it appears there was an altercation before 18-year-old Kyree Young was shot Monday in the city's Chapel Hill neighborhood. The unknown shooter fled the scene. Young played football at several area schools before graduating from Buchtel High last year. He was drawing interest from several big college programs. His death is the second homicide in the city in two days and the 34th so far this year.
