Here are your morning headlines for Thursday, November 15:
- Ohio health systems unable to recommend medical marijuana;
- Cavs owner sells Detroit casino;
- No charges over haunted house mock rape complaints;
- Pair of critically-endangered red wolves arrive at Akron zoo;
- Senate OKs Coast Guard bill with ballast water compromise;
- More plantiffs join lawsuits against Ohio State;
- Man accused of plans to attack Cleveland in July found competent to stand trial;
Ohio health systems unable to recommend medical marijuana
Doctors employed by three of the state's biggest health systems are barred from recommending medical marijuana to patients. Cleveland.com reports the Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth and University Hospitals all prevent physicians from advising patients in the use medical cannabis. The Cleveland Clinic said its decision is driven by a lack of FDA ruling on marijuana. University Hospitals argues there’s a discrepancy between state and federal marijuana laws. And MetroHealth cites system protocol. Ohio law says licensed doctors in good standing are eligible for certificates to recommend medical marijuana. More than 300 doctors throughout the state are registered to do so. The state’s medical marijuana program has yet to be implemented after the deadline passed in September.
Cavs owner sells Detroit casino
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has reached a $1 billion agreement to sell the Greektown Casino-Hotel in downtown Detroit, one of the city's three casinos. The move marks the latest in billions of dollars in investments planned or underway by Gilbert and his companies in Detroit, where he has a major real estate presence. Gilbert bought Greektown Casino-Hotel more than five years ago after it was reorganized in bankruptcy.
No charges over mock rape complaints at haunted house
Police said they won't file criminal charges in connection with an Akron-area haunted house attraction where visitors complained that actors simulated raping them. Springfield Township police said in a statement Wednesday that Akron Fright Fest actors had "used poor judgment" in October but that there was "no physical evidence to substantiate allegations of a crime being committed." An Akron couple said they were pushed onto a mattress where actors simulated rape. The couple has sued owner Jeremy Caudill and several Fright Fest employees, claiming they never signed waivers or consented to the treatment. They're seeking $50,000 in damages.
Pair of critically-endangered red wolves arrive at Akron zoo
The Akron Zoo said two wolves that are a part of a critically endangered species have come to live at the zoo as part of a Species Survival Plan. The red wolf is one of the world's most endangered wolf species, and it is believed only about 60 wolves remain in the wild. The four-year old brothers came to Akron from Wisconsin. The Akron Zoo's original red wolf has been moved to the Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo.
Senate OKs Coast Guard bill with ballast water compromise
The U.S. Senate approved a compromise policy Wednesday on dumping ship ballast water in coastal ports and the Great Lakes, a practice blamed for spreading invasive species. The plan, part of a $10.6 billion Coast Guard budget authorization bill, includes provisions sought by environmentalists as well as the cargo shipping industry. Under the bill, the EPA would set national rules for ballast and other water discharges while the Coast Guard would enforce them. But in a victory for shippers, states would be prohibited from imposing tougher treatment rules than EPA's. The legislation now goes to the House.
More plantiffs join lawsuits against Ohio State
Twenty-nine more plaintiffs have joined one of the two lawsuits filed against Ohio State University by alumni who said they were victims of sexual misconduct by a team doctor during the two decades he worked there. Counting the additional allegations, the lawsuits allege more than 20 school officials and employees knew of concerns about Dr. Richard Strauss but didn't stop him. The university has sought to dismiss the lawsuits as being time-barred, but insists it's looking for the truth, not ignoring the men's stories. More than 150 ex-students have alleged sexual misconduct by Strauss between 1979 and 1997. Strauss committed suicide himself in 2005.
Man accused of planning to attack Cleveland in July found competent to stand trial
A man accused of scouting locations in Cleveland to attack people watching Fourth of July fireworks, and who talked about carrying out additional bombings, has been found competent to stand trial. A U.S. magistrate adopted the conclusion of a psychologist who evaluated 48-year-old Demetrius Pitts and found Pitts competent to understand court proceedings and assist in his defense. The FBI arrested Pitts on July 1.
