Man shoots wife in Akron ICU
Police say a 66-year-old man shot his wife in a hospital intensive care unit in Akron this weekend in what may have been intended to be a mercy killing. Police tell the Akron Beacon Journal John Wise of Massillon will be arraigned on an attempted murder charge today.

Kasich scores prime speaking slot at GOP convention
The swing state of Ohio will be well represented at the upcoming Republican National Convention in Florida. Gov. John Kasich’s office confirmed last night that Kasich has a featured speaking slot alongside other GOP luminaries former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and U.S. Sen. John McCain. Not on the list is possible Romney running mate Sen. Rob Portman.

Canton looking into drilling on city-owned land
The City of Canton is looking into leasing city-owned property for gas and oil drilling. Consultants will be hired to research deeds and compile information on city properties, including how close they are to underground water sources. Opponents of gas and oil drilling told the council last week they are concerned about water contamination and health problems from drilling.

Marcellus becoming most productive shale in US
New data from energy industry analysts and the federal government show that the Marcellus Shale is about to become the most productive natural gas field in the United States, even though serious drilling only began five years ago.       

Utica Shale in Ohio yields record land deal
The fracking boom is attracting huge investments in parts of the Utica Shale in Ohio. Texas-based Halcon Energy Properties paid nearly 200 million dollars for the mineral rights to 31,000 acres of land in Trumbull and Mahoning counties. The Youngstown Business Journal reports Halcon paid about $6,100 per acre. That’s thought to be a record high.

Ohio unemployment fund broke, no fix in place
Ohio’s unemployment fund is broke, and the state is paying millions of dollars in interest each month on the fund’s debt. The Plain Dealer reports the Ohio Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund ran out of money in 2009 but no solutions are currently on the table. The state will have to pay $65 million in interest next month on the nearly $1.8 billion dollar debt. Ohio Senate Insurance, Commerce, and Labor committee chairman Kevin Bacon blames the problems on the great recession. But some experts say the amount of income that can be taxed for the unemployment fund needs to be increased. 

Gas prices up sharply
Gas prices are up 40 cents more per gallon compared with a week ago. The average price for a gallon of regular was $3.86 in AAA Monday's survey. AAA attributes the sharp increase to multiple problems at Great Lakes refineries that bumped up wholesale prices. AAA says prices may continue to rise until they are resolved.