Here are your morning headlines for Friday, June 22:
- HOLA Ohio offers to post bond for Fresh Mark undocumented workers;
- Omnova Solutions chemical leak evacuates about 50 residents;
- Judge rejects auditor's effort to intervene in ECOT case;
- Summit County to issue $11M in bonds for Hall of Fame Village project;
- Drive-by shooting kills 9-year-old girl in Cleveland;
- JSW Steel proposes $500M investment in eastern Ohio plant;
- Authorities solve decades-long mystery of man's identity;
- Goodyear rolls out its newest airship;
- Lordstown closer to approving HomeGoods distribution plant;
- Cavs draft Alabama point guard Collin Sexton;
HOLA Ohio offers to post bond for Salem Fresh Mark undocumented workers
The grassroots Latino group HOLA Ohio is offering to post bond for immigrants arrested in this week's raid at Fresh Mark in Salem. Immigration and customs enforcement agents arrested 146 undocumented workers and raided plants in Massillon and Canton. HOLA’s executive director and founder Veronica Dahlberg tells the Canton Repository that a donor agreed to match funds put up by the families, in hopes of getting the workers out of jail and slow down their cases.
Omnova Solutions chemical leak evacuates about 50 residents
About 50 residents were evacuated early Thursday morning following a chemical leak in Summit County. Authorities say there were no injuries from the leak at the Omnova Soliutions plant in Mogadore. A Hazmat team and EPA officials were on the scene after a seal failed in the transfer from a rail car. The chemical that leaked is extremely flammable but otherwise not overly toxic.
Judge rejects auditor's effort to intervene in ECOT case
A judge has rejected the Ohio auditor's effort to formally get involved in court proceedings about the dismantling of a massive online charter school but says he remains open to the auditor's input. Auditor Dave Yost's office sought to intervene in the case after preserving computer data from the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow. ECOT opposed that request. A Franklin County judge concluded the auditor's office didn't provide sufficient basis for intervening, and that, if auditors need permission to access the preserved data they hold, a request could be made to the court. ECOT closed in January after the state determined the school should repay nearly $80 million.
Summit County to issue $11M in bonds for Hall of Fame Village project
Summit County plans to issue more than $11 million in bonds to help fund the Hall of Fame Village project. The Beacon Journal reports the debt will be backed by revenue from diverted property taxes on improvements to the youth fields and to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, which so far have cost a combined $150 million to build. The Development Finance Authority of Summit County plans to finalize the deal next week.
Drive-by shooting kills 9-year-old girl in Cleveland
A 9-year-old girl sitting in a car while her mother went inside a building to pick up her son has been shot and killed in Cleveland. Cleveland.com reports Saniyah Nicholson, of Maple Heights, was shot when a group in a car traded gunfire with a group on foot. No suspects have been arrested. Cuyahoga County Sheriff's deputies say they will patrol the neighborhood for at least a few days.
JSW Steel proposes $500M investment in eastern Ohio plant
An Indian steel company is proposing a $500 million investment in an eastern Ohio steel plant that it recently bought. JSW Steel said an initial $250 million investment includes the cost of buying the plant’s owner, Acero Junction, and revamping the plant in Mingo Junction. A second $250 million investment would go toward expanding the plant. JSW announced it March that it was buying Acero for $81 million.
Authorities solve decades-long mystery of man's identity
Authorities have finally identified a man who killed himself in Eastlake in 2002 while using the name of an 8-year-old boy who died in a car accident. DNA testing and genealogy have determined that Joseph Newton Chandler III was actually Robert Ivan Nichols, a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient. It's still not known why Nichols left his family in the 1960s and went into hiding Ohio, although authorities believe he was likely on the run for a committing a crime.
Goodyear rolls out its newest airship
Goodyear’s newest airship rolled out of the hangar yesterday, making its debut on the first day of summer. Wingfoot 3 could have its first flight as early as this weekend, depending on the weather. It's the third and final next generation airship made by the German company Zeppelin. The most recent additions to the fleet are technically not blimps. They’re semi-rigid airships that are faster, bigger and quieter than the previous generation.
Lordstown closer to approving HomeGoods distribution plant
A HomeGoods distribution center is closer to setting up in Lordstown after months of uncertainty. The chain of discount home fashion stores owned by the same company as T.J. Maxx – withdrew its zoning request for the 300-acre site after residents complained about the project in March. Lordstown City Council last night approved changing the zoning in the area to clear way for construction with dozens of residents in attendance, some saying they plan a petition drive for a ballot issue to oppose it. The facility is expected to bring 1,000 jobs to Lordstown that's been hit by layoffs at its GM plant.
Cavs draft Alabama point guard Collin Sexton
The Cavs drafted Alabama point guard Collin Sexton with their 8th overall pick in last night's NBA draft. Sexton then made a pitch for LeBron James to stay in Cleveland during an ESPN interview. The Cavs believe Sexton — and perhaps a few more tweaks to their roster — will help convince James to re-sign with the team when his contract is up next week. The 19-year-old Sexton led Alabama to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
