Associated Press Friday Ohio Headlines - 7/16/2010

Latest Ohio news, sports, business and entertainment:

UNEMPLOYMENT-OHIO

Ohio unemployment falls to 10.5 pct. in June

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The state says Ohio unemployment declined to 10.5 percent in June, from 10.7 percent in May, as fewer people looked for work.

State Department of Job and Family Services spokesman Ben Johnson says it's possible that some out-of-work Ohioans chose to take a summer break from job searching to spend time with family.

The state's jobless rate is a full percentage point higher than the national rate of 9.5 percent.

Along with unemployment, hiring in Ohio went down slightly in June. Officials say temporary census workers lost work, and that offset moderate job gains in the private sector.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in June was 625,000, down from 641,000 in May. The state's overall employment outside of farms went down by 1,500 last month.

CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING

GOP outpaces Dems in open Senate seat fundraising

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans are outraising Democrats in nearly a dozen open Senate races, increasing their hopes of making big inroads into the Democrats' majority in November.

The differences are dramatic in some cases, such as Ohio. Republican nominee Rob Portman raised $2.6 million in the quarter than ended June 30, compared to about $1 million raised by Democrat Lee Fisher. Portman held a big cash-on-hand advantage: $8.8 million to $1 million, according to campaign finance reports filed yesterday.

Former congressman Portman and Ohio Lieutenant Governor Fisher are seeking the Senate seat being vacated by Republican George Voinovich.

ESPN-ANDREWS VIDEO

ESPN reporter sues Ohio State in secret tapings case

CHICAGO (AP) - Erin Andrews is suing Ohio State University and The Blackwell Inn on campus for negligence and invasion of privacy in connection with the secret videotaping of her by an Illinois man.

The EPSN reporter's lawsuit was filed yesterday in Chicago. It also names several hotel chains as well as Michael Barrett, who pleaded guilty to renting hotel rooms next to Andrews in Columbus and two other cities, altering the peepholes and shooting videos.

Andrews claims Barrett called the hotels and they confirmed to him that she intended to register and revealed her room number.

Ohio State has declined to comment.

LEBRON PENDANT

Ohio woman says $10,000 LeBron James pendant taken

WADSWORTH, Ohio (AP) - An Ohio woman who said she paid $5 at a yard sale for a LeBron James pendant worth nearly $10,000 says it's been taken from her.

Vaneisha Robinson had the basketball jersey-shaped white gold pendant appraised and put it for sale on eBay. She says she got a phone call Wednesday from the mother of Maverick O. Carter, the CEO for James' marketing company. She says the woman told her James wanted to buy the pendant but when she went to the woman's house James wasn't there and other people threatened her and took it.

Wadsworth police Sergeant James Elchlinger says he determined the pendant belongs to Carter.

Carter says it had been stolen from him.

Robinson tells WEWS-TV the pendant belongs to her and she wants it back.

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Information from: WEWS-TV, http://www.newsnet5.com

OHIO EXECUTION-BROTHER ARRESTED

Executed Ohio killer's brother arrested at prison

CINCINNATI (AP) - A 44-year-old Ohio sexual offender waiting outside the prison for word of his brother's execution was arrested for allegedly failing to notify authorities about a move.

State Highway Patrol troopers approached Gary Sawyer in Lucasville Tuesday morning about an outstanding felony warrant. Authorities say they waited to arrest him because he asked to stay until the execution of his brother, William Garner, was carried out.

Garner killed five children by setting fire to an apartment.

Sawyer is listed as sexual predator for a kidnap-rape conviction, and must notify law enforcement in advance of a change of address. He said in court yesterday in Cincinnati that his lawyer should have explained why he was in Lucasville. A judge ordered him held on $25,000 bond.

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Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com

CHURCH CLOSINGS

Vatican: Churches can be shut for good of diocese

BOSTON (AP) - The Vatican's highest court has ruled a diocese can close a parish, regardless of that parish's health, if it decides the good of the church's religious mission is at stake.

Ten churches that appealed their closings by the Boston Archdiocese learned their appeals had been denied in May, but written rulings were not released until Saturday, and they were in Latin. Yesterday, a lay group released a translated version of one of the rulings and said they all have "substantially identical" reasoning.

According to the translation, the Vatican court said Cardinal Sean O'Malley had "just cause" for closing the parish. It cited pleas from Pope Benedict to work for the common good.

Cleveland also has moved forward with major church closings.

GILBERT FINE-LEMONADE

Kids sell lemonade to help Cavs owner with fine

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (AP) - Some young fans are literally making lemonade out of the $100,000 fine slapped on Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert over his criticism of LeBron James.

Some children in suburban Rocky River sold lemonade yesterday to raise money for Gilbert's cause. They charged 50 cents a cup.

Ten-year-old Molly Sponseller said she and her friends wanted to show support for the Cavs and Gilbert. She says he's "not a bad man."

After James announced last week that he would leave Cleveland for the Miami Heat, Gilbert wrote a searing letter calling the MVP "narcissistic" and "self-promotional." The NBA thought the comments were over the top and leveled the fine.

Gilbert has said instead of sending him money, fans should donate to the Cleveland Cavaliers Youth Fund.

REDS CELEBRATION-MC HAMMER

MC Hammer, 1990 Reds celebrate

CINCINNATI (AP) - It's a weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Cincinnati Reds' "wire-to-wire" world champions. Also, "it's Hammer Time."

Hip-hop star MC Hammer will do concerts before and after tonight's game between the Reds and Colorado Rockies, which also will be highlighted by the appearances of such 1990 team stars as shortstop Barry Larkin and outfielder Eric Davis. Third baseman Chris Sabo will join them in the Reds' hall of fame in a Saturday evening ceremony.

Hammer's 1990 hit "U Can't Touch This" became the unofficial team anthem that year for the Reds, who won their first nine games and never fell out of first place, similar to a horse winning a race after leading since the starting wire. They swept Oakland in the World Series.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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