Meteor captures attention across Northeast Ohio | Reporters Roundtable

Northeast Ohioans got an unexpected free show in the sky this week when a meteor streaked across the region and broke up over Medina County. According to NASA, the space rock weighed 17,000 pounds and was 6 feet in diameter. It broke apart, traveling more than 40,000 miles per hour creating a wave of pressure and a loud "boom" heard across much of the area. Some cameras were able to catch the streaking ball of fire as it made its descent through the atmosphere. We will talk about the meteor and the scramble for pieces of it left behind on the "Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable." But first, over the last few months, we've been talking about the pushback on data centers in the state due to concerns including noise, water use and demand on the electrical grid. Now some people in rural southern Ohio want voters to decide whether the state should stop rolling out the welcome mat for data centers. The group wants to put it to a vote with a proposed constitutional amendment. The plan to develop a "mega site" in Lorain County hit a snag on Tuesday. Russia Township trustees unanimously voted against an application to rezone 600 acres from agricultural to industrial use. County officials back the plan which supporters have described as a "once in a generation" opportunity. But people living near the project are strongly opposed to the plan. A new Ohio law that bans intoxicating hemp goes into effect today, after efforts to block it fell short. This includes a ban on hemp-infused THC drinks and candies. Changes to Ohio's dangerous dog law are now in effect. Those changes are collectively known as "Avery's Law," named after a teenage girl near Columbus who was attacked by two pitbulls while she was visiting a friend's house for a playdate. Ohio became the 19th state in the nation to ban an election format known as ranked choice voting. The city of Canton has reversed course and will now allow water access for residential properties in Perry Township. The city had stopped approving new requests and service transfers in early February due to an ongoing dispute with Perry Township trustees over a Joint Economic Development District, or JEDD agreement. The monitor overseeing the implementation of a federal consent decree focused on policing reforms in Cleveland has cast doubt on the push to bring process to an end. In mid-February the city and the Department of Justice asked a judge to bring an end to the federal decree which has been in place for more than a decade. Guests: - Matt Richmond, Criminal Justice Reporter, Ideastream Public Media - Abbey Marshall, Reporter, Ideastream Public Media - Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public/Radio TV