Ohio
Hamilton County judicial primary features endorsement by Afroman
Hamilton County has two judicial primaries this Election Day, including one that prompted an endorsement from Afroman, an Ohio-based rapper.
Incumbent Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Chris Wagner will face defense lawyer Bill Gallagher on May 5. There is no Republican challenger, so the winner of the primary will serve as judge.
Wagner was first elected to the bench in 2020, defeating Republican former judge Curt Hartman with 58% of the vote, according to the Hamilton County Board of Elections. He cited jury service reform as one of his achievements on his campaign website and said jurors now serve half the number of days that they used to, and their pay has been increased.
He has been endorsed by the Hamilton County Democratic Party, Commissioner Denise Driehaus and Prosecutor Connie Pillich, among other county and city officials. Wagner was also endorsed by Clyde Bennett, a high-profile defense lawyer who’s represented former judge Tracie Hunter and more recently Rodney Hinton, who is charged with killing a Hamilton County sheriff’s deputy.
Gallagher is a co-founder of the Ohio Innocence Project, which has used new evidence to free or exonerate over 200 people who were imprisoned. He is the founder of Friends to the Indigent, a nonprofit organization that supports lawyers representing clients who otherwise could not afford legal representation.
County officials endorse Wagner, Afroman endorses Gallagher
Afroman, who recently won a defamation lawsuit brought by Adams County deputies, made a video endorsing Gallagher.
Afroman, which is the stage name of Joseph Foreman, sported a star-spangled shirt and sunglasses in the video and said Gallagher is all about people protesting lawfully. A campaign Facebook page for Gallagher said Afroman and Gallagher are friends.
“We don’t need somebody that’s preprogrammed, taking sides and corrupt. He’ll be a just judge, and he’ll help innocent people get out of jail,” he said.
Gallagher said in a video posted on his Facebook page that a lot of judicial candidates made promises about reform after the George Floyd protests in 2020.
“I watched some of those people uphold the promises but a couple didn’t. The one I’m running against is someone who just didn’t uphold all those promises that were made and it’s really time for a change,” he said.
Former public defender faces former judge
There is one other judicial primary this year with Democratic magistrate Sarah Henry running against former judge Glenda Smith.
Henry is a former public defender who is endorsed by the Hamilton County Democratic Party and Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio ACT.
Smith is a former judge who was appointed to the Butler County Area III Court in West Chester by then-Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland in 2008, according to her campaign website. Smith has a history of encounters with law enforcement, including police response to disputes with family members, according to previous Enquirer reporting.
The winner of that primary will face incumbent Republican Court of Common Pleas Judge Chris McDowell in November.
What’s next in the judge races
The primary election is May 5. Early voting started April 7. To check your voter registration or find your polling location, visit VoteOhio.gov.
Common pleas court candidates run in partisan primaries, though the general races are considered nonpartisan and party affiliations do not appear on the general ballot. Common pleas judges in Ohio are elected countywide to six-year terms and are paid $171,982. The judges handle felony cases, ranging from drug possession to robbery to murder, and lawsuits involving more than $15,000.
Courts reporter Kevin Grasha contributed reporting.
Regional politics reporter Erin Glynn can be reached at eglynn@enquirer.com, @ee_glynn on X and @eringlynn on Bluesky.
Ohio
Humane agents removing chickens from Youngstown property
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — First News is working to learn more information after officers served a search warrant Friday afternoon for a building at the corner of Market Street and Pasadena Avenue
When we showed up to the scene, we found Animal Charity of Ohio had humane agents there.
We could also hear what sounded like roosters crowing, and eventually we saw humane agents bringing out several chickens and roosters in cages from the property. Authorities said they removed approximately 30 pairs of roosters and hens.
That brought us to a residence on Glenwood Avenue near the corner of Stadium Street.
So far, we aren’t hearing anything, but a number of officers and humane agents seemed to be knocking on the front door, and seemingly no one answered.
They then all moved behind the house, and one was an officer carrying a sledgehammer and a crowbar. So far we haven’t heard or seen any action.
First News will update this story as we learn more.
Nick Rich contributed to this report.
Ohio
Canadian wildfire smoke forces cancellation of several events in northwest Ohio
ROSSFORD, Ohio — Smoke from Canadian wildfires forced the cancellation of three community events Thursday, including a multi-day festival, a weekly farmers market and a summer concert series finale.
Organizers of the Rossford Balloon & Fireworks Fest, the Perrysburg Farmers Market and the Whitehouse Summer Concert Series each cited hazardous air quality conditions as the reason for their decisions.
Rossford Balloon & Fireworks Fest canceled
Rossford city officials and the Rossford Convention & Visitors Bureau Board jointly decided Thursday to cancel the Rossford Balloon & Fireworks Fest, which was scheduled to run July 17-19.
The Visitors Bureau’s director Beth Genson said in a statement: “The decision to cancel the 2026 Rossford Balloon & Fireworks Fest was made jointly by City officials and the Rossford Convention & Visitors Bureau Board after careful consideration of the hazardous air quality conditions caused by smoke from the Canadian wildfires. The health and safety of our attendees, volunteers, vendors, performers and staff was our highest priority. We recognize how disappointing this is for our community and visitors, but we believe cancelling the event was the responsible decision under these circumstances.”
Perrysburg farmers market, Whitehouse concert also called off
The Perrysburg Chamber of Commerce canceled Thursday’s farmers market in historic downtown Perrysburg. The chamber’s director of tourism Sally Moore said: “The health and safety of our vendors, customers, volunteers, and staff is our top priority. Based on the current hazardous air quality conditions and the guidance we received, we believe cancellation is the safest course of action.”
In Whitehouse, the final performance of the summer concert series at Whitehouse Village Park was also canceled Thursday out of concern for the safety of concertgoers. A spokesman for the series said organizers are hoping to reschedule the final performance in August or September.
Health experts advise staying indoors
Dr. David Geisinger, a pediatric emergency medicine physician, said residents should limit time outdoors while smoke remains in the area.
“We all need to be extra careful, but the children especially, younger kids, anybody with asthma, chronic lung disease, COPD, bronchitis, they would need to be especially careful,” Geisinger said.
Geisinger added that with current air quality index levels, indoor activities are the safer option.
“With this level of air quality index and the smoke, it’s better to do activities that are inside,” he said.
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires was expected to continue affecting air quality into Friday.
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Ohio
Man pleads guilty to inappropriate conduct with minor in Howland
WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – A Warren man indicted in June on charges he had inappropriate conduct with a teenager pleaded guilty Thursday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
Daniel Procopio, 29, pleaded guilty to one third-degree felony count of attempted illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance.
Howland police arrested Procopio following a report filed by the parent of a teenager who reported Procopio had inappropriate contact with the teen. The investigation by Howland police showed Procopio in February 2026 had asked a 16-year-old female to send nude photos of herself to him, according to Assistant Prosecutor Gabriel Wildman.
The crimes are alleged to have taken place in February and March.
Procopio will be sentenced at a later date.
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