Here are your morning headlines for Wednesday, June 5:
- Stark County man accused of $2M health care fraud;
- House to vote on hemp cultivation;
- Televangelist's Cuyahoga Falls property up for auction;
- Kayakers looking for missing swimmer find another body;
- Hospitals: At least 385 treated for storm-related injuries;
- More patients diagnosed amid Legionnaires' outbreak;
- Sherwin-Williams among companies responsible for lead poisoning;
- Cleveland RTA plans for free Wi-Fi;
Stark County man accused of $2M health care fraud
A Stark County business owner is accused of defrauding $2 million from Medicare and Medicaid. 55-year-old Thomas O'Lear of Lake Township allegedly billed for x-ray services that were never provided by his company, Portable Radiology Services. The company supplies portable x-ray services to nursing homes and long-term care facilities. O'Lear is also accused overbilling Medicare and Medicaid for services, and covering it up by forging patient signatures. He has been indicted on 25 counts of health care fraud.
House to vote on hemp cultivation
Ohio farmers could soon begin growing a crop that hasn’t been seen here in more than 60 years. The Ohio House is expected this week to approve a Senate-passed bill that would allow the cultivation of hemp, according to Cleveland.com. State law currently lumps the industrial material with marijuana, which is regulated as a drug. New interest in the hemp derived therapeutic CBD oil has led to renewed interest in the crop. The House version of the bill would require people who want to make CBD oil, or any hemp product, to get a license from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Angley's Cuyahoga Falls property up for auction
Televangelist Ernest Angely's Cathedral Buffet in Cuyahoga Falls is scheduled for a sheriff's auction on Friday. The Beacon Journal reports the starting bid is nearly $3 million. The restaurant and TV studios shut down in 2017 after owners Winston Broadcasting Network Inc. defaulted on a $3.6 million loan. The restaurant also had to repay nearly $400,000 in wages and damages to former workers. The six-acre property is appraised at $4.3 million. If it fails to sell, it'll be up for auction again on the 21st.
Kayakers looking for missing swimmer find another body
Authorities said kayakers helping search for a swimmer who was swept away in the Cuyahoga River in Akron found the body of another man last night. The body of the 62-year-old Ratna Mahat, who had been missing since Friday, was discovered in the Cascade Valley Metro Park. His death is under investigation. Authorities said searchers found the man's body while looking for 24-year-old Catalino Hernandez, who apparently was swept away while swimming in the river Sunday evening. The search for Hernandez continues.
Hospitals: At least 385 treated for storm-related injuries
Hospitals have reported treating at least 385 people for storm-related injuries in the Dayton area struck by tornadoes and severe weather a week ago. The strongest of at least 18 tornadoes that slammed western Ohio beginning Memorial Day evening had 170 mph winds. Dayton-area hospitals say they have been treating people for injuries received during the storms and during cleanup efforts. An 82-year-old man in Celina was killed. Authorities have been searching for a 71-year-old woman who has dementia and was last seen hours before the tornadoes struck.
More patients diagnosed amid Legionnaires' outbreak
Health officials say 10 people have now been diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease amid an outbreak at a recently opened hospital near Columbus. That's up from seven. One of those patients died Sunday. Mount Carmel Health System said the hospital is working with health officials to identify the source of the bacteria at Mount Carmel Grove City. State health officials say the first patient diagnosed with Legionnaires' was admitted to the hospital on April 29, the day after it opened.
Sherwin-Williams among companies responsible for lead poisoning
A Cleveland-based paint manufacturer is among three companies being blamed for poisoning children in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that a federal jury found Sherwin-Williams, along with DuPont and Armstrong Container Company responsible for lead poisoning three men as children. The companies agreed to pay the men $6 million, although an attorney for Sherwin-Williams had said the company would appeal.
Cleveland RTA plans for Wi-Fi
Cleveland's public transit agency is planning to add free Wi-Fi on all buses and trains as early as next August. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority said adding Wi-Fi access would cost around $400,000 a year and would give the agency navigation services and other technology. The board of trustees could vote on the contract this month.
