Here are your morning headlines for Tuesday, March 22:

• Ohio Marine among four killed in NATO exercise crash
• Ohio’s unemployment rate drops to pre-pandemic low
• Ohio Redistricting Commission takes more procedural steps as deadline approaches
• Ohio GOP Senate Debate Raises Military Question
• MacKenzie Scott donates $6.8 million to NEO Boys and Girls Clubs
• College of Wooster relaxes its mask policy
• Lorain County will use federal funds to create a crisis center
• Cleveland council approves mayor’s budget
• Longtime former sheriff of Cuyahoga has died
• Cleveland Zoo announces expansion
• Cleveland Council Approves West Side Market Changes
• Gasoline prices fall

Ohio Marine among four killed in NATO exercise crash
(AP) — A Cambridge, Ohio Marine was among four people who died when their plane crashed Friday night in a Norwegian town during a NATO exercise. Artillery Sergeant. James Speedy, 30, earned the Navy and Marine Corps Medal of Honor with two gold stars during his 13 years of service. The cause of the crash is under investigation, but Norwegian police reported bad weather in the area.

Ohio’s unemployment rate drops to pre-pandemic low
(WKSU) — Two years after shutdowns forced more than a million Ohioans out of work, Ohio’s unemployment rate is back to pre-pandemic levels. Ohio’s unemployment rate in January was 4.3%, the lowest since February 2019. The March 2020 rate soared above 16% as schools and businesses closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. COVID-19. Analysts say part of the current low unemployment rate is due to the fact that around 200,000 workers have not returned to the job market.

Ohio Redistricting Commission takes more procedural steps as deadline approaches
(Statehouse News Bureau) – The Ohio Redistricting Commission is slowly embarking on a new mapping process, but time is running out to get new House and Senate maps to court. The commission met Monday night to discuss hiring outside consultants to join Republican and Democratic mappers already working for legislative caucuses. It will take experts from the National Demographics Corporation and the University of Florida a few days to travel to Ohio, which worries Republican commissioner and auditor Keith Faber. The court orders the commission to approve new maps of the state’s legislative districts by March 28. Meanwhile, the National Redistricting Action Fund has filed a new lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court challenging the state’s congressional redistricting map. The group’s lawsuit says the map approved earlier this month is no different than the one the High Court struck down in January as unconstitutionally Gerrymander. The group’s previous lawsuit was dismissed on Friday.

Ohio GOP Senate Debate Raises Military Question
(AP) — A near-physical altercation in Ohio’s nasty Republican primary for the U.S. Senate has led some military veterans to demand that a candidate apologize. The heated argument came during a debate Friday between five candidates for the GOP nomination to replace retired Republican Senator Rob Portman. Former Ohio treasurer Josh Mandel has shouted an attack on investment banker Mike Gibbons. Gibbons told Mandel he was unfamiliar with the “squat” because he had never worked in the private sector. Mandel portrayed the remark as an affront to his military service. Gibbons, whose son is an active duty naval pilot, said he honored Mandel’s service but stood by his statement.

MacKenzie Scott donates $6.8 million to NEO Boys and Girls Clubs
(WKSU) — Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has made an unlimited donation of $6.8 million to Boys & Girls Clubs in northeast Ohio. The group says the unsolicited donation will allow the organization to double the number of children served and create more after-school programs, which the organization has called a critical need in northeast Ohio. MacKenzie Scott is said to have a net worth of around $47 billion and has given away around 18% of her wealth.

College of Wooster relaxes its mask policy
(WKSU) – The College of Wooster continues to update its masking policies, with face coverings now optional in dorms and the recreation center. Masks will then be optional in most other indoor spaces from April 4. Recently, the states of Kent and Cleveland relaxed the rules for masks, but still require them to be worn in classrooms. The University of Akron also requires masks in classrooms, however, professors can set their own policies.

Lorain County will use federal funds to create a crisis center
(Ideastream Public Media) – The federal government has awarded Lorain County $1.5 million to establish a treatment center for people suffering from a behavioral health or addiction crisis. The North Center and Lorain County Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board will partner with other community groups to create the center, which officials hope will reduce clutter in classrooms. emergency and will reduce the use of law enforcement for crisis management.

Cleveland council approves mayor’s budget
(WKSU) — The Cleveland City Council has approved Mayor Justin Bibb’s first budget. The $1.8 billion plan leaves a $62 million shortfall in the general fund, to be covered with money — largely federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act — carried over from the last year. Two council members who voted against the budget worried about the cost of Bibb’s plan to add about 130 positions, on top of the roughly 700 positions that were vacant at the end of last year. Another council member, Stephanie Howse, said the budget did not include enough efforts to prevent violence.

Longtime former sheriff of Cuyahoga has died
(Ideastream Public Media) – Longtime former Cuyahoga County Sheriff Gerald McFaul has died. First elected sheriff in 1976, McFaul resigned in 2009 amid reports from the Plain Dealer of how he mixed politics and his office. He pleaded guilty to theft in office charges in 2010. Still, McFaul, a former Cleveland councilman, was fondly remembered at the council’s Monday night meeting. Gerald McFaul was 87 years old.

Cleveland Zoo announces expansion
(WKSU) — The Cleveland MetroParks Zoo has announced an expansion to its RainForest. A new 140,000 square foot, two-story primate forest will become a new home for gorillas and orangutans. The zoo hasn’t said how much it will cost, but says it will be funded by philanthropic donations. Construction is expected to begin next year.

Cleveland Council Approves West Side Market Changes
(Ideastream Public Media) — The Cleveland City Council has approved Mayor Justin Bibb’s proposal to allow liquor sales at the West Side Market. The city’s senior strategist, Jessica Trivisonno, told council on Monday that it would take time to iron out all the details – like who would hold the liquor license. The council also passed a cap on rent increases for vendors, part of a series of changes aimed at attracting more food vendors to the historic Ohio City Market. The long-term plan is still to attract a not-for-profit market operator.

Gasoline prices fall
(WKSU) – Gas prices are down four cents in northeast Ohio this week. The average price for a gallon of regular is $4.04 per gallon. The national average is down 8 cents after hitting a record high of $4.33 on March 11. AAA says the price of crude oil fell to around $110 a barrel after peaking shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine.