Ohio chairman steps down

The chairman of the Ohio Racing Commission, Luther Heckman, resigned his position Wednesday at the request of Gov. Robert Taft. The resignation follows a report earlier this month by a state inspector that accused racing commission members of accepting meals, trips, and other gifts from the state's racetracks.

Cliff Nelson, who had served as the commission's executive director for more than 20 years, resigned earlier this month in the wake of the investigation, which also found that commission members placed wagers on races run in Ohio.

Scott Borgemenke, a commission member and Taft's former chief policy adviser, was named the commission's interim chairman at Thursday's regularly scheduled commission meeting.