Thursday, Jan. 8: Legal Appea + Education Grant + Startup Boost
Thursday, Jan. 8
Your local news briefing
5 Headlines You Should Know Today
🎧 Prefer to listen to the news?
Find Wake Up, Cincinnati! on
Spotify,
Apple Podcasts,
YouTube,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Man convicted of forging redistricting petition signatures
A Warren County man has been convicted of falsifying petition signatures in support of a 2024 Ohio redistricting amendment. Xezakia Rouse, 41, of Lebanon, worked for Advanced Micro Targeting, a national petitioning firm, and submitted 226 signatures that were allegedly from local voters. A bipartisan review by the county’s election board determined many were fake. Prosecutors say Rouse’s actions undermine election integrity and public trust. He’ll be sentenced following a pre-sentence investigation. The constitutional amendment—Issue 1—ultimately failed at the ballot box last November.
Miami Township appeals $45M wrongful conviction award
Miami Township in Ohio is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a $45 million federal judgment awarded to Dean Gillispie, a Fairborn man wrongfully imprisoned for over 20 years. A jury found a township detective violated Gillispie’s rights by hiding evidence and conducting flawed lineups. Gillispie was freed with help from the Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, which spent years working to exonerate him. The township says it can’t pay the award and may face bankruptcy. The Sixth Circuit upheld the verdict last year.
UC grant offers free tuition for low-income students
The University of Cincinnati has unveiled the Bearcat Affordability Grant, offering tuition-free education to low-income students starting in fall 2026. Ohio residents from families earning under $75,000 annually who are Pell Grant–eligible will qualify. The initiative, available across all three UC campuses, aims to expand college access and build a strong workforce in southwestern Ohio. University leaders say the grant complements other UC efforts like the CPS Strong initiative and Marian Spencer Scholarship to support student success.
Enable Injections lands $30M for Springdale expansion
One of Cincinnati’s top-funded startups, Enable Injections, has secured an additional $30 million from global pharmaceutical giant Sanofi to ramp up its manufacturing capabilities. The Evendale-based firm developed the EnFuse, a wearable device that lets patients self-administer drugs typically given intravenously in hospitals. Sanofi, a longtime partner, previously contributed to Enable’s $215 million Series C round and a broader $330 million clinical trial using EnFuse. The new funds will support a $120 million manufacturing expansion in Springdale and bolster the startup’s supply chain and commercial growth.
Northern Kentucky dispensaries delayed by supply issues
Over a year after medical marijuana became legal to grow and sell in Kentucky, Northern Kentucky patients still have no access to dispensaries. Bluegrass Cannacare in Florence has delayed its opening due to limited product supply, while NatureMed and C3 Industries await operational status for new locations in Erlanger, Carrollton, and Wilder. The state’s small number of cultivators has constrained availability, with some businesses closing temporarily after opening. Additionally, Kentucky’s 2024 dispensary license lottery faces scrutiny, prompting a state audit over concerns of fairness and transparency.
* Subscription required.
✉️ Do your neighbor a favor — forward this newsletter or send them to our signup page.