Here are your morning headlines for Thursday, May 10:
- State to release latest audit of shuttered online charter school;
- Mentor schools will reimburse parents after trip organizer went bankrupt;
- Cleveland's Fox 8 to be sold to Twenty-First Century Fox ;
- Federal judge overseeing opioid lawsuits asks DEA for more drug sale data;
- Cincinnati bans bump stocks;
- Ohio Supreme Court denies request by Craigslist killer to reconsider death penalty;
- Limaville votes to dissolve;
- Indians score a win over Milwaukee after four-game losing streak;
State to release latest audit of shuttered online charter school
Ohio’s auditor is releasing his latest audit of the state’s former largest online charter school, the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT). The school closed in January, amid a fight in which the state said the online school should repay nearly $80 million in public funding because it could not substantiate attendance figures. The report includes a former ECOT technology employee's claims that the e-school intentionally inflated attendance figures tied to its state funding. ECOT's former spokesman has dismissed those allegations. Auditor Dave Yost's office had delayed the audit's release by more than a week, saying it needed to incorporate additional information about allegations that ECOT advertising funds paid for TV ads attacking the state’s effort to recoup money from the e-school.
Mentor schools will reimburse parents after trip organizer went bankrupt
The Mentor Board of Education says it will reimburse parents who paid more than $450 each for students to take a class trip to Washington, D.C. The trip was abruptly cancelled when the tour company organizing the trip suddenly closed and went bankrupt. News 5 Cleveland reports the total bill comes out to around $235,000. Discovery Tours of Mayfield Village declared bankruptcy on Monday, causing some 5,600 students across Ohio to cancel or reschedule planned class trips. The Mentor School Board has hired a law firm to help recover its costs from Discovery. The affected Mentor students will take an overnight trip to Cedar Point next week.
Cleveland's Fox 8 to be sold to Twenty-First Century Fox
Cleveland’s Fox 8 is being sold to Twenty-First Century Fox as part of a more than $900 million deal. Fox has agreed to purchase the Cleveland station from Tribune Media along with six others in several states. The move comes as Sinclair Broadcast Group tries to appease federal regulators in its planned takeover of Tribune. Sinclair also agreed in April to sell nine stations to Standard Media Group for more than $400 million.
Federal judge overseeing opioid lawsuits asks DEA for more drug sale data
A federal judge in Cleveland wants the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to release more information about prescription drug sales. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster is overseeing hundreds of federal lawsuits filed by local governments against drug companies. Cleveland.com reports Polster says information gathered from a DEA database tracking painkiller sales has been key in tracking opioids. So far, data from six states, including Ohio, have been released. Polster has called on the DEA to release sales data from every U.S. state and territory by May 25th. He says any suspicious order reports should be made available immediately.
Cincinnati bans bump stocks
Bump stocks are now illegal in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports City Council voted 7-2 on Wednesday to ban bump stocks within city limits. Bump stocks were reportedly used during the Las Vegas mass shooting that killed 58 people in October. The new ordinance bans possession, sale and use of "trigger activators" such as bump stocks and slide fire devices. A violation of the new law is a misdemeanor.
Ohio Supreme Court denies request by Craigslist killer to reconsider death penalty
The Ohio Supreme Court has denied a request by Craigslist killer Richard Beasley to reconsider his death penalty conviction. Beasley argued Patrick DeWine, a Supreme Court justice and son of Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, should have recused himself from the case. But in an opinion released on Wednesday, Justice Patrick Fisher wrote the request came too late. The Beacon Journal reports Beasley plans to make an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Limaville votes to dissolve
Stark County's smallest village is set to dissolve. The Repository reports Limaville, with a population of around 150, voted to be absorbed into nearby Lexington Township. Mayor Mark Johnston said the process should take about a year. Village voters considered a similar measure in 2015.
Indians score a win over Milwaukee after four-game losing streak
The Cleveland Indians have snapped a four-game losing streak, taking down Milwaukee yesterday 6-2 on the road. Carlos Carrasco struck out 14 batters while pitching his second complete game of the season. Carrasco gave up five hits, walked one and threw 117 pitches. It was his 10th complete game in 149 big league starts. The Indians are 18-18 on the year, and sit a game ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central standings. Cleveland hosts the Kansas City Royals tomorrow night.
