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The iOpener: Ohio House Passes Nuclear Plant Bailout; Pilot Killed in Crash ID'd; Indians Win Big

The Perry Nuclear Power Plant. [FirstEnergy]
Steam comes out of one of the two cooling towers at FirstEnergy's nuclear power plant in Perry Ohio.

Good morning, iOpeners. It's Thursday, May 30, 2019.  Is it just me, or are there fewer mayflies this spring?  They're not as omnipresent as they were last year.

Ohio’s House of Representatives passed sweeping legislation that wipes out the state’s renewable energy and energy efficiency standards while shoring up the finances of nuclear and coal-fired power plants. The plan generates about $200 million annually through charges tacked onto monthly residential and business electricity bills. Most of the money would go to FirstEnergy Solution’s Davis-Besse and Perry nuclear plants. The company has said that, without the help, the plants would close within two years.

A private Catholic school has dropped its federal lawsuit against South Euclid for its new LGBT non-discrimination ordinance after the city clarified that the school was not affected by it. The Lyceum had said the ordinance was a First Amendment threat to its teachings on marriage and gender. The city of South Euclid said the law has an educational exemption and it won’t be applied to the school.

The pilot killed when his plane crashed in Geauga County has been identified. The Ohio State Highway Patrol says he was Troy Bankert of Middlefield Township. His body and the wreckage of the plane were found following an early morning search Tuesday in and around the LaDue Reservoir, the last known location of his plane. Authorities say he was a relatively new pilot.

A group of 37 former Ohio State athletes, most of them football players, filed a civil rights lawsuit against the university, saying it “aided, abetted and actively concealed” sexual assaults by Richard Strauss. It’s the fourth such lawsuit against the university in connection with the late Dr. Strauss, who is believed to have abused at least 177 students during his 20 years at the school. One of the lawyers who filed the suit said Strauss’ abuse, and the school’s inactions, are getting “a lot more eyes and a lot more attention” now that players from Ohio State’s powerhouse football program have come forward.   

The Indians routed the Boston Red Sox, 14-9, with the Tribe’s lineup notching a season-high 18 hits. Carlos Santana led the offensive assault, driving in five runs and finishing a single shy of the cycle. Santana homered and hit Cleveland’s first triple of the season. Greg Allen added two more triples. 

Weather forecast: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. High 70.  Tonight, a 30 percent chance of lingering showers before 7 p.m., then cloudy, low 55.  Tomorrow, Mostly sunny, high 69.

Expertise: Hosting live radio, writing and producing newscasts, Downtown Cleveland, reporting on abortion, fibersheds, New York City subway system, coffee