Here are your morning headlines for Wednesday, May 24th:
- Ohio leaders express sadness, outrage, over deadly Texas school shooting
- Ohio Lt. Gov. defends taking paid job
- “Geauga’s Child” mom sentenced to 15 years to life in prison
- Masks recommended in Lorain and Ashtabula counties, where COVID-19 cases are rising
- Ohio man linked to plot to assassinate former President George W. Bush
- Plesac loses command, Guardians fall to Astros, 7-3
- Weather: Partly sunny today, severe thunderstorms possible tomorrow
Ohio leaders express sadness, outrage, over deadly Texas school shooting
(WKYC-TV) -- Ohio leaders and politicians are expressing grief and outrage over the deadly mass shooting at a Texas elementary school that killed 19 children and two adults. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tweeted that he and his wife Fran were “heartbroken.” He offered law enforcement assistance to Texas. His Democratic challenger in November’s gubernatorial election, Nan Whaley, said the nation needed leaders who are willing to do something. Whaley is the former mayor of Dayton, which experienced a deadly mass shooting in 2019. Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown tweeted that inaction in Washington. D.C. and in state legislatures “continues to cost us lives, mass shooting after mass shooting.” Republican Sen. Rob Portman said the nation mourns for “all those affected by this senseless act of violence.”
Ohio Lt. Gov. defends taking paid job
(Statehouse News Bureau) – Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted is defending his decision to take a paid job with a bank in addition to his government duties. Husted was elected last week to the board of directors of Heartland Bank. Husted, who works on workforce, technology and regulatory issues, said his new job does not conflict with any of his responsibilities as lieutenant governor. He said being on the board of the bank will help him understand how interest rates, inflation and regulations affect small businesses.
“Geauga’s Child” mom sentenced to 15 years to life in prison
(WEWS-TV) -- The mother of "Geauga's Child" was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her newborn son in 1993. Gail Ritchey will be eligible for parole in 15 years. Prosecutors say she placed the newborn in a garbage bag and abandoned the boy in a wooded area. The case was unsolved for years until Ritchey was arrested in 2019. She was identified through familial DNA that matched the DNA of the infant.
Masks recommended in Lorain and Ashtabula counties, where COVID-19 cases are rising
(Ideastream Public Media) -- Public health officials are again recommending people in Lorain and Ashtabula counties wear masks in indoor public places because of rising COVID-19 cases. The two Northeast Ohio counties are now orange on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s map.
Ohio man linked to plot to assassinate former President George W. Bush
(The Columbus Dispatch) -- An Iraqi national living in Columbus is accused of plotting to assassinate former President George W. Bush. Federal prosecutors say Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab entered the U.S. on a visitor's visa in 2020 and lived in Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio. He allegedly planned to smuggle in members of the Islamic State terrorist group to murder Bush. Law enforcement officials said Bush was never in any jeopardy. Shihab is scheduled for a detention hearing Friday.
Plesac loses command, Guardians fall to Astros, 7-3
(MLB.com) -- Zach Plesac lasted just 4 and 2/3 innings in the Cleveland Guardians' 7-3 loss to the Houson Astros at Minute Maid Park. Plesac now has a 1-4 record in eight starts. He's gone six or more innings in just three of those starts.
Weather: Partly sunny today, severe thunderstorms possible tomorrow
(National Weather Service) – Partly sunny today with a chance of showers after 3 p.m. High 81. Tonight, mostly cloudy, a 40 percent chance of showers overnight. Low 66. Thursday, showers and thunderstorms likely. Severe thunderstorms with heavy rain and damaging wind gusts possible. High 84.
