COLUMBUS, Ohio —

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Redistricting Commission failed for a second time on Saturday to reach the bipartisan consensus necessary to pass 10-year maps of state legislative districts based on 2020 census totals.

Despite being scolded by the state’s high court, the seven-member panel approved new maps along party lines in the face of a court-set Saturday deadline. That means the maps would again be good for just four years, rather than the 10 intended through the census-driven redistricting process.

In a strange twist, the commission returned and took its vote just as the Cincinnati Bengals were scoring a tie-breaking field goal as time expired to land their first AFC championship slot in 33 years.

The high court has reserved the right to review the new maps after voting rights and Democratic groups successfully challenged an earlier round of maps as an extreme partisan gerrymander.

Though the second round of boundaries got closer to the state’s 54% Republican to 46% Democratic partisan breakdown than the first set, they still created heavy GOP majorities in both the Ohio House and Ohio Senate: 57 Republican and 42 Democratic House seats and 20 Republican and 13 Democratic Senate seats. Many districts are so closely divided that they could be election toss-ups.

The first round of maps included 62 of 99 Ohio House seats that favored Republicans, or about 62%, and 23 of 33 Ohio Senate seats that favored the GOP, or nearly 70%.

House Democratic Leader-elect Allison Russo, who cast a no vote, called Saturday’s action shameful.

“Ultimately, this is not an issue of geography or technical inability to draw fair maps,” she said, on behalf of opponents. “It is a lack of political courage and a blatant disregard for the court’s order and the will of the Ohio voters.”

Republican Senate President Matt Huffman, who voted yes, said the maps “address” the court’s opinion.

“Commission members and their respective staff together worked tirelessly over the last week to produce a constitutional plan that no one else, including the Democrats’ highly compensated outside contractors, could produce, including a six figure payment to their main consultant,” said his spokesman, John Fortney.

That consultant, Chris Glassburn, endured hours of grilling on Saturday, particularly by Huffman — repeatedly offering to work cooperatively with the GOP on their concerns to bring the two parties’ proposals together.

“I believe we in our proposal have gone a long way to demonstrate it simply is not necessary to gerrymander or do dramatically strange things to achieve the proportionality as outlined in the Supreme Court,” he said.

Republicans defended their own maps of districts as the only ones that abided by all the elements of the Ohio Constitution, pointing to the fact that they did deliver Democrats more seats than the previous plan.

The two parties failed to come together despite extensive behind-the-scenes negotiations. Panelists said those talks took place between the staffs of commissioners of both parties for nearly all 10 of the days since the court’s ruling. The transparency was a distinct change from the last time in September, when three Republican statewide officials on the panel said GOP lawmakers largely shut them out of backroom map-making deliberations.

Senate Finance Director Ray DiRossi helped lead Republican map-drawing efforts. He repeatedly declined to provide specific evidence of what exactly prevented the GOP from attempting to get closer to the state’s 54% Republican-46% Democratic political divide with its maps.

“We have done nothing but attempt for the last nine-and-a-half days,” he said. “Every ounce of our effort, collectively and individually, and all of the other staff have been towards complying with the court rulings. Everything we’ve done has done that, so my life for the last nine-and-a-half days would be my evidence.”

Ohio is using a new redistricting process for this first time this year for both legislative and congressional maps established through statewide ballot issues in 2015 and 2018 that received overwhelming voter support were left with little choice.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Protests erupted nationwide in response to George Floyd's death after Minneapolis police officers knelt on him and pinned him to the ground on May 25. In Columbus, those protests began Thursday night and lasted into Friday morning, ending with damage to the Ohio Statehouse and other downtown buildings.

Thursday night saw a heavy police presence as the protest escalated -- where pedestrians were barred from joining the protest as it began to grow.

Ben Asks a Question is a feature we started as a way to help give you a voice during Gov. Mike DeWine's daily press briefings. Since then, Ben has gotten hundreds of questions a day. If you'd like to ask a question, find us on Facebook and feel free to message us there, or send us an email at newsdesk@wcpo.com.

At his press briefing Friday, I asked Gov. Mike DeWine if similar protest precautions to the ones taken in Columbus are being planned in other Ohio cities as more protests remain a possibility.

DeWine said local mayors are the ones responsible for their cities, but his administration will be ready to help if needed.

“I’ve had the opportunity every day to talk, most days, to talk to the mayors of our major cities,” said DeWine. “They are the ones that have primary responsibility for their cities. But they know that if they need assistance and help, we will work with them on any issue, certainly including this issue. But I know that we have good mayors; they’re very concerned about making sure that things are always done right in their cities. So I have confidence in these mayors. We are in touch. It’s not like we don’t talk, so certainly the first line of responsibility is with their police department, and with those mayors."

Friday’s press briefing was DeWine’s first briefing not related to COVID-19 since the state began ordering businesses to shut down.

DeWine said the actions of police involved in Floyd’s death “violates every principle of human decency" and "any kind of basic police training."

He is scheduled to address the public next on Tuesday, June 2.

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is returning nearly $30,000 to a man that had the money seized at the Columbus International Airport in Ohio.

Kermit Warren had the money to buy a tow truck for his business.

The Institute for Justice said the DEA made baseless claims that the money was linked to drugs.

Warren was never arrested or charged.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio filed a lawsuit to keep the money.

However, the Institute for Justice said it was able to show proof of how Warren got the money and obtained a settlement.

As Columbus, Ohio’s mayor announced that the city’s statue of Christopher Columbus will come down, a petition is circulating to rename the city “Flavortown.”

The legacy of Christopher Columbus has come into focus as the country comes to grips with the United States’ past with racism.

The Christopher Columbus statue at Columbus’ City Hall is one of several across the country that are slated to come down. Statues in both San Francisco and Sacramento are also in the process of being removed.

A separate statue of Christopher Columbus in Columbus, Ohio, will come down from the center of Columbus State Community College's campus.

As of late Thursday, more than 1,800 petitioners are calling for Columbus, Ohio’s renaming to Flavortown.

“Columbus is an amazing city, but one whose name is tarnished by the very name itself,” the petition reads.

“Why not rename the city Flavortown? The new name is twofold,” the petition adds. “For one, it honors Central Ohio's proud heritage as a culinary crossroads and one of the nation's largest test markets for the food industry. Secondly, cheflebrity Guy Fieri was born in Columbus.”

Flavortown is Fieri's catchphrase, which he often says on episodes of "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives."

Over the years, historians have accused Columbus of participating in slavery, murder and other atrocities against American natives in the 15^th century. Despite this, Columbus was long hailed as a hero to the west, with a national holiday bestowed in his honor.

“For many people in our community, the statue represents patriarchy, oppression and divisiveness. That does not represent our great city, and we will no longer live in the shadow of our ugly past,” Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther wrote in a statement. “Now is the right time to replace this statue with artwork that demonstrates our enduring fight to end racism and celebrate the themes of diversity and inclusion.”

A number of residents responded to Ginther in opposition to removing the statue, citing that the statue represents the city's and country's history.

COLUMBUS, Ohio —

Extra security is in place at Ohio's Statehouse.

Concerns of armed protests and potential violence are looming in the days leading up to the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden.

On Sunday, people peacefully protested in Columbus, but the security plans will be just as stringent in the coming days.

The FBI has warned of potential armed protests across the country.

Officials said nationwide protests may start this weekend and go through the inauguration, and despite calm protests so far, leaders said they've prepared for much worse.

Windows are boarded up and metal fencing is all around the statehouse.

Peaceful protests served as a test run for safety measures put in place ahead of Inauguration Day.

"We are planning for the worst case scenario," Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said last week.

580 Ohio National Guard members have been activated to assist local law enforcement and Ohio state troopers are backing up Columbus police, officials said.

The FBI has warned of armed protests at all 50 state capitols and in Washington, D.C. leading up to Jan. 20.

"In the coming days, we will not allow violence and destruction to be a part of our city," Ginther said.

Sunday, supporters for President Donald Trump and President-Elect Joe Biden converged on capitol grounds.

A man from our area, known as the "Dancing Trucker" made a call for peace.

"I love to dance. It helps me. It helps people that watch me dance. I usually dance for smiles, but today I'm dancing for peace," John Drury said.

Armed protesters came to make a peaceful statement, with one man who said his gun was to ensure his First Amendment right.

Some held a megaphone instead, but there were also signs, Black Lives Matter clothing, Biden-Harris flags and American flags.

Officials hope this peace continues into the coming days.

"Police will be highly visible and we will be wearing body worn cameras. People caught on video or in photos who engage in illegal acts should expect to have their images released to identify law breakers to hold accountable," Columbus Police Chief Tom Quinlan said.

This time, there were dozens of protesters, but officials are prepared for what may come next.

Late last week, Gov. Mike DeWine said there have been direct threats on the Ohio Statehouse, but would not go into detail.

The statehouse and all other state buildings in Columbus are closed through Wednesday.

Officials are asking people to stay out of the downtown area during that time.

DeWine has also authorized 1,000 members of the Ohio National Guard to help in Washington, D.C.

He said the move comes after a request from the U.S. National Guard Bureau.

CINCINNATI — Greater Cincinnati’s population increased 5.6% in the last 10 years to more than 2.25 million, according to 2020 Census data released Thursday.

That’s faster growth than Akron, Cleveland and Dayton but slower than Columbus, Indianapolis and Louisville.

The 2020 Census, which represents a snapshot of the U.S. population as of April 1, 2020, takes on added importance this year.

That’s because the official count at the end of each decade is used to apportion seats in Congress, government funding and rank regional rivals. Growing cities often tout their population gains in marketing campaigns, while shrinking towns use the numbers as a call to action.

To that end, Cincinnati has some positive numbers to share. It’s the 30th largest Metropolitan Statistical Area, ranking ahead of Columbus, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Nashville, all cities against which it competes for jobs and corporate investments. Also, for the first time in 70 years, it has a growing urban core. Census data show the city of Cincinnati grew 4.2%, to 309,317, since 2010.

But Greater Cincinnati lags some of its regional peers in the number of fast-growing counties. Only Boone and Warren counties had growth rates above 10% since 2010. The Indianapolis metro has five such counties, while Columbus has three.

While the numbers are important for economic development reasons, they are a crucial ingredient for state redistricting committees, which revise legislative districts at the state and federal level every 10 years.

It will be a hotly contested process in Ohio this year because the Buckeye State will lose one Congressional seat and Republicans need only five seats nationwide to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The redistricting challenge is greater this year because the Census data is being released much later than in prior years, said Michael Finney, chief financial officer of the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service at Ohio University.

It has a state contract to create data maps that the Ohio Redistricting Commission uses to compare how boundary changes impact the number of voters in every legislative district. The data provides block-level head counts that include age and race information.

Finney said it will take about two weeks for Ohio University to finalize its data maps. Members of the redistricting commission will combine that data with voting records and other information to decide which boundaries the political boundaries should be.

“This year, given the fact that the release of the data is so late, it’s going to put a lot of pressure on the map makers,” Finney said, “to make their maps and meet the deadlines that are in the Ohio constitution.”

The redistricting commission faces a Sept. 1 deadline to draw new districts for Ohio politicians, while the deadline for Congressional districts is Sept. 30.

The Census Bureau has been criticized for delays and questioned about the accuracy of the 2020 Census. Last week, the bureau announced it would delay the release of its American Community Survey, which includes more information about poverty, housing and demographics, because it didn’t have big enough samples in all geographies.

But Finney said the data released Thursday has everything Ohio University needs to complete its data maps.

“I’m not concerned about the accuracy,” Finney said. “It’s the data that we use every 10 years. It is the 100% count from the Census Bureau … This is the data that the Ohio constitution requires.”

The following article was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and published on News5Cleveland.com under a content-sharing agreement.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The rate of new vaccinations against COVID-19 in Ohio has slowed to a rate not seen since December, according to an analysis of state data.

The seven-day moving average of newly vaccine started Ohioans dipped below 10,000 on Sunday for the first time since Dec. 27 — the tail end of a stretch when some days brought more than 10,000 new infections and 200 deaths from the new disease.

Only 46% of Ohioans have received at least one dose of the vaccine as of Thursday, compared to 52% of the U.S. population.

Average new vaccination rates plummeted in early April as a scarcity of doses gave way to a lack of demand. In mid-May, this trend modestly reversed after the federal government authorized vaccination of children 12-15 and Gov. Mike DeWine announced a series of $1 million lottery drawings for vaccinated Ohioans.

While scarcity defined the early days of the vaccination campaign, spoilage may soon prevail. DeWine said this week that Ohio possesses about 200,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that expire June 23. Ohio has no legal options, he said, for giving the doses to other states or countries.

“For Ohioans who have been waiting to get their vaccine, I urge you to take action now. There are many opportunities throughout the state to get a vaccine,” he said.

“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is one of those options. It is safe and effective and only requires one shot. In just two weeks, you could be protected from this virus. Getting vaccinated is the quickest way out of the pandemic and the fastest way for us to return to the lives we remember.”

Despite the sweepstakes (still ongoing), vaccination rates began falling by late May.

Estimates vary, but experts believe when somewhere between 70% and 90% of the population is vaccinated, a “herd immunity” effect is produced in which the virus runs out of viable hosts. Thus, people who are medically unable to receive vaccinations or have weakened immune systems are insulated by their vaccinated neighbors.

If Ohioans continue to seek vaccinations at the current race of about 10,000 per day, it will take nearly a year (more than 334 days) until about 75% of Ohioans are vaccinated.

Vaccine coverage is much stronger among older Ohioans than younger.

Some racial groups are underrepresented as well. About 8% of doses have gone to Black Ohioans, who represent about 13% of the state. About 3% of doses have gone to Ohioans who identify as Hispanic or Latino, who represent about 4% of the state.

COLUMBUS, Ohio —

A 15-year-old girl in Columbus, Ohio, was shot and killed by police on Tuesday afternoon, according to reports.

The shooting was reported just as the verdict was being announced in the trial for the killing of George Floyd.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was at the scene on the city's southeast side. The newspaper reported that officers had been responding to an attempted stabbing call when police shot the girl at about 4:45 p.m.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said authorities are still investigating the details of what happened.

"This afternoon a young woman tragically lost her life. We do not know all of the details," he said. "There is body-worn camera footage of the incident. We are working to review it as soon as possible."

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The 911 caller reported a female was trying to stab them before hanging up, according to the newspaper. The girl was reportedly pronounced dead at a hospital.

Family members identified the girl as Makiyah Bryant, WSYX-TV reported.

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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

COLUMBUS, Ohio —

At 4:32 p.m. on Tuesday, someone called 911 to report a disturbance on Legion Lane in Columbus.

"We got these... grown girls trying to fight us. Trying to stab us. Trying to put our hands on our grandma. Get here now," the unidentified caller said.

Neighbors said 16-year-old Ma'khia Bryant made that call. Columbus police have yet to identify the caller. Chief Michael Woods said he didn't know if Bryant was the caller.

"We do not know that. Again, that will be (the Bureau of Criminal Investigation) interviewing all the witnesses to determine who made those phone calls," Woods said.

The caller's phone number was redacted in a computer-aided dispatch report obtained by WLWT.

Footage from Officer Nicholas Reardon's body camera paints a picture of what happened once he arrived at 4:44 p.m. — 12 minutes after the 911 call.

As Reardon stepped out of his car, people can be heard yelling. Reardon yells, "Hey."

As he approaches a group of at least seven people, a female is seen falling to the ground during a scuffle with another person. That other person, who was later identified as Bryant, had a knife in her right hand.

Reardon draws his gun as Bryant starts to run at a girl wearing all pink.

At the same time, an unidentified man kicks the girl who is already on the ground.

At that point, Reardon is focused on Bryant who still has the knife in her right hand.

Bryant is seen drawing her hand back and then up, over the girl in pink who is pinned against a car.

That is when Reardon fired his weapon four times.

Bryant fell to the ground and the girl in pink took off running.

After the shooting, the knife can be seen laying on the ground.

Officers performed chest compressions on Bryant while others rushed to separate witnesses.

Bryant died a short time later at an area hospital.

Investigators have not yet identified the girl in pink, the man who kicked the other female or any other witnesses.

"Those are witnesses, so they were referred to (the Bureau of Criminal Investigation). So, (the Bureau of Criminal Investigation) would have that investigation. But again, that's part of their investigation," Woods said.

A spokesperson for Ohio's Bureau of Criminal Investigation said he did not know how long it would take the division to complete its investigation.

Editor’s note: With our coronavirus coverage, our goal is not to alarm you but to equip you with the information you need. We will try to keep things in context and focus on helping you make decisions. See a list of resources and frequently asked questions at the end of this story.

CINCINNATI - Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati rank 1-2-3 in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ohio, but Sen. Rob Portman sees significant differences between the Queen City and the state’s two largest cities.

One in four Ohio cases lie in Cuyahoga County around Cleveland. Near the capital, Franklin County has more than a 100 people with coronavirus. That's more than Hamilton, Butler, Warren, and Clermont counties combined."

Quiet streets. Businesses working remotely.

Portman, from Terrace Park, saw it happening around Cincinnati before Gov. Mike DeWine's stay-at-home order.

“I think what's even more important is that we have fewer hospitalizations,” Portman said, “because the number of cases could relate to the number of tests. In other words, if we had more tests in Southwest Ohio, we might have more cases."

Hamilton County only tests people with moderate and mild symptoms when there are risk factors.

SEE Ohio’s COVID-19 map.

"The more we test the more we will definitely see more cases,” said Greg Kesterman, interim Hamilton County Health Commissioner. “We know it is here in the community, so testing is just a tool to help our providers provide treatment and deal with the issue they know they have."

As of Friday morning, the area's health collaborative said hospitals had not reached surge levels anywhere near those seen in New York.

But word of pay cuts coming for TriHealth senior leaders and Mercy Health doctors reported by the WCPO I-Team troubles Portman. The senator says a $150 billion chunk of Congress's $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package immediately goes to hospitals to cover losses, pay staff, buy equipment, and find anti-viral treatments.

"That's really important because if we don't solve the health-care crisis here, we're not going to be able to get the economy moving again," Portman said.

"I talked to the head of one of our large health-care groups in Cincinnati just before this call and he informed me that they are making preparations for a worst-case scenario. But we don't have to be New York if we can continue to practice what we're practicing."

Find more coronavirus/COVID-19 hotlines and resources below:

Ohio

• Department of Health COVID-19 hotline: 833-4-ASK-ODH
• See ODH’s COVID-19 resources here.

Kentucky

• State COVID-19 hotline: 1-800-722-5725
• See the Cabinet for Health and Family Services coronavirus resource site here.

Indiana

• SDH Epidemiology Resource Center: (317) 233-7125 or (317) 233-1325 after hours, or e-mail epiresource@isdh.in.gov
• See more information for coronavirus in Indiana here.

What is coronavirus, COVID-19?

According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses are "a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

A novel coronavirus, such as COVID-19, is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

COVID-19 was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and has now been detected in 37 locations across the globe, including in the U.S., according to the CDC.

The CDC reports the initial patients in China have some link to a large seafood and live animal market, indicative of animal-to-person spread. A growing number of patients, however, did not report exposure to animal markets, indicating the disease is spreading person-to-person.

What are the symptoms? How does it spread?

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death, according to the CDC. Symptoms can include fever, cough, shortness of breath.

The CDC said symptoms could appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. It is similar to the incubation period for MERS.

Spread of the virus is thought to be mainly from person-to-person. Spread is between people who are in close contact with one another (within about six feet). Spread occurs via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

According to the CDC, it could be possible for a person to get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes. This is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, the CDC said.

The disease is most contagious when people are the sickest and showing the most symptoms.