Kent State University professor accused of recruiting for ISIS, under federal investigation
A Kent State University professor is under investigation for possible connections to terrorist group ISIS. Tenured history professor Julio Pino has been at center of an ongoing investigation involving the FBI for the past year. As a result, the Beacon Journal reports several of his colleagues and students were questioned yesterday during the first day of the spring semester. The FBI assures there is no risk to the Kent State campus. Pino has been at the center of controversy before due to anti-Israel opinions.

Mourners gather in Danville to remember slain officer
More than 100 people have attended a candlelight vigil honoring a police officer killed by a man who's suspected of targeting the officer. Officer Thomas Cottrell's body was found late Sunday behind the village municipal building in Danville, about 60 miles northeast of Columbus. Thirty-two-year-old Herschel Ray Jones is being held in Morrow County jail for violating the conditions of his release from prison last year. Charges in Cottrell's slaying are expected to be filed. Local residents, officials and members of neighboring police departments prayed and recalled Cottrell's life as a small town police officer and resident last night. Mayor Robert Dile says Cottrell spent his time doing his job, raising a family and coaching kids.

Cold weather affects efforts to battle rubber facility fire in Stark County
Cold weather was a factor in efforts to battle a huge fire at a rubber facility in Stark County’s Jackson Township. It took firefighters about 2½ hours to get the flames under control Tuesday morning at Tristan Rubber Molding Inc. Around 20 employees were on duty when the fire broke out. No injuries were reported and the cause is under investigation.

Ohio lawmakers propose $3.5 million for renovations to Cleveland’s Public Square
State lawmakers have proposed kicking in $3.5 million to complete renovations to downtown Cleveland’s Public Square. The Plain Dealer reports the funding has been included in a capital projects bill after Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and others requested the help to get the $50 million project completed in time for the Republican National Convention in July. The project will create more green space, among other changes.

Ohio announces guidelines to reduce the prescribing of painkillers for short-term pain
Ohio Gov. John Kasich and a coalition of state medical leaders have announced guidelines meant to reduce the prescribing of painkillers for short-term pain. The guidelines recommend using alternatives to painkillers with addictive qualities when treating pain from injuries and surgery that generally lasts less than 12 weeks. The guidelines also call for the minimum number of pills needed when such drugs are deemed necessary. State medical associations and licensing boards signed off on the guidelines, which stop short of requiring doctors to prescribe set numbers of drugs.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich “at peace” with condition of his presidential campaign
John Kasich is approaching his campaign with a sense of calm in the final weeks until New Hampshire's primary, the place where his presidential hopes will live or die. The Ohio governor tells The Associated Press that he's "very much at peace" with the state of his campaign. Kasich is fighting for a strong finish in a state where Donald Trump has a strong lead in polls. Kasich has strayed little from a strategy centered on the idea that voters want a candidate with a record of success. And in a race where Republican voters are gravitating toward political outsiders, Kasich openly talks about his 18 years as a member of Congress. As the Feb. 9 primary approaches, he says he's seeing signs of momentum.

More than 53 million vehicles traveled the Ohio Turnpike in 2015, officials say
Ohio Turnpike officials say low gasoline prices, mild weather and an improving economy contributed to a record number of vehicles using the toll road in 2015. More than 53 million vehicles used the 241-mile turnpike last year, topping the previous record of nearly 52 million vehicles in 2006. Last year's vehicle total was a 4 percent increase over 2014. And drivers last year logged the second-highest number of turnpike miles traveled, with just over 3 billion.

Ohioans see some of the lowest gas prices in the country
Ohioans are enjoying some of the lowest gasoline prices in the nation. Some Columbus gas stations are selling regular for close to $1.20 a gallon, the lowest in the country. Many drivers in Greater Akron this week are paying less than $1.50 to buy a gallon of regular gas, well below the this week’s national average, which is about $1.88. Prices are expected to remain relatively low due to a glut on the world market.

Ohio State student died from head and neck trauma after diving into shallow water in November, says coroner
A coroner says an Ohio State University student died from accidental trauma caused by diving into shallow water during a traditional cold-weather lake jump two months ago. Twenty-two-year-old Austin Lee Singletary died in the Mirror Lake jump, which drew thousands of other students in the early morning hours of Nov. 25. Franklin County’s Coroner says the cause of death was blunt force trauma to Singletary's head and neck. Almost immediately after the death, Ohio State announced it would move to end the tradition, held annually before the rivalry football game against Michigan.