COVID-19

The National Weather Service on Thursday issued 11 tornado warnings throughout Northeast Ohio yesterday, the most during a single event since 2005; Ohio’s coronavirus case rate is at 420 case per 100,000 residents; a newly surfaced text exchange between then-FirstEnergy executives give a new peek into the favors the company got from Ohio’s top utility regulator; and more stories.

Council is beginning to work with the public to get input on how the money should be used.

Approval of the vaccine for kids ages five to 11 is expected soon.

Ransom is reportedly $1M for each kidnapped missionary member; Akron City Council to target six areas for spending $145 million in pandemic relief aid; The remaining 'Devil Strip' board members have launched a GoFundMe campaign to keep it going; and more stories.

Akron’s arts and culture newspaper The Devil Strip has laid off its staff, citing insufficient funds; Christian Aid Ministries isn’t saying much about the 17 members who were abducted over the weekend in Haiti; Foxconn, which is purchasing the Lordstown Motors factory, has announced its new line of electric vehicles; and more stories.

U.S. officials are working with Haitian authorities to try to secure the release of 12 adults and five children with an Ohio-based missionary group who were abducted by a gang notorious for killings, kidnappings and extortion; Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker has announced his retirement; COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to trend downward in Ohio; and more stories.

The bill is officially on hold, for now.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the state's utility regulator violated its duty in allowing FirstEnergy to create a subsidiary without a deeper investigation into the matter; the state released the Ohio School Report Cards Thursday and reports scores were down statewide; new coronavirus cases in Ohio remain high, but have declined compared to the peak seen a few weeks ago; and more stories.

The Department of Education had warned districts statewide to brace themselves because results are down this year.

Northeast Ohio venues and operators that had been shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic are recipients of more than $100 million of the federal money.