Here are your morning headlines for Monday, December 3:
- Cleveland offers free Hepatitis A vaccines;
- Wooster to decide on fining the homeless;
- Summit Co. to honor 900 homicide victims;
- Akron fires football coach Bowden after 4-8 season;
- Ohio technology funds team up for blockchain companies;
- $7M raised for visitor center at Cuyahoga Valley National Park;
- Spielman, Ohio State settle for $140K in licensing suit;
- Bowling Green State to return ancient Turkish mosaics;
- Kasich lowers flags for former President George H.W. Bush;
- Amid #MeToo, Cleveland radio station nixes 'Baby, It's Cold Outside';
Cleveland offers free Hepatitis A vaccines
A spike in Hepatitis A cases in Cleveland has prompted the city to offer free vaccinations. Thirteen cases of the disease were reported between January and November this year, which is a 117 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The Hepatitis A vaccine will be available at the McCafferty Health Center on Lorain Avenue and the J. Glen Smith Health Center on St. Clair Avenue. Hepatitis A is spread by ingesting food or water that’s contaminated with feces and can’t be spread through coughing or sneezing.
Wooster to decide on fining the homeless
Wooster officials will meet Monday to discuss a proposed ordinance that would charge the homeless with a crime if they refuse to go to a shelter. If approved, the first offense would be a $150 fine with a minor misdemeanor. The second offense would be a $250 fine with up to 30 days of jail time. The proposal came after local Wooster businesses raised concerns of the homeless possibly causing disturbances.
Summit Co. to honor 900 homicide victims
More than 900 homicide victims in Summit County will be honored with the 24th Angel Tree Ceremony Monday night. Friends and family of homicide victims will be able to place an angel ornament on one of the trees, along with photos of their loved one to be placed on the Wall of Remembrance. The ceremony will start at 6 at the Akron-Summit County Public Library on High Street. The trees will be on display the rest of the month.
Akron fires coach Terry Bowden after 4-8 season
The University of Akron fired football coach Terry Bowden after seven seasons. The word came a day after Akron completed a disappointing 4-8 season, losing their last five games. Bowden, however, raised Akron's profile. After going 1-11 in his first season, he led the Zips to bowl games in 2015 and 2017. Akron said it’s now beginning a nationwide search for a new coach.
Ohio technology funds team up for blockchain companies
Six technology funds in Ohio are teaming up to invest $100 million in early startups for blockchain technology. JumpStart CEO Ray Leach announced Sunday that the goal is to raise $200 over the next three years for blockchain companies looking to spark economic development in poor neighborhoods throughout Ohio. Blockchain technology would make it easier for individuals to share information with the government. Cleveland.com reports although nothing official has been announced, the business accelerator FlashStarts has also announced to give $6 million to startups.
$7M raised for visitor center at Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Officials said more than 550 individuals, foundations and corporations and a not-for-profit group have raised $7 million for Cuyahoga Valley National Park's new visitor center. The Boston Mill Visitor Center is set to open in the fall of 2019 in Boston Township. The center will provide information about programs and activities at the national park to help visitors plan their park experience. The park encompasses 33,000 acres along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron and generally receives around 2 million visitors a year.
Spielman, Ohio State settle for $140K in licensing suit
A former Ohio State and NFL football player has reached a settlement with the university over the school's use of his name and image. Ohio State has agreed to pay Chris Spielman $140,000 to compensate for alleged damages related to banners bearing his name and image that used to hang in Ohio Stadium. Spielman agreed to release the university from any liability or further claims in the Court of Claims or claims related to a federal civil lawsuit he spearheaded last year. The court and state attorney general still must sign off. The settlement doesn't impact Spielman's claims against talent manager IMG College LLC. His antitrust lawsuit contends IMG and its business partners improperly earned millions marketing collegiate athletes while players received nothing. The company disagrees.
Bowling Green State to return ancient Turkish mosaics
A set of ancient mosaics that were part of a Bowling Green State University’s art collection will be returned to Turkey, more than half a century after looters removed them from the ruins of Roman homes and smuggled them out of the country. Bowling Green bought the 12 mosaics from a New York gallery in 1965 and displayed them in the Wolfe Center for the Arts. Bowling Green and Turkish officials agreed that the artifacts would be returned in May. The mosaics will be exhibited at a Turkish museum.
Kasich lowers flags for former President George H.W. Bush
Gov. John Kasich has ordered flags lowered to half-staff following the death of former President George H.W. Bush. The governor's announcement came Saturday, hours after a family spokesman confirmed that Bush had died Friday at his Houston home at age 94. The governor ordered all flags lowered at public buildings and grounds in the state for the next 30 days.
Amid #MeToo, Cleveland radio station nixes 'Baby, It's Cold Outside'
A Cleveland radio station said it has stopped playing "Baby, It's Cold Outside" after listeners said the song heard on countless holiday playlists is inappropriate. They're not the first to question the song's undertones and criticize the duet, in which one singer tries to persuade the other to stay. WDOK-FM midday host Glenn Anderson said he recognizes that society was different when the song was written back in 1944, but he doesn't think it has a place today, especially in the era of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment.
