95.1 The Bee

Police are still searching for two suspects after nine people were injured in a mass shooting near downtown Cincinnati early Sunday morning. Eight men and one woman ranging in ages from 23-47 were hospitalized; all nine had been released from University of Cincinnati Medical Center as of 10:30 a.m.

Cincinnati Police Lt. Col. Mike John said that the shooting took place following an altercation between two groups of people shortly before 2 a.m. outside Mr. Pitiful’s bar in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine district, estimating that 15-20 shots were fired in the shooting.

According to Lt. Col. John, as the shooter was actively firing, Officer Joe Shook – who has been with the Cincinnati Police Department since 2016 –  fired a shot. It was unknown whether the bullet struck the shooter, adding that the shooter fled. At a second news conference on Sunday, John said that more shots were fired after the shooter fled, leading police to believe there were at least two shooters.

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said the shooting was “unacceptable” while praising officers for their response:  “The gun violence we are seeing is not the gun violence of the past that was concentrated around the drug trad. We need community support, the citizens of Cincinnati to realize this is a devastating trend and to work with us to resolve the differences without gunfire.”

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A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in California’s Napa County has caused one death and nearly a dozen hospitalizations since mid-July.  Public health officials have found one possible source of the bacteria that causes the illness, with high levels of Legionella bacteria being found in a water sample taken from a cooling tower at Embassy Suites Napa Valley. However, none of those who were sickened had visited or stayed at the hotel.

According to a Napa County statement: “The cooling tower has since been taken offline, which mitigates any ongoing risk to public health.”  Dr. Karen Relucio, the county’s health officer, said in the statement that county and state public health investigators have been working with hotel staff to “remediate the source of exposure, but we must continue to investigate other cooling towers and water sources in the outbreak area, as it is common to find more than one source.”

Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia caused by a bacteria that grows in warm water. People can get Legionnaires’ disease when they breathe in water vapor containing the bacteria. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Outbreaks are commonly associated with buildings or structures that have complex water systems, like hotels and resorts, long-term care facilities, hospitals, and cruise ships. The most likely sources of infection include water used for showering, hot tubs, decorative fountains, and cooling towers.” The disease isn’t contagious, and can be treated with antibiotics, but can be dangerous for some people, such as those with pre-existing conditions. Symptoms include muscle aches, fever and chills.

A dozen Napa County residents have been hospitalized with the disease since July 11. Three remain hospitalized and one person died; the county said that person was over the age of 50 and had “risk factors for severe disease.”

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WNBA star Brittney Griner was found guilty by a Russian court on Thursday on drug smuggling and possession charges, and was sentenced her to nine years in a Russian penal colony.  The verdict came after closing arguments in Griner’s trial at a court near Moscow.

The two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist has been in a Russian jail for almost six months since her arrest at Moscow’s airport in February with two vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her bags.  Cannabis is illegal in Russia, but Griner’s attorneys have argued that she has a valid medical prescription and that she didn’t intentionally pack the cartridges. However in its verdict, the court ruled that Griner had deliberately intended to smuggle cannabis.

The 31-year-old, who’d faced a total of 10 years in prison, pleaded guilty to the charges last month in a bid for leniency from the court. Last week, Griner testified in her own defense, saying she packed the vape cartridges by accident and that she had ‘no intention’ of breaking Russian law. Prosecutors argued for a 9 1/2-year jail sentence for Griner; however, the court rejected those arguments and sentenced Griner to nine years in jail, and a fine of 9 million rubles (equal to about $150,000). The 9-year sentence is considered by many an excessive punishment for Griner possessing less than 2 grams of the cannabis oil. Griner’s attorneys said the verdict was “absolutely unreasonable” and promised to exercise the basketball star’s right to an appeal.

President Joe Biden said he’s doing everything possible to secure Griner’s release: “Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney. It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates. My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and [imprisoned former U.S. Marine] Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.”

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