OSU trustees deny reinstatement to band director

OSU trustees deny reinstatement to band director

CINCINNATI

Ohio State trustees have decided against reinstating the university’s marching-band director, who was fired after an investigation showed he knew about, but failed to stop, a sexualized band culture.

Board Chairman Jeffrey Wadsworth wrote Friday to Jonathan Waters’ attorney, saying the board “stands firmly” behind the findings of a university investigation and President Michael Drake’s decision to oust him.

Waters wanted the board to take up the matter at its next meeting this month. Wadsworth’s letter to attorney David Axelrod said the board won’t review the case.

Axelrod said Waters is still focused on getting his job back, and litigation challenging a “deeply flawed” investigation is a possible option.

Perry: Indictment is abuse of power

AUSTIN, Texas

Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry vowed Saturday to fight a criminal indictment in a defiant response that showed an old slice of swagger that he’s kept holstered lately while seeking to remake his image for a potential 2016 presidential run.

Perry called two felony counts of abuse of power issued by an Austin grand jury “outrageous” and made no apologies for his 2013 veto that prompted a criminal investigation against the longest-serving governor in Texas history.

Perry made it clear he will finish his term that ends in January and said it was the investigation against him — and not his actions — that amounted to an abuse of power.

Woman who drank lye in tea improves

SALT LAKE CITY

A woman who unknowingly drank iced tea laced with an industrial cleaning solution at a Utah restaurant has whispered and gotten out of bed, her lawyer said Saturday.

The progress marks the first sign of improvement for Jan Harding since the 67-year-old was rushed to a hospital a week ago with severe burns to her mouth and throat, according to family attorney Paxton Guymon.

The heavy-duty cleaner that ended up in the sweetened iced tea Harding drank Sunday at a Dickey’s Barbecue in a Salt Lake City suburb was unintentionally mixed into a bag of sugar, which a worker later added into the iced-tea dispenser, authorities have said.

South Jordan Cpl. Sam Winkler said police are waiting to see what happens with Harding’s condition before moving forward with any arrests or charges.

Boehner excels in fundraising

LINCOLN, N.D.

House Speaker John Boehner’s fundraising skills put him in a class with few others. He has scooped up more than $43 million for accounts under his direct control and helped amass tens of millions more for Republican allies.

The Ohio lawmaker accounts for about one-fifth of the cash collected by House Republicans’ campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee. Boehner has written almost $18 million in checks to the group, which has raised $101 million this campaign cycle.

Liberia expands capital’s Ebola clinics

MONROVIA, Liberia

Liberian authorities expanded Ebola treatment centers in the capital Saturday to cope with increasing numbers of patients, while two more airlines announced they were halting flights to the capitals of Liberia and Sierra Leone amid the deepening crisis.

Kenya Airways and regional carrier Gambia Bird join a number of other airlines in temporarily canceling flights to avoid transmitting the disease beyond the four countries already affected in West Africa.

Associated Press