Here are your morning headlines for Monday, November 1:
- Average COVID cases drop, deaths increase
- Metro RTA workers may strike
- Giant Eagle settles pharmacy lawsuits with Ohio counties
- Early voting ends Monday
- Jeanette “Jay” Stokes, wife of Louis Stokes, dies at 83
- Prison systems adding body-worn cameras to security plans
- $100 million in taxes to help amusement park, Sandusky
- Offense sputters, drops doom Browns in loss to Steelers
Average COVID cases drop, deaths increase
(WKSU) -- The average number of COVID-19 cases in Ohio dropped this past week. The new seven-day average is just over 3,350 cases, which is down about 200 from the previous week. More than 2,300 Ohioans remain hospitalized with COVID as of Sunday. Death totals spiked above the three-week average, with 363 reported on Friday. Deaths are reported twice weekly.
Metro RTA workers may strike
(Beacon Journal) -- Akron public transit workers may go on strike on Thursday. Contract negotiations will resume tomorrow on the union’s deal that expired more than two years ago. The union is calling for 3% raises in each of the three years of a new contract, while Metro proposes a first-year increase of 2%, and 1.5% each of the next two. The Beacon Journal reports the Transport Workers Union Local 1 represents more than 239 bus operators, 17 vehicle service employees, and about a dozen others.
Giant Eagle settles pharmacy lawsuits with Ohio counties
(AP) — One of the four retail pharmacy companies on trial for their alleged roles in fostering an opioid crisis in two Ohio counties has settled a lawsuit with 10 communities in the state. The settlement by Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle includes Ohio's Lake and Trumbull counties. The counties' federal lawsuits against CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart continue in a bellwether trial in Cleveland. The agreement was announced in a joint statement by Giant Eagle and the plaintiffs committee for the nearly 3,000 government agencies and tribal entities nationwide that have filed opioid-related lawsuits supervised by U.S. District Judge Dan Polster. No settlement terms were announced.
Early voting ends Monday
(WKSU) -- Monday is the last day for early voting for tomorrow’s November General Election in Ohio. County election boards will be open Monday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by Monday or can be dropped off in person through Tuesday. Election Day voting hours are 6:30 a.m. through 7:30 p.m.
Jeanette “Jay” Stokes, wife of Louis Stokes, dies at 83
(Cleveland.com) -- The wife of former Cleveland congressman and civil rights leader Louis Stokes has died. Cleveland.com reports Jeanette “Jay” Stokes died peacefully on Saturday. She was 83. Jay Stokes was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus Spouses organization and was a member of the Congressional Club, which sponsored the First Ladies Luncheon. She went on to become a multimillion-dollar relator in Maryland. Louis Stokes died in 2015.
Prison systems adding body-worn cameras to security plans
(AP) — A growing number of state prison systems are outfitting guards with body-worn cameras. That's even in environments already covered by thousands of stationary cameras. Ohio tested the cameras at several prisons this year and is finalizing a contract estimated at about $17 million a year. The Georgia Bureau of Prisons piloted the concept last year and California has implemented them at six prisons in response to a court order responding to the abuse of prisoners with disabilities.
$100 million in taxes to help amusement park, Sandusky
(AP) — Cedar Point’s parent company has reached a $100-million, 20-year public investment deal with Sandusky. The city's agreement with Cedar Fair includes a new causeway and water taxi on Lake Erie. These and other improvements will be funded by tax increases on park guests. Starting in January, Sandusky will double its admissions tax to 8%, or about $2 more per $50 ticket, and an 8% parking tax will also go into effect. Cedar Point also agreed to maintain a corporate presence in Sandusky, although it’s unclear whether that includes company headquarters.
Offense sputters, drops doom Browns in loss to Steelers
(AP) — The Browns lost 15-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, as the offense isn’t clicking as expected. Quarterback Baker Mayfield returned after sitting out one game with a shoulder injury but couldn't spark an offense loaded with weapons that are misfiring. Jarvis Landry fumbled and had two critical drops in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh’s 39-year-old quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 24-3-1 in career starts against Cleveland. The loss leaves the Browns in last place in the AFC North at 4-4.
