WKSU News: Portman wants answers on Cincinnati IRS

Friday, May 24, 2013 Portman wants answers on Cincinnati IRS Other noon headlines: Ohio House adds provision to prevent online lottery sales; Third Cuyahoga Falls High School bomb threat

Third Cuyahoga Falls High School bomb threat

Ohio House adds provision to prevent online lottery sales

Portman wants answers on Cincinnati IRS

Portman wants answers on Cincinnati IRS
Ohio's Republican U.S. senator is demanding to know if any disciplinary action has been taken against IRS employees at the agency's Cincinnati office for targeting conservative groups.

Sen. Rob Portman is set to demand answers on the Senate floor in Washington today.

His remarks come a day after he sent a letter to IRS Acting Commissioner Daniel Werfel asking him to identify by name and title every employee in the Cincinnati office who targeted conservative groups and explain if and how they've been punished.

Portman also wants to know whether other employees are under review and who at the IRS is directly responsible for evaluating their involvement.

Workers at the Cincinnati office have declined multiple requests for comment.Three top IRS officials in Washington have been replaced.

Ohio House adds provision to prevent online lottery sales
Ohio House members want to make sure the Ohio Lottery doesn't start selling tickets on the Internet.

A provision in the state budget proposed by the Ohio House would prohibit the lottery from following the lead of other states and selling tickets directly to players via computers and hand-held devices.

Online sales are seen as a way for the lottery to attract younger customers and compete with more glamorous casinos.

Critics see it as an expansion of gambling and worry that minors could buy tickets using their parents' credit or debit cards.

Retailers who use the lottery as a draw and receive commissions also are concerned.

Third Cuyahoga Falls High School bomb threat
Students at Cuyahoga Falls High School have been sent home today after a reported bomb threat – for the third time this year.

The Beacon Journal reports that Cuyahoga Falls Police and Fire are at the scene investigating the threat, which came in by e-mail, as did the previous two.

Superintendent Todd Nichols says the e-mail stated that a combustible device would be at the high schools between 9am and 1:30. Today was supposed to be the last day of school for seniors.

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