Here are your morning headlines for Thursday, Sept. 15:
- Hamilton County Judge issues temporary halt to Ohio's so-called 'heartbeat law'
- St. Vincent Charity Hospital to end inpatient and ER services in Cleveland
- Goodyear settles Malaysian labor abuse claims
- Ohio to use $25 million in federal funds to cap orphaned wells
- Cuyahoga Arts & Culture approves $1.65 million in ARPA grants
- It’s National Pawpaw Day: Here's what to know about Ohio's native fruit
- Guardians beat Angels for 6th straight win
- Your weather forecast for Thursday: Sunny and pleasant. High 76
Hamilton County Judge issues temporary halt to Ohio's so-called 'heartbeat law'
A Hamilton County judge has issued a two-week pause on Ohio's six-week abortion ban, commonly referred to as the "heartbeat law." In his decision, Common Pleas Court Judge Christian Jenkins writes SB 23 does not violate the U.S. Constitution as interpreted in the recent Dobbs decision, but it may violate the Ohio Constitution. The restraining order will last 14 days and prohibits penalizing anyone retroactively after the order expires. That means, currently, abortion procedures are legal in Ohio up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. [WVXU]
St. Vincent Charity Hospital to end inpatient and ER services in Cleveland
St. Vincent Charity Medical Centers will discontinue inpatient and emergency room services on Nov. 15. After that, the medical center will provide ambulatory care in the form of outpatient mental health services, addiction medicine services, primary care, internal medicine and specialty clinics and urgent care. “This transition puts the hospital on a financially sustainable path forward despite the rapid, significant and ongoing changes in healthcare today,” said Dr. Janice G. Murphy, president and CEO of the Sisters of Charity Health System. Federal tax documents show that the hospital system operated at a loss each year from 2017 to 2019 — before the pandemic arrived in 2020. [Ideastream Public Media]
Goodyear settles Malaysian labor abuse claims
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co has agreed to settle a labor dispute at its Malaysian factory with migrant workers who alleged unpaid wages and benefits, the company and five former workers told Reuters. The Akron company, one of the world's largest tire makers, declined to say how much it paid out, but the workers said settlement agreements signed this year ranged from about 50,000 ringgit ($11,061.95) to 200,000 ringgit ($44,247.79) per worker depending on the length of their employment. Lawsuits were filed by 184 different workers at the factory from Nepal, India and Myanmar, but the five former workers who spoke to Reuters said the settlement payment they received was around 50% less than the amount mentioned in the agreements, including a 20% cut for lawyer's fee that was previously agreed upon. [Reuters]
Ohio to use $25 million in federal funds to cap orphaned wells
Preparations are underway for Ohio to start plugging between 170 and 320 abandoned oil and gas wells using $25 million in federal funds approved in the new infrastructure bill. Capping so-called orphan wells, many of which are located in the Appalachian region, will prevent methane emissions and create jobs for the teams doing the work, said Amy Townsend-Small, professor of environmental science at the University of Cincinnati. Ohio is also planning to sample private and public water supplies that are within 500 feet of abandoned wells. [Statehouse News Bureau]
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture approves $1.65 million in ARPA grants
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture approved $1.65 million in COVID-19 relief funds for arts organizations at its board of trustees meeting Wednesday. CAC distributed at least $2,000 to 149 groups. The highest grants were for $75,000 each, given to the Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Museum of Art, Playhouse Square Foundation and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. CAC reports that organizations it works with saw a $171 million drop in revenue during the first 22 months of the pandemic. [Ideastream Public Media]
It’s National Pawpaw Day: Here's what to know about Ohio's native fruit
Today marks National Pawpaw Day, a celebration of the Buckeye State's native fruit. The small green fruit is native to the eastern U.S. and has been in the Ohio River Valley region for more than 30,000 years. Today, there are still wild pawpaw trees all over Ohio, usually found by rivers and in the shade. Known as America's forgotten fruit, the Iroquois tribe made small cakes and fruit jerky from it, and other groups like the Osage and Algonquin also included pawpaws in their food supplies. [The Columbus Dispatch]
Guardians beat Angels for 6th straight win
José Ramírez hit a tie-breaking two-run homer in the eighth inning to lead the Cleveland Guardians to a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Progressive Field. It was the Guardians’ sixth straight win. The Guards are 11 games over .500 for the first time since September 2020. [The Associated Press]
Your weather forecast for Thursday:Sunny and pleasant. High 76.
Tonight, mostly clear. Low 55. Tomorrow, Friday, mostly sunny. High 81. [National Weather Service]
