Here are your morning headlines for Friday, November 3rd:
- Metro RTA board VP resigns amid possible conflict of interest;
- Bill to add photos to food stamp cards easily passes Ohio House;
- U.S. Coast Guard and Lake Carriers partner on sea rescue training program;
- Law enforcement raid business related to Arco dump fire;
- Man accused in Strongsville teacher's murder to appear in court today;
- Ohio attorney general declines to investigate Summit County inmate death;
- Akron police charge teen in Halloween shooting;
- Dominion announces plan to update Warren's pipeline infrastructure;
- Michigan firm buys Wooster-based Rayco Manufacturing;
Metro RTA board VP resigns amid possible conflict of interest
Metro RTA board Vice President Saundra Foster has resigned. This comes a day after a Beacon Journal investigation detailed potential ethics violations committed by her and the bus company’s executive director. The Beacon Journal reports Foster had received a loan for car repairs and an automatic car starter as a gift last year from Executive Director Richard Enty at the same time that she was helping to negotiate and approve his new three-year contract. Foster was board president at the time and oversaw Enty’s annual evaluation. Foster emailed a two-sentence resignation Thursday afternoon to Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan. She had been reappointed to the board by the mayor last year.
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Bill to require photos on food stamp cards easily passes Ohio House
Ohio House lawmakers are backing a plan to require identification photos on food stamp cards. The measure easily passed in the House Wednesday. Supporters say adding a photo ID will help eliminate fraud by people using food stamp cards for illegal cash exchanges. Critics say photos won't help if stores aren't required to check the cards. And they point to analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission that says it won't result in savings by reducing fraud. Another concern is that the measure would present problems for families that share cards or for people who rely on caretakers to shop for them.
U.S. Coast Guard and Lake Carriers partner on sea rescue training program
The U.S. Coast Guard has struck a deal with a Great Lakes commercial shipping organization to conduct maritime rescue training programs. The agreement sets terms for training sessions for vessels enrolled with the Lake Carriers Association and Coast Guard air stations. The group has 13 member companies operating 49 U.S. cargo ships. A memorandum of agreement was signed this week at the 9th Coast Guard District headquarters in Cleveland. Officials say the training will simulate real-life medical evacuations.
Law enforcement raid business related to Arco dump fire
Police raided a business linked to a construction recycling dump that caught fire over the weekend. Cleveland.com reports the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation raided Red Rock Services in East Cleveland on Thursday. The fire at the Arco dump broke out early Saturday morning, but was quickly controlled. Attorney General Mike DeWine named the Arco dump and its owner in a $6 million cleanup suit in June. Officials declined to say whether the raid was connected to the weekend fire at the dump or the lawsuit.
Man accused in Strongsville teacher's murder to appear in court today
An Ohio man accused of killing his fiancee's mother just days before he was supposed to be married is due to make his first court appearance. Jeffrey Scullin, 20, is scheduled to be in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court in Cleveland Friday to face charges including aggravated murder. He had been living with his girlfriend's parents at their Strongsville home where school teacher Melinda Pleskovic, 49, was found shot and stabbed on Oct. 24. Pleskovic's husband and Scullin both called 911, saying they had just arrived home and found the woman's body surrounded by blood. It's unclear whether Scullin has an attorney. He's being held on $1 million bond.
Ohio attorney general declines to investigate Summit County inmate death
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine says he will not investigate the death of a Summit County inmate without permission from the sheriff or the county’s top prosecutor. Anthony Jones, 36, who is black, died two months ago today following an altercation with deputies at the jail. A coroner concluded Jones died of cardiac arrest. But the Akron NAACP has called for the state to take up the investigation. The NAACP’s attorney claims the deputies are responsible for Jones’ death. The incident has raised concerns about the treatment of minorities at the jail. The sheriff on Thursday defended his investigation into Jones’ death.
Akron police charge teen in Halloween shooting
Akron police say they have charged a man in connection with a Halloween shooting. Nathan Scott Hendrix, 18, was booked into Summit County Jail on multiple charges, including aggravated burglary and carrying a concealed weapon. The Beacon Journal reports Hendrix and two other men on Tuesday forced their way into a home, stole $100 dollars, and shot a 17-year-old resident in the shoulder. Police say the incident was the result of a dispute over money. The victim is expected to recover.
Dominion announces plan to update Warren's pipeline infrastructure
Dominion says it will invest more than $4 million to update the city of Warren’s pipeline infrastructure. The Vindicator reports the company hopes to replace about 26,000 feet of steel pipeline with a newer alternative that resists corrosion. The project is part of Dominion’s Pipeline Infrastructure Replacement program. The company aims to replace about a fifth of its pipeline system over the next 25 years. Dominion says affected customers will briefly lose natural gas service while service lines are replaced. The project in Warren is scheduled to begin a week from Monday.
Michigan firm buys Wooster-based Rayco Manufacturing
An outdoor equipment manufacturer based in Wooster has been bought out by a firm in Michigan. Morbark LLC announced Thursday that it had bought family-owned Rayco Manufacturing. Rayco has been in Wooster for almost 40 years. The Michigan company says it made the move to expand its forestry and industrial equipment business. Rayco will keep its brand identity as a new division within its new parent company. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
