Here are your morning headlines for Thursday, March 10:
- Dems fail to block military ballot deadline change
- Kent, UA students rally against ‘divisive concepts’ bill
- Westlake financial advisor found guilty in Ponzi scheme
- Entrepreneur pushes for new naval facilities in Lorain, Lordstown
- Space heater, home wiring caused deadly house fire
- Cleveland Guardians season pushed back to April 15
Dems fail to block military ballot deadline change
(Statehouse News Bureau) -- Ohio House Democrats on Wednesday fought an amendment that would shorten the required amount of time an overseas or military voter has access to a ballot and extend the return date for those ballots to 20 days after the primary. They argued that the state should just postpone the May 3 primary for all voters because the district maps remain unsettled with the Ohio Supreme Court. But after a six-hour recess, the Republican majority attached the amendment to a different bill along with $200,000 to pay for expedited delivery of ballots. The bill was approved by a party-line vote and can go into effect immediately, keeping the May 3 election on schedule.
Kent, UA students rally against ‘divisive concepts’ bill
(Ideastream Public Media) -- Northeast Ohio college students rallied against Ohio House Bill 327 Wednesday. The bill would ban the teaching of “divisive concepts” in the classroom such as race and sex. About two dozen people attended the event at Kent State University, including Marissa Henley with Black Students United. The bill, she said, is an attempt to ignore her experience and those of her ancestors. At the University of Akron, several dozen students gathered at Buchtel Common for a midday rally. Emily Hill, a member of the Akron chapter of the Ohio Student Association which organized the event, said she didn’t want her education limited because of decisions made for political reasons. The Republican sponsors of HB 327 say the bill gives parents a voice in their children’s curriculum. The bill is currently sitting in a committee.
Westlake financial advisor found guilty in Ponzi scheme
(WKSU) -- A former Westlake financial adviser has been found guilty of running a more than $9 million Ponzi scheme. The jury found Raymond Erker, 51, guilty on 12 counts including conspiracy and money laundering. Prosecutors say he stole from 54 investors’ accounts, many of whom were elderly and lost their retirement savings. He set up office fronts in Delaware and Nevada, using call centers and fake websites to trick investors. Erker faces 20 years in prison when he’s sentenced in July.
Entrepreneur pushes for new naval facilities in Lorain, Lordstown
(Ideastream Public Media) -- A Northeast Ohio entrepreneur and former Navy officer is pushing for a new submarine dry-dock to be built in Northeast Ohio. Edward Bartlett, the founder of Bartlett Maritime, says submarine maintenance is a problem for the U.S. Navy, and a two-ship dry-dock in Lorain, along with a repair facility in Lordstown could provide the solution. Bartlett says the combined facilities could bring around 4,000 new jobs to the region and he claims that groundbreaking could begin later this year. He says industrial revenue bonds will fund part of the project. The U.S. Navy is reviewing the proposal but has not yet inked a deal.
Space heater, home wiring caused deadly house fire
(AP) — Authorities say a space heater sparked a house fire in Cleveland that killed an infant and a toddler and left three other children injured. The fire Tuesday started on the home’s second floor, and investigators determined it was caused by a new space heater and the house’s electrical wiring. The home had smoke detectors, but firefighters did not hear the alarms going off when they arrived.
Cleveland Guardians season pushed back to April 15
(WKSU) -- The Cleveland Guardians season has been pushed back again. Major League Baseball and the players association on Wednesday failed to reach a deal on a new agreement, resulting in the cancelation of another two series. That means The Guardians are now scheduled to open the regular season at home on April 15 against San Francisco. They were originally set to open the season on March 31.
