Here are your morning headlines for Thursday, April 28th:
- Trigger abortion ban bill spurs debate on lack of exemptions for rape, incest
- Cleveland Council advances city’s plan for University Circle and Case police expansion
- Reward offered in death of young mother in Akron
- Lorain Council taking steps to crackdown on short-term rentals
- Ohio Turnpike reopens in Lorain County following truck collision, fire
- Ward, Ohtani lead Angels past Guardians, 9-5
- Akron extends men’s basketball head coach Groce’s contract
- Weather: Sunny, another cold night ahead
Abortion ban bill spurs debate on lack of exemptions for rape, incest
(WEWS-TV) A proposed bill that would trigger a ban on abortion in Ohio should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe spurred debate over its lack of exemptions for rape and incest. Such crimes against a teen or woman does not give her the right to take a life, Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland), the bill’s sponsor testified. HB 598’s most vocal critic at yesterday’s hearing, Rep. Richard Brown (D-Winchester), argued a teenage victim of rape has rights too.
Cleveland Council advances city’s plan for University Circle and Case police expansion
(Ideastream Public Media) – Cleveland City Council has advanced the city’s plan to allow the private police departments of Case Western Reserve University and University Circle Inc.to expand their patrols into parts of Little Italy and Glenwood. Council's Safety Committee approved the arrangement, even though the current contracts do not require these departments to comply with the city's police consent decree. Committee chair Mike Polensek said they'd handle that when the contracts come up for renewal.
Reward offered in death of young mother in Akron
(WEWS-TV) – Summit County Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of those connected to the death of Teyaurra Harris. The 27-year-old mother of two was six to eight weeks pregnant at the time of her death, according to the county’s medical examiner. Harris was caught in the crossfire of a shootout between two groups of people on April 14. She was a passenger in a car driving by when a bullet went into the vehicle and struck her in the head. Harris’ funeral is today at Wooster Avenue Church of Christ in Akron.
Lorain Council taking steps to crackdown on short-term rentals
(WJW-TV) – Lorain City Council is taking steps to rein in short-term rentals before the summer vacation season, citing citizen concerns of nuisances like noisy parties and pets running loose. Lorain City Councilwoman-at-Large Mary Springowski said she has counted 70 properties currently advertised on the internet for short-term rentals. Council on Monday voted to research ways other communities have regulated them and craft rules for Lorain. Meanwhile, Lorain could find its efforts blocked by the state. Ohio lawmakers are considering a bill that would prevent municipalities from banning short-term rentals.
Ohio Turnpike reopens in Lorain County following truck collision, fire
(WKYC-TV) – The Ohio Turnpike is reopened in Lorain County after a fiery crash involving two trucks blocked the eastbound lanes overnight. State troopers said they arrived on the scene to find two commercial vehicles fully engulfed in flames, one located on the right shoulder and the other on the left shoulder. One of the trucks was hauling a resin solution that caused the flames to accelerate near an overpass, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. At one point in the investigation, both eastbound and westbound lanes were temporarily closed from the I-90 Lorain Exit (exit 142) to the SR-58 Amherst Exit (exit 140), causing major backups.
Ward, Ohtani lead Angels past Guardians, 9-5
(AP) – Taylor Ward hit a grand slam and finished a single shy of the cycle, pitcher Shohei Ohtani had his first three-hit game this season, and the Los Angeles Angels rolled to a 9-5 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. It was the Angels’ fourth consecutive win. The Guardians dropped their sixth straight game despite José Ramírez’s two home runs.
Akron extends men’s basketball head coach Groce’s contract
(AP) – Following a trip to the NCAA Tournament, the University of Akron has extended coach John Groce’s contract through the 2029-30 season. Groce led the Zips to Mid-American Conference tournament title this past season and the league’s automatic NCAA bid. Groce’s previous deal was to expire after the 2026 season. Financial terms were not made available.
Weather: Sunny, another cold night ahead
(National Weather Service) – Sunny today, high 53 degrees in Akron, 48 in Cleveland. Tonight, patchy frost, subfreezing temperatures around 30.
