Here are your morning headlines for Tuesday, November 14th:
- Love triangle ends in fatal parking lot shooting;
- Nearly all Cleveland police have completed use-of-force training;
- Health data-sharing company aims to expand into Summit County;
- Chinese acquisition of Beachwood aluminum company falls through;
- Cleveland City Council reappoints Kelley as president;
- Final preparations to execute a sick inmate move ahead;
- Lawsuit between blind voters and the state allowed to proceed;
- Ohio lawmaker seeks to cut school suspensions;
- Akron invests state funds in tech entrepreneurship;
- Prominent Ohio Democrat resigns amid "inappropriate conduct" allegations;
- Attorney General Sessions selects Cleveland-based prosecutor for advisory committee;
Love triangle ends in fatal parking lot shooting
A doctor has died following a shooting at a Massillon hospital parking lot over a shared love interest. Authorities say the suspect, 50-year-old Michael Wood, killed himself shortly after shooting 59-year-old Dr. George Seese outside Affinty Medical Monday afternoon. Police say Wood fired multiple shots at Seese as the doctor was walking toward his vehicle. Wood then shot himself. Seese died hours after the shooting. He did not work at the hospital full-time. His medical office was located in Perry Township. Both the hospital and Massillon City Schools were placed on lockdown for several hours after the shooting.
Nearly all Cleveland police have completed use-of-force training
The city of Cleveland says it is close to training all of its officers on new use-of-force protocol. The program is part of the consent decree mandated in 2015 after federal lawyers found Cleveland officers promoted excessive force. After several delays, the city says about 90 percent of its officers have completed the training. The city’s filing with the Justice Department says all officers will be trained on the new use-of-force policies by January 1st.
Health data-sharing company aims to expand into Summit County
A conference in Summit County today is aiming to encourage competing hospitals to share patient data. The Better Health Partnership, which is hosting the event, is a northeast Ohio nonprofit that collects anonymous data from hospitals and doctors. The Beacon Journal reports the company collects the data from more than 1,000 primary care physicians and 10 different health systems like MetroHealth and the Cleveland Clinic. A spokesman says the data have already been used to close racial gaps in hospital care, and could be used to evaluate hospitals impartially.
Chinese acquisition of Beachwood aluminum company falls through
The planned acquisition of one of America’s largest private companies by a Chinese corporation has fallen through. Beachwood-based Aleris Corporation says its $2.3 billion merger with Zhongwang LLC will not take place. The deal had been questioned by the Federal Committee on Foreign Investment which raised concerns about the Chinese takeover. Aleris operates 40 facilities worldwide producing aluminum products and alloys for the aerospace, construction, packaging and transportation industries.
Cleveland City Council reappoints Kelley as president
Cleveland City Council unanimously reappointed Kevin Kelley as council president. The vote Monday included the apparent winners of two council races whose final results haven’t been settled. Cleveland.com reports that the board of elections may not know the winners of wards 1 and 7 until the end of the month. A formal vote on Kelley’s leadership will take place immediately after the new year.
Final preparations to execute a sick inmate move ahead
Ohio is starting final preparations for executing a sick inmate who will be provided a wedge-shaped pillow to help him breathe as he's put to death this week. Death row prisoner Alva Campbell, who has said he is too ill for lethal injection, became mildly agitated when officials tried lowering him to a normal execution position during an exam last month. A physician recommended allowing Campbell to partially sit up during the execution. The same exam failed to find veins suitable for inserting an IV on either of Campbell's arms. He is set to die by injection Wednesday.
Lawsuit between blind voters and the state allowed to proceed
Ohio's elections chief wants some guidance on how to accommodate blind voters without jeopardizing the process for all others. A spokesman for Secretary of State Jon Husted says previous rulings have been clear that one set of voters can't receive accommodations that aren't available to others. An appeals court on Monday revived a lawsuit alleging blind Ohio residents have been denied "meaningful access" to the state's absentee voting system. Husted has contended that county boards of election already offer special accommodations for blind voters. A federal judge sided with Husted last year, saying that implementing changes to accommodate the blind would fundamentally alter the entire voting system. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday reversed that decision and allowed the lawsuit to proceed.
Ohio lawmaker seeks to cut school suspensions
An Ohio lawmaker wants to make changes to reduce the number of young students being suspended from school. The Plain Dealer reports Ohio had 34,000 suspensions for students in pre-kindergarten through third grade last school year, and 36,000 the previous year. The suspensions last up to 10 days and are issued for offenses ranging from disruption or disobedience to bringing a weapon to school or hurting fellow students. Those numbers stunned Sen. Peggy Lehner, a Republican who leads the Senate education committee. She says she plans to introduce a bill today to address the issue.
Akron invests state funds in tech entrepreneurship
The city of Akron is accepting state funds to build a new business incubator. Akron City Council voted Monday to give up to $2 million to a tech non-profit called BOUNCE. The private non-profit tells Cleveland.com it will provide training and access to super computers, 3-D printers and laser cutters. BOUNCE will also partner with the University of Akron to offer students classes and internships. Programs at BOUNCE’s Main St. building are expected to begin by January.
Prominent Ohio Democrat resigns amid "inappropriate conduct" allegations
A prominent Ohio Democrat has left office after allegations of “inappropriate conduct.” Michael Premo resigned as chief of staff for the Ohio Senate Democrats on Monday. Premo resigned after two years on the job at the request of Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko, of Richmond Heights. A spokesman for majority Senate Republicans tells Cleveland.com no complaints have been filed.
Attorney General Sessions selects Cleveland-based prosecutor for advisory committee
A Cleveland-based prosecutor has been selected to serve on Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ advisory committee. U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman is one of nine chosen to serve a two-year term. The group will advise Sessions on general policy and strategy. Herdman was recently confirmed as a U.S. attorney in northern Ohio after being nominated by President Trump.
