Ohio county refuses jail grant, fearing overcrowding
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — County officials in central Ohio say they won’t accept an $840,000 grant from the state prison department because they fear the requirements could cause jail overcrowding.
The Springfield News-Sun reports Clark County officials say the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction grant would require the county to house people sentenced to low-level, fifth-degree felonies in local jails instead of sending them to state prisons.
It costs the state about $26,000 a year to house felons.
Clark County commissioners and the sheriff’s office initially accepted the grant but then declined saying it could lead to a nearly 25 percent increase in the county’s jail population.
Clark County Common Pleas Judge Tom Capper says the increase would create a “nightmare.”
Ohio’s 10 most populous counties are required to accept the grants.
Officer-involved shooting by Ohio shelter investigated
STOW, Ohio (AP) — An investigation continues following the fatal shooting of a man after he was transported by a police officer to an Ohio homeless shelter.
Police records show the man had refused to get out of the officer’s cruiser when they got to the shelter in Akron in northeastern Ohio.
A radio log released by the Stow Police Department on Monday indicates a Stow officer asked that Akron police be called after the officer arrived at the rear door of the shelter late Sunday. The log says two shots were fired and the officer with the man was slightly hurt and lost his glasses.
The log does not state who fired the shots.
Police say the man died at an Akron hospital.
Cincinnati streetcar ridership falls below expectations
CINCINNATI (AP) — With Cincinnati’s streetcar close to its one-year anniversary, ridership projections have fallen short of expectations.
Consultants for the Cincinnati Bell Connector predicted it would see about 3,200 rides each day. The streetcar saw more than 18,000 rides when it opened Sept. 9, 2016, but it has not seen more than an average of 2,026 rides a day since.
The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority now estimates an average of 1,693 rides a day between July 2017 and June 2018.
Most of the streetcar funds go toward Transdev, the company hired by the city to run it. The city pays about 3 percent of the costs, with money going toward parking enforcement and related tasks.
Free haircuts for Ohio students, parents and teachers
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) — Volunteers have teamed up to give more than 500 Ohio school students, their parents and teachers a haircut just in time for the first day of school.
The Vindicator reports that the Fresh Start event happened at East High School in Youngstown in northeastern Ohio Sunday in preparation for school Tuesday.
The event was sponsored by several groups and individuals including Youngstown schools and the BRIDGE barber program, which encourages kids to read more during summer vacation.
Police: Man killed by officer after domestic violence report
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Police say an Ohio officer has shot and killed a man while responding to a 911 call about domestic violence.
Toledo police tell The Blade newspaper that the officer was investigating a report of a man assaulting a woman Monday night when the shooting occurred.
A police spokesman declined to give specifics, saying the details are still being investigated. He says the case is being handled by a team trained in police shooting investigations.
Police did not release the name of the officer or the man who was killed.
Columbus police report 1 dead in fatal crash on I-71
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Columbus police say a driver has been killed after losing control of his SUV on Interstate 71 and running off the roadway.
Authorities have not yet released the name of the victim pending notification of his family.
The accident occurred around 11 p.m. Monday between the Morse Road and Route 161 exits. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The reason he lost control is being investigated.
This marks the city’s 39th traffic fatality so far this year.
‘Zawadi’ tops baby giraffe naming contest at Cleveland zoo
CLEVELAND (AP) — A northeast Ohio zoo says its baby giraffe has a name.
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo says the African Masai giraffe born Aug. 6 will be called Zawadi, meaning “gift” in his native country.
The newborn has gained more than 50 pounds since birth and grown about a foot.
The zoo’s giraffe-naming contest raised more than $2,300 in support of the Future for Wildlife Fund. The fund helps protect endangered giraffe populations by addressing poaching and snaring and supporting wildlife translocation and research.
The global giraffe population stands at fewer than 80,000, with numbers plummeting by 40 percent across Africa over the past 15 years.
Runner-up names paid homage to Zawadi’s father, Travis.
They were Ogbonna, meaning “image of his father”; Ikenna, meaning “father’s power”; and Abidemi, meaning “born during father’s absence.”
