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COVID cases, hospitalizations continue to surge; some local schools are making adjustments after winter break; a woman has been charged in the slaying of an off-duty Cleveland police officer during a carjacking; and more stories.

After speculation that it would drop its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, The University of Akron is keeping it in place but with relaxed requirements; a Holmes County missionary group is calling for a day of prayer in support of 17 members who were abducted by a Haitian gang 12 days ago; an Akron man convicted of setting fires that killed nine of his neighbors has been sentenced to nine consecutive life terms in prison without parole; and more stories.

The Ohio Health Department has issued new guidelines for what to do if a student comes in contact with someone who’s tested positive for COVID; Ohio’s top lawyer has filed suit against the Biden administration over a rule allowing family planning clinics that provide abortion referrals to receive federal funds; a city council in a Cincinnati suburb has voted to ban abortion; and more stories.

A new federal study shows the COVID vaccines have been extremely successful at preventing hospitalizations and deaths among Ohio seniors; nurses at Columbus City Schools have declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the rate of new coronavirus cases in Ohio continues to show signs of slowing; and more stories.

Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to trend upward in Ohio; Wadsworth schools is implementing a temporary mask mandate after 74 students tested positive for COVID-19; a new management team will take over operations at Cleveland's I-X Center; and more stories.

An effort to legalize marijuana use and sales in Ohio has cleared another hurdle on the path to getting the proposal submitted to the Legislature; The Sandusky City School District has announced middle and high school students are staying home for remote learning this week due to four staffers testing positive for COVID-19; the family of a COVID-19 patient in Cincinnati is among a handful nationwide to have won court orders to use a livestock medicine to treat their loved ones; and more stories.

COVID cases among children are increasing in Ohio; several Northeast Ohio school districts are closing or sending kids home early today due to extreme heat; House Republicans resume debate today on a bill that would prohibit public and private employers from requiring vaccinations or punishing workers who don't receive them; and more stories.

The city of Akron has chosen a military veteran with decades of law enforcement experience to be the city’s next police chief; after slowing to a trickle, the number of new coronavirus cases in Ohio appears to be on the rise; a central Ohio hospital system says it will require all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19; and more stories.

Calling it an "urgent necessity" to return students to the classroom, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says more than 1,300 schools will have their teachers and and staffs vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of the week.

More than 91,000 school teachers and staff around the state are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. But some educators say they ran into a slow and and unresponsive system while trying to sign up for the shot.