Here are your morning headlines for Tuesday, May 7:
- Republicans appeal new congressional map ruling;
- Ohio primary begins;
- Former Massillon medical center could become veterans clinic;
- Work begins on Lordstown TJX warehouse;
- Great Lakes rise above normal water levels;
- Cincinnati lawmakers introduce legislation for state cookie;
Republicans appeal new congressional map ruling
Ohio is seeking to stay an order requiring a new congressional map be drawn by next month after a court ruling found its Republican-drawn congressional districts unconstitutional. An appeal was filed Monday on behalf of Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Republican legislative leaders. A panel of federal judges issued their ruling Friday and ordered the state to draw a new map in time for the 2020 elections. The ruling, if it stands, could be an important victory for Democrats in a key battleground state.
Ohio primary begins
Tuesday is primary day in Ohio, and for the first time in decades, Akron voters are pickingtheir party nominees for mayor and council in the Spring, not the Fall. Mayor Dan Horrigan is seeking a second term but faces challenger Greg Harrison, who is the pastor of Antioch Baptist Church. Josh Sines is the lone Republican in the race. There are contested primaries in most of the council ward races and six Democrats and four Republicans running to get their party’s nomination for council for the three at-large seats. There are also contested races for mayor and law director in Green and a number of local ballot issues across Summit County. On Tuesday, the polls are open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30p.m.
Former Massillon medical center could become veterans clinic
The former Affinity Medical Center in Massillon could be in line to become a new Veterans Administration clinic. According to theMassillon Independent, Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry told city council Monday night that her office has been talking with the VA about opening a facility that could serve the area’s 55,000 veterans. The city took ownership of the campus over a year ago and has been working to find a new operator. The mayor calls the idea of the VA coming in very exciting but warns it is not a done deal.
Work begins on Lordstown TJX warehouse
Work has begun on the new TJX distributionwarehouse in Lordstown. The Youngstown Vindicator reports the project quietly got underway about two weeks ago. Mayor Arno Hill told the paper one road in the area has been closed so it can be re-routed to accommodate the project. The TJX project is expected to create 1,500 new jobs and comes at a time when the community is dealing with the idling of the General Motors plant there.
Great Lakes rise above normal water levels
Federal officials predict water levels will surge to record highs in some areas of the Great Lakes over the next six months. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report released Monday found the lakes have been rising steadily for several years and are getting an extra boost as winter's melting snow mingles with recent heavy rainfall. It's a remarkable turnaround from early this decade, when lake levels were slumping and some hit record lows.
Cincinnati lawmakers introduce legislation for state cookie
Two Cincinnati-area lawmakers believes there should be a state cookie. Cleveland.com reportsReps. Brigid Kelly and Jessica Miranda have introduced legislation to make the sugar cookie the official cookie of Ohio. The suggestion came from a third-grade class in Cincinnati which put together a historical argument for the designation for the recognition. They contend that “long ago when pioneers were first coming to this area, they traded their goods for sugar, which was considered a treat,” so a sugar cookie was considered a treat. The bill has picked up on some flak on social media with comments suggesting lawmakers need to be working on more serious issues.
