Here are your morning headlines for Monday, Feb. 10:
- Ohio's strong presence at Oscars;
- State flu hospitalizations hit new high;
- The Greenhouse Tavern shuts down earlier than expected;
- Ohio casinos, racinos drive record revenue;
- ICE to stop using Youngstown private prison;
- Hunters harvest more than 184,000 deer;
- 3 killed, 2 injured in Youngstown shooting;
- Report: Cleveland is owed $45.6M in parking tickets;
- Ohio bill allowing fireworks on private property criticized;
- Coroner: 28 overdose deaths in 10 days in Franklin County;
Ohio's strong presence at Oscars
Ohio had a big presence at last night's Academy Awards. Former University of Akron football player Matthew Cherry won an Oscar for his animated short film "Hair Love." It depicts a Black father who wears his hair in locks and learns to do his daughter’s hair for the first time. Click here to hear a conversation with Cherry in the latest State of the Arts. "American Factory" won best feature-length documentary. It's about the former Dayton-area General Motors factory that was bought by Chinese auto glass maker Fuyao. It covers a variety of issues like worker's rights and pressures of the industry. It's the first documentary released by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company.
State flu hospitalizations hit new high
Ohio health officials said flu hospitalizations reached their highest number for the 2019-20 season. The Ohio Department of Health said more than 800 people were hospitalized between Jan. 26 and Feb. 1, a 36% increase from the previous week. Health Director Dr. Amy Acton said the spike in hospitalizations is “deeply concerning.” Health officials said an 11-year-old girl from Lake County last week became the state's second pediatric flu death this season. A 16-year-old girl from Cuyahoga County was the first. The state doesn't track adult flu-related deaths. There have been nearly 4,500 flu-related hospitalizations in Ohio this season.
The Greenhouse Tavern shuts down earlier than expected
A popular Cleveland restaurant closed down earlier than expected. Cleveland.com reports The Greenhouse Tavern shut its doors Saturday after chef Jonathon Sawyer said he planned on closing the restaurant Feb. 16. A note on the door said they ran out of products and couldn't remain open. It also thanked the community for its support over the years. The East 4th Street restaurant was a staple of Cleveland's downtown and received national attention from the Food Network and Esquire Magazine.
Ohio casinos, racinos drive record revenue
Ohio's 11 casinos and racinos smashed records last month, taking in $167 million in gambling revenue. That's a 19% increase compared to the same month last year. The average year-to-year gain has been 5%. MGM Northfield Park had the most gambling revenue in the state with nearly $23 million. The increase is attributed to an extra Friday last month.
ICE to stop using Youngstown private prison
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will stop using a Youngstown private prison to hold immigrants awaiting trial or deportation. Cleveland.com reports ICE officials said in a statement that its contract with Nashville-based CoreCivic expires at the end of the month, which owns the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center. The prison has been the center of controversy for several years; immigration advocates claimed detainees face poor conditions. Detainees also told their attorneys they felt the prison was overpopulated. An inspection last year found the center met all standards. It's unknown where they'll move the immigrants.
Hunters harvest more than 184,000 deer in 2019-20 season
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources said hunters have harvested a total of more than 184,000 white-tailed deer in Ohio this past season. The seasons that include archery, gun, muzzleloader and youth ran from Sept. 28 to Feb. 2. It’s an increase of about 12,000 from the year before. Ohio’s record deer harvest was in 2009-10. That's when more than 261,000 deer were checked.
3 killed, 2 injured in Youngstown shooting
A shooting near a club in Youngstown left three men dead and at least two other people injured. WKBN Channel 27 reports police have a suspect in the shooting at Brothers of Power Classic Cars Club, but they are investigating whether more than one gunman was involved. The three fatalities were men in their 30s. The identities of the men killed have not been released. The two people wounded in the shooting are in stable condition
Report: Cleveland is owed $45.6M in parking tickets
An analysis of city records has found more than one out of every three parking tickets in Cleveland have gone unpaid over the last three years, resulting in millions in unpaid fines. The analysis by WEWS-TV found that Cleveland is owed $7.8 million in unpaid tickets over the last three years and $45.6 million for tickets dating back to 2000. Obie Shelton is a spokesman for Cleveland Clerk of Courts Earle Turner. Turner's office is responsible for collecting parking fines. Shelton said it's a "balancing act" to find how aggressive the city's going to be with citizens to collect fines.
Ohio bill allowing fireworks on private property criticized
Opponents of a bill that would repeal a ban on setting off fireworks on private property are warning the legislation could lead to dangerous consequences. Sherill Williams is president and CEO of the Ohio affiliate of Prevent Blindness. She said one in five of the 10,000 serious consumer fireworks injuries each year are to the eye. The bill before the House Commerce and Labor Committee would allow individuals to buy and use consumer fireworks in Ohio. Current law allows consumers to buy fireworks in Ohio, but mandates they be taken out of the state within 48 hours.
Coroner: 28 overdose deaths in 10 days in Franklin County
A coroner said nearly 30 people died of drug overdoses in the past 10 days in Franklin County. Coroner Anahi Ortiz wrote in a Facebook post Sunday that there were 23 fatal overdoses from Jan. 31 to Friday and then five on Saturday. She said that “most of these folks most likely died from fentanyl.” Ortiz encouraged people to use fentanyl testing strips and to carry the overdose antidote naloxone if they feel they need to use drugs.
