Here are your morning headlines for Wednesday, October 10:
- Governor candidate Richard Cordray calls for more debates;
- Early voting begins for midterms;
- Willoughby Hills council members get restraining order against mayor;
- Three Canton officers suspended following investigation of former officer;
- Cleveland adds four detectives to homicide unit;
- Devo fans celebrate band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination;
- Cleveland Foundation awards $500,000 to close digital divide;
- U.S. Marshals to assess Cuyahoga County jail amid deaths;
- New clinic opens for Akron Public School employees;
Governor candidate Richard Cordray calls for more debates
The Democratic candidate for Ohio governor wants more debates in the tightly contested race, while his Republican rival said three was enough. Richard Cordray and Republican rival Mike DeWine had their last scheduled debate Monday night in Cleveland. After talking with people in the Sugar n' Spice Restaurant in Cincinnati, Cordray said he wants to debate again. He cited Toledo and Cincinnati as possible sites for another debate. He and DeWine have also squared off in Dayton and Marietta. DeWine said the two campaigns had lengthy negotiations about their debate schedule. And while he thought the debates "have been a lot of fun," he said it's time to be meeting with voters.
Early voting begins for general election
Early voting begins today for the Nov. 6 general election. It can be done via a mail-in absentee ballot or in person at a voter's county elections board. Horus are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m Monday - Friday for the first two weeks expanding to a 7 p.m. close the final week with weekend hours only the weekend before the election. You can request an absentee ballot anytime leading up to the election, they must be postmarked by November 5, the day before the election to be counted.
Willoughby Hills council members get restraining order against mayor
Six of seven Willoughby Hills city council members will remain in office despite the mayor’s attempt to remove them. A judge has granted a temporary restraining order that the group sought against Mayor Robert Weger. Weger had accused council members of trying to pass illegal ordinances and then changed the locks so they couldn’t attend meetings. The dispute is expected to be heard in court within the next two weeks.
Three Canton officers suspended following investigation of former officer
Three Canton police officers have been suspended without pay in the fall-out of an investigation into a former officer. The Canton Repository reports the officers were disciplined for unsatisfactory performance and deportment, but no details were available. The department acknowledged the suspensions were related to the investigation of former officer Jason Gaug — who quit the force in August following guilty pleas to misdemeanor obstruction of justice and felony possession of steroids. Police found the steroids in Gaug’s home while investigating the overdose death of his girlfriend earlier this year. Police chief Jack Angelo would not comment on how the three officers were involved in the Gaug case, only that their “conduct did not meet department standards.”
Cleveland adds four detectives to homicide unit
Cleveland has added four new detectives to its homicide unit amid an uptick in killings. Cleveland.com reports that it’s the first time in the department’s history that detectives have been added on a temporary basis. Police Chief Calvin Williams said he hopes to fill nine vacant positions in the homicide unit. Cleveland is on pace for its deadliest year in more than two decades with 103 homicides so far this year. The city has five fewer detectives than it did a decade ago.
Devo fans celebrate band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination
Fans of Devo are celebrating the new wave band’s first nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band was born in Akron in 1973, when members were Kent State students. Performers can only earn a spot in the Rock Hall 25 years after the release of their first recording. It took DEVO another 16 years to make the cut. Fan voting is underway and inductees will be announced in December
Cleveland Foundation awards $500,000 to close digital divide
A new effort is underway to close the digital divide in Cuyahoga County. The Cleveland Foundation has awarded a nearly $500,000 grant for PCs for People, a national organization that offers refurbished tech to low-income households. It opened a temporary store Tuesday in Cleveland’s Slavic Village. A permanent location is expected to open early next year. The group will also provide unlimited mobile internet hot-spots with-low cost monthly premiums. Huntington National Bank is also contributing $50,000 to the effort that includes free library hot-spot lending programs.
U.S. Marshals to assess Cuyahoga County jail amid deaths
The U.S. Marshals plans to perform an independent assessment of the Cuyahoga County jail after six inmates died in less than three months. The Cuyahoga County Executive tells Cleveland.com that the marshal’s assessment of the jail is separate from an FBI inquiry of possible civil rights violations. Two of the six inmates hanged themselves and two others had taken drugs. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner has yet to find a cause of death for the two other inmates.
New clinic for Akron Public School employees opens
A new clinic meant only for Akron Public School employees and their families is now open. The Paladina Health clinic provides health-care options for employees who qualify for the district’s health insurance. The clinic cost $300,000 to build and is in the same building as LeBron James' I-Promise School on West Market Street. It's one of six Paladina offices in Ohio.
