Columbus news

• Sherrod Brown, Rob Portman vote to avert government shutdown

  28-09-2016 23:32
  
  Both Ohio senators Wednesday voted in support of a measure to fund the government until after the November elections – averting a government shutdown and keeping the government running.
  
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• Judges uphold conviction of teacher who showed students ABCs of Death

  28-09-2016 23:10
  
  When a Columbus horror film festival hosts the big-screen premier of the ABCs of Death 2.5 next month at the Gateway Film Center, organizers might want to closely check IDs at the door. Last week, a divided three-judge appeals court panel upheld the conviction and 90-day jail sentence of a Columbus City Schools substitute teacher who was found guilty of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles for showing the original ABCs of Death to Spanish classes she'd been assigned to cover at East High Sc
  
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• Columbus Police: Increase in car break-ins at Downtown parking garages

  28-09-2016 23:07
  COLUMBUS, Ohio - Columbus police are warning downtown drivers about a rash of car break-ins at several parking garages.Theft victim, Sam Peck, said he felt safe parking his car in the garage at 40 North Front Street.Peck said he was shocked in late August when thieves smashed out his car window."It was heart-wrenching,” Peck said."They actually took a crowbar and had bent the window frame, and I guess they threw the crowbar against the car when they were finished because it went down the m
  
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• Senate Passes Stopgap Spending Bill, $1.1B to Fight Zika

  28-09-2016 22:18
  
  WASHINGTON -- The Senate Wednesday passed a bill to keep the government running through Dec. 9 and provide $1.1 billion in long-delayed funding to battle the Zika virus.The sweeping 72-26 vote came after top congressional leaders broke through a stalemate over aid to help Flint, Michigan, address its water crisis. Democratic advocates for Flint are now satisfied with Republican assurances that money for Flint will be finalized after the election.The hybrid spending measure is the last major item
  
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• COTA board approves transit center near 161 and Cleveland Avenue

  28-09-2016 22:05
  
  The Central Ohio Transit Authority’s high-frequency Cleveland Avenue bus route will turn around at a new transit center in the Northland area when it starts running in January 2018. COTA’s board of trustees approved a $3 million contract on Wednesday with Gutknecht Construction to build the Northland Transit Center on Cleveland Avenue near the site of a former Meijer store about a quarter mile south of Route 161.
  
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• Northbound lanes reopened on I-71 in Delaware County

  28-09-2016 21:36
  
  All three northbound lanes of Interstate 71 in Delaware County have been reopened several hours after a semi-truck overturned on the highway. The crash occurred between Routes 36-37 and Route 61 about 12:48 p.m., according to the Delaware post of the State Highway Patrol. The truck's driver was transported to Mount Carmel St. Ann's hospital with minor injuries.
  
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• Police around central Ohio issue warning about people dressed as clowns

  28-09-2016 21:16
  Creepy clowns are scaring children all over the country.Recent local sightings are being reported from Mansfield to Galion, Lancaster, Newark, Marion, and Guernsey County. Police say there is no "known threat" but are telling people not to approach any clowns they come across.A man in Lancaster posted this photo to General Sherman Junior High School's Facebook page saying he found the clown trying to break into a car earlier this week. He says he snapped the photo from a home surveillance system
  
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• Fatal Shooting at hotel in Grove City

  28-09-2016 21:16
  
  GROVE CITY - Police are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred at a hotel in Grove City.The shooting happened around 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Star City Inn.Authorities described the suspect as a black male with dreadlocks wearing tight, grey sweatpants and a toboggan. He was last seen running away from the area.Anyone with information is asked to contact the Grove City Division of Police at 614-277-1710.
  
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• Two men plead guilty to gun charges after threat on Periscope

  28-09-2016 21:10
  
  Two men who promised to shoot up a Columbus neighborhood if they got 100 views on the live-streaming app Periscope might spend only one year in prison. Yusuf S. Conteh and Damon A. Rosmond, both 21, were fortunate to get such an offer from prosecutors "considering how dumb this was," Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Mark Serrott told them on Wednesday. "Not only dumb, but dangerous." During the pair's Periscope broadcast on Feb. 21, Rosmond was seen handing a loaded AR-15 assault weapon to a 2
  
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• Ohio State veterinary school lands 'transformational' $39 million gift

  28-09-2016 21:03
  
  Ohio State University announced this afternoon that its veterinary school will receive a $39 million gift from the foundation established by the late Frank Stanton, an alumnus and longtime president of CBS. It will provide new faculty and staff positions, facilities and an endowed program to advance the field of veterinary education. The gift from the Stanton Foundation is one of the largest made as part of the university's "But for Ohio State" giving campaign, which closes Thursday.
  
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• Officials: Teen gunman wounds 3 at S.C. elementary school

  28-09-2016 20:59
  
  TOWNVILLE, S.C. (CBS/AP) — A teacher and two young students were injured in a shooting at a South Carolina elementary school Wednesday afternoon, reports CBS affiliate WSPA.911 dispatchers received the initial call around 1:45 p.m. from a teacher who was in a classroom, reporting an armed male on the campus, officials said at a press conference Wednesday evening.Anderson School District 4 superintendent Joanne Avery said the gunman was apprehended “within a matter of minutes.”
  
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• Officials: 2 children, teacher injured in shooting at SC elementary school

  28-09-2016 20:59
  
  TOWNVILLE, S.C. — A teacher and two students were injured in a shooting at a South Carolina elementary school Wednesday afternoon, reports CBS affiliate WSPA.At least one person was airlifted from Townville Elementary School after the shooting, the station reports, but it is not clear what the extent ofany of the patients’ injuries are. Police have not released the names of the person taken into custody or any of the victims.Dozens of officers from multiple jurisdictions were seen se
  
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• Kasich criticizes Trump without mentioning Trump

  28-09-2016 20:57
  
  Ohio Gov. John Kasich may have had a flashback to those snowy days in New Hampshire and Michigan this afternoon while talking foreign policy and national security before about 300 people.
  
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• Overturned semi closes northbound lanes on I-71 in Delaware County

  28-09-2016 20:43
  
  All three northbound lanes of Interstate 71 in Delaware County are expected to be closed for hours, snarling rush-hour traffic, after a semi-truck overturned on the highway. The crash occurred between Routes 36-37 and Route 61. It happened around 12:48 p.m., according to the Delaware post of the State Highway Patrol. The truck's driver was transported to Mount Carmel St. Ann's hospital with minor injuries. The Ohio Department of Transportation is urging drivers to exit at 36-37 and find other ro
  
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• Sheriff: Man linked to 4 Ohio slayings can't name 1st victim

  28-09-2016 20:39
  
  MARION, Ohio -- The suspect linked to the slayings of at least four women says he can't remember the name of the first victim, who died more than a decade ago and hasn't been identified, a sheriff said.Marion County Sheriff Tim Bailey said suspect Shawn Grate thinks the woman was named something like Dana or Diane but is unsure, The Marion Star reported."This was his first murder, and he's having trouble remembering some of the details of it," Bailey said this week.Grate has said a woman in her
  
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• Thurber Prize for American Humor!

  28-09-2016 20:35
  
  We celebrate Harrison Scott Key, winner of the 2016 Thurber Prize for American Humor! Columbus is proud of the amazing work of Thurber House! The Columbus Foundation is working to capture The Spirit of Columbus through images that showcase the determination, dedication, and commitment of people in our smart + open community. Be sure to check out columbusfoundation.org and follow […]
  
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• Columbus hit by 27 heroin overdoses in 24-hour span

  28-09-2016 20:01
  
  In a 24-hour span that lasted into early Wednesday dealers across the city released a crushing dose of heroin into the city, choking the city’s safety forces. Authorities say 27 people had overdosed on heroin across the city on Tuesday into early Wednesday. It marked another tragic chapter in the heroin epidemic that has gripped the country and had safety forces and the city’s health officials issuing pleas for users to get treatment while at a loss on how to curb the problem.
  
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• Police search for suspect in fatal Grove City motel shooting

  28-09-2016 19:48
  
  Someone has been shot and killed in Grove City. "There has been a homicide and I understand the shooter still is free," Mayor Richard "Ike" Stage said this afternoon. Police were called to the Star City Inn & Suites, 3131 Broadway, before noon after a report of a shooting.
  
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• Columbus Named a Top City for Job Seekers in 2016

  28-09-2016 19:44
  
  A new report compiled by Abodo.com reveals the best cities in the US for job seekers, which Columbus ranks highly in across multiple job sectors. The study looks at five rapidly growing career areas, including Community and Social Services, Computer and Mathematics, Health Care Practitioners and Technicians, Construction and Extraction, and the collective group of […]
  
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• Columbus man gets 6 years for sex with underage employees

  28-09-2016 19:40
  
  DELAWARE — A Columbus man was sentenced today to six years in prison for providing alcohol and having sex with three of the underage employees he managed in a Powell ice cream shop. Danny Kitsos, 53, of Rockdale Drive on the Northeast Side of Columbus, originally faced charges of rape, unlawful sexual conduct, sexual battery and compelling prostitution, among other charges.
  
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• Four-Story Building Approved for UDF Site in Short North

  28-09-2016 19:02
  
  A four-story building will soon rise on the current site of the United Dairy Farmers store and adjacent parking lot in the Short North. The latest proposal from Elford Development for the corner was approved at last week’s Italian Village Commission meeting. The building will feature large storefronts for retail and restaurant uses along both […]
  
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• Powell ice cream shop owner sent to prison for sex with teen employees

  28-09-2016 19:00
  A former Delaware County ice cream shop owner is heading to prison for sexually abusing his teenage employees.53-year-old Danny Kitsos admitted providing alcohol to, and then having sexual contact with, three teenage girls who worked for him.Inside Rita's Italian Ice in downtown Powell, the teenage employees of Danny Kitsos had one day a week they called "Fun Friday.""The defendant would provide alcohol, make it available to them, and it was a fun, relaxed atmosphere when they could unwind and e
  
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• Former Powell business owner gets 6 years for sexually abusing young employees

  28-09-2016 19:00
  
  A former Delaware County business owner will spend six years in prison for sexually abusing three underage employees.A judge sentenced Danny Kitsos, 53, on Wednesday.He pleaded guilty in August to one count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and two counts of sexual battery.Kitsos owned Rita’s Italian Ice in Powell, and the underage victims were all his employees.One of them was 15 at the time.He admitted knowing two of the victims were under the influence of alcohol he kept at the bu
  
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• Doppler 10 Forecast: A second day of scattered showers & storms

  28-09-2016 19:00
  
  This MorningCloudy with patchy fog, especially west.
  This AfternoonShowers likely. Chance for scattered thunderstorms. Mid 60s NE 5-10 mph
  Tonight:Chance for more showers. Patchy fog late. 57 N 5-10 mph
  Tomorrow:Scattered showers likely again. 69
  Saturday:Still a chance for scattered showers. 71Weather Resources: Interactive Radar | Hour-by-Hour Forecast | Live Radar
  Special Information:A slow moving area of low pressure will continue to bring cool and unsettled weather to our area today and tom
  
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• Senate votes to override Obama veto of 9/11 bill

  28-09-2016 18:51
  
  WASHINGTON -- The Senate acted decisively Wednesday to override President Barack Obama's veto of Sept. 11 legislation, setting the stage for the contentious bill to become law despite flaws that Obama and top Pentagon officials warn could put U.S. troops and interests at risk.Five weeks before elections, lawmakers refused to oppose a measure backed by 9/11 families who say they are still seeking justice 15 years after the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. The bill permits them to sue the
  
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• Congress overrides Obama's veto of Sept. 11 Bill

  28-09-2016 18:51
  
  WASHINGTON -- Congress has rejected a veto by President Barack Obama for the first time since he became president.The House voted 348-77 Wednesday to override his veto of legislation and allow the families of Sept. 11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia for the kingdom's alleged backing of the attackers.The Senate had voted 97-1 to override his veto.The lawsuit legislation now becomes law despite elements that Obama and top Pentagon officials warn could put U.S. troops and interests at risk.Several lawm
  
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• Construction Roundup: September 2016 Edition, Part 2

  28-09-2016 18:00
  
  This month’s installment in our Construction Roundup series was so large, that we decided to break it into two parts. Part two includes updated from The University District, Victorian Village, Grandview Yard, Downtown and beyond. CLICK HERE for more Columbus development news and updates. All photos by Walker Evans.
  
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• Michael Moore finds new Ohio home for one-man show

  28-09-2016 17:47
  
  NEWARK — Filmmaker Michael Moore is taking his one-man show about the presidential race to southwestern Ohio next month but promises to make a pit stop in Licking County after he said Newark’s Midland Theater “banned” him from performing there. Moore, known for documentaries such as Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11, announced in a Facebook post Wednesday morning that he will perform at the Murphy Theatre in Wilmington on Oct. 6 and Oct. 7.
  
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• Columbus Public Health says 27 heroin overdoses reported in past 24 hours

  28-09-2016 17:37
  
  Columbus Public Health officials now say there have been 27 reported heroin overdoses in the past 24 hours. Last night, Columbus police and fire, overwhelmed by a number of overdose calls Tuesday, issued a warning about a potentially lethal batch of heroin being sold on the streets. The reported nine opiate overdose cases on Tuesday, a number of them in the Linden neighborhood within a short distance of each other.
  
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• AP: Police officers across the country abuse confidential databases

  28-09-2016 17:11
  
  Police officers across the country misuse confidential law enforcement databases to get information on romantic partners, business associates, neighbors, journalists and others for reasons that have nothing to do with daily police work, an Associated Press investigation has found.Criminal-history and driver databases give officers critical information about people they encounter on the job. But the AP's review shows how those systems also can be exploited by officers who, motivated by romantic q
  
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• Franklin County’s ‘porn dog’ helps to protect children

  28-09-2016 17:00
  
  The newest member of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office can sniff out flash drives, SD cards and other electronics that criminals use to hide child pornography. Ruger, a 17-month-old Labrador retriever, came to the department on Sept. 7. He will be used in a K9 unit meant to sniff out crime for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. A similar dog was used to find evidence in the case against Jared Fogle, the former Subway restaurant spokesman who is serving a prison sentence fo
  
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• What Makes Columbus Work?

  28-09-2016 16:39
  
  Three local leaders took the stage this morning at the CEOs for Cities National Meeting, currently being held here in Columbus, to briefly discuss what makes Columbus work. In short, it’s all about collaboration. “The beginning of the Columbus Partnership created an environment for people to build relationships with each other — from there, a […]
  
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• Franklin County gets ‘porn dog’ to sniff out computer drives in child pornography searches

  28-09-2016 16:13
  
  The newest member of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office can sniff out flash drives, SD cards and other electronics that criminals use to hide child pornography. Ruger, a 17-month-old Labrador retriever, came to the department on Sept. 7. He will be used in a K9 unit meant to sniff out crime for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. A similar dog was used to find evidence in the case against Jared Fogle, the former Subway restaurant spokesman who is serving a prison sentence fo
  
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• Worthington Industries’ profit is up, sales are down

  28-09-2016 16:02
  
  Worthington Industries has begun a new fiscal year with an increase in profit and a slight decrease in sales, a performance helped by strong demand from the automotive and construction markets.
  
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• Restaurant Review: The Eagle

  28-09-2016 16:00
  
  If The Eagle looks a little too moneyed to be an independent joint, you’re on to something. That’s not to say it’s part of the mega chain invasion that irks Short North purists. The joint does have some pre-Columbus history, though. It’s part of a diverse restaurant empire based in Cincinnati. There’s another Eagle down […]
  
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• Cause of death determined for kids found in car after Amber Alert

  28-09-2016 15:28
  
  ELKHART, Ind. (CBS/AP) -- Two children found dead in a vehicle in northern Indiana following an Amber Alert were asphyxiated, a coroner ruled Tuesday, according to CBS affiliate WSBT.The coroner confirmed the children found dead Monday are siblings Liliana Hernandez, 7, and Rene Pasztor, 6. Their cause of death was found to be homicide. Police had issued an Amber Alert for the children Monday, saying they were “believed to be in extreme danger” after being abducted by their mother, w
  
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• County's 'porn dog' helps to protect children

  28-09-2016 15:04
  
  The newest member of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office can sniff out flash drives, SD cards and other electronics that criminals use to hide child pornography. Ruger, a 17-month-old Labrador retriever, came to the department on Sept. 7. He will be used in a K9 unit meant to sniff out crime for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. A similar dog was used to find evidence in the case against Jared Fogle, the former Subway restaurant spokesman who is serving a prison sentence fo
  
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• 9 states to vote soon on expanding legal access to marijuana

  28-09-2016 15:02
  
  SAN FRANCISCO -- From California, with its counterculture heritage, to the fishing ports and mill towns of Maine, millions of Americans in nine states have a chance to vote Nov. 8 on expanding legal access to marijuana. Collectively, the ballot measures amount to the closest the U.S. has come to a national referendum on the drug.Five states - Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada - will consider legalizing the recreational use of pot. Three others - Florida, Arkansas and North Dak
  
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• Man posed as officer in abduction, rape of 9-year-old Massillon girl, police say

  28-09-2016 14:32
  
  MASSILLON — Police in this northeastern Ohio city said a man posed as a police officer when he abducted, raped and assaulted a 9-year-old girl Monday as she was walking home from the library, and they are seeking the public’s help in tracking him down.
  
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• Green Day Kicks Off World Tour in Columbus

  28-09-2016 14:27
  
  An unfortunate sickness and a few cancelled dates meant that Columbus became the unlikely city for the beginning of Green Day’s world tour and a place for the punk-rock icons to deliver a back-to-basics rock and roll show that the 1500+ lucky fans crammed into the Newport won’t forget for many a year. The band […]
  
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• Dutch probe: Malaysian jet downed by launcher from Russia

  28-09-2016 13:57
  
  Dutch-led criminal investigators say they have solid evidence that a Malaysian jet was shot down by a Buk missile moved into eastern Ukraine from Russia.Wilbert Paulissen, head of the Central Crime Investigation department of the Dutch National Police, said Wednesday that communications intercepts showed pro-Moscow rebels had called for deployment of the mobile surface-to-air weapon, and reported its arrival in rebel-controlled areas of eastern Ukraine.From that and other evidence collected by t
  
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• Columbus police warn of potentially deadly batch of heroin after 9 overdoses on Tuesday

  28-09-2016 13:57
  
  Columbus police and fire, overwhelmed by a number of overdose calls Tuesday, issued a warning about a potentially lethal batch of heroin being sold on the streets. Nine opiate overdose cases occurred on Tuesday, a number of them in the Linden neighborhood within a short distance of each other, said Sgt. Rich Weiner, spokesman for the Columbus police in a press release.
  
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• Judges’ decision upholding Ohio absentee-ballot rules is appealed

  28-09-2016 13:48
  
  The battle over voting rights in Ohio rages on with a new federal appeal challenging state laws enacted by the GOP-dominated legislature in 2014 and signed by Republican Gov. John Kasich. A group that includes the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless and Ohio Democratic Party wants the full 15-judge 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overrule a decision earlier this by month by a three-judge panel of the appellate court.
  
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• Ohio Politics Now: How Trump, Clinton are trying to woo Ohio voters

  28-09-2016 13:35
  
  It’s no secret that presidential candidates want Ohio on their side at the end of election night, which is why we get so much attention here in the Buckeye State.
  
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• More older adults spending ‘golden years’ in homelessness

  28-09-2016 12:57
  
  After a lifetime of working hard, Linda Boamah thought she was setting herself up for a comfortable retirement. But the former optical-lab worker became ill with multiple chronic conditions in 2014 and in less than two years lost everything, including her house, life savings and pride. Thankfully, a friend stepped in and offered Boamah a room to sleep in, sparing her from becoming part of the growing population of seniors living on the streets and in shelters.
  
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• Ohio State debate over God addresses why humans suffer

  28-09-2016 12:38
  
  Human suffering and whether its prevalence proves that there is no God was the topic of a debate Tuesday night at Ohio State University. Two professors — an atheist and a Christian theist — faced off as part of “The Great Debate of 2016: Is God a Moral Monster?” sponsored by Buckeyes for Christ and the West Virginia-based Warren Christian Apologetics Center.
  
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• Why humans suffer at heart of Ohio State debate over God

  28-09-2016 12:24
  
  Human suffering and whether its prevalence proves that there is no God was the topic of a debate Tuesday night at Ohio State University. Two professors — an atheist and a Christian theist — faced off as part of “The Great Debate of 2016: Is God a Moral Monster?” sponsored by Buckeyes for Christ and the West Virginia-based Warren Christian Apologetics Center.
  
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• Education Insider: Race for college financial aid is starting sooner

  28-09-2016 12:24
  
  Federal student aid seekers, start your engines. The race for need-based aid starts on Saturday, the first day that families can submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The Oct. 1 opening date is new this year; traditionally, FAFSA filing season didn’t begin until Jan. 1.
  
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• Local police issue warning about people dressed as clowns

  28-09-2016 12:16
  
  Creepy clowns are scaring children all over the country.
  Recent sightings are being reported from Mansfield to Galion, Lancaster, Newark, Marion, and Geursney County. Police say there is no "known threat" but are telling people not to approach any clowns they come across.A man in Lancaster posted this photo to General Sherman Junior High School's Facebook page saying he found the clown trying to break into a car earlier this week. He says he snapped the photo from a home surveillance system.The
  
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• Columbus shootings: Familes want investigation

  28-09-2016 11:53
  
  The families of two black males fatally shot by Columbus, Ohio, police pushed on Tuesday for independent investigations by federal officials into their deaths. The police shootings of 13-year-old Tyre King on September 14 and Henry Green, 23, on June 6 in Columbus, along with similar recent incidents in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, have added to the broad debate on race relations and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
  
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