Two Ohio officers slain in shooting
WESTERVILLE, Ohio — Two officers were fatally shot at a home in a Columbus suburb Saturday and a suspect is in custody, Ohio police said.
Westerville police said in a statement that the shootings happened Saturday after officers responded to a 911 hang-up call. The officers were shot about noon after entering the residence.
Westerville Police Chief Joe Morbitzer identified the officers as Eric Joering, 39, and Tony Morelli, 54. He said the officers were responding to a “potential domestic situation.”
“The officers gave their lives in defense of others,” Morbitzer said. “They’re true American heroes.”
Police did not identify the suspect at a news conference, but confirmed late Saturday that he was Quentin Lamar Smith, 30. They released reports showing police had been to his home or had dealings with him several times since 2017.
Authorities said he was wounded and was treated at a hospital.
Top official quits at railroad agency
WASHINGTON — Heath Hall has resigned as a top official with the Federal Railroad Administration, a Department of Transportation official said.
His departure follows a report that Hall was also working as a public relations consultant for the Madison County, Miss., sheriff’s office.
Hall’s firm continued to collect payments from the county between July and December, although Hall — who was appointed to the railroad agency in June — had pledged in a federal ethics form that the company wouldn’t be active while he worked at the department, Politico reported Saturday.
The Transportation Department was unaware of the information being reported regarding outside work Hall took on during his time at the railroad agency, the department said in a statement.
Documents from the agency have variously referred to Hall as “acting administrator,” “deputy administrator,” and sometimes both. In its statement the agency said Hall “was not the acting administrator when he resigned.” Hall has been on leave since early January.
President Donald Trump’s administration in July nominated Ronald Batory, retired president and chief operating officer of Conrail Inc., to serve as the permanent head of the railroad agency. A White House spokesman said last week that Senate Democrats have held up Batory’s confirmation.
Buggy bouquets on
border no-go list
SANTA TERESA, N.M. — Customs agents will step up searches for banned flowers being smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico for Valentine’s Day, because of concerns about diseases and pests, federal officials said.
Live plants, seeds and bulbs are not allowed entry into the United States without special permits and documents certifying they are disease-free.
Agriculture specialists will be stationed at El Paso, Texas, ports of entry to inspect flowers and plants being carried over the border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said last week.
A Section on 02/11/2018