Northeast Ohio lawmakers say they want President Obama and Congress to speed up legislation to create jobs. In reaction to last night’s State of the Union address, Republican Congressman Bob Gibbs of Holmes County said he was disappointed Mr. Obama failed to call on the Senate to pass 27 pending bipartisan jobs-bills that would help small businesses, remove government red tape and cut spending. Democratic Congresswoman Betty Sutton of Summit County said she’s hopeful the speech will encourage passage of her “American Jobs First” initiative that would revitalize manufacturing by strengthening Buy America laws. Others, including Stark County Republican Congressman Jim Renacci and Republican Senator Rob Portman said the speech had no new ideas to create jobs or cut spending.

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Dominion East Ohio Gas is facing a $500,000 fine for the explosions that did nearly $2 million damage to Fairport Harbor a year ago. The staff of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio is recommending fine. It says Dominion’s gas lines failed in both design and operation on Jan. 24, 2011. Fluids and other substances jammed the regulators that are supposed to reduce the pressure of gas flowing into homes. That sent gas shooting into homes instead and triggered more than a dozen fires. The PUCO says the company violated several sections of state pipeline safety regulation, as well as its own procedures.

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The Ohio House has narrowly agreed to the governor's request to move this year's State of the State address from the Statehouse to an eastern Ohio elementary school. Lawmakers approved the relocation 52-41 on Tuesday, with several of Gov. John Kasich's fellow Republicans opposed. It would be the first time the speech has been given outside the Statehouse.

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The Northeast Ohio senator who leads minority Democrats in the Ohio Senate is leaving her leadership post. Capri Cafaro’s was elected in 2007 and became minority leader in 2009. Her district covers Trumbull and Ashtabula counties. Cafaro says she wants to concentrate her energies here in her district. Senator Eric Kearney of Cincinnati, the longest serving Democrat in the Ohio Senate, will replace Cafaro. She says Kearney will be a good person to work with President Obama’s re-election team.

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Two independent contractors are dead after a building collapsed during demolition in Cleveland. The men were tearing down the empty warehouse behind Ideal Builders Supply on Brook Park Road Tuesday afternoon. The Plain Dealer reports the workers were cutting beams when it fell in a direction they weren’t expecting. The names of the two men have not yet been released.

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Akron-based first Merit bank says earnings for the fourth quarter of 2011 rose nearly 13-percent. The bank reported income for the quarter of about $30 million. FirstMerit says it was its 51st consecutive quarter of profitability. It says earnings rose about 16-percent for the full year.                                    

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Local governments can get state help in collecting debts owed to them through a new Ohio attorney general's office program. Mike DeWine announced the collection services program on Tuesday in Youngstown. A recent change in state law allows DeWine's office to collect debt on behalf of counties, cities, townships and villages. DeWine says the program will free up local governments' resources that otherwise would have to be used for collections. A debt to be collected must be final and greater than $100.

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Ohio shows progress in trying to improve the quality of the state's teachers, a new national report concludes. The National Council on Teacher Quality gives the state a "C+" grade overall for 2011, up from "D+" two years earlier. The research and policy group that seeks a better national teacher force says Ohio is among the most improved states, ranking 11th in progress and tied for fifth overall. Ohio gets better marks for steps to expand its pool of potential teachers, teacher preparation, identifying effective teachers and removing ineffective ones.

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A report says Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels will return $3,000 in campaign contributions to Akron-based Fair Finance, the bankrupt company co-owned by indicted from businessman Tim Durham. Court papers filed Tuesday show Daniels' committee has only $3,500 remaining after contributions to other Republican candidates and committees. The law allows bankruptcy trustees to go back four years to recover money transfers. Overall, Daniels received about $200,000 in contributions from Durham and his companies.

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A self-styled chaplain suspected in a deadly Craigslist robbery scheme in rural eastern Ohio will answer to charges including aggravated murder and kidnapping. Richard Beasley is scheduled to be arraigned this morning in Akron. He was indicted Friday on 28 counts and could face the death penalty if convicted. He's accused of killing three men and wounding a fourth by luring them with a Craigslist job ad.

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The city of Kent has stopped giving away rock salt for residents to treat their icy sidewalks. Earlier this month, the city had put a barrel of salt outside a city building for residents to take a few scoops. The Beacon Journal reports private contractors were caught on camera loading their trucks with the salt.