Here are your morning headlines for Thursday, July 28:
- Three arrested for death of Ethan Liming indicted on lesser charges
- Euclid officer testifies in own defense in assault trial
- Survey finds Clevelanders call their councilmember, not City Hall, to address complaints
- Family of Akron student who drowned during football outing hires attorney
- Gov. DeWine: talk of statewide contraceptive, same-sex marriage, bans “absurd”
- Ohio State Fair back in full for the first time in three years
- Rare, stinky “corpse flower” blooming at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
- Stefanski: Browns No. 2 QB Brissett will start if Watson suspended
- Naylor homer in 9th sends Guardians over Red Sox
- Weather: Clouds give way to sunshine
Three arrested for death of Ethan Liming indicted on lesser charges
(WKYC) -- Three suspects who were initially charged with murder and felonious assault in the beating death of Akron teen Ethan Liming have been indicted on lesser charges. DeShawn Stafford Jr. and his brother Tyler Stafford face charges that include involuntary manslaughter. Donovon Jones, their cousin, has been charged with assault. The indictment documents did not say why the charges against the trio were reduced. Police say the three men were playing basketball at the I Promise School when Liming and several of his friends fired a toy water bead gun at them. Investigators say that led to a fight between the men and Liming's group.
Euclid officer testifies in own defense in assault trial
(WEWS) -- Euclid police officer Michael Amiott took the stand in his own defense on the third day of his excessive force trial. He told jurors he punched and kicked Richard Hubbard during a traffic stop in 2017 because Hubbard was resisting arrest and reaching for his duty belt. Amiott acknowledged that Hubbard had turned over his Ohio ID and car keys during the stop and never hit back during their scuffle.
Survey finds Clevelanders call their councilmember, not City Hall, to address complaints
(Ideastream Public Media) -- New data released by a freshman Cleveland City Council member confirms that council members have become the city of Cleveland's de facto customer service department. Ward 12's Rebecca Maurer found residents often bypass the city's 311 line and bring nuisance complaints to their council members instead — even if council has no formal role in solving the problem. Mayor Justin Bibb's office said the administration is creating a digital portal that will allow the city to track complaints and follow up with residents
Family of Akron student who drowned during football outing hires attorney
(WOIO) -- The family of the 14-year-old Akron boy who drowned during an outing with Ellet High School's football team has hired an attorney to investigate whether those involved in the outing followed safety rules. Toshaye Pope's parents say they were never informed the team was going swimming at Melanie Lake until they got a call from police that he was being taken to a hospital.
Gov. DeWine: talk of statewide contraceptive, same-sex marriage, bans “absurd”
(Statehouse News Bureau) -- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine suggested he would not support any plans by state lawmakers to ban contraceptives or gay marriage following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning a constitutional right to an abortion. He called such talk “absurd.” Rep. Jean Schmidt, the conservative Republican who is the chief sponsor of a “trigger ban” bill banning nearly all abortions in the state has said she'd consider a ban on some contraceptives. As for same-sex marriage, Ohio law bans it, but that ban was nullified when the Supreme Court recognized constitutional protections for same-sex marriages in 2015.
Ohio State Fair back in full for the first time in three years
(Statehouse News Bureau) -- The Ohio State Fair is fully back in action for the first time since 2019. Gov. Mike DeWine and his wife Fran spent the night at the fair, a governor's tradition in Ohio for many years. The fair was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, it was limited to just 4-H competitions and livestock exhibitions.
Rare, stinky “corpse flower” blooming at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
(WKYC) -- A rare "corpse flower" at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is in bloom for only the fifth time in 28 years. The zoo opened early today, at 9 a.m., so visitors can experience the flower's distinctive smell of rotting flesh. The smell is brief, lasting 24 - 48 hours.
Stefanski: Browns No. 2 QB Brissett will start if Watson suspended
(AP) – Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said No. 2 quarterback Jacoby Brissett will be the starting quarterback should the NFL suspend Deshaun Watson for violating its personal conduct policy. The Browns recently signed veteran quarterback and free agent Josh Rosen, but Stefanski said football fans should not "read too much" into the timing of the acquisition. Watson practiced Wednesday in the first day of training camp.
Naylor homer in 9th sends Guardians over Red Sox
(AP) -- Josh Naylor hit a solo homer in the ninth inning to lift the Cleveland Guardians to a 7-6 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. It was his 14th home run of the season. The Guardians also benefitted from three errors by Boston first baseman Franchy Cordero. Boston has lost seven of its last eight games.
Weather: Clouds give way to sunshine
(National Weather Service) – A sunny day. High 84. Tonight, a slight chance of showers. Becoming cloudy. Low 69.
