STATE NEWS BRIEFS: Ohio deer season opens, woman bites officer, mascot booted

Ohio’s deer-gun season starts today

COLUMBUS

Ohio’s gun seasons for deer hunting begin this week.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says the first deer-gun season begins today and runs through Sunday A two-day season will take place Dec. 15-16.

The statewide bag limit is six deer with only one antlered deer allowed regardless of location or method of take. Deer bag limits are determined by county and hunters cannot exceed a county’s bag limit.

Deer hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes past sunset for all deer hunting seasons.

Ohio’s archery season for hunting white-tailed deer began Sept. 29 and continues through Feb. 3, 2019. More Ohio hunting information can be found at wildohio.gov .

Native American booted as mascot in Ohio school district

OXFORD

An Ohio school district is dropping its Native American mascot after a close school board vote. The Hamilton-Middletown Journal-News reports that the Talawanda Board of Education recently voted 3-2 to change the district’s mascot name from the Talawanda Braves to Talawanda Brave.

Officials have said the new name denotes bravery and courage. The Oxford district will no longer purchase any apparel, items or equipment with the image of a Native American head.

Man dies in fire in Butler County

HAMILTON

Authorities say a man has died in a fire at an apartment building. Fire Chief Mark Mercer says the man was found dead in the basement of the home. The Butler County Coroner’s Office hasn’t released the man’s identity.

No one else was injured. Authorities say the cause of the fire remains under investigation, but they believe it may have been intentionally set.

Original Constitution of Ohio to go on display in Columbus

COLUMBUS

Ohio’s original state constitutions will be displayed soon in a permanent exhibit at the Ohio Statehouse Museum. The exhibit featuring the state’s 1802 and 1851 constitutions will be unveiled Wednesday.

The exhibit showcases the original documents in conjunction with visitor-interactive displays that will answer questions about the Ohio Constitution and how it impacts Ohioans.

Smoking ban mulled for city playgrounds, parks in Brook Park

BROOK PARK

City Council is considering adding city parks and playgrounds to the list of municipally owned and operated areas where smoking is prohibited in Brook Park.

Council members discussed at their Nov. 13 caucus a change to Section 525.16 of a city code, which is a 1995 ordinance that bans smoking in city buildings and where posted on city properties. If amended and eventually enacted, the ordinance would go into effect June 1, 2019.

During the caucus, the measure was assigned to the Safety Committee for further discussion.

Councilman Jim Mencini introduced the amendments and emphasized he does not want to take away people’s right to smoke. He would like to prohibit it, however, “around children, by the dugouts, by the swings and by picnic areas.”

Woman bites officer at stop over OVI

JACKSON TOWNSHIP

A 69-year-old Summit County woman bit a police officer who tried to arrest her Friday evening on a charge of drunken driving.

Barbara J. Thompson of Copley was arrested at 5 p.m. Friday in the 5800 block of Wales Avenue NW, Stark County Jail records show.

The township police officer had pulled her over for a traffic violation when she bit him on the left arm.

According to the jail records, she refused to tell her name and resisted arrest, tightening up her arms to keep him from placing handcuffs on her.

2 turn selves in after homicide in Canton

CANTON

A city man and woman who are suspects in connection with a fatal shooting on Thanksgiving Day are in custody after turning themselves in while at a Jackson Township motel early Sunday morning.

Arsenio C. Smith, 30, is charged with murder, tampering with evidence and receiving stolen property. Ashley N. Singleton, 33, is facing charges of obstructing justice and receiving stolen property. Both reside at 1714 Sandwith Ave. SW. The victim, James Howard, 42, of the 100 block of Schory Avenue SE, was discovered Thursday afternoon with two gunshot wounds lying in a driveway in the 1700 block of Sandwith Avenue SW.

“We are still investigating what happened,” said Chief Jack Angelo of the Canton Police Department. “We still have some witnesses to talk to. There was some sort of disagreement that went on there.”

Minerva city worker sentenced to jail in theft of $61K in taxes

CANTON

A former Minerva village employee has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for stealing $61,000 in income tax funds.

Lisa M. Swinger pleaded guilty last month to felony grand theft and tampering with records. She had worked as an income tax clerk for the village and committed the thefts when some Minerva residents paid income taxes in cash, according to the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office.

The thefts occurred over the course of several years. Swinger altered tax records in an effort to conceal the thefts, said Melissa Day, assistant Stark County prosecutor.

Man shoots, kills girlfriend at pizzeria

ERIE, Pa.

Authorities say a man fatally shot his girlfriend and wounded another woman during a shooting at a restaurant in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Luis Rodriguez was arraigned Sunday on numerous charges, including felony counts of homicide and attempted homicide. It wasn’t known if he’s retained an attorney.

The charges against the 48-year-old Harborcreek man stem from a shooting Saturday at a pizzeria in Erie.

Police found the wounded woman at a store. She told them another woman had been shot at the pizzeria and said the shooter was that woman’s boyfriend.

Authorities say Rodriguez told them he knew his girlfriend was working at the restaurant. They say he was armed with a handgun when he confronted her and shot her in the head.

A motive for the shootings hasn’t been disclosed.

Vindicator wire services

SwASHINGTON — Ohioans tuning into ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” Sunday may have gotten a sneak peek into the 2020 presidential race — and there was a whole lot of Buckeye in it.

Over the span of about 10 minutes Sunday, first Ohio Gov. John Kasich, then Sen. Sherrod Brown opined on the possibility that they’d square off against President Donald Trump in 2020.

Neither man committed to a run, but the possibility of two Ohioans seeking the White House is unusual, though probably not unexpected in a year when dozens of Democrats are flirting with the possibility of challenging Trump and more moderate Republicans like Kasich are still deeply dissatisfied with the results of the 2016 presidential election.

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“I’m considering it,” said Kasich, who said he is having daily conversations with friends and family. “Look, we need different leadership. There isn’t any question about it.”

Appearing minutes later, Brown expressed similar concern. “If you love your country, you fight for the people who make it work,” he said, saying he has spent his career “devoted to the dignity of work.”