Here are your morning headlines for Friday, September 6:
- Summit County eligible for flood disaster help;
- Ohio education system scores poorly;
- Escaped inmate back in custody;
- Authorities investigate Chabot's campaign funds;
- Ohio man faces charges for 14-year-old's fatal overdose;
- Kevin Love says anxiety was at all-time high at the start of Cavaliers career;
- Browns upgrade stadium to ease fan traffic jam;
Summit County eligible for flood disaster help
Summit is among a half dozen Ohio counties getting some extra help from the federal government in recovering from flooding earlier this year. The Small Business Administration has issued a disaster declaration for Summit, along with Ashland, Holmes, Medina, Stark and Wayne counties. The Akron Beacon Journal reportsthe move allows businesses, homeowners and renters to apply for low-interest loans to help recover from flooding on July 21. This is a separate declaration from the one related to the Memorial Day tornadoes that hit Dayton and surrounding areas.
Ohio scores poor in education systemEscaped inmate back in custody
Ohio is getting a C when it comes to the overall quality of its education system. The Columbus Dispatch reportsthe findings are in the annual report from the trade magazine Education Week. Ohio ranks 21st among states, which is more or less where it’s been for the last several years. The blame for the mediocre showing is based in part on funding discrepancies between wealthy and poor districts and some of the worst scores in the country for poor students. The Dispatch reports a second study finds that less than half of Ohio’s graduates are adequately prepared for life after high school.
Escaped inmate back in custody
The man who escaped earlier this week from the county jail in Cleveland is back in custody. Cleveland.com reports Ferdinand Torres-Vargas, 30, was arrested Thursday after police in Brooklyn got a tip. Officials have not said how Torres-Vargas escaped from the Cuyahoga County Corrections Center. He was arrested last weekend on a felony domestic violence charge and previous misdemeanor charges. Three inmates at the jail have been mistakenly released in recent months from the downtown lockup, including a man accused of murder. A U.S. Marshals Service investigative reportlast November called conditions at the jail inhumane because of overcrowding, unsanitary conditions and abuse of inmates by corrections officers.
Authorities investigate Chabot's campaign funds
An attorney for a veteran Southwest Ohio Republican congressman said authorities are examining possible "financial malfeasance" in his campaign funds. Mark Braden saidRep. Steve Chabotof Cincinnati was "shocked and deeply disappointed" when informed of possible misappropriation of funds. Braden said the campaign will also correct any inaccurate filings. An FEC letter last week to the campaign's treasurer asked for an explanation about a $123,625 increase in receipts.
Ohio man faces charges for 14-year-old's fatal overdose
Authorities said an Ohio man faces multiple charges for giving a 14-year-old boy a fatal dose of fentanyl and then burying his body in a shallow grave. Matthew Little, 30, of Carrollton was arrested Wednesday after a grand jury indicted him on charges that include involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide in the death of Jonathan Minard. The Delroy teen was reported missing April 14. His body was found five days later at a Washington Township farm. Authorities said Jonathan was a friend of Little's family and occasionally helped out on their farm. The Carroll County Prosecutor said Little didn't intend to kill the teen.
Kevin Love says anxiety was at all-time high at start of Cavaliers career
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love is talking more about his mental health struggles. He revealed on HBO's show "The Shop" that his first two years on the team gave him anxiety. Love said it was hard for him to keep up with the rest of the team at that time, but didn't feel comfortable until LeBron James helped him out. He said he would avoid questions from the media and keep to himself. Love has become an advocate for mental health issues ever since his panic attack two years ago during a game. He'll be entering his sixth season with the Cavs.
Browns upgrade stadium to ease fan traffic jam
The Browns kick off the season Sunday with a home opener against Tennessee, and winning isn't their only goal.Cleveland.com reports there are new gates and metal detectors to help ease the traffic jam of fans trying to get into FirstEnergy Stadium. There will be a few other changes, such as more vendors, bigger spaces for group meet-ups and an increased presence of security and staffers to help fans get to their seats. The Browns said the changes are apart of their goal to give patrons a better game experience.
This article has been updated to correct a misspelling in the headline.
