Midwest
Ohio purging hundreds of noncitizens from state voter rolls amid 2024 election audit
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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is moving to purge hundreds of noncitizens currently registered to vote after an election year audit revealed flaws in state voter rolls.
The audit uncovered 499 individuals who were registered to vote but were not U.S. citizens. The removals announced Thursday include individuals who confirmed their noncitizen status to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. That data was then paired with the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database, which also confirmed them to be noncitizens.
“These individuals failed to respond to notices from the Secretary of State’s office asking that they either confirm their citizenship status or cancel their registration,” LaRose’s office said in a statement.
Officials clarified that any individual losing their registration as a result of Thursday’s action may submit a provisional ballot, which “will be counted upon proof of citizenship.”
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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is moving to purge hundreds of noncitizens currently registered to vote after an election year audit revealed flaws in state voter rolls. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
“I swore an oath to uphold the constitution of our state, and that document clearly states that only United States citizens can participate in Ohio elections,” LaRose told Fox News Digital in a statement. “That means I’m duty-bound to make sure people who haven’t yet earned citizenship in this country aren’t voting. If or when they do become citizens, I’ll be the first one to congratulate them and welcome them to the franchise, but until then the law requires us to remove ineligible registrations to prevent illegal voting.”
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Ohio law requires that in order for a person to be removed from voter rolls, they must have confirmed their lack of citizenship to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles on two separate occasions, and also have updated their voter registration or voted in between the two occasions.
Ohio had previously removed 136 noncitizens from its voter rolls in May. That action came as a result of an internal investigation relying on state data. LaRose called on President Biden’s administration to release the federal SAVE data at the time and the administration complied with the request, leading to Thursday’s action.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is conducting a monthslong audit of the state’s voter rolls.
The improper voter registration could result in prosecution for some, but LaRose cautioned that not all instances are criminal. His office’s Election Integrity Unit will refer cases for criminal prosecution when applicable, however.
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“I want to give these folks the benefit of the doubt and say that most of them didn’t intend to break the law,” LaRose said.
Ohio’s audit remains an ongoing process, and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office says it may announce more voter roll purges as Election Day nears. The state has also removed nearly 155,000 registrations confirmed to be abandoned and inactive for at least four consecutive years. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Ohio’s audit remains an ongoing process, and LaRose’s office says it may announce more voter roll purges as Election Day nears. The state has also removed nearly 155,000 registrations confirmed to be abandoned and inactive for at least four consecutive years.
“We want to make sure a mistaken registration doesn’t become an illegal vote. We also want to make sure that lawfully registered citizens can participate seamlessly in the process,” LaRose said.
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Milwaukee, WI
60th and Vliet crash, Milwaukee man pronounced dead at the scene
Crash investigation at 60th and Vliet
MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man was pronounced dead at the scene of a crash at 60th and Vliet on Saturday morning.
What we know:
It happened at around 11:50 a.m. The Wauwatosa Police Department said investigators determined an SUV was headed west on Vliet Street when it ran a red light at a “high rate of speed,” collided with another vehicle and then hit a tree.
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A 71-year-old Milwaukee man, who was the driver and sole occupant of the SUV, died at the scene.
The Wauwatosa Fire Department, Milwaukee Fire Department and Milwaukee Police Department assisted with the crash response. At Vliet Street, 60th Street is the municipal boundary between Milwaukee and Wauwatosa.
What we don’t know:
Wauwatosa police said details of the crash remain under investigation. Police did not say whether anyone was in the other vehicle that was struck.
The Wisconsin State Patrol is assisting the Wauwatosa Police Department with the investigation.
The Source: FOX6 News went to the scene of the crash and received information from the Wauwatosa Police Department.
Minneapolis, MN
Car fans flock to Minneapolis for Twin Cities Auto Show
At the Minneapolis Convention Center, it’s horns honking, engines revving and car gurus gathering under one big roof.
The Twin Cities Auto Show began on Saturday. This year, it’s running earlier than normal.
“I like the old stuff, you know, the older vehicles. I love ’em,” said Mickey Strickler of Minneapolis.
The show welcomes everyone under the sun to “lookie-loo” or wander in with a purpose. Chris Leeman of Zimmerman is getting a look at possible future rides for his wife.
“We came here just to get kind of an all-around fit and feel of what she might like in the next year or two,” Leeman said. “The Toyota cars right now ain’t quite to the standard that I think I want my wife to be in.”
There’s more than 325 vehicles inside the convention center. Nobody is able to sell or haggle on the showroom floor.
“The show reflects the car business in a lot of ways,” said Scott Lambert, president of the Twin Cities Auto Show. “Electric vehicles are in a big reset right now.”
WCCO spoke to some attendees who gave their opinions of the automotive industry’s current state.
“I think it sucks,” Strickler said. “It’s not like it used to be. It’s hard to find good vehicles now.”
“I like the Mazda 90 because of the inline-six engine,” said Laun Aiken of Sauk Rapids. “I’m old school. I grew up driving inline-six vehicles, and so for them to reintroduce it into their line is kind of interesting.”
The show runs now through Jan. 11. Tickets can be purchased online. First responders get in for free.
Indianapolis, IN
Police recover body of missing teen, RJ Williams, in White River
Robert “RJ” Williams Jr.’s aunt speaks after his body recovered in White River
Patricia Madison, who identified herself as Robert “RJ” Williams’ aunt, speaks to media near where her nephew was recovered from the White River on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Broad Ripple.
Police recovered the body of a missing 16-year-old with autism Jan. 3 in the White River, a few hundred feet from the Broad Ripple McDonald’s, where he was last seen.
Emergency personnel loaded the body of Robert “RJ” Williams Jr., shielded by baby blue sheets, into the coroner’s van Saturday afternoon. Family members stood nearby, grasping each other in hugs. A ‘missing’ poster for Williams was taped to the wooden steps leading down to the water where his body was found.
“RJ was a good kid. He didn’t bother nobody,” Williams’ aunt Patricia Madison said through tears. “He loved his family, and now he’s gone.”
Police had been searching for Williams after he was last seen between a McDonald’s and a bus stop on Dec. 17 in the 1100 block of Broad Ripple Avenue, according to a missing person’s flyer. It also stated that he suffered from mood disorders and had a history of psychosis. The flier also said he had the “mentality of a 10 or 11-year-old.”
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Capt. William Carter said they do not suspect any foul play. Cameras in the area caught footage of Williams walking toward the river dock, he said. They also obtained the last message he sent, he said, where he said he was walking on the ice and sent a picture.
Around 1 p.m. on Jan. 3, an officer identified what looked to be a person under the water’s surface while conducting a drone search. A dive team and first responders then recovered the body, and family members identified him as Williams.
Capt. William Carter speaks after Robert “RJ” Williams Jr. found in White River
Capt. William Carter speaks on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Broad Ripple.
“That’s obviously a heartbreaking development in a case that has deeply affected our community. It’s not the outcome we had hoped for,” Carter said. “We do extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.”
The discovery ended over three weeks of police and community search efforts. On Jan. 2, IMPD confirmed it was shifting to a recovery process, believing he fell into the river. Detectives and IMPD’s K9s searched the area and located a backpack and gym bag belonging to the teen on a dock along White River, police said previously.
Steps away from the river, Madison said it was difficult to know they had been searching for weeks, but he was so close. She said he loved video games and was close with her son. She stressed how close she and Williams were, being both his caregiver and basketball coach, and how she was more than an aunt.
“RJ was loving, caring, and he would do anything for anybody. He didn’t like people to be bullied,” she said. “He loved his dad and his mom and his sisters, all his family very much. RJ was loved by everybody that he came in contact with.”
Now, with closure that he was found, Madison said his family will try to move on. She asked that people with relatives who have mental disabilities keep them close and make sure they are aware of their surroundings.
The case rallied many in the community. Dozens of neighbors have gathered on multiple occasions to search the area and put up posters.
“It means a lot to us because people just came out of nowhere asking to help look for him,” she said. “People we didn’t even know, never met, that was willing to help. They have literally been helping us every single day, looking for him.”
Several of those who sought to find Williams showed up to pray and give support Saturday as police retrieved his body. Debra Porter, who knew the family through school, said the neighborhood came out to uplift the family, and she said she hopes this tragedy brings the community closer.
“Our heart goes out to another mother. Our heart goes out to another family. Our hearts go out to those that are suffering. That’s where our hearts are,” she said. “We come together as one another, just embracing one another and supporting.”
The USA TODAY Network – Indiana’s coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.
Have a story to tell? Reach Cate Charron by email at ccharron@indystar.com, on X at @CateCharron or Signal at @cate.charron.28.
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