Ohio News

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court has scheduled an execution nearly five years in the future for a man convicted of a 1996 killing.

Death row inmate John Stojetz, who is white, was convicted of fatally stabbing 17-year-old Damico Watkins, who was black, at Madison Correctional Institution on April 25, 1996, in what authorities called a race-related slaying.

Madison County Prosecutor Stephen Pronai argued Stojetz has exhausted all his legal options and is also not part of a bigger lawsuit challenging Ohio's lethal injection method.

Defense attorney Michael Benza has said that setting a date now serves no purpose for the criminal justice system, the families involved or Stojetz.

The Supreme Court on Friday set an execution date of March 14, 2024.

At age 70, Mike Dunbar has seen a lot on the water.

“I watch out for other people, a lot,” he said.

He's known people who have died in boating accidents.

“Going full rate of speed, he hit another boat, both boats sank,” he said.

Which is why he makes sure he is alert and safe.

“Particularly on a busy weekend, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day,” Dunbar said.

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, there were 13 deaths statewide in 2015, 12 in 2016, a high of 20 in 2017 and 18 deaths last year.

“Last year, we had 18, 15 of which could have been possibly avoided by wearing life jackets,” said Sergeant Andy Foos with ODNR.

Foos says most accidents and deaths don't happen while people are cruising across the lake quickly. It's when people feel they are safest.

“We see a lot of people put their life jackets on when they are going across the water real fast. We rarely have fatalities when people are cruising across the water. It's usually when they come to a stop to fish,” Foos said.

In addition to the fatalities, ODNR also investigated 148 boating incidents that resulted in 59 injuries.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — If it's true what they say and idle hands are, in fact, the devil's playthings, Rocco Buttliere has never had that problem.

"I don't think so," he said, laughing.

Buttliere grew up with Lego. He also had a love for architecture. Now, at 24 years old with a degree in architecture, he's putting his two loves together.

He's a Lego artist. He travels to different Lego fan conventions, like BrickUniverse this weekend in Columbus at Kasich Hall at the Ohio Expo Center. His creations are Lego replicas from Chicago, New York, San Fransisco, Toronto and London.

"Just landmarks from all over," he said.

Landmarks that took him 10 years to build. Buttliere says he started some of them while he was in high school.

"I have about 50 models on display here," he said. "There's well over half-a-million [pieces] at this point."

Paul Hetherington says his 12 displays at the convention also total about half-a-million pieces.

"It's a lot of pieces," he said. "My fingers hurt when I think of putting them all together."

He's been a Lego fan since he was a child. He started building scaled versions of real-world objects, but then that changed.

"I like to tell people it's like walking through the inside of my mind," Hetherington said.

Hetherington's creations range from Gotham City to a playful Ferris wheel, to a giant Lego mini figure and a small Lego city.

Hetherington and Buttliere say it's creativity that sparks the interest of those who attend conventions.

"It's great to be able to see, I think, for kids and parents what you can do with Lego and how far you can take it," Buttliere said.

"It's pretty cool to see people smile and point and make all these comments," Hetherington said. "Things like maybe you hadn't even thought about when you were building it just to get peoples' different perspectives."

Attractions at the Brick Universe Lego Fan Convention include Lego displays, merchandise vendors, Lego Star Wars building areas and Big Brick Building for younger visitors to enjoy. The convention runs Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

For more information on ticket prices and the convention in general, click here.

"Jeopardy!" champion James Holzhauer won $2.065 million on Friday night, putting him even closer to all-time champion Ken Jennings $2.5 million record. With an average pot of about $76,000, Holzhauer will surpass Jennings' $2.52 million record in about seven more games if he keeps the streak going.

Holzhauer got "What is Sun Valley?" as the Final Jeopardy! question, with total winnings for Friday at $74,400. On Thursday, he won by the smallest amount yet,

Holzhauer, a professional gambler who lives in Las Vegas, is known for both starting out at the bottom of the board (aka the high dollar amounts), seeking out the Daily Double and betting it all. He now holds the top 10 slots on the show's Hall of Fame page for the most winnings.

"About a month and a half ago, the one-day record for winnings in an episode of 'Jeopardy!' was $77,000," Trebek said on Thursday. "That record had stood for many, many years. Our current champion, James, is averaging more than $77,000 per show. Every. Day. Scary stuff."

Although ratings for "Jeopardy!" have jumped during Holzhauer's run, he has also sparked a range of reactions, from admiration to criticism for "breaking" the game with his aggressive betting strategy.

Jennings said he's rooting for Holzhauer to keep winning. And the producers of "Jeopardy!" are likely hoping for the same. The show's viewership has risen during his winning streak, making it the most-watched syndicated show for three straight weeks. When the program recently aired a "Teacher Tournament" without Holzhauer, its ratings plunged 27%.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked a Mississippi law that would ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, at about six weeks of pregnancy.

"Here we go again," U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves wrote in his order. "Mississippi has passed another law banning abortions prior to viability."

His new order stops the law from taking effect July 1. Reeves is the same judge who struck down a 2018 Mississippi law to ban abortion at 15 weeks.

Mississippi is one of several states that have pushed this year to enact bans on early abortions. Opponents of abortion are emboldened by new conservative Supreme Court justices and are looking for ways to challenge the court's 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.

Reeves heard arguments Tuesday from attorneys for the state's only abortion clinic, who said the law would effectively eliminate all abortions in Mississippi because cardiac activity is often first detectable when many women may not know they are pregnant. Lawyers with the state attorney general's office said the law should be allowed to take effect because it is not a complete ban on abortion but is, rather, a limit on when the procedure could be done.

Alabama's Republican governor recently signed a law to ban most abortions . Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Ohio have enacted or neared approval of measures barring abortion once there's a detectable fetal heartbeat. Missouri lawmakers approved an eight-week ban. All of those laws are expected to face legal challenges, and the Kentucky one was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in March.

Reeves ruled last year that Mississippi's 15-week ban is unconstitutional because it would prohibit access to abortion before a fetus could survive outside the pregnant woman's body. Viability is generally considered to be about 23 or 24 weeks.

In an indication of which way he is leaning on the request to block the new law with the earlier ban, Reeves asked attorneys Tuesday: "Doesn't it boil down to: Six is less than 15?"

Also during the hearing, Reeves criticized Mississippi lawmakers for passing an earlier ban after he struck down the one at 15 weeks.

"It sure smacks of defiance to this court," he said.

Reeves will hear arguments later about the question of whether the six-week ban is constitutional. He wrote Friday that the new law "prevents a woman's free choice, which is central to personal dignity and autonomy. This injury outweighs any interest the State might have in banning abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat."

The state is appealing Reeves' ruling on the 15-week ban, and Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed the new law in March. The state's only abortion clinic, Jackson Women's Health Organization, quickly sued the state.

Bryant said in a statement Friday that he is disappointed in Reeves' ruling.

"As governor, I've pledged to do all I can to protect life," Bryant said. "Time and time again the Legislature and I have done just that."

The Mississippi law says physicians who perform abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected could face revocation of their state medical licenses. It also says abortions could be allowed after a fetal heartbeat is found if a pregnancy endangers a woman's life or one of her major bodily functions. Senators rejected an amendment that would have allowed exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest.

Tournament officials with the Memorial Tournament have announced the field for this year.

The contingent of 120 players represents 45 major championship titles, and features FedExCup points leader Matt Kuchar, 2018Memorial Tournament winner Bryson DeChambeau, three-time major champion Jordan Spieth and Woods, a five-time Memorial winner.

This year’s field features seven of the world’s top 10. A total of 12 past Memorial winners will be returning to Muirfield Village Golf Club.

The invitational golf tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus is celebrating its 44th year and will be held May 27 through June 2.

2019 Field of Competitors (as of 5/24/19)

• Byeong Hun An
• Abraham Ancer​
• Kiradech Aphibarnrat​
• Ryan Armour
• Aaron Baddeley​
• Daniel Berger
• Keegan Bradley
• Bronson Burgoon​
• Chesson Hadley
• Adam Hadwin
• Brian Harman
• Tyrrell Hatton
• Charley Hoffman
• J.B.Holmes
• Max Homa
• Billy Horschel
• Beau Hossler
• Charles Howell III
• Sungjae Im
• Sung Kang
• Martin Kaymer
• Michael Kim
• Si Woo Kim
• Whee Kim
• Kevin Kisner
• Patton Kizzire
• Jason Kokrak
• Matt Kuchar
• Anirban Lahiri
• Sam Burns
• Rafa Cabrera Bello
• Patrick Cantlay​
• Bud Cauley​
• Cameron Champ
• Choi, K.J.
• Stewart Cink​
• Corey Conners​
• Austin Cook
• Joel Dahmen​
• Jason Day
• Bryson DeChambeau​
• Luke Donald
• Jason Dufner​
• Ernie Els
• Matt Every
• Tony Finau
• Matthew Fitzpatrick
• Rickie Fowler
• Ryan Fox
• Jim Furyk
• Brice Garnett
• Brian Gay
• Lucas Glover
• Talor Gooch
• Branden Grace
• Emiliano Grillo
• Will Grimmer
• Bill Haas
• Andrew Landry
• Danny Lee
• Kyoung-Hoon Lee
• Marc Leishman
• Haotong Li
• David Lingmerth
• David Lipsky
• Luke List
• Adam Long
• Joost Luiten
• Hideki Matsuyama
• Rory McIlroy
• Troy Merritt
• Phil Mickelson
• Keith Mitchell
• Ryan Moore
• Kevin Na
• Alex Noren​
• Thorbjørn Olesen​
• Louis Oosthuizen​
• Alvaro Ortiz
• Carlos Ortiz
• Pat Perez
• J.T. Poston
• Ted Potter, Jr.
• Andrew Putnam
• Jovan Rebula​
• Justin Rose
• Sam Ryder
• Rory Sabbatini​
• Xander Schauffele​
• Adam Schenk​
• Adam Scott
• Shubhankar Sharma
• Vijay Singh
• Cameron Smith
• J.J. Spaun​
• Jordan Spieth​
• Scott Stallings
• Kyle Stanley
• Brendan Steele
• Henrik Stenson​
• Robert Streb​
• Kevin Streelman​
• Steve Stricker​
• Brian Stuard​
• Justin Suh
• Vaughn Taylor
• Justin Thomas
• Michael Thompson
• Martin Trainer
• Peter Uihlein​
• Harold Varner III
• Jhonattan Vegas
• Nick Watney​
• Boo Weekley​
• Danny Willett​
• Aaron Wise
• Gary Woodland
• Tiger Woods
• Norman Xiong

Alternates

• Scott Brown
• Russell Knox
• Matt Jones
• Kelly Kraft
• Tom Hoge​
• Chris Stroud
• Richy Werenski​
• Russell Henley
• Ollie Schniederjans​
• Denny McCarthy
• Trey Mullinax​
• Nick Taylor
• Brandon Harkins​
• Wyndham Clark
• Peter Malnati

COLUMBUS (WBNS) – The family of murdered Ohio State student Reagan Tokes has turned to the Ohio Supreme Court - asking for the ability to sue the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction after the state Court of Claims and the Tenth Appellate District Court tossed out the family’s lawsuit.

The Tokes have argued in court filings that the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation was negligent in that it failed to adequately monitor Tokes’ killer, Brian Golsby, a convicted sex offender who was released from prison three months before Tokes’ death.

Tokes was kidnapped after leaving her job at a Short North bar, raped and taken to Scioto Grove Metro Park where she was fatally shot twice in the head. Golsby was convicted last spring and sentenced to a life term in prison without the possibility of parole. At the time of Tokes’ murder, Golsby, was under the watch of the Adult Parole Authority and had been assigned a GPS ankle monitor.

A series of 10 Investigates reports exposed how Golsby was not closely monitored, nor was he sanctioned by his parole officers, despite having violated the terms of his post-release supervision three times by violating curfew, going AWOL from his halfway house, the Exit Program, and failing to charge his GPS ankle monitor.

The Tokes family sued ODRC claiming that “DRC’s negligent monitoring and supervision of Golsby led to Ms. Tokes’ death such that DRC is liable for Golsby’s actions.”

The state alleged in its filings that it was immune from being sued and had no special relationship to protect Tokes.

The Court of Claims and the Court of Appeals both agreed.

The Tokes are now asking that the State Supreme Court weigh in.

COLUMBUS (WBNS) – In recent months, Mount Carmel has paid out more than $2 million to the families of patients who died in the overdose scandal at its hospitals.

Half of that $2 million figure – about $1.1 million - came from two recent settlements that were filed this week, 10 Investigates has learned.

In one of the settlements, the family of Robert Lee, the Mount Carmel patient who died at St. Ann’s hospital in 2017, alleges that hospital records show that Dr. William Husel first ordered a fatal dose of fentanyl before having an “end of life” conversation with the family.

That new allegation emerged in a settlement document, which was obtained by 10 Investigates.

Lee, a former educator and coach from Upper Sandusky, was taken to Mount Carmel in October of 2017 after suffering a cardiac arrest. He died the next morning.

According to the settlement document, “In December of 2018, Mrs. Lee was notified by the Mount Carmel that Dr. William Husel, a critical care specialist employed by the health system, had ordered the administration of a fatal dose (550 mcg) of Fentanyl to Mr. Lee. A Mount Carmel nurse carried out Dr. Husel’s order by doing just that. Significantly, according to hospital records, Dr. Husel had an “end of life” discussion with the family several minutes after he had ordered the fatal dose of Fentanyl. Based on that, it appears that Dr. Husel made the unwarranted decision to end Mr. Lee’s life before he had discussed that with the family. While family members agreed that life support would be withdrawn, they did not agree to anything that would have hastened the death of their loved one.”

A 10 Investigates review of records from state health inspectors working on behalf of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shows that a nurse practitioner had spoken to Lee’s wife on October 12, 2017 and that she had agreed to not resuscitate the patient in the event the heart stopped.

Those same records show that Dr. Husel noted in his physician’s progress note that the family “was in full agreement to withdraw care” at 7:19 a.m. on October 13, 2017. At the same time – 7:19 a.m. – an order was placed for fentanyl.

A call seeking clarity was placed with the attorney for Lee.

10 Investigates also reached out to Mount Carmel and attorneys for Dr. Husel seeking comment.

The family of Lee had not filed a wrongful death lawsuit, but will receive $675,000 from Mount Carmel Health System as part of a settlement agreement. The attorney for Lee’s family will receive $135,000 – meaning the remaining $540,000 will be disbursed to Lee’s widow and children.

An attorney for the Lee family said the settlement included a confidentiality clause, so he could not comment beyond the records filed in court.

The attorney said the Lee family would not be commenting.

10 Investigates has also uncovered details of another settlement involving a Mount Carmel patient. The family of Ryan Hayes, a Mount Carmel West patient who received 2,000 micrograms of fentanyl, will receive a settlement of $485,000.

Combined these two recent settlements combined for $1.1 million.

All told, Mount Carmel has paid out more than $2.1 million in settlements to at least eight families of Mount Carmel patients believed to have been impacted by the patient overdose scandal.

To date, 35 patients are believed to have received excessive – or in some cases potentially fatal – doses of pain medications. Nearly all of the patients were on ventilators and received drugs like fentanyl or dilaudid while or after their ventilators were being removed. All of the patients who died were under the care of Dr. William Husel, who the hospital fired in December after an internal investigation.

In 24 of the 27 patient cases reviewed by state health inspectors working on behalf of CMS, the inspectors found that Husel used an override function on an automated medication dispensing system to bypass the hospital’s pharmacy and gain access to large doses of medication.

The hospital has since changed several internal policies, including placing caps on how much medication can be used and requiring that nurses and doctors first get pharmacy approval before administering drugs to patients who are being extubated.

The state medical board suspended the license of Husel. He has declined to comment. His attorney, Richard Blake, has said that he did not intend to kill these patients.

Statement from Mount Carmel

"It is our hope that these settlements will bring some measure of closure and comfort to the families. We are committed to doing what is right and fair for all families affected by this tragedy. Out of respect for the families, we will not publicly discuss details of these cases."

ZANESVILLE, Ohio — Hundreds of people gathered at Zanesville High School to honor Vice Admiral Albert "Bert" Melrose Calland III (Ret.) on Friday night. The event also was designed as a fundraiser for a new digital billboard at the school and the JROTC program.

"Nice, very nice," Calland said as he saw the tribute for the first time.

A large portrait of Calland now hangs to the left of a digital billboard on the front wall of the school. That billboard will show the names of all of the Zanesville High School students who have served and died for our country. Already, there are more than 100 names dating back to the Civil War.

"By doing the live monitor, outside wall, people can drive up and look at it. It’s going to be heartwarming to those families who’ve lost a loved one in any war, at any time, to know that they have never, ever been forgotten," said Ron Bucci, one of the event organizers and a fellow Zanesville High graduate. "We wanted to make sure that we never, ever forgot those who paid the ultimate price, and Bert was the perfect person to make us all come together and fit."

Friday's event featured a dinner, several speakers and, of course, the unveiling of the new digital billboard.

"It’s over the top for me," Calland said. "I don’t seek that type of recognition. I’m honored, deeply honored, that they’re doing this."

Calland said he was a "good enough" student while at Zanesville, but he excelled at football and swimming. And he knew what he wanted to do when he graduated. But that goal was not military service, at least at first. Originally, Calland wanted to be an oceanographer. That led him to the U.S. Naval Academy. But, once he was there, the call of the military got louder.

He joined the Navy and eventually earned the rank of vice admiral. But he fell short of earning his fourth star, one of his biggest regrets, when he agreed to become deputy director of the CIA.

Before that, Calland also had served as the commander of Seal Team Six, which later went on to take down Osama bin Laden. And he was the first U.S. military flag officer to set foot in Afghanistan after the 9-11 attacks.

He saw a lot in his military career that spanned more than three decades. But it was his wife who brought him to tears on Friday.

"I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my wife," Calland said, choking up a bit. "It’s hard to talk about. She’s been unbelievable. I mean, you can imagine, here I’m gone, and she’s at home, trying to take care of everything, and she’s just remarkable, absolutely remarkable, and I’m the luckiest guy in the world to have her."

Bucci pointed to Calland's warm heart as just one reason he was the perfect person to pay tribute to at the fundraiser. Tickets started at $50 per person, and organizers sold enough to more than cover the cost of the billboard. It will now run from morning until night, every day, to honor the Zanesville students who served and died.

The rest of the proceeds from the fundraiser will go to the JROTC program, which attracted more than 50 students this school year, its first year in existence.

Women diagnosed with the most common form of breast cancer may be getting unnecessary chemotherapy, according to a breast cancer surgeon.

Dr. Deepa Halaharvi is now part of a national campaign for informing women of their say in whether the treatment is best for them.

Dr. Halaharvi, a breast cancer surgeon at OhioHealth and breast cancer survivor says the Oncotype DX test is critical to giving patients the most information about their breast cancer and treatment options.

“I’m not saying chemotherapy is bad,” Dr. Halaharvi said. It is optimal for women to understand they can ask their health care providers for a review of the best options for treating their breast cancer.

The Oncotype DX is a specific test for patients diagnosed with early-stage — one or two — hormone receptor positive breast cancer. It is scored zero to 100, based on the biology of your tumor.

A Crawford County teacher is off the job and under investigation by Crestline Police for an allegation of sexual misconduct from a student.

The teacher in question works at Crestline Elementary School.

Because he has not been charged with a crime, 10TV is not identifying him.

Crestline Police say they are investigating an allegation of sexual battery involving a student. The accuser is 18, but because of the student-teacher relationship, sexual contact is still a crime. But 10TV has learned this wasn't the teacher's first accusation of inappropriate conduct with a student.

The mother of a now-13-year-old student tells 10TV:

"I contacted the schools in 2016 about the teacher trying to take my male 10-year-old son at the time to an overnight game out of state."

"This man groomed my son... he was supposed to teach and protect him. I have messages from him saying he loved him... he openly admitted to taking students on 'special trips.'"

"I contacted a school board member, city council and the local police, it was briefly discussed and swept under the rug."

"Crestline failed my child and the community. We trusted the wrong people."

Police records obtained by 10TV verify the mother reported the incident.

According to the Crestline Police, the accusations weren't criminal but were concerning.

10TV spoke to Crestline Interim Superintendent John Miller by phone. He wasn't with the district in 2016 and says he learned of the 2016 allegation against the teacher just this week. Based on that, he placed the teacher on leave and says he's now conducting an administrative investigation.

He wants to know three things: whether the teacher had inappropriate contact with that student, whether the district knew about it and what action the district did or did not take.

10TV was unable to reach the teacher for comment.

An Otterbein University student was looking for an apartment in Columbus for his upcoming internships. Lucas, who preferred his last name to not mentioned, had to find an apartment quick and turned to Craigslist after not having luck on other sites.

He said he found a reasonably-priced house on Fairview Avenue for $850. He immediately contacted the owner of the house and began the process.

The owner gave Lucas a lot of information and provided photos of the place. When Lucas asked him to come visit, the owner said it violates the rights of the current leasers.

Lucas said he never had any gut feelings because he was in a hurry and needed to find a place. It wasn't until after the sent the money he started to notice something wasn't right.

The owner, the person Lucas thought was the owner, didn't return his calls. He then did his own research online and found the real owner. He looked up the name on Facebook and began talking with the person who really owns the home.

He said the owner told him this has happened before.

Westerville Police Division acting Chief Holly Murchland said unfortunately, this happens often.

She said the problem with these types of scams is they may be difficult to solve because the person could live states away or in another country. However, she said there are ways investigators could track them down. For example, investigators could use the email address they used and track where it came from.

Chief Murchland said there are ways to prevent this from happening. For starters, she said it is best to do a lot of research before making contact with the owner. Next, look for red flags like the person rushing the process or wanting money to be wired.

She said it is frustrating for their department to see because normally, it happens with young people or the elderly.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday put on hold court orders in Michigan and Ohio to redraw electoral maps that federal judges found were too partisan.

The high court action comes as it is weighing cases from Maryland and North Carolina that raise similar issues and could affect redistricting everywhere.

The brief orders from the justices do not telegraph the outcome of the redistricting cases that are expected to be decided by the end of June. They more likely reflect that whatever the court decides probably will affect rulings that struck down legislative and congressional districts in Michigan and congressional districts in Ohio.

Ohio lawmakers faced a June 14 deadline to draw new congressional districts, or have the courts do it for them. The deadline in Michigan was Aug. 1.

Judges in both states ordered new maps for the 2020 elections after they found Republicans who controlled the redistricting process in 2011 unconstitutionally created districts that essentially guaranteed continued Republican dominance for the 10 years the political maps would be used.

State and congressional districts are redrawn following the once-a-decade census to account for population shifts.

Michigan is among five states where Republicans retained control of the state House even though Democratic candidates won more votes statewide last fall, an analysis by The Associated Press found.

In the Michigan case, judges ordered new maps for nine of 14 congressional seats and 25 of 148 legislative districts. Adjacent districts also would be affected.

Ohio has 12 Republican congressmen and four Democratic representatives under the current map, which went into effect for the 2012 elections.

The Supreme Court is considering redistricting challenges into congressional maps drawn by Republicans in North Carolina and Democrats in Maryland. The court could set the first limits on drawing districts for partisan advantage. Or it could say that disputes over the practice known as partisan gerrymandering are essentially political fights that don't belong in federal court.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. will bolster its military presence in the Middle East with an additional 1,500 troops, President Donald Trump said Friday amid heightened tensions with Iran.

Trump said the troops would have a "mostly protective" role as part of a build-up that began this month in response to what the U.S said was a threat from Iran without providing details or evidence.

"We are going to be sending a relatively small number of troops, mostly protective," the president told reporters at the White House before setting off on a trip to Japan. "Some very talented people are going to the Middle East right now and we'll see what happens."

Trump has in recent weeks alternated between tough talk toward Iran and a more conciliatory message, insisting he is open to negotiations with the Islamic Republic. He seemed to downplay the prospect of conflict when he spoke at the White House.

"Right now, I don't think Iran wants to fight and I certainly don't think they want to fight with us," he said.

The administration notified Congress earlier in the day about the troop plans.

The forces would number "roughly" 1,500 and would deploy in the coming weeks, "with their primary responsibilities and activities being defensive in nature," according to a copy of the notification obtained by The Associated Press.

Their mission would include protecting U.S. forces already in the region and ensuring freedom of navigation, the notification said.

Earlier this week, officials said Pentagon planners had outlined proposals that could have sent up to 10,000 military reinforcements to the region. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan later said planners hadn't settled on a figure.

The U.S. has tens of thousands of troops in the Middle East, including at a major Navy base in Bahrain and an Air Force base and operations center in Qatar. There are about 5,200 troops in Iraq and 2,000 in Syria.

Earlier this month, the U.S. sent thousands more into the region around Iran, including an aircraft carrier strike group, four bomber aircraft and fighter jets in response to the unspecified threat.

Tension had been rising with Iran for more than a year. The Trump administration withdrew last year from the 2015 nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and world powers and reinstated American sanctions that have badly damaged the Iranian economy.

The president has argued that the nuclear deal failed to sufficiently curb Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons or halt its support for militias throughout the Middle East that the U.S. argues destabilize the region.

Volunteers spent Friday putting the finishing touches for the 11th annual Field of Heroes in Westerville.

The Field of Heroes is a display more than 3,000 American Flags set up across from the Westerville Community Center on Cleveland Avenue.

The event gives the community members an opportunity to honor their personal heroes.

Organizer Larry Jenkins said he came up with the event to bring the meaning of Memorial Day back.

Currently, he has 300 volunteers who spend the start of the Memorial Day weekend planting flags at strategically marked spots.

The theme for 2019 is “Welcome Home”, honoring those who served the country and the families who remained behind to protect their homes and maintain everyday life for their loved ones.

On Saturday afternoon, the Field of Heroes will feature a theatrical performance by the Westerville Library as well as a free concert Westerville Community Concert Band, followed by a performance of Echo Taps.

The Field of Heroes 5K Run/Walk will be held on Sunday and benefits Marine Corps Family Support Community.

Other weekend events include a Sunday memorial ceremony, closing ceremony on Monday, a flag retirement ceremony led by the Boy Scouts, and the nightly playing of “Taps” at sunset.

You can visit the Field of Heroes 24 hours a day beginning Friday at 5 p.m. through Monday at 1 p.m.

For more information, click here.

BARRON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man was sentenced Friday to life in prison for kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs and killing her parents in a case that mystified authorities for months until the girl made a daring escape from the remote cabin where she was held for 88 days.

Watch Live: Jake Patterson's sentencing:

(Note: The details in this case could be disturbing to some. Viewer discretion is advised.)

Jake Patterson, 21, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping. He admitted to abducting Jayme in October after killing her parents, James and Denise Closs, at the family's home near Barron, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northeast of Minneapolis. Jayme escaped in January from Patterson's cabin near the small and isolated town of Gordon, some 60 miles (97 kilometers) from her home.

In a statement read in court, Jayme said Patterson "thought that he could own me, but he's wrong. I was smarter." She said she wanted to see Patterson "locked up forever."

She did not appear in court, and her guardian read the statement.

Patterson was sentenced to life in prison without possibility for release on each homicide count and 25 years in prison on the kidnapping count. The sentences will be served consecutively. Those were the maximum sentences the judge could impose. Wisconsin does not have the death penalty.

Patterson told authorities he decided Jayme "was the girl he was going to take" after he saw her getting on a school bus near her home, according to a criminal complaint. He told investigators he plotted carefully, including wearing all-black clothing, putting stolen license plates on his car and taking care to leave no fingerprints on his shotgun.

Jayme told police that the night of her abduction, the family dog's barking awoke her, and she went to wake up her parents as a car came up the driveway. While her father went to the front door, Jayme and her mother hid in the bathroom, clutching each other in the bathtub, the shower curtain pulled shut.

Patterson shot Jayme's father as he entered the house, then found Jayme and her mother. He told detectives he wrapped tape around Jayme's mouth and head, taped her hands behind her back and taped her ankles together, then shot her mother in the head. He told police he dragged Jayme outside and threw her in the trunk of his car, the complaint said.

At his cabin, Patterson forced Jayme to hide under a bed when he had friends over and penned her in with tote boxes and weights, warning that if she moved, "bad things could happen to her," according to the complaint. He also turned up the radio so visitors couldn't hear her.

Prosecutors in the county where Jayme was held decided not to bring charges related to anything that might have happened in the cabin, a move that was widely seen as aiming to spare Jayme further pain and keep details private.

Authorities searched for Jayme for months and collected more than 3,500 tips. Jayme escaped on Jan. 10 while Patterson was away and flagged down a woman who was walking a dog. Patterson was arrested minutes later.

COLUMBUS - Police are investigating after they said a body was found in north Columbus.

The body was found at the intersection of Hamilton Avenue and Clinton Street, according to authorities.

Police on the scene said they are investigating this as a homicide.

Stay with 10TV and 10TV.com on this developing story.

MARYSVILLE, Ohio — Two-thousand-eight-hundred dollars can make a huge difference when it comes to raising money for breast cancer awareness and research. The special check presentation to Komen Columbus took place in possibly the most unsuspecting of places: behind prison walls.

Friday, the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville held its 9th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness 5k and Walk. They’ve been doing it since 2011, raising tens of thousands of dollars.

“We’re proud and honored that we can do that in this environment,” said Kathy Layne, who is in prison on a manufacturing conviction. She is serving her fourth year of a mandatory five-year prison sentence. But she says prison isn’t stopping her or the other 130 women taking part in Friday’s Race for the Cure from wanting to give back to the greater good.

“I want my grandkids to know you don’t stop. Sometimes you make mistakes, but if you learn from them, they are life lessons,” Layne said.

Many people might wonder how these women make enough money to donate thousands of dollars every year. Each one of them told 10TV they either hold fundraisers like pizza sales to taking money out of their commissary coffers. Others work in the prison so they can raise the money needed to give to charity.

“I help run the 'Pawsabilites' dog program and we make a lot of money and we give 51% back to our community,” Layne said, who is a 25-year cancer survivor herself. “We work, and when you get in here and realize what you were doing out there was not always right, good people make bad choices and when you get in here and sit down and you’re away from your family, something inside you that wants to give back and this is a great cause.”

You can still donate to Komen Columbus by clicking here.

Date: Wednesday May 22, 2019
Time: 9:15 PM
Duration: 6 minutes
Maximum Elevation: 42°
Approach: 10° above WSW
Departure: 11° above NE

Date: Wednesday May 22, 2019
Time: 10:56 PM
Duration: 1 minute
Maximum Elevation: 13°
Approach: 13° above N
Departure: 10° above NNE