Ex-speaker’s Ohio House seat will go to GOP primary winner

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The winner of the Republican primary will hold ex-Speaker Cliff Rosenberger’s vacant Ohio House seat for the rest of the year.

The Hillsboro Times-Gazette reports that is the deal struck by Rosenberger’s GOP caucus, which has the job of appointing his successor.

The 36-year-old Rosenberger, of Clarksville, resigned last week amid an FBI inquiry surrounding his activities. He initially said he’d leave May 1, but made his exit immediate on Friday following political pressure.

That leaves the 91st District seat in southwest Ohio open until the May faceoff between Highland County commissioner Shane Wilkin and Clinton County businesswoman Beth Ellis is decided. The winner faces Democrat Justin Grimes in November.

House spokesman Brad Miller says waiting for the primary wasn’t ideal but lawmakers determined it was fairest to both candidates.

Birthplace of pro football planning for NFL’s centennial

CANTON, Ohio (AP) — Organizers in Ohio are beginning to plan for the NFL Centennial Celebration in two years.

Officials in Canton haven’t yet announced any of the events for the weeklong celebration in the city that’s the birthplace of the NFL.

But Pro Football Hall of Fame officials say they expect it will be the biggest gathering in the history of football.

The event is to take place during September 2020 to mark the league’s 100th season.

Members of the host committee tell The Repository that they are in the early stages of planning.

The head of the Canton visitors bureau says the event should have a significant economic impact that spreads through northeastern Ohio.

Wright-Patterson gets new air base commander

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton says a six-time military commander will become its next installation commander.

Col. Thomas Sherman will take over the top leadership post at the 88th Air Base Wing in June.

He replaces Col. Bradley McDonald who is retiring after a 24-year career in the military.

Sherman takes lead of a wing with more than 5,000 military and civilian personnel under his command.

A jump master and senior parachutist, Sherman has held key leadership posts throughout the Air Force.

Wright-Patterson is Ohio’s largest single-site employer with more than 27,000 civilian employees and military personnel.

Catholic priest under investigation left suicide notes

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Investigators in Ohio say a Catholic priest under investigation for inappropriate texts with a teenager and misuse of church funds left at least two suicide notes before killing himself last December.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s report the Rev. James Csaszar denied sexual contact with any child or adult.

The Columbus Dispatch reports a 16-year-old boy denied there was a sexual relationship, but said he felt manipulated and threatened by the priest.

The Catholic Diocese of Columbus says there were inappropriate text messages between the two and referenced a nude photo of the boy.

The state began looking into Csaszar after the diocese learned of the allegations.

Csaszar had been a pastor in the Columbus suburb of New Albany and before that in New Lexington in eastern Ohio.