Here are your morning headlines for Monday, June 22:
- Funeral Set for Na’kia Crawford, 2 Suspects Still at Large
- Court-ordered team to review Cleveland Police actions during latest protests
- Investigation ongoing into Ohio Satehouse defacement
- Ohio sees spike in COVID-19 cases
- Federal grant jumpstarts ‘Truck Automation Corridor’ out of Columbus
- Ohio high school sports start practicing again
- Court to hear case of juvenile court jurisdiction
Funeral Set for Na’kia Crawford, 2 Suspects Still at Large
Funeral services and a public viewing have been set for 18-year-old Akron resident Na’kia Crawford, a recent North High graduate who was shot and killed at a red light on June 14th. Police say it was a case of mistaken identity. The Beacon Journal reports a public viewing will be at The Word Church Akron Thursday from 9 a.m. until noon. A private funeral service will follow. Two suspects in the case are still at large, 17-year-old Adarus Black who police say will be charged with murder and 18-year-old Jaion Bivins who is facing obstruction charges. 24-year-old Janisha George of Tallmadge turned herself into police Friday morning. She also faces obstruction charges. The Beacon Journal reports about 200 people rallied in Akron Saturday calling for justice in the case.
Court-ordered team to review Cleveland Police actions during latest protests
The monitoring team for a court-ordered consent decree will review the actions of Cleveland police during and after recent racial inequality protests. Monitor Hassan Aden said in a memorandum filed Thursday in federal court that the review is based on reports of unnecessary force, lack of preparation and other concerns about the Cleveland police response to protests. A Black Lives Matter rally in Cleveland on May 30 over George Floyd's death by police in Minneapolis resulted in extensive vandalism after officers fired tear gas and non-lethal munitions outside the county's justice center. The consent decree has been in place since 2015.
Investigation ongoing into Ohio Satehouse defacement
Authorities are conducting a criminal investigation after the outside of the Ohio Statehouse was defaced with red hand prints and the phrase “hands up, don’t shoot” in protest of police brutality. State troopers began to wash off some of the red paint on the western side of the statehouse on Thursday afternoon as a group of people protesting police brutality watched. It’s the latest example of damage to the downtown Columbus building since protests over the police killing of George Floyd began three weeks ago. Gov. Mike DeWine denounced the act at the Statehouse.
Ohio sees spike in COVID-19 cases
More than 500 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Ohio on Sunday, bringing the total number of reported cases to more than 44,800. 2,700 Ohioans have died. Last week, the Ohio Health Department reported consecutive daily spikes in coronavirus cases with 700 cases Thursday and 609 on Friday. The daily count reflects test results received by the Ohio Department of Health in the past 24 hours. The increases come as Ohio so far has avoided big spikes seen in multiple other states as their economies reopen. ODH will update its data this afternoon.
Federal grant jumpstarts ‘Truck Automation Corridor’ out of Columbus
A $4.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will be used to advance smart transportation technology along a stretch of Interstate 70 running between Columbus and Indianapolis dubbed the I-70 Truck Automation Corridor. The Dayton Daily News reports the project will allow freight companies and truck automation vendors to use partially automated trucks on daily service runs. The effort is led by DriveOhio, with the Ohio Department of Transportation, the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Transportation Research Center as partners. Private partners are contributing another $4.5 million to the project.
Ohio high school sports start practicing again
Ohio high school athletes can resume full-contact practices and workouts starting today. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted made the announcement last week. The Dispatch reports schools can hold scrimmages and offseason training as long as they follow COVID-19 safety protocols. The opening of sports practices is the second phase of Ohio's plan to fully resume sports after spring seasons were cancelled. On June 1, individual and small group workouts and conditioning were allowed.
Court to hear case of juvenile court jurisdiction
The Ohio Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments in a case involving juvenile court judges' jurisdiction over youthful sex offenders. At issue is a Cincinnati-area defendant who says the judge in his case lost jurisdiction once he turned 21. Court records show the defendant sexually abused two young relatives when he was 14. The Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office says an appeals court wrongly interpreted Ohio law and previous court rulings. The prosecutor's office says juvenile court judges have permanent jurisdiction over juvenile sex offender classifications. The Supreme Court has set arguments for Aug. 5.
