Category: Ohio News

Ohio AG Sues to Keep Hebrew Union College’s Rabbinical School in Cincinnati

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has filed a lawsuit to stop Hebrew Union College from closing its rabbinical school in Cincinnati, alleging the move violates a 76-year-old promise that secured millions in donations for the campus. The college plans to shutter the program at the end of the 2025-26 school year due to financial and enrollment issues.

• Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost files lawsuit against Hebrew Union College over plans to close its Cincinnati rabbinical school.

• Lawsuit alleges violation of a 76-year-old promise that led to millions in donations for the Cincinnati campus.

• College cited financial constraints and enrollment issues in decision to sunset the program by end of 2025-26 school year.

• Suit seeks to block campus sale, prevent transfer of restricted donations, and redirect assets to maintain a permanent rabbinical school in Cincinnati.

• Previous 2024 lawsuit over rare sacred texts at Klau Library resulted in an October settlement with protective guardrails.

Cincinnati, Ohio — Ohio’s Attorney General is taking legal action to prevent Hebrew Union College from closing its rabbinical school in the city’s Clifton neighborhood.

The institution decided last year to sunset its rabbinical school program based in Cincinnati and focus instead on its rabbinical schools in Los Angeles and New York. According to an email obtained by WLWT, the university also plans to phase out its PhD and Master of Jewish Studies programs at the Clifton location. The president of Hebrew Union College said the decisions were based on financial constraints as well as enrollment.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost says the college violated its promise to permanently keep a rabbinical school in Cincinnati. “Hebrew Union accepted millions of dollars in donations based on a 76-year-old promise it now would like to break,” Yost said. “We’re suing to keep these assets in Cincinnati where they belong.”

The lawsuit alleges the college violated its founding documents. Because of that promise, donors gave millions of dollars to support the Cincinnati campus over many decades. Yost says the college’s board voted to remove that requirement from its founding documents and close the Cincinnati school, claiming it’s a “breach of charitable trust.”

Yost also alleges the college has since diverted donations intended for the Cincinnati campus to its other locations in New York, Los Angeles and Jerusalem.

The lawsuit is asking the court to prohibit the sale of the Cincinnati campus and block the transfer of restricted donations out of state. The suit also seeks a full accounting of the college’s Ohio-based assets and a court order redirecting them to support a permanent rabbinical campus in Cincinnati.

Yost had previously sued the college in 2024 to prevent the sale of rare sacred texts housed at the Klau Library. A settlement reached in October established guardrails to protect the rare-book collection.

The college plans to shutter its rabbinical school in Cincinnati at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

This legal challenge underscores the tension between the college’s operational decisions and longstanding commitments to the Cincinnati community that helped build and sustain the institution.

Tennessee Man Accused of Luring Colerain Teen to Florida for Criminal Sexual Activity

A Tennessee man faces federal charges after authorities say he lured a missing 16-year-old from Colerain Township to Florida with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Stephen Negron, 42, was tracked to a Florida hotel where the teen was recovered.

• Stephen Negron, 42, of Rogersville, Tennessee, federally charged with transporting a 16-year-old Colerain Township girl with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

• Teen Madison Fields reported missing February 16 after telling her mother she was staying with a friend.

• Investigators tracked her to a Florida hotel with Negron using cell records, security footage, and license plate readers.

• Negron allegedly picked up the teen near her home in a silver Chevrolet truck and took her to Tennessee before traveling to Florida.

• If convicted, Negron faces 10 years to life in prison.

• U.S. Attorney praises multi-agency effort to recover the teen and prosecute those who prey on children.

CINCINNATI, Ohio — A second suspect has been federally charged in the ongoing investigation of a previously missing Colerain Township teenager who was found in Florida.

Stephen Negron, 42, of Rogersville, Tennessee, is accused of transporting 16-year-old Madison Fields with the intent of engaging in criminal sexual activity, according to U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Ohio Dominick Gerace II.

Fields was reported missing Feb. 16 after her parents had not seen or heard from her in three days. She had told her mom she was staying the weekend at a local friend’s house, a place she has stayed before. However, the parent of the friend told police the last time she saw Madison was Feb. 13.

Through cell phone records, security footage, license plate readers and a previous protection order out of Texas, investigators were able to track down the missing girl at a Florida hotel, allegedly with Negron.

If convicted, Negron could face 10 years to life in prison.

“I want to commend the excellent work of the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation, recovery, and prosecution,” said Gerace. “My office is proud to partner with these outstanding public servants to ensure that our children remain safe from those who seek to prey upon them.”

The investigation revealed that Madison’s father believed his daughter may have been meeting a male named Josh. A friend received a text from an unknown number claiming to be the victim saying “Tell (redacted) I’m ok,” but a follow-up response stated “She will get rape, and is being rape.”

Cell phone data showed her device powered off at 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 near Cheviot and West Galbraith roads in Cincinnati. Footage from a Thorntons gas station captured a silver Chevrolet truck with Tennessee plates at the same time and location. The truck reportedly made a roundtrip from Tennessee to Cincinnati.

An individual told police that Madison had met a person online called “Dad Bod,” believed to be around 40 years old, and had previously stayed with him at a hotel. She was thought to be with that man after her disappearance.

Surveillance at Negron’s Rogersville home and discovery of a 2024 protection order from Texas involving another teen further linked him to the case. During a search of his home, authorities found a similar backpack to the one Madison had when she went missing, teenage girl’s clothes, and items connected to a phone number assigned to Negron.

That phone number later pinged to the Quality Inn & Suites at Palatka Riverfront Hotel in Palatka, Florida. Negron was located there with the minor in room 142 and arrested.

The teen told officials she met Negron on Tumblr. He reportedly told her he could give her a better life, provide necessities and clothes, and that it was okay she was 16. He allegedly picked her up down the street from her residence in a grey Silverado, had her delete things from her phone, and destroyed it. Once at his home in Tennessee, the situation reportedly differed from what she expected, with Negron stating he would have taken her even if she were younger than 16.

Negron was arrested on charges out of the Eastern District of Tennessee and will be transferred to the Southern District of Ohio to face charges involving the Colerain teen.

Authorities continue to emphasize the importance of collaborative law enforcement efforts in protecting minors from online predators and ensuring swift recovery and accountability in cases like this.

High-Stakes Heist: Thieves Vanish with Over 400,000 KitKat Bars

Excerpt: Police are searching for a stolen semi-trailer loaded with more than 413,000 KitKat bars. Nestlé and local authorities are investigating the massive heist as they look for leads on the missing cargo and the suspects behind the coordinated theft.

Summmay

• A semi-trailer containing more than 413,000 KitKat candy bars has been stolen.

• Nestlé officials confirmed the massive loss, noting the high value of the specialized cargo.

• Law enforcement is currently tracking leads to locate the vehicle and the hundreds of thousands of missing snacks.

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Authorities are searching for a missing semi-truck today, but it’s not just the vehicle they’re worried about. It’s the cargo inside. Nestlé has confirmed that thieves have made off with a trailer packed with more than 413,000 KitKat bars, leaving investigators to figure out how such a massive haul vanished without a trace.

The theft, which occurred over the weekend, involves a significant logistical hit for the candy giant. While cargo theft is a growing concern for retailers across the country, the scale of this particular “sweet” heist has caught the attention of both local police and industry experts. This wasn’t a crime of opportunity for a quick snack; this was a coordinated effort to move a massive amount of inventory.

Nestlé issued a statement confirming they are working closely with law enforcement to track the shipment. At this time, it is unclear if the thieves targeted the truck specifically for its chocolatey contents or if they simply got lucky with a high-volume trailer.

The primary concern for investigators now is the resale market. With over 400,000 bars missing, officials say it is likely the product will be offloaded to smaller, independent retailers or sold through secondary online markets. The sheer volume of the KitKats—valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars—makes it one of the more unique cargo thefts reported this year.

As of Sunday morning, no arrests have been made. Police are asking anyone who may have seen a suspicious semi-trailer or anyone attempting to sell KitKats in bulk to come forward as the investigation continues.

 ‘A Hero’s Welcome’: Fallen Ohio Airmen Return Home for Final Rest

The remains of fallen Ohio airmen are returning home to Columbus this week for final honors and burial. Following a tragic mission overseas, local communities are preparing to pay their respects as the heroes are escorted back to their families.

SUMMARY

• The remains of fallen Ohio U.S. Air Force members are scheduled to arrive in Columbus this week.

• Honors and motorcades are planned to escort the service members to their final resting places.

• The homecomings follow months of recovery and identification efforts after a tragic training mission accident.

• Local communities are being encouraged to line the routes to pay their respects to the fallen.

It is the somber homecoming that no military family ever wishes to experience, but it is one that carries the highest honors a grateful nation can bestow. After months of waiting, the remains of fallen Ohio airmen are finally returning to the soil they swore to protect. For the families, it marks the end of a long, agonizing period of uncertainty and the beginning of a final, painful goodbye. As the transport planes touch down, the focus turns from the tragedy of the mission to the legacy of the men who wore the uniform.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The silence on the tarmac at John Glenn Columbus International Airport will be broken only by the crisp commands of an honor guard as the transfer of remains begins. These airmen, lost during a CV-22B Osprey mission off the coast of Japan last November, are being returned to their loved ones ahead of full military funerals.

Among those being honored are Major Jeffrey Hoernemann of Andover and others who called the Buckeye State home. The logistics of such a return are handled with meticulous precision by the Department of Defense, ensuring that every mile of the journey is marked by reverence. Once the caskets are transferred, motorcades—flanked by law enforcement and the Patriot Guard Riders—will move through the heart of Ohio, passing through the very communities that shaped these men before they took to the skies.

In Columbus and surrounding areas, the “Hero’s Welcome” is more than a formality; it is a community-wide effort to show the families they do not mourn alone. Local officials have signaled that flags will fly at half-staff, and residents are expected to line the overpasses and streets, a silent sentry for the brave. This homecoming follows an intensive recovery operation in the Pacific, a testament to the military’s “no man left behind” creed.

While the investigations into what caused the fatal crash continue at the Pentagon, this week is about the human cost of service. These airmen were more than just names on a flight manifest; they were sons, husbands, and neighbors. As they are laid to rest in the coming days with the folding of the flag and the playing of “Taps,” Ohio reminds us that the price of freedom is often paid by the few, but remembered by the many. We will continue to follow their stories and the support efforts for their families.

Guatemalan National Charged with Brutal Rape of Child in Clermont County; Held on $2 Million Bond

A Guatemalan national is facing life in prison after being charged with the rape of a child in Clermont County, Ohio. With a $2 million bond set and an ICE detainer issued, the case is sparking a fresh wave of concerns over community safety and immigration enforcement.

SUMMARY

• Samuel Ramirez, a 25-year-old Guatemalan national, faces multiple counts of rape in Clermont County, Ohio.

• The victim is a child under the age of 13, according to investigators.

• Authorities say Ramirez was in the country illegally at the time of the alleged crimes.

• A judge has set bond at $2 million as the community reacts to the disturbing details of the case.

Disturbing new details are emerging out of Clermont County, Ohio, where a foreign national is behind bars facing some of the most serious charges a person can face. As the national conversation surrounding border security and local community safety continues to heat up, this case is being held up by many as a worst-case scenario. Samuel Ramirez, a man authorities say should not have been in the country, is now accused of a horrific attack on a vulnerable child.

The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the arrest of 25-year-old Samuel Ramirez following an intensive investigation into reports of sexual assault. According to court documents, the allegations are chilling: Ramirez is accused of the rape of a child under the age of 13.

During his initial court appearance, the gravity of the situation was reflected in the financial requirements for his release. A judge ordered Ramirez to be held on a $2 million bond. Prosecutors argued that the defendant poses a significant flight risk, not only due to the severity of the life-sentence-carrying charges but also because of his immigration status.

Federal immigration authorities have reportedly placed a detainer on Ramirez, confirming that he is a Guatemalan national who entered or remained in the United States illegally. This detail has quickly turned a local criminal matter into a flashpoint for the ongoing national debate over vetting and the enforcement of immigration laws.

Residents in the quiet suburbs of Cincinnati are expressing a mix of shock and outrage. For many, the question isn’t just about the details of the crime, but how the suspect was able to remain in the area undetected before such a tragedy occurred.

As of tonight, Samuel Ramirez remains in the Clermont County Jail. If convicted on all counts, he faces the possibility of life in prison. We are continuing to reach out to ICE and local law enforcement for a full timeline of Ramirez’s history in the United States. This is a developing story, and we will bring you updates as the legal process moves forward in Ohio.