The fatal shooting of a teenage girl by a Columbus Police officer has led to protests across the state capital and a push from the governor to lawmakers to pass a bill to create better oversight, training, and accountability for police.

A Columbus officer fired on 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant Tuesday afternoon, killing her.

Police released body cam footage showing the teen swinging a knife toward a woman after scuffling with another. The shooting came at nearly the same time the Derek Chauvin verdict was read in a Minneapolis courtroom.

A jury took less than 11 hours over two days to find Chauvin guilty of unintentional second degree murder, third degree murder, and second degree manslaughter.

In 2020, bystanders captured Floyd's agonizing death on camera as Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than 9 minutes during an arrest.

Public health officials in Ohio are keeping a close watch on the spread of COVID-19 variants in the state as well as the number of people taking vaccines for the coronavirus. We have heard many times, including from Governor Mike DeWine, that ending the pandemic hinges on vaccinations outpacing variants.

This week in Ohio cases of COVID-19 leveled off a bit after moving upward for weeks. The rate of vaccinations in the state also leveled off this week. Vaccine demand has dipped and led to some mass vaccination clinics being canceled, including one planned for the Summit County Fairgrounds. The state's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, says 38% of Ohioans have received their first dose of vaccine. There is some concern that vaccine hesitancy will make it difficult to reach so-called herd immunity for COVID-19.

Cleveland Metroparks unveiled a long-range plan last evening to re-design portions of the lakefront shoreline.

The plan would use sediment dredged from the Cuyahoga River to create park space and a barrier island to protect the shore from waves and storms. The plan also aims to increase access to the lake from east side neighborhoods.

It is known by the acronym CHEERS. CHEERS stands for the much longer: Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resilience Study.

Guests:
Marlene Harris-Taylor, managing producer for health, Ideastream
Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau chief, Ohio Public Radio/TV
Conor Morris, Report for America corps member, Northeast Ohio Solutions Journalism Collaborative