Jim Letizia

Police searched a Central Ohio home Thursday for clues in the death of a pregnant woman found in a car parked along a Delaware County road on Wednesday. Authorities did not say if they found anything linked to the case of 23-year-old Deanna Ballman of Pataskala, who was last seen on Tuesday. The Colorado Army National Guard says Ballman was a supply specialist with the 220th Military Police unit and was transferring to a unit in Ohio. 

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has approved a seven year plan by Columbus-based American Electric Power to recover the costs of fuel from its customers. 

State health officials are confirming Ohio's second human case of West Nile virus this year. A 48-year-old Cuayhoga County man is hospitalized with inflammation of the brain. The first case was confirmed last week in Clermont County involving an 85-year-old man who remains hospitalized. The state says more than 445 mosquito pools have tested positive for the virus so far this year, an increase from nearly sixty at this point last year. Ohio has recorded human cases of the virus each year since 2002. There were 21 cases last year. 

The Latest Quinnipiac University Poll shows President Obama holds a six point lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney in Ohio. The President has hit the 50 percent mark in support among likely voters for the first time this year. University of Akron political scientist John Green talks about the numbers with Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles.  

Supporters of a proposed ballot issue legalizing same-sex marriage in Ohio say it's a matter of human rights and equality. Now they're saying it's also a matter of making the economy stronger. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports. 

Republican Pary officials are fielding inquiries from people who want to run for Congressman Steve LaTourette's seat. He announced his retirement on Tuesday. Bill Rice of member station WCPN in Cleveland reports. 

South Euclid police are looking for the suspects who desecrated a Catholic church. The vandals damaged three statues at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church this past weekend, leaving Father David Ireland to wonder why. Ireland says the statues have been placed into storage for repairs, while South Euclid police search for leads and ask the public for tips on the suspects. 

Adam Scott returns to golf today as the defending champion at the Bridgestone Invitational at the historic Firestone Country Club in Akron. It's his first tournament since losing a four-shot lead with four holes to play at the British Open. Scott says after playing in the Bridgestone, he will focus on the final major next week at the PGA Championship in South Carolina. 

Columbus police are warning Hilltop residents to lock their doors and windows after receiving a dozen reports of someone breaking into homes and touching or watching women as they sleep. Columbus Police Sergeant David Pelphrey says multiple suspects may be committing the crimes. Eleven incidents have taken place on the Hilltop and one in Franklinton. Pelphrey says some of the cases date back to December and involve victims of various ages. He says Police are asking the public for assistance and have set up a tip line to catch the suspect or suspects.  

A preliminary Franklin County Coroner's report shows a couple found dead in an East Side apartment last month were wrapped in plastic wrap. The bodies of 36-year-old Jamel Cribbs and his 22-year-old fiancee Jamilia Gammon were found in their Wabash Court apartment July 18th. The report says Cribbs was shot to death while Gammon was strangled. Columbus police say they have no leads on a suspect or a motive in the case. 

A vacant department store will become a polling place for early voters in Franklin County. The County board of elections is leasing the former Kohl's store on Morse Road to allow people to vote ahead of the November election. The three month lease will cost taxpayers 75-thousand dollars. Board members say it has the parking spots and space needed to handle the expected crowds.  Early voting begins October Second. 

An independent group supporting President Obama's re-election is preparing a 30 million dollar advertising blitz in Ohio and five other battleground states for the fall. Priorities USA Action has reserved television ad time in September and October. It was founded last year by two former Obama White House staffers in response to the proliferation of Republican-leaning independent groups that arose after the U.S. Supreme Court eased restrictions on campaign spending in its Citizens United ruling. The group has raised 21 million dollars since its inception.

The World's Longest Yard Sale will attract bargain hunters across parts of Ohio and five other states  along 690 miles of road this weekend. The event begins today and runs through Sunday along U.S. route 127. This marks the 25th year of the yard sale, begun as a way to get travelers to get off the interstate highways to see the local sights and spend some cash in the rural areas. 

Delaware County Sheriff's deputies are calling suspicious the death of a pregnant woman who's body was found Wednesday afternoon. The body of 23-year-old Deanna Ballman was found in the back seat of a vehicle along a road in Harlem Township near the Licking County line. She was last seen in New Albany on Tuesday. Ballman's brother says she was responding to an online classified ad seeking housecleaning help. 

The Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission has issued an air quality alert for Central Ohio today. The agency says high heat, sunshine, and pollutants from vehicles and industry will combine to create unhealthy levels of smog in the air. Children, the elderly, and people with breathing difficulties are encouraged to monitor and limit their outdoor activities.  

The Riffe Gallery in Downtown Columbus is hosting an exhibit through mid October featuring artists and works of art that are described as unconventional and unforeseen. Fred Kight of member station WOUB in Athens reports.

Former Democratic Ohio Governor Ted Strickland is is accusing Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney of being secretive and says he should release more tax returns. Speaking with reporters during President Obama's visit to Mansfield Wednesday, Strickland questioned whether Romney was hiding something from the American people. Republican Ohio House Speaker Bill Batchelder has also suggested Romney would do well to release the forms.

President Obama says Republican challenger Mitt Romney's economic plan would give tax cuts to the richest Americans at the expense of popular tax breaks for most everyone else. On a campaign trip in Mansfield today, the president said Romney's tax proposal would force many people to give up popular tax deductions that allow them to buy a house, afford health care and send their kids to college. He pointed to a new report that concluded Romney's economic plan would shift the tax burden from wealthy taxpayers to low- and middle-class taxpayers.

As the State Auditor continues a comprehensive investigation into alleged data fixing by public school districts, Ohio Governor John Kasich says he supports the probe - but he'll withhold judgment until it's complete. Kasich says he wants the Ohio Board of Education to move forward and resolve the situation quickly so that the public does not question the credibility of the system. State Auditor David Yost hopes to finish the probe by the fall. It began with the Columbus Schools but has since expanded into a statewide probe.

Franklin County officials today began the first of a series of housing demolitions where abandoned properties have reduced home values. They're focusing on 17 vacant homes in Miffling, Clinton, Franklin, Hamilton, and Madison Townships. Funding for Franklin County's Township Nuisance Abatement Demolition Program comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.