Here are your morning headlines for Wednesday, June 26:
- Steve Harvey awards 8 KSU freshman with full rides;
- Hopkins, CAK get federal money;
- Revere High School fires football coaches for drinking;
- Cuyahoga County to consider funding 'Say Yes' education program;
- Rosy revenue figures begin finals talks on Ohio budget;
- Lawyers pause plan to divide opioid settlement;
- Hiram College receives $2M from anonymous donor;
- GM to expand productions at Ohio plant;
- North Canton approves tax deal with Diebold Nixdorf to add jobs;
- Kent State trustees set to approve faculty contract;
- Stark County native, former Browns player Vince Costello dies;
Steve Harvey awards 8 KSU freshman with full rides
Talk show host Steve Harvey is awarding eight incoming Kent State University freshman full-ride scholarships. Harvey will make the announcement on the season finale of his show "Steve" tonight. All but one of the recepients are from Northeast Ohio. The scholarships will come from the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation, a partnership between Kent State and Harvey. The scholarships are in honor of Devin Moore, a senior journalism major who collapsed and died playing basketball at the university recreation center in 2017. Moore was a member of Omega Psi Phi, the same fraternity Harvey pledged while on campus. Harvey is also giving $10,000 to the Kent State's Men Empowerment Network, which helps support men of color.
Hopkins, CAK get federal funds
The Federal Aviation Administration is giving the region's two main airports funds for improvements. Cleveland Hopkins will receive $20 million for projects including construction of a new runway and snow removal equipment. The airport struggled to keep up with the massive amount of snow Northeast Ohio got this past winter. Akron-Canton Airport will get nearly $450,000, also for new snow removal equipment. The money is from the FAA's Airport Improvement Program, which is dispersing $3 billion to nearly 400 airports in the nation.
Revere High School fires football coaches for drinking
Revere High School in Richfield has fired nine football coaches after they admitted to drinking alcohol at an offseason football camp earlier this month. Security footage showed the coaches drinking. Students were not involved. The Beacon Journal reports community members presented a petition at Tuesday's board meeting in support of the coaches.
Cuyahoga County to consider funding 'Say Yes' education program
Legislation introduced to Cuyahoga County Council would contribute $3.6 million over the next four years to Cleveland's Say Yes to Education program. The national nonprofit organization selected Cleveland as its fourth city in January. It helps students prepare for college and get scholarships. If approved, $242,000 would be given to the program for its first year. The money would come from the Health and Human Services Levy Fund, which is expected to run dry next year. Other first-year funding would come from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and the federal government. Payments from all would increase each year. The county plans to contribute about 17 percent of the total $21 million over the next four years.
Rosy revenue figures begin finals talks on Ohio budget
State legislative budget negotiators have received a rosy revenue report as they head into final talks on the spending bill facing a Sunday deadline. The Office of Budget and Management told a conference committee Tuesday that it expects tax revenue for the current fiscal year to beat its projections by $359 million. The office also adjusted upward its revenue projections for the two-year budget cycle that begins Monday, with $116 million more expected in the first year and $73 million more expected in the second. Legislative analysts' projections were similarly positive.
Lawyers pause plan to divide opioid settlement
A high-profile hearing in the federal opioid case being held in Cleveland began work on a framework for a settlement on Tuesday Lawyers for county and municipal governments discussed how to divide money among nearly 25,000 local governments if a settlement can be reached with drug companies. But after objections from drug distributors and pharmacies and words of caution from state attorneys general, they agreed to take more input and rework their plan over the next few weeks. Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland, who is overseeing nearly 2,000 cases over opioids, has set a new hearing for Aug. 6.
Hiram College receives $2M from anonymous donor
An anonymous donor has made a $2 million gift to a small Northeast College. Hiram College says the money will support the school academic redesign. Hiram last year officially launched what it calls a ‘new liberal arts’ program with a focus on experiential learning. The school said the gift is an endorsement of the changes.
GM to expand productions at Ohio plant
General Motors (GM) said it's investing more than $4 billion in assembly plants in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Texas to prepare for the launch of its next generation of pickups and SUVs. GM is expanding diesel engine production at its Moraine, Ohio plant and increasing transmission production in Toledo. Upgrades are also planned at its Parma and Dayton facilities. The company earlier this year idled production of its compact Cruze in Lordstown.
North Canton approves tax deal to bring Diebold Nixdorf jobs
North Canton City Council has officially approved a five-year income tax deal to bring Diebold Nixdorf and more than 200 jobs to the city. The Repository reports the company plans to move into the 200,000 sq. ft. former Hoover factory. Under the agreement, the city will return half of income tax back to Diebold. The city could net more than $300,000 in income taxes over the five years.
Kent State trustees set to approve faculty contract
The Kent State Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting today. The Trustees plan to approve a four-year collective bargaining agreement between the university and full-time, tenure track faculty. They will also discuss tuition and fees for the upcoming school year.
Stark County native, former Browns player Vince Costello dies
Stark County native and former NFL player Vince Costello has died. The Delroy native was 86. He spent 12 years in the NFL and starred on the Browns’ last title team, when Cleveland upset the Baltimore Colts in 1964.
