Medical marijuana bill sent to governor COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A medical marijuana legalization bill has been sent to Ohio Gov. John Kasich in an effort by state lawmakers to offset support for a proposed fall ballot measure. The measure cleared the Ohio Senate by just three votes, and the House followed by OK’ing Senate changes 67-28. The proposal, which Kasich has not committed to signing, … Read More
Pharmacy board out as sole medical pot regulator in Ohio COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A legislative proposal to regulate medical marijuana through Ohio’s pharmacy board was scrapped Tuesday over concerns the rare setup nationally would create an undue burden on the state. Republican Sen. David Burke, a Marysville pharmacist behind the idea, called the arrangement the most responsible way to oversee marijuana as medicine. He said changes introduced in the … Read More
Two of seized tiger’s four cubs die at Ohio animal holding facility COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Two of the four cubs born to a seized tiger at Ohio’s exotic animal holding facility have died, and the others have been separated from their mother and moved into temporary care at a zoo, a state Department of Agriculture spokeswoman said Monday. The cubs arrived after officials took five tigers and five other exotic animals … Read More
Zoo photographer chronicles life of animals COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Grahm Jones had already photographed lions, zebras and gazelles on a recent weekday morning when he went nose-to-lens with a giraffe. Standing in the back of a Land Rover in the Heart of Africa area, the official photographer of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium clicked away as the inquisitive giraffe sniffed around for a few minutes … Read More
Federal funding in jeopardy for flood control program FINDLAY, Ohio (AP) — Officials in northwest Ohio may be forced to abandon a flood control project or pay for it with local money as federal funding for the plan is in jeopardy. Read More
Kitchen pleads to sexual battery COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Authorities say an Ohio State University drum major instructor accused of sexually assaulting a student has pleaded guilty to a sexual battery charge. A Franklin County prosecutor’s spokeswoman says 29-year-old Stewart Kitchen entered the plea Monday in Columbus. Court documents allege the assault occurred at Kitchen’s Columbus home in April 2015 after Kitchen and the 19-year-old … Read More
Longaberger’s ‘Big Basket’ on the market NEWARK, Ohio (AP) — Mind-boggling, beloved, 160 times bigger than life— and soon to be empty. That’s the “Big Basket,” the headquarters of the Longaberger Co. In February, Longaberger parent JRJR Networks announced that it was moving the remaining workers from the Newark building to office space at the company’s manufacturing plant in Frazeysburg in the next few months. Since … Read More
Authorities moving mobile homes where 8 were shot PIKETON, Ohio (AP) — Several mobile homes where eight relatives were found shot to death in southern Ohio are being moved to a secure location as the investigation into who targeted the family and why enters its fourth week, authorities said Thursday. The relocation is intended to preserve the gruesome crime scenes as they were found and to help with … Read More
Judge says ten seized exotic animals should be returned to their owner COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A judge on Thursday said five tigers and five other animals seized from a northeast Ohio farm should be returned, though the state stood by its actions and maintained that the owner hasn’t met Ohio’s tightened restrictions on keeping exotic animals. Owner Cyndi Huntsman of Stump Hill Farm in Massillon argued that her farm is a … Read More
Ohio seizes tigers, chimp and other exotic animals from farm COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The state seized five tigers and five other animals from a northeast Ohio farm Wednesday, saying it hasn’t met the requirements of a law cracking down on exotic animal ownership. The Ohio Department of Agriculture had worked with Stump Hill Farm in Massillon on its efforts to get accreditation from the Zoological Association of America and … Read More