Here are your morning headlines for Tuesday, January 18:
- Winter storm leads to numerous closings, delays
- COVID numbers decreasing
- Portman, Senate delegation travel to Ukraine
- Sellers drops out of Cuyahoga executive race
- Cuyahoga jail investigates inmate death
Winter storm leads to numerous closings, delays
(WKSU) -- There are a number of closings and cancelations following Sunday night’s winter storm that dumped more than a foot of snow in some parts of the region. Kent State University and the University of Akron say no in-person classes will be held Tuesday. Most other schools are also closed. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority says buses will be back up and running after a shutdown on Monday. The National Weather Service says Ashtabula County recorded over 25 inches of snow. Stow reported 16 and Cleveland about 14 inches. Closings and delays can be found here.
COVID numbers decreasing
(WKSU) -- COVID-19 hospitalizations are trending downward after reaching record highs early this month. There were 6,072 COVID patients in Ohio’s hospitals on Monday, a number that has declined for seven straight days and is down more than 670 from the record high Jan. 10. ICU patients are also decreasing, to about 1,150 on Monday. Still, hospitals remain strained as National Guard troops continue to assist throughout the state. Ohio is averaging about 22,000 COVID-19 cases a day over the last three weeks. As of Monday, just under 61% of Ohioans have started the COVID vaccine.
Portman, Senate delegation travel to Ukraine
(WKSU) -- Ohio GOP Senator Rob Portman and six other U.S. senators traveled to Ukraine over the weekend to meet with that country’s president and other officials. The bipartisan delegation met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to Ukraine. Russia is continuing to levy threats of war against the country even after a series of diplomatic meetings over the past week. Portman is the co-chairman of the Senate Ukraine Caucus.
Sellers drops out of Cuyahoga executive race
(Ideastream Public Media) -- Warrensville Heights Mayor Brad Sellers dropped out of the race for Cuyahoga County executive over the weekend, just over a week after announcing his candidacy. In a statement, Sellers said recent reports had become a distraction in the race. Those reports were stories by Cleveland.com revealing that Sellers had approved a property tax abatement for himself after years of delinquency. Sellers told the news outlet that, as safety director, he believed he was qualified for a Warrensville Heights program offering tax breaks for teachers and safety forces. Sellers told the news outlet that he had prepaid the taxes and was withholding regular payments while disputing the delinquency.
Cuyahoga jail investigates inmate death
(Ideastream Public Media) -- An investigation is underway after an inmate died at the Cuyahoga County Jail over the weekend. Adam Weakly, 30, was found unresponsive on Saturday and was pronounced dead at MetroHealth Medical Center that night. Weakley was jailed last week on multiple charges including aggravated burglary. Cuyahoga County Sheriff Christopher Viland issued a statement that a full investigation has begun.
