Ohio

A House Republican has announced plans to introduce a bill legalizing recreational marijuana in Ohio; A pair of Republican-backed bills in the Ohio House would restrict how the topic of racism is taught in K-12 schools; Online retail giant Amazon is building a new $87 million warehouse on a former golf course in Canton; and more stories.

Northeast Ohio has so far avoided the worst as the latest surge in new coronavirus cases slowly wanes; groups suing over Ohio’s new state House and Senate district maps will be allowed to question Gov. Mike DeWine and other members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission; a new report says Cleveland’s $511 million in federal relief funding could be transformational for the city; and more stories.

Ohio House Republicans have put the brakes on a fast-tracked bill limiting employers' ability to require that workers receive the coronavirus vaccine as a condition of employment; two friends from Ohio have been sentenced to 45 days in jail for storming the U.S. Capitol together in January; an Ohio fish is one of 23 species The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is set to declare extinct; and more stories.

The controversial Ohio law takes effect Sept. 30, the same day the California travel ban begins.

Gonzalez, who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump for his role in inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, will not seek reelection next year; Gov. Mike DeWine says more than 850 Afghan refugees will be arriving in Ohio and placed within eight local resettlement agencies; the COVID surge continues to gain strength in Ohio, with more than 8,300 new cases and 355 hospitalizations reported on Thursday; and more stories.

The rate of new coronavirus cases in Ohio is accelerating; former Akron City Councilman and mayoral candidate Joe Finley has died; Summit County Public Health will offer $100 gift cards this week to people getting their first COVID-19 shot; and more stories.

Ohio reported just under 2,000 COVID-19 cases and 40 additional hospitalizations on Sunday; the cities of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls are hosting a charrette on the future of the Merriman Valley on Tuesday; Ohio’s credit rating is at its highest level in 42 years; and more stories.

The virus has been detected during routine collection and testing for disease.

State employees get Friday off in observance of the new federal Juneteenth holiday; the College of Wooster says it will require all students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the fall semester; more COVID restrictions and orders end Friday in Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine says the state of emergency, which streamlined the purchasing process for things like PPE, will be lifted, along with more state restrictions on nursing homes and assisted living centers. DeWine says just under 47% of Ohioans are vaccinated. He says that number doesn't include those who were vaccinated in other states, or through the VA.

200,000 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine will expire later this month; Cleveland police say 35 people were injured in shootings from Friday to Monday, including two mass shootings that killed three people; the $2.8 billion merger between Goodyear Tire and Rubber and Findlay-based Cooper Tire has been completed; and more stories.