Here are your morning headlines for Friday, Sept. 30:
- Monkeypox cases are increasing in Cleveland and in Ohio
- Rob Portman calls for U.S. to send more aid to Ukraine
- Lordstown Motors starts commercial production of electric Endurance pickup
- Two iconic downtown Akron buildings to be auctioned
- Northeast Ohio broadband expansion project receives $500K from the state
- Grand jury clears Akron officer in fatal December shooting of James Gross
- Your weather forecast: Increasing clouds
Monkeypox cases are increasing in Cleveland and in Ohio
The monkeypox outbreak continues to grow in Cleveland, according to the Cleveland Department of Public Health (CDPH). As of Wednesday, there were 85 cases. In the last 10 days, cases in Cleveland increased 13%, and there was a 4% increase across the state, according to a CDPH news release. Cleveland and Cuyahoga County are experiencing more cases than any other city and county in Ohio. [Ideastream Public Media]
Rob Portman calls for U.S. to send more aid to Ukraine
Ohio’s U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican, is calling on the United States to send more aid to Ukraine as it continues to fight against the unprovoked Russian invasion. Portman and other members of the bipartisan Senate Ukraine Caucus met with members of the Ukrainian Parliament this week to get an update on the latest events happening in the war against Russia. As Portman said on the Senate floor, Ukraine is pushing back against the Russian aggression but needs more help. [Statehouse News Bureau]
Lordstown Motors starts commercial production of electric Endurance pickup
Lordstown Motors has started commercial manufacturing of its all-electric Endurance pickup truck at the Foxconn plant in Trumbull County. The electric vehicle maker, which has faced financial and managerial problems, says it has built two Endurance all-wheel-drive pickups, with plans to complete 50 by the end of the year. The company said it hopes to increase the rate of production in 2023 as it continues to "explore opportunities" to raise needed funds. [Akron Beacon Journal]
Two iconic downtown Akron buildings to be auctioned
Two of downtown Akron's iconic buildings are being put up for auction. The Canal Square building, a 15-story, 112,000-square-foot apartment building with 79 units, is listed for an online auction set for Oct. 31-Nov. 3 with an opening bid of $2.7 million, confirmed Joel Testa, president and COO of Testa Cos., which owns the building. It will be followed to the block by another iconic Akron building in Testa Cos.' portfolio, the former City Center Hotel, known more recently as Ascend. Announced in 2017, the Ascend project was meant to convert the 19-story former hotel into 147 modern apartments, with a two-story pool area, rooftop bar, gym, theater and co-working space. [Crain’s Cleveland Business]
Northeast Ohio broadband expansion project receives $500K from the state
The state announced its plan to support local broadband expansion by providing half a million dollars for the design of a project that would run along state Route 11 from Ashtabula to Columbiana County. The project, called the Lake-to-River Fiber Broadband Corridor, was one of the key recommendations of a Broadband Feasibility Study released by Eastgate Regional Council of Governments in June 2021. The project will help eliminate the digital divide in the rural and urban areas within the region by improving middle-mile infrastructure and last-mile broadband capabilities. The improved connectivity created by this project will provide internet access to more than 620,000 Ohioans. [Tribune Chronicle]
Grand jury clears Akron officer in fatal December shooting of James Gross
A Summit County grand jury has cleared an Akron officer for the December death of James Gross, who was shot while holding a knife to his estranged wife’s throat. At the discretion of the Akron Police Department, that officer’s name still has not been released. In a decision made in the wake of the George Floyd killing in 2020, the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office asked the Ohio Attorney General's Office to prosecute the lethal use of force case investigated by the Akron Police Department with assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. [Akron Beacon Journal]
Your weather forecast: Increasing clouds, high near 64.
Tonight, low 50. Mostly cloudy. Saturday, a chance of showers. Cloudy with a high near 63. Saturday night, mostly cloudy and a chance of showers before 7 pm. Low around 52. Sunday and Sunday night, partly sunny, mostly clear with high near 64, low around 44.
