Ohio
Ohio lawmaker proposes ban on free sports tickets for legislators
COLUMBUS — A Democratic Ohio state lawmaker wants to ban Ohio legislators from accepting free or discounted tickets to professional sporting events, pointing to ethical concerns raised by the state’s $600 million commitment to a new Cleveland Browns stadium.
State Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan, a Parma Democrat, said the legislation would close a loophole that allows lobbyists and team officials to offer lawmakers perks to high-profile games. The bill would require state lawmakers to pay fair market value for any tickets to professional sporting events, regardless of who offers them.
“As legislators, we are often asked to make decisions involving public funding for sports stadiums, arenas and other subsidies to professional franchises,” Brennan said in a statement. “Accepting free or discounted tickets from those very teams—teams that benefit from taxpayer dollars—compromises our credibility and raises serious ethical concerns.”
Brennan pointed to the state budget bill signed by Gov. Mike DeWine last week that allocates $600 million for a new Cleveland Browns stadium in Brook Park as an example of why the legislation is needed.
“Whether it’s a football game, a baseball game, a hockey match or courtside seats at an NBA matchup—if it’s tied to a team we fund with taxpayer dollars, then it’s off limits,” Brennan said. “This isn’t a partisan issue; it’s about restoring trust and setting clear ethical standards.”
An announcement from Brennan’s office said the legislation is expected to be formally introduced in the coming weeks. Brennan is calling for bipartisan support to enhance transparency and accountability in state government.
Ohio law currently states that lawmakers must report gifts valued over $75. They must also report free admission to events if the cost of admission is $25 or more. The proposed legislation would create a blanket prohibition specifically for sports tickets, regardless of value.
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Ohio
Was a rare bird just spotted in Ohio for the first time?
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A bird rarely seen in North America was apparently spotted in Northeast Ohio of all places recently.
A lesser frigatebird was seen flying over Sippo Lake near Canton, according to several bird enthusiasts and photographers.
A photographer named Alex Eberts was kind enough to share his photos with ABC 6. You can see them at the top of this page.
Another photographer named Austin Rice posted this photo on Instagram and shared the details of what he saw on the night of May 23 in Stark County.
If you don’t know much about the lesser frigatebird, a site called eBird.com offers this description:
The smallest of the frigatebirds, but note that the female is larger than the male. Adults are easier to identify than younger birds. Adult males are almost entirely black with a red throat and white spurs emanating outwards from the body onto the wing. Adult females have a black belly and throat, a white breast and hind collar, with similar white spurs on their sides. Juvenile and immature plumages are variable and are best separated from other frigatebirds by size when comparison is possible. Mostly silent except while breeding in oceanic islands. Strongly pelagic during non-breeding season but wind-blown or fatigued birds can be found from continental coasts.
Eberts said in his own Facebook post that the May 23 sighting in Stark County was only the seventh reported sighting of the lesser frigatebird in the contiguous United States. The bird is more likely to be seen near the Indian Ocean, the Southeast Asian seas, Northern Australia to Western and Central Pacific Ocean, according to birdsoftheworld.org.
Ohio
Large police presence breaks up fight at Boardman Park
BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) — Multiple police departments were responding to the report of a large fight at Boardman Park Sunday evening.
Police told our crew on the scene that they received a call around 8:30 p.m. for a large fight at the park involving over 100 people. Boardman Police Chief Todd Werth said the caller reported someone at the park may have a gun.
Due to the nature of the call, mutual aid was requested for multiple surrounding departments.
Chief Werth said officers determined an argument occurred, but there was no physical altercation. He confirmed there was no gun present.
No arrests were made and no one was injured.
People were being ushered out of the park and the park director shut down the park for the night.
Boardman Township officials say they appreciate the quick response of local law enforcement.
Dominic O’Brien contributed to this report.
Ohio
UCLA Could Flip Top 2027 QB Away From Ohio State
Bob Chesney has done a good job at recruiting players from the 2027 high school class.
The 2027 class is Chesney’s first real recruiting class and has so far brought in one of the best in the country, ranking eighth according to 247Sports.
With 19 total commits, Chesney has brought in seven 4-star recruits, with 12 being 3-star, and some being borderline 4-star-caliber recruits who can see a rise in their rankings with a good senior season.
While Chesney has done a good job recruiting players on both the offense and defense, the quarterback has eluded him, and he is still searching for a top quarterback prospect to commit to the Bruins.
Luckily for the Bruins, they have had some success in recruiting top players. Recently, the Bruins will get a visit from Colton Nussmeier this weekend, and are now linked to one of the top committed prospects in Brady Edmunds.
Edmunds As a Prospect
Edmunds is a 4-star prospect and, according to 247Sports, the 16th-ranked quarterback and the 17th-ranked player in the state of California.
247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins describes the 6’5 “quarterback as an experienced pocket passer with a prototypical build that can drive the ball around the field. Edmunds is also capable of escaping from the pocket to pick up a first down with his legs, and is even compared to Tyler Van Dyke from SMU.
Coming from Huntington Beach, California, during his junior season, he led Huntington Beach to an 8-3 record while throwing for 2,724 yards, 32 TDs, and only two INTs on 196-for-288 passing. He also ran the ball 54 times for 147 yards and four TDs.
Ivins does think that while he is very talented, he might need a year to sit behind an experienced quarterback to learn the speed and physicality of the game. If he were to commit to UCLA, he would already have that covered, as Nico Iamaleava would have one more year of eligibility after next season.
Edmunds and UCLA
Edmunds has been off the market since 2024, when he committed to Ohio State under Chip Kelly. Since Kelley’s departure after the Buckeyes championship season, Edmunds has kept his recruitment open while still committed to Ohio State.
UCLA first offered him back in early 2024, when Deshaun Foster was the head coach, and, with Chesney as the new head coach, he has been active in Edmunds’ recruitment.
If Chesney is able to steal away a top quarterback prospect from an elite school within the same conference, it would be a massive win for the program.
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