Vax-a-Million lottery

It's been another tough year for the state as more Ohioans have died from COVID-19 this year than in 2020.

The number of COVID-19 cases has been decreasing in recent days.

The Ohio Supreme Court says it will not hear an appeal over the firing of a white Cleveland police officer who shot and killed Tamir Rice outside a city recreation center in 2014; tougher criminal penalties for hazing in Ohio will take effect this fall, nearly three years after the death of the college student for whom the law is named; despite the hype and hoopla around Governor Mike DeWine’s Vax-a-million lottery, a new study finds that the million-dollar giveaways did not increase vaccination rates; and more stories.

The fifth and final winners of Ohio’s Vax-a-Million lottery have been announced, concluding the five week-long vaccination sweepstakes that was one of the first of its kind in the country. Ohio saw a 43 percent increase in vaccinations after the Vax-a-Million program was announced, but numbers steadily decreased each week since.

A Cuyahoga County teen is the fifth and final winner of a full-ride, four-year college scholarship as part of Ohio’s Vax-A-Million lottery incentive – the third Northeast Ohio student to win the prize.

The movement to offer millions of dollars in incentives to boost Ohio vaccination rates has been unable to crack the 50% vaccination threshold; nearly two dozen people have applied to fill the seat vacated following the historic Ohio House vote last week that ousted Republican Larry Householder; the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that school districts must provide police-level training to employees carrying concealed weapons; and more stories.

The Ohio House has voted to expel former GOP Speaker Larry Householder following his indictment in an alleged $60 million federal bribery scheme; Former President Donald Trump is planning to hold a rally at the Lorain County Fairgrounds on June 26; the state has announced the fourth set of Ohio Vax-a-Million winners; and more stories.

There were fatal shootings in Cleveland, Akron, and Wayne County over the weekend; Gov. DeWine says more vaccine incentives may be coming when Vax-a-million ends this month; The USS Cod struck a Coast Guard vessel as it departed its Cleveland dock; and more stories.

While there are two weeks left of drawings for Ohio's Vax-a-Million COVID-19 vaccination lottery, additional incentives will be announced soon.

A Lorain County middle school student is the third Vax-a-Million scholarship winner, receiving a full ride to college for getting vaccinated.