Here are your morning headlines for Monday, September 9:
- Purdue Pharma expected to file for bankruptcy;
- Medina County sues judge;
- Cleveland VA announces new director;
- New resource helps Ohio grandparents taking care of children;
- Browns lose home opener against Titans;
Purdue Pharma expected to file for bankruptcy
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma is expected to file for bankruptcy after settlement talks over the nation's deadly overdose crisis hit an impasse over the weekend. The breakdown puts the first federal trial over the opioid epidemic on track to begin next month, likely without Purdue, and sets the stage for a complex legal drama involving nearly every state and hundreds of local governments including Summit and Cuyahoga Counties. Purdue, the family that owns the company and a group of state attorneys general had been trying for months to find a way to avoid trial and determine Purdue's responsibility for a crisis that has cost 400,000 American lives over the past two decades.
Medina County sues judge
The Ohio Supreme Court has been asked to intervene after a judge blocked plans for Medina County's installation of new software for managing court cases. Commissioners seek to reverse two orders issued by Domestic Relations Judge Mary Kovack. One prohibits fees from Kovack's court from being spent on the Odyssey case management system, a $1.25 million software package. The other prohibits county reserve funds from being used. The Medina County Gazette reports Kovack called the system a waste of taxpayer dollars.
Cleveland VA announces new director
The head of Dayton's VA medical center will become the new director of the VA in Cleveland. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced Friday that Jill Dietrich will take over the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System at the end of the month. An executive from the Cleveland system will serve temporarily in Dayton until a successor is found for Dietrich.
New resource helps Ohio grandparents taking care of children
Ohio is offering a new resource for grandparents and other relatives who are taking care of children. The Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is now offering a website with an interactive map to find services, view a calendar of events and training, and a contact form for one-on-one assistance. ODJFS said some 100,000 grandparents and other relatives in Ohio are voluntarily caring for children whose parents are unable to because of substance abuse or other problems. The department is developing a statewide Kinship and Adoption Navigator Program expected to launch in 2020 to provide more personalized help.
Browns lose home opener against Titans
The Cleveland Browns didn't live up to all the preseason hype in their season opener Sunday. They lost to the Tennessee Titans, 43 to 13. Brown’s quarterback Baker Mayfield was sacked five times and gave up three interceptions. At a press conference after the game, Baker says the team went downhill after a few mistakes early on. The Browns hope to turn their luck around against the Jets next Monday.
