Ohio News Notebook

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Officer benched over comments

A Columbus police officer is being pulled from patrol duties over comments he made following an arrest captured on a cellphone video that showed other officers kicking and punching the man.

Columbus Police Chief Kimberley Jacobs says she is appalled by the inappropriate and unprofessional comments made by the officer whose name wasn’t released.

The department says the comments were recorded on a body camera and that the officer didn’t appear to be involved in the arrest.

The Sept. 1 arrest inside a Columbus convenience store is being investigated by the department’s internal affairs unit.

Video shows officers struggling to subdue the suspect and eventually punching and kicking him.

A police spokesman says use of force depends on a suspect’s behavior and police policy does allow for punching and kicking.

Charges dropped against men arrested at RNC

Charges have been dropped against two men accused of hitting police officers during a flag-burning protest at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last year.

The men, 24-year-old Dominique Knox and 38-year-old Joseph Scogin, had pleaded not guilty to striking officers during the protest. Cleveland.com reports the defendants’ lawyers said Wednesday that the county prosecutor had dropped charges.

One of the attorneys, Terry Gilbert, says the decision is a victory for free speech.

Lawyers for the protesters say 12 people still face aggravated disorderly conduct and obstruction charges in Cleveland Municipal Court.

Motorcyclist critical after crash

Authorities say a motorcyclist suffered critical injuries when he struck a tow truck in Sycamore Township.

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office says the motorcyclist, 19-year-old Jackson Hanlon, of Cincinnati, unsuccessfully tried to change lanes to avoid hitting a tow truck that was backing into a private drive. The crash happened around 5:15 p.m. Wednesday.

Hanlon is in critical condition at a local hospital. The tow truck driver, 51-year-old Ronald Henderson, of Amelia, was not injured.

An investigation is continuing.

CEO pleads guilty after crash kills priest

A company chief executive in Ohio has pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide after he flipped his car on an Ohio golf course, killing the priest who was his passenger.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports Jeffery Higgins entered his plea for the misdemeanor charge during a Wednesday hearing.

Higgins crashed the Mustang as he left the Wyoming Golf Club in Cincinnati July 9. The car landed on its roof in a sand trap.

The Rev. Christopher Coleman died in the crash.

Investigators say Higgins was driving around 54 mph while leaving the club. Witnesses say they heard squealing tires and watched the car swerve and roll over an embankment.

The 51-year-old Higgins is president and CEO of Savor Seasonings. He faces a maximum sentence of up to six months in jail.

Texan sentenced for jewelry store robberies

A Texan blamed for more than a dozen jewelry store robberies or attempted holdups must serve 77 years in federal prison and repay nearly $1.6 million.

Marvin Lewis was sentenced Wednesday in Austin for crimes during 2014 and 2015. Prosecutors say the 40-year-old Lewis, who lived in Austin and Houston, targeted jewelry stores in Texas and Ohio.

Jurors in June convicted Lewis of 25 counts including conspiracy, interference with commerce by threats or violence, money laundering and firearms-related charges.

Investigators say the heists included $548,000 worth of diamonds stolen from a jewelry store in Strongsville, Ohio. Other robberies or attempted holdups were in Austin and the Houston area.

A co-defendant, 38-year-old Brandon Grubbs of Houston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to a firearms count and was sentenced to 15 years.

New office for Huffy quick ride away

Bicycle maker Huffy Corp. is moving to a new headquarters in Ohio, but it’s only a short bike ride away.

The 125-year-old company says it’s moving from one Dayton suburb to another and should be settled into its new location by the end of the year.

Huffy says its new office in Miamisburg will give it a lot more space than its current location in Centerville, which is about six miles away.

About 100 people work at Huffy’s headquarters where all of its bikes are designed and its prototypes are showcased.

The Dayton Daily News reports that the bigger headquarters will give the company more space to show off bike samples and allow for more design space.

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Associated Press

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