Supreme Court rejects killer’s appeal

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal by a Cleveland man sentenced to die for killing 11 women and hiding the remains in and around his home.

At issue were arguments by 58-year-old Anthony Sowell over the closure of an evidence hearing during his trial and his rejected offer to plead guilty.

Sowell lost the argument in the Ohio Supreme Court and then appealed to the nation’s high court, which turned down the appeal Monday.

The trial judge closed a pre-trial hearing to the public about the admissibility of Sowell’s 11-hour videotaped police interrogation. Sowell’s attorneys objected to the move.

The judge ultimately allowed the use of the video.

A message was left with Sowell’s attorney.

Officer shoots alleged gunmen

AKRON — Police say an officer shot and wounded two men who were threatening people with a gun during a large fight outside an Akron nightclub.

Officials say both men, ages 21 and 23, were seriously injured. Police say they were threatening officers and other people in a downtown bar district early Sunday when an officer opened fire. Police say shots were fired back at the officers, but they were not hurt.

Investigators say a handgun was recovered near one of the men.

The officer who fired the shots has been placed on paid administrative leave. Investigators have not released his name or the names of the injured men.

Toddlers rescued from river

DAYTON — Police say two unresponsive toddlers were pulled from a southwestern Ohio river and taken to a hospital after wandering away from a family gathering at a park.

Authorities didn’t immediately provide an update on the boys’ conditions after they were pulled from the Great Miami River and hospitalized Sunday night in Dayton. Park police indicated that one of the children was responsive and crying by the time he was put into an ambulance.

Recordings of 911 calls indicated that people at the scene attempted to revive the boys using CPR after passing bicyclists spotted them in the water.

5 injured in crash

MARION — The State Highway Patrol says an 11-year-old child was among five people hurt in a three-vehicle crash in north-central Ohio.

The Marion Star reports two drivers were flown to Columbus hospitals after the collisions Sunday afternoon in Marion County.

State troopers say a car failed to yield to oncoming traffic at an intersection and hit a pickup truck, which then struck a third vehicle.

An adult and the child passenger in the truck also were taken to hospitals in Columbus. Authorities didn’t immediately release information about the extent of their injuries.

No charges were immediately filed, but troopers say the crash remains under investigation.

No injuries after man fires at cops

CLEVELAND — Cleveland police say a man running from the scene of a reported robbery fired a shot at a responding officer

Officials say the officer was not harmed.

Police say officers were investigating the robbery report Sunday morning when they heard a struggle inside the home. The officers went to the back of the house and saw two men run out.

Police say one man paused to shoot at the officers before fleeing, but did not hit anyone. Both men got away.

The officer did not return fire.