Tuesday, Dec. 9: Higher Ed Cuts + Police Discipline + Retail Shakeup
Tuesday, Dec. 9
Your local news briefing
5 Headlines You Should Know Today
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UC axes degrees, Miami consolidates majors under Ohio SB1
The University of Cincinnati is cutting and consolidating degree programs in response to Ohio Senate Bill 1, which mandates the elimination of under-enrolled academic tracks. UC will end its bachelor’s in music composition and two associate’s degrees at its Blue Ash campus. It’s also seeking state approval to merge several arts, sciences, and language programs. Current students will still graduate. At Miami University, leaders preemptively restructured humanities majors into a single world languages program, softening the law’s immediate impact.
CAC director Christina Vassallo departing for Philadelphia arts leadership.
The Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati will see a leadership transition in early 2026. Director Christina Vassallo will step down on January 2 to lead the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage in Philadelphia. Since joining CAC in March 2023, Vassallo has focused on community engagement, financial sustainability, and expanding the center’s artistic vision. Highlights of her tenure include commemorating the 20th anniversary of CAC’s Zaha Hadid-designed building, launching the statewide “Ohio Now” exhibition series, and presenting major exhibitions by Jayson Musson and Vivan Browne. The CAC board will soon name an interim director.
Hamilton officer suspended after slamming handcuffed man into counter
A Hamilton police officer has been suspended for 20 days without pay after slamming a handcuffed 62-year-old man headfirst into a cinderblock counter, rendering him unconscious. Surveillance footage from Sept. 24 shows Officer Stephen Heffernan forcefully taking down Michael Yordy inside the police station booking area. The department later found the officer used “unnecessary or unwarranted violence.” Yordy, who required 14 staples for a head wound, had initially been arrested on a misdemeanor warrant. A felony assault charge against him was later dropped. Heffernan must now undergo training and behavioral counseling.
Kroger pays Ocado $350M, shutters three robotic warehouses
Kroger is paying $350 million in cash to its British partner Ocado as part of a major shake-up in its online grocery fulfillment strategy. The payment accompanies the closure of three underperforming automated distribution centers—in Maryland, Wisconsin, and Florida—and the cancellation of a planned $92 million facility in Charlotte. Kroger reported a $2.6 billion charge for the closures in its third-quarter earnings, resulting in a $1.5 billion operating loss. The grocer says it’s now focusing more on store-based fulfillment and partnerships with third-party delivery apps.
Developers plan $40M income-restricted senior apartments in Norwood
PLK Communities and Birge & Held are teaming up on a $40 million affordable senior housing project in Norwood. The 178-unit development will rise on the former Quality Inn site at Montgomery Road and Maple Avenue, with 112 one-bedrooms and 66 two-bedrooms. Aimed at residents 55 and older, it will be income-restricted and include green features like solar carports. Financing includes $5.5 million from the Cincinnati Development Fund and 4% low-income housing tax credits. Construction is expected to start in 2026.
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