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Northeast Ohio local governments are weighing whether to join Attorney General Dave Yost’s One Ohio plan for dividing state opioid settlement money from drug companies. The proposal would create a statewide foundation, run by both state and local appointees, to distribute 55 percent of any settlement dollars. Another 30 percent would go directly to local governments. The attorney general’s office would receive 15 percent.

Updated: 3:55 p.m., Friday, March 20, 2020 A Lucas County man has died of the coronavirus, the first in Ohio to lose his life to the global pandemic, Gov. Mike DeWine announced at a Friday afternoon news conference. The announcement comes as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ohio rises to 169, with 39 hospitalizations. DeWine described the man, Mark Wagoner Sr., as a well-liked and respected Toledo attorney who was prominent in the state Republican Party.

A new study found people age 50 and older are around 2-and-a-half times more likely to develop a severe case of COVID-19. Being male raised the odds 1.3 times.

Cuyahoga County is struggling to acquire needed protective gear for first responders, and other employees who must enter private homes as part of their work, said County Executive Armond Budish. Speaking at the county’s daily news briefing on the coronavirus pandemic, Budish said there is a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to keep workers safe who have personal contact with the public.

Before Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered barbershops and hair salons closed, Black Cat Barbershop on Cleveland’s West Side wrestled with what do to do. “Every day was this weird tug of war, of like, ‘Should we be open? Is it responsible to be open?’” co-owner Ryan Hardwick said. “It was heavy, it was heavy. I was glad he shut us down. To be honest, it was like, he did it for us. He made the decision for us. And I guess that’s really what we were waiting for.”

The month of April was shaping up as the "cruelest month" for University Heights poet Philip Metres. His readings for poetry month and his book tour was canceled because of the current pandemic. Then on top of all that he got sick.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association canceled all ongoing winter sports tournaments on March 26, just days after Gov. Mike DeWine issued a statewide stay-at-home order. The decision stripped student-athletes across the state of their chances to compete for state championships. The Division I boys basketball tournament had nine teams remaining before the tournament was canceled. One of those teams was the Shaker Heights Red Raiders.

Passover begins today and Holy Week is underway leading up to Easter Sunday. Sometimes memories of holidays can blend together from year to year, but this one will be different for many Northeast Ohioans celebrating during a pandemic. Rev. Micah Sims of Lee Memorial AME Church in Cleveland is all in with virtual church, streaming services, posting updates and conducting much of church life with members staying in their homes.

Like many institutions that welcome the public into their buildings, libraries have had to rethink how to serve patrons during the coronavirus pandemic. Over the last few decades, libraries have made a concerted effort to make much of their material available online. Providing patrons access to that digital collection has proved invaluable in allowing libraries to “remain open,” even if their doors are physically closed.

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to James Mayger of Bloomberg News about China's economy which shrank 6.8% in the first three months of 2020, compared to a year ago — the biggest drop in nearly 3 decades.