Statewide News

The State Highway Patrol says it's using federal traffic safety funding to pay overtime for troopers providing an increased presence on Ohio roadways this holiday season.

The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reports that the patrol got $1.9 million in federal traffic safety funding this fall through the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services.

The patrol says the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day can be one of the most dangerous for Ohio drivers.  During that period last year, more than three dozen people died in accidents that involved alcohol. 

Ohio Republican Party Chair Kevin DeWine and Ohio Democratic Party Chair Chris Redfern say they are friends but they are usually adversaries when it comes to political issues and candidates.  But now they have issued a joint news release, asking an appeal to Ohioans. 

Ohio's minimum wage is set to increase 30 cents to $7.70 per hour on Jan.1.

The increase is part of a constitutional amendment voters approved in 2006, which says minimum wage will increase each year at the rate of inflation. The liberal think tank Policy Matters Ohio says data shows an estimated 347,000 workers will receive wage increases.

The $7.70 rate applies to workers 16 and older who don't get tips. The wage for tipped employees will be $3.85, up 15 cents, but their total pay cannot be less than $7.70 hourly.

There were one thousand and 80 people killed on Ohio’s roads last year.  That was more than in 2009 when a record low number of people died as a result of roadway accidents.  One thousand twenty two were killed that year. 

Ohio is on track to set a new modern day record this year.  The fatality count on the state’s roads right now is below one thousand.  The Ohio State Highway Patrol wants to keep those numbers low.  So it’s going to have troopers on the roads, looking for unsafe driving. 

The Ohio Parole board has recommended against clemency for a death row inmate Charles Lorraine, who was convicted of stabbing an elderly Warren couple to death back in 1986 as part of a robbery. 

His attorneys told the parole board that he suffered from an abusive childhood at the hands of his parents. Further, doctors said he suffered from brain damage due to some sort of trauma or injury.  Lorraine’s defense said those two factors contributed to his violent behavior.  And there were questions as to whether Lorraine was properly represented when tried in court.