![Samaria Rice, the mother of Tamir Rice. Tamir was 12 years old when he was shot and killed by police in 2014. [Lisa Ryan / ideastream]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9cc6663/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x720+0+0/resize/840x472!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F3%2F04%2FSamariaRiceSnipes.jpg)
Good morning, iOpeners, on this Monday March 3, 2019.
Rescue crews are searching this morning for a person who drove their car into the Cuyahoga River in the Flats. Police say the vehicle was going down Elm Avenue near the Stonebridge Apartments in the Flats when the driver crossed Riverbed Street, drove through a grassy area and then down into the river. Coast Guard and fire department crews are using inflatable rafts to search for the missing vehicle and driver.
The mother of Tamir Rice is criticizing the police union’s latest effort to re-instate Timothy Loehman, the officer who shot and killed the teen in 2014. The Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association filed an appeal Friday of an arbitrator’s ruling that upheld Loehman’s firing for lying on his application to Cleveland police. In a statement released through her attorney on Sunday, Samaria Rice said it was “unfortunate” that the union “continues to embrace lawlessness in law enforcement.”
An Ohio teenager who made national news after posting on social media that he was getting vaccinated against his mother’s wishes will testify on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Eighteen-year-old Ethan Lindenberger of Norwalk will offer testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which is exploring what is driving preventable disease outbreaks. In a video posted to YouTube, Lindenberger said his mother thought vaccines caused autism and other health complications, despite scientific evidence debunking this belief. Lindenberger’s mother told the publication Undark she did not immunize Ethan because she thought it was the best way to protect him and keep him safe.
Authorities in Summit County are searching for the driver of an SUV that struck and killed a 73-year-old man Sunday while he was getting his newspaper off the sidewalk. Akron police say the SUV veered off course while traveling along Merriman Road in Merriman Hills, hit a tree, struck the man, then hit a light post before speeding away. The car was later found abandoned three miles away.
One person died and several others, including children, were injured in a two-car crash Sunday on Interstate 90. The collision took place in the westbound lanes near E. 55 th Street. Cleveland police have not provided further details.
The Cavs pulled away from the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter to beat them, 107-93. Jordan Clarkson led the Cavs with 18 points. Kevin Love had 16 points and 14 rebounds, his fourth double-double in five games since returning full-time to the lineup. The Cavs split a back-to-back two-game homestand over the weekend. They lost to Detroit on Saturday.
In NHL action, the Columbus Blue Jackets fell to the Winnipeg Jets, 5-2. The Jets’ Blake Wheeler had four of Winnipeg’s five goals.
Weather forecast: It’s the first of several days of colder temperatures for the region. Partly sunny and breezy, high 20. A west wind of 9 to 17 miles per hour will bring wind chill values to -1. Tonight, partly cloudy, low 10. High temperatures will be in the low 20s through Wednesday.
