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PATRICK AFTOORA-ORSAGOS.

This image taken from video shows Michael David McKee walking into the courtroom on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Rockford, Ill. (WIFR News/Pool Photo via AP)

Ex-husband indicted by grand jury in slaying of couple found in their Ohio home

January 16, 2026

An Ohio grand jury indicted a man in the double homicide of his ex-wife and her husband who were killed in their home last month. Court records show a Franklin County grand jury charged Michael David McKee on Jan. 16, with aggravated murder and aggravated burglary. McKee, a vascular surgeon who was living in Chicago, is charged in the shooting deaths of 39-year-old Monique Tepe and her 37-year-old husband, dentist Dr. Spencer Tepe, in their Columbus home on Dec. 30. Monique Tepe and McKee were divorced in 2017. Authorities apprehended McKee in Rockford, Illinois, last weekend, where he remains in custody. His next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 23.

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FILE - Hoda Abrahim, founder and CEO of, "Love, Inshallah," a matchmaker featured on the series, "Muslim Matchmaker," on Hulu, appears in her home on Aug. 11, 2025, in Conroe, Texas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

How TV shows like ‘Mo’ and ‘Muslim Matchmaker’ allow Arab and Muslim Americans to tell their stories

December 27, 2025

Comedian Mo Amer is gaining attention for his show “Mo,” which explores the journey of a Palestinian refugee family seeking asylum in the U.S. The series is part of a wave of TV shows by Arab or Muslim American creators that aim to tell authentic stories without relying on stereotypes. The second season of “Mo” begins with the main character running a falafel taco stand in Mexico. Other shows like “Muslim Matchmaker” and “#1 Happy Family USA” are also challenging traditional portrayals. Experts say positive representation can influence public opinion and policy, highlighting the importance of diverse storytelling.

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This photo taken from video shows Judge David Hejmanowski, back left, officiating the wedding of Andrea Bates, center, and Jessica Scales at the Historic Jail and Sheriff's Residence on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, in Delaware, Ohio. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos)

Former jail building draws couples for Halloween weddings in Ohio

October 31, 2025

Nine couples got married on Halloween inside a former county jail in central Ohio that was decorated for the holiday. The Delaware County Historical Society has opened the former jail and sheriff’s residence to people getting hitched on Friday. Court employees wore costumes and decorated the space with pumpkins and a spider web. Couples were provided with a way to take mugshot-style photos. They capped the number of weddings at 10 but only nine showed up. There’s no word on whether the tenth bride or groom got spooked.

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Once named opponents in the Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage, now they’re friends

June 25, 2025

The case behind the U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide a decade ago is known as Obergefell v. Hodges. But the two Ohio men whose names became that title weren’t so at odds as it would seem. Now they’re friends. Lead plaintiff Jim Obergefell and then-state health director Rick Hodges met one year after the June 26, 2015, decision, when someone associated with an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization connected them. They met for coffee and hit it off. Though Hodges had represented the state in the professional capacity of his job, it turned out he was personally supportive of same-sex couples seeking the right to marry.

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