Here are your morning headlines for Monday, November 19:
- Former Cuyahoga judge accused of murdering estranged wife;
- Tim Ryan to announce new GM Lordstown campaign;
- Additional charges filed in Akron dorm accidental shooting;
- Portman subcommittee finds Virgina company increased Naloxone prices;
- Case of convicted Ohio killer of 3 returns to judge;
- Sheriff: Inmate found unresponsive at jail dies;
- Cleveland Indians to unveil new uniforms;
- Browns dismiss interest in Condoleezza Rice as coach;
Former Cuygahoga judge accused of murdering estranged wife
Former Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Lance Mason has been arrested, accused of fatally stabbing his estranged wife over the weekend. Mason had previously served nine months in prison for beating Aisha Fraser in front of their children. He was hired last year by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson as a minority business development director. The city said he was fired Saturday upon his arrest. Fraser was a teacher at Woodbury Elementary in Shaker Heights. A vigil will be held there at 5:30 p.m. Shaker Heights schools are closed today and tomorrow, but grief counseling will be available for all district staff.
Tim Ryan to announce GM Lordstown campaign
Northeast Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan is heading up an effort to show why GM should either expand Chevy Cruze production at Lordstown or bring a new product there. Two shifts have been eliminated at the plant, resulting in hundreds of layoffs. More details on the "Drive It Home" campaign will be released today, but in a statement, Ryan said he'll be joined by Sen. Sherrod Brown, Congressman Bill Johnson, Lordstown Mayor Arno Hill and others. It kicks off this morning at UAW Union Hall in Warren.
Additional charges filed in Akron dorm accidental shooting
Police said additional charges have been filed in the case of an apparent accidental shooting inside a dormitory at the University of Akron. The Nov. 10 shooting wounded a 19-year-old man who was not a student. A 17-year-old boy who also was not a student was taken into custody and charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm. University Police Chief James Weber said the 19-year-old has now been charged with improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle. The chief said two 18-year-old students who lived in the dorm have been charged with obstructing official business for allegedly lying to police. The shooting prompted a lockdown that was lifted after about 15 minutes.
Portman subcommittee finds Virgina company increased Naloxone prices
A recent report shows that a Virginia pharmaceutical company raised the price of its opioid overdose reversal drug by more than 600 percent in 2016. An investigative subcommittee led by Ohio Sen. Rob Portman discovered the company Kaleo pushed up the price of its Naloxone, costing taxpayers more than $142 million in the last four years. Although Portman claims the price increase was for the company to capitalize on the product, Kaleo said its actions have been driven by patients and not profits.
Case of convicted Ohio killer of 3 returns to judge
The case of a Stark County native who has long maintained his innocence in the 1994 slaying of three people is once again back before a federal judge. Ex-death row prisoner Kevin Keith is now serving a life sentence for killing two women and a 4-year-old girl in what prosecutors said was retaliation for his arrest in a drug sweep. Lawyers for Keith are seeking a new trial based on evidence not presented originally, including allegations that a state forensics investigator who worked on Keith's case had a habit of providing police departments with answers they wanted in cases. Cleveland federal judge Solomon Oliver has asked a magistrate judge for a report on the case, following a federal appeals court decision last month that Keith can continue appealing.
Sheriff: Inmate found unresponsive at jail dies
A sheriff said an inmate found unresponsive at the Richland County jail has died. Joseph Breeze, 37, was found unresponsive at the facility in Mansfield Saturday after another inmate told correctional officers that something was wrong with Breeze. A cause of death hasn’t been released. He was being held on a probation violation.
Cleveland Indians to unveil new uniforms
The Cleveland Indians officially begin a new chapter today, as the team is set to unveil new uniforms for next season without Chief Wahoo as their mascot. The team today, however, will not be introducing a new logo to replace Chief Wahoo, but a shoulder patch representing the 2019 All-Star Game, which will be played at Progressive Field on July 9. Owner Paul Dolan agreed that 2018 would be the last year the Indians would use Chief Wahoo as its logo. As of now, there are no timetable as for what will replace Wahoo. Block C and script Indians will serve as their logos for 2019.
Browns dismiss interest in Condoleezza Rice as coach
The Browns' coaching search isn't quite ready to cross gender or diplomatic lines. General manager John Dorsey, who opened the possibility of hiring a woman to be Cleveland's next coach, said Sunday that the team has not discussed former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as a candidate to become the club's ninth coach since 1999. ESPN reported that the team would like to interview Rice, an ardent Browns fan since childhood, for its coaching job. However, Dorsey said she is not on the team's current list of candidates.
