Here are your morning headlines for Friday, November 5:
- Ohio AG Yost sues over vaccine mandate
- Shontel Brown sworn in to U.S. House
- Democrat Cranley pledges to fire PUCO if elected governor
- COVID cases spike
- Cleveland police chief resigns after voters elect new mayor
- GM to invest $46M in Parma plant
- Akron fires coach Tom Arth after 3-24 record
Ohio AG Yost sues over vaccine mandate
(WKSU) -- Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and the sheriffs of Geauga and Seneca counties are fighting back against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees of federal contractors. The lawsuit argues that the Biden administration’s mandate is “unlawful and unconstitutional” and argue that it will result in fewer deputies to be able to house ICE detainees in jails across the state. Attorneys general of Kentucky and Tennessee joined the lawsuit. It came the same day that Biden announced a mandate that companies with at least 100 employees get workers vaccinated or be tested weekly starting Jan. 4. Yost's office said there will be a separate lawsuit challenging that order. Conservative policy group The Buckeye Institute also sued Thursday on behalf of two Ohio manufacturers.
Shontel Brown sworn in to U.S. House
(AP) — Two vacant Ohio congressional seats have been filled after Democrat Shontel Brown, a Democratic Party leader from Cleveland, and Republican Mike Carey, a coal lobbyist from Columbus, were sworn into the House. Brown now represents the Cleveland-area seat vacated by former Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge, who stepped down to become secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Carey takes over for former Republican Rep. Steve Stivers, who resigned in April to lead the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. They must face reelection again next year under a congressional map that’s being redrawn to hold onto the seat.
Democrat Cranley pledges to fire PUCO if elected governor
(AP) — Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Cranley says he will fire Ohio’s entire utility regulatory board if elected as part of changes he proposes to curb future abuses. Amid federal prosecutors' sweeping $60 million bribery investigation, the Cincinnati mayor called Thursday for sitting members of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to be replaced by those with three years’ experience in a relevant field and proof that they have no financial ties to the electric, gas and other utility companies they regulate. Cranley faces Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley in next year’s Democratic primary.
COVID cases spike
(WKSU) -- Thursday saw sustained higher numbers of new coronavirus cases after a two-week decline. For the second day in a row, Ohio recorded around 4,500 new cases. Hospitalizations have remained steady this week at around 2,300. Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday Ohio recorded its sixth-highest number of COVID-19 deaths in October, with 1,264. That’s an average of about 41 deaths a day.
Cleveland police chief resigns after voters elect new mayor
(AP) — Cleveland’s police chief has resigned just days after voters elected a new mayor who promised to hire a new leader for the department. Police Chief Calvin Williams said Thursday that he already had decided to step down after Mayor Frank Jackson announced in May he would not run for re-election. Cleveland voters on Tuesday also passed Issue 24 which would set up a commission to oversee police conduct, and take some duties from the chief. Williams was named chief in 2014.
GM to invest $46M in Parma plant
(WKSU) -- General Motors says it plans to invest more than $46 million in its Parma stamping plant. A press release said the 73-year-old facility will see equipment upgrades and preparations for new product lines. The company says the investment will also help provide job security for the 1,000 GM workers in Parma. GM says renovations will begin immediately.
Akron fires coach Tom Arth after 3-24 record
(AP) — Akron has fired football coach Tom Arth two days after the Zips fell to 2-7 to clinch another losing season. Arth was 3-24 at the Mid-American Conference school since taking over in 2019. Athletic director Charles Guthrie says associate head coach Oscar Rodriguez Jr. will take over as interim coach. The 40-year-old Arth came to Akron after a two-year stint at Tennessee-Chattanooga that followed a four-year run at Division III John Carroll in northeast Ohio.
