Nation and world digest

OHIO

Legal group challenges domestic-partner registry

CLEVELAND — A conservative legal group is suing the city of Cleveland over its domestic- partner registry, claiming it violates the state constitution.

The Alliance Defense Fund says it filed the lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of taxpayers. The alliance is also asking the court for injunctions to shut down the registry.

Cleveland’s domestic-partner registry, which began operating in May, provides official records of same-sex relationships. In December, the Cleveland council voted to make a registry available for unmarried couples of whatever sexual orientation. Same-sex marriage is not allowed in Ohio.

The Alliance Defense Fund has been a vocal opponent of same-sex rights across the nation.

Ask Cleveland, a gay-rights group, says the registry does not violate the constitution. City officials did not immediately return a request to comment Wednesday.

Panel approves wording of ballot issues

COLUMBUS — The Ohio ballot board has approved wording for ballot issues to regulate the care of livestock and allow bonuses to be paid to war veterans.

The board Wednesday finalized the language for the two issues that will be submitted to voters on November’s ballot.

The livestock amendment would create a bipartisan board to set guidelines for the care of livestock. Voters will also have a chance to approve the selling of bonds to raise money to give bonuses to veterans of the Iraq, Afghanistan and Persian Gulf wars.

The ballot board drafted proposed wording for an amendment to establish casinos in four Ohio cities. The wording indicates the casinos may adopt any game that is permitted in neighboring states.

The board will vote on the casino wording at a meeting scheduled for Aug. 18.

New sheriff demotes lieutenants in Cleveland

CLEVELAND — The new sheriff in Cleveland is demoting seven lieutenants who were promoted in January and given a $7,000 pay raise.

Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid says only one of nine current lieutenants will retain the rank, and he will require others to take an exam to compete for three other slots.

Former Sheriff Gerald McFaul promoted the seven officers when he abolished the sergeant rank and laid off 18 deputies. Some of those promoted had personal ties to McFaul, who retired in March.

Reid also says Lt. Robert Chilton is retiring after 25 years.

Reid was accused of threatening four Bedford Heights officers after his wife called 911 in 2007. Charges were never filed. Chilton resigned in 2007 and was rehired by McFaul in 2008.

NCR puts estate of late industrialist up for sale

KETTERING — The estate of late Dayton industrialist Colonel Edward Andrew Deeds is up for sale.

NCR Corp. operates the estate called Moraine Farm, and is asking $8 million, according to a letter attached to a marketing booklet issued to officials in suburban Kettering.

Messages seeking comment were left for NCR.

Deeds, former chairman of NCR, built the original house in 1912 and later turned it into an English- manor-style mansion.

The 45,803-square-foot mansion occupies nearly 8.6 acres. The original estate had a dairy barn, stable, and private landing strip next to the house that once served as the experimental station of the Dayton Wright Airplane Co.

NCR makes ATMs and retail checkout scanners. It is moving its headquarters from Dayton to Georgia.

pennsylvania

Judge: Throw out juvenile convictions

READING — Every finding of juvenile delinquency by a judge accused of taking kickbacks from a private juvenile-detention company should be thrown out and nearly all the cases should not be retried, a judge appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to review the cases said Wednesday.

The state Supreme Court still has the final say on what happens to the juveniles found delinquent by Luzerne County Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr.

Berks County Senior Judge Arthur E. Grim, who was appointed as a special master to review the cases, said in a report that retrying the 1,866 cases of those juveniles who appeared before Ciavarella without lawyers between 2003 and May 2008 would amount to double jeopardy. Grim wrote that there would be no public benefit in retrying the cases of juveniles who had lawyers but have completed their sentences.

For juveniles who were represented by lawyers and have not completed their sentences, Grim said he should review those cases individually. He said he is confident those cases “will be small in number, and can be reviewed expeditiously.”

Pittsburgh officials to beautify before G-20

PITTSBURGH — City officials have toured the airport corridor to see what needs to be cleaned up and beautified ahead of the Group of 20 global economic summit in September.

The tour Wednesday was headed by Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato. He says volunteers should plant community gardens, weed, spruce up green areas and collect litter along the corridor the heads of state will ride along when driving from the airport to Pittsburgh.

More than 19 heads of state and representatives of the European Union will discuss the global economy.

Erie County DA Foulk dead at 61 of lung cancer

ERIE — Brad Foulk, Erie County’s district attorney, has died. He was 61.

Foulk died of lung cancer Wednesday morning at his Erie home. He was diagnosed this spring and had been a heavy smoker.

State Attorney General Tom Corbett, a friend, says Foulk had a first-rate legal mind and cared deeply about crime victims.

First Assistant District Attorney Robert Sambroak Jr. says Foulk pushed to solve cold cases. He also helped create the Children’s Advocacy Center, which improved how child crime victims and witnesses were handled.

Associated Press

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