Cleveland, OH
Ohio firefighter arrested, accused of rape
LANCASTER, Ohio — A Columbus firefighter has been arrested and accused of rape, according to court records.
Fairfield County Common Pleas Court records show prosecutors are recommending that Christopher Shaffer, 38, of Pickerington, be held in jail on a $350,000 bond. A criminal complaint shows the rape occurred on Sunday and that the victim was “substantially impaired because of a mental or physical condition or because of advanced age.”
WCMH Channel 4 reports Shaffer has been placed on administrative duty by the Columbus Division of Fire. He was arrested on Sunday.
“The Columbus Division of Fire is aware of the criminal charges against one of its members,” Columbus Fire Batallion Chief Jeffery Geitter tells WCMH. “The employee has been placed on administrative duty, in a role where he will have no contact with the public. Per division protocol, upon the conclusion of the criminal case, the Division of Fire will initiate an administrative investigation.”
The president of Columbus Fire Fighters Union IAFF Local 67 tells WBNS Channel 10 that the union is taking the charges “very seriously” and that it holds its members to the “highest standards of trust and responsibility.”
Records show Shaffer is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday morning.
Cleveland, OH
Congresswoman Brown Bill to Name Collinwood Post Office After Cleveland WWII Hero Tech Sergeant Alma Minter Advances Through Oversight Committee
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shontel Brown’s (OH-11) legislation to name the Collinwood neighborhood Post Office in Cleveland, Ohio in honor of Tech Sergeant Alma Gladys Minter (1920-2007) today passed the House Oversight Committee and is one step closer to becoming law.
In July, Brown introduced legislation (H.R. 4635) to name the post office on East 152nd Street in Cleveland in honor of Minter, a long-time Cleveland resident who served in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II. The “Six Triple Eight” was the first and only all-Black Women’s Army Corps unit to serve overseas during the war. Brown’s legislation is supported by the Minter Family.
Bill Text Available Here
“Alma Minter delivered for our country, and today Congress is one step closer to finally delivering for her. I am proud that my bill to rename the Collinwood post office in honor of Tech Sergeant Minter is one step closer to becoming law. Putting her name on the post office on East 152nd is a way to say thank you, to keep the story of Six Triple Eight alive, and to right past wrongs. These women served with courage and excellence, yet far too many never lived to see their country recognize them. The least we can do now is make sure their names and their stories are remembered. I am grateful for the support of my colleagues and will continue to work with members of both parties to get this done,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.
In 1945, Minter along with over 800 other women, were deployed to clear a backlog of over 17 million pieces of mail in Europe. The Six Triple Eight completed their mission in less than 90 days, ensuring that mail from the Homefront could reach American troops in Europe.
The Six Triple Eight was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by an act of Congress in 2022 and honored at a ceremony at the Capitol this year. In February, Congresswoman Brown spoke on the House floor in Washington to recognize Minter’s service and share her story. She also presented Minter’s family with additional military medals at her State of the District address in Cleveland.
The legislation is cosponsored by: Rep. Troy Balderson (OH-12), Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Rep. Mike Carey (OH-15), Rep. Warren Davidson (OH-08), Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04), Rep. Dave Joyce (OH-14), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Rep. Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rep. Bob Latta (OH-05), Rep. Michael Rulli (OH-06), Rep. Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Rep. Dave Taylor (OH-02), Rep. Mike Turner (OH-10), Rep. Gwen Moore (WI-04), Rep. Andre Carson (IN-07), Rep. Shomari Figures (AL-02), and Rep. Deborah Ross (NC-02).
For more information on the Six Triple Eight, click here.
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Cleveland, OH
Winter storm makes for messy morning commute in NE Ohio: Latest forecast, traffic delays
UPDATE, 9:39 a.m.: Communities in Northeast Ohio saw between 2 and 4 inches of snow from Tuesday morning’s winter storm.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio — A winter storm sweeping through Northeast Ohio early Tuesday is slowing the morning commute and prompting widespread school closures across the region.
Light to moderate snow continued to fall across much of Northeast Ohio early Tuesday, with periodic bursts reducing visibility to under a mile in some areas.
The Ohio Department of Transportation map showed a crash on Interstate 71 southbound blocking the two right lanes just south of the interchange with Interstate 90. Slowdowns also were reported across the region, including on I-71 in Berea, I-90 heading into downtown Cleveland, I-480 near I-71 and in Maple Heights and I-77 in Brecksville, near the Ohio Turnpike.
In Lake County, the speed limit on I-90 east of Ohio 44 had been lowered to 50 mph.
“You can’t get to work in the normal amount of time that it would take. It’s going to take you longer,” Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman Brent Kovacs told cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer news partner WKYC Channel 3. “It’s going to be slower.”
About 250 ODOT plow trucks are working on keeping roads clear during this storm, Kovacs said.
A parking ban was in effect Tuesday in Cleveland. Stopping, standing and parking of vehicles is prohibited on city streets with posted red and white signs.
At Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, the majority of departures were operating on time. Ten flights were delayed Tuesday morning, including routes to Detroit, Miami, New York, Chicago and Las Vegas.
Snow expected to diminish later Tuesday morning

An upper-level system moving across Ohio, along with stronger winds higher in the atmosphere, was supporting steadier snow through midmorning, according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland.
Most of the region was expected to pick up 2 to 4 inches of snow through sunrise, with slightly higher totals possible from Central Ohio toward Youngstown, where snowfall rates may briefly approach an inch per hour.
Snow is expected to diminish quickly later Tuesday morning as a dry slot moves in from the southwest, though forecasters noted that lake-effect snow showers could redevelop during the afternoon as colder northerly winds flow across Lake Erie.
Models show convergent bands forming over the lake and occasionally pushing onshore, including into the Cleveland metro area. Any additional accumulation should be limited, though.
Conditions are expected to stabilize Tuesday night as high pressure builds in from the southwest, before shifting southeast on Wednesday.
Cleveland, OH
U.S. Marshals offer reward for murder suspect who frequents Cleveland area
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The U.S. Marshals are offering a reward for information that could lead the capture of a man wanted for aggravated murder.
Damon Walton, 33, is suspected in a shooting that took place at a gas station on Fleet Avenue in Cleveland where two people were pronounced dead on scene.
According to the release, Walton is described as a black male, standing 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 176 pounds.
Walton is known to frequent the Cleveland area.
If you have any information, please call the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED or you can send a web tip at the following webpage www.usmarshals.gov/district/oh-n/index.html.
Tipsters can remain anonymous.
Copyright 2025 WOIO. All rights reserved.
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