Americans watched in horror on TV and social media Wednesday as students from Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga. evacuated the building following a shooting that left four dead and nine injured, according to law enforcement and news reports.

On Aug. 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a final rule that raises the minimum age for certain restrictions on tobacco product sales. These requirements are in line with legislation signed in December 2019 that immediately raised the federal minimum age of sale of tobacco products in the United States from 18 to 21 years of age. Once implemented, the requirements are expected to help decrease underage tobacco sales.

Clairene Jorella was furious. In the northern stretches of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, the Crawford County Board of Canvassers had just opened its meeting to certify the August primary when Jorella, 83 years old and one of two Democrats on the panel, laid into her Republican counterparts.

On Aug. 31, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for an updated version of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine that more closely targets currently circulating variants to provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death.

Since initially flagging hundreds of alleged noncitizens on Ohio’s voter rolls, Secretary of State Frank LaRose has begun sending letters to those who are, in fact, citizens. The letter congratulates them “on being an active participant in our democracy!” and encourages them to make sure their records are up to date.

The Ohio Boat Shrink Wrap Recycling Program is continuing its mission of collecting plastic before it reaches a landfill by helping secure two new grants for its partners.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a settlement with CCU Coal and Construction LLC, located at 5100 Guernsey St. in Bellaire, Ohio, to resolve alleged stormwater discharge violations of the Clean Water Act. Under the terms of the settlement, the company will pay $60,541 in penalties.

The Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO), a division of The Ohio Department of Public Safety, announced recently new educational resources are now available for diverse communities in Ohio to help English Language Learners become licensed drivers.

A Fairfield County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court recently to 100 months in prison for crimes related to child pornography and sextortion.

Michael Bush, 22, of Toledo, has pleaded guilty to robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States, stealing mail collection box keys, and mail theft. The violations took place while a United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier was on a delivery route in July 2023.

About half of adults can identify cigarettes and e-cigarettes, but just one in four would recognize oral nicotine pouches, and these easily available products are growing increasingly popular among teens and young adults, according to a recent study commissioned by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).

The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), recently announced another funding round of approximately $504 million in implementation grants to 12 Tech Hubs to scale up the production of critical technologies, create jobs in innovative industries, strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness and national security, and accelerate the growth of industries of the future in regions across the United States.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is suing a Village of Bremen contractor accused of pocketing almost $11,000 in payments from three consumers but not completing the work.

The Supreme Court of Ohio ruled recently that a state statute permits the refiling of a dismissed lawsuit as long as it is refiled within the designated time limit.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently announced a settlement with Heritage Valley Health System (Heritage Valley), which provides care in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, concerning potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule, following a ransomware attack.