Here are your morning headlines for Thursday, August 29:
- Ryan won't be in September debate;
- Woman files lawsuit over e-cigarette marketing;
- DeWine, Akron and Summit leaders condem opioid lawsuit takeover;
- Kellyanne Conway to headline Ohio GOP dinner;
- Summit County sued over inmate death;
- Guards, gang members smuggled drugs into Cuyahoga jail;
- DeWine: Add warrants to background check systems;
- Doctor in murder case gets 2 new lawyers, June trial date;
- Utah officials confiscate meth, oxycodone heading to Canton;
Ryan won't be in September debate
Youngstown congressman and presidential candidate Tim Ryan has failed to qualify for the third Democratic debate next month. He fell short in polling and fundraising. Ryan has said he plans to continue his campaign and aims to qualify for October's debate. Ten of 20 Democratic candidates will be on the stage, including Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.
Woman files lawsuit over e-cigarette marketing
An Ohio woman's lawsuit against an e-cigarette maker alleges the manufacturer markets its nicotine vapor products to teens like her daughters and fails to warn consumers about the products' high nicotine levels. The lawsuit filed this month in Columbus against California-based Juul Labs Inc. said the woman's 16-year-old twin daughters first tried a Juul device when they were about 14. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports the complaint alleges the girls became addicted to nicotine within one week and began experiencing severe mood swings, migraines and behavioral issues. Juul spokesperson Ted Kwong told the newspaper in an email that the lawsuit is without merit. He also said Juul has "never marketed to youth." The lawsuit, similar to previous ones filed in other states against Juul, seeks damages of at least $25,000.
DeWine, Akron and Summit leaders condem opioid lawsuit takeover
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan is pushing back against a proposal that would give Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost power over any settlement money from opioid lawsuits. In a statement Wednesday, Horrigan called Yost’s takeover plan a "power grab." Yost is working with Republican lawmakers to draft legislation giving him authority over 90% of settlement money. Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro issued a statement calling the proposal unconstitutional. Gov. Mike DeWine is also against that plan, calling it “a very serious mistake.” DeWine said Wednesday the legal process should go through the court system since residents and local governments have "borne a great deal of that cost."
Kellyanne Conway to headline Ohio GOP dinner
The Ohio GOP has announced that White House counselor Kellyanne Conway will headline the Party’s annual dinner next month. Conway will speak Sept. 21 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Conway marks the third member of the Trump administration to headline the dinner in as many years, evidence of Ohio’s importance for the Presidential race. Trump himself headlined last year’s event.
Summit County sued over inmate death
The family of a woman who died at the Summit County jail is suing the county. The Beacon Journal reports that Brittany Schlarb died of dehydration last year while detoxing at the jail. Schlarb had been addicted to meth when she was jailed. Her family said the 35-year old did not get adequate care during her four days there prior to her death.
Guards, gang members smuggled drugs into Cuyahoga jail
Prosecutors said guards at the troubled Cuyahoga County jail worked with gang members to sell drugs to inmates. Two corrections officers and one gang member were charged Wednesday with running a criminal enterprise inside the facility. The guards, Stephen Thomas and Marvella Sullivan, resigned earlier this year. Court records also state the drug ring included five additional corrections officers who haven't been charged or named in the indictment. Investigators began looking into the drug ring after an inmate overdosed in January.
DeWine: Add warrants to background check systems
Gov. DeWine said Ohio should start requiring the entry of certain protection orders and arrest warrants for violent crimes into background check systems that help notify law enforcement and gun sellers about potentially dangerous people. DeWine also said too much information is missing from those state and federal systems, and that's a safety issue. He said Ohio is creating a state-funded system for police and courts to add information about warrants and protection orders to the background check systems, and he'll ask lawmakers to make it mandatory. In the wake of the Dayton shooting that killed nine people this month, DeWine proposed requiring background checks for nearly all gun sales and allowing courts to restrict firearms access for people perceived as threats — something Republican lawmakers have yet to take-up.
Doctor in murder case gets 2 new lawyers, June trial date
The Ohio doctor charged with 25 counts of murder is now scheduled for trial next June and has two new lawyers, including one known for successfully defending high-profile clients, such as Casey Anthony and Aaron Hernandez. That lawyer, Florida-based Jose Baez, called the charges against William Husel "somewhat baffling" but wouldn't comment on defense strategy. Husel didn't speak during the hearing. The Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System found that Husel ordered excessive painkillers for about three dozen hospital patients who died over the past several years. Husel has pleaded not guilty.
Utah officials confiscate meth, oxycodone heading to Canton
A major drug bust in Utah netted 20 pounds of meth and 500-1,000 oxycodone pills that were headed to Canton. Utah Highway Patrol Troopers seized the drugs during a traffic stop. They say the drugs originated in Southern California.
