Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne has sparred with County Council over a new jail. And now Cleveland City Council and Mayor Justin Bibb have hit a contentious low over violence in the city. Bibb skipped Wednesday’s council meeting after Safety Committee Chair Mike Polensek announced he would use his personal comment period to talk about what he called “out of control” violence. Last weekend, 24 people were shot in Cleveland and four were killed. The numbers include a dozen people hurt on West Sixth Street in Cleveland early Sunday when a man fired into a crowd of people as the bars and restaurants let out. “The mayor will not subject his cabinet to sit politely for yet another monologue attacking their integrity, ethics and basic functionality,” Bibb’s spokeswoman said. "Real progress takes place with hard work and action, not expressing frustration in front of an audience.” Bibb met with council President Blaine Griffin Thursday. Said Griffin, “You’ve got to have a short memory and a thick skin in this business.” -- Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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Mayor Justin Bibb and City Council President Blaine Griffin talk during 2023 budget hearings earlier this year. Bibb's boycott of council's meeting on Wednesday night appears to be a sign that tensions are growing between the mayor and the 17-member council. |
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City strife: Growing tensions between Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and City Council seemed to go nuclear Wednesday night when the mayor and his entire staff skipped council’s meeting in protest. In what one past council president described as a rare but not unprecedented move, Bibb, along with his directors and chiefs, never showed up to council’s July meeting. Some council members reacted with sharp criticism for the mayor and with threats to hold up legislation, reports Courtney Astolfi. EV charging: Ohio has made arrangements to build more than two dozen new electric vehicle charging stations along highways around the state by 2024, reports Jeremy Pelzer. The 27 new charging stations, each of which will have at least four ports, will be located at gas stations, stores and restaurants along Interstates 70, 71, 76, 77 and 90. Today in Ohio: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a $191 billion, two-year state budget into law that gives him much of what he asked for regarding children. We’re talking about how it helps, as well as Rep. Jim Jordan’s fight with the FBI and whether Barbie can be a feminist, on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Jim Jordan: House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan on Thursday accused the head of the Federal Trade Commission of “harassing” Twitter to the point of obsession at an oversight hearing on the agency. Sabrina Eaton reports the Republican also insisted FTC Chair Lina Khan is “trying to usher in a radical departure from the norms that made the American economy great to a system where her and her cronies have unchecked power over business.” More Jordan: A coalition of Democrat-leaning groups held a news conference to denounce Jim Jordan's attacks against the FBI and Federal Trade Commission, and released a report that described them as “partisan political stunts posing as investigations," Sabrina Eaton reports. Borges appeal: A lobbyist and former GOP chairman who was convicted at trial alongside Ohio’s former House speaker filed notice of an appeal, reports Jake Zuckerman. Matt Borges, who was sentenced to five years in prison, wants the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to intervene. |
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Playground improvements: The City of Cleveland plans to build or improve 17 playgrounds across the city, sourced from $8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding. Lucas Daprile reports it’s part of the city’s $30 million “Back to Basics” infrastructure program, which also includes street resurfacing, speed tables, building roundabouts and more. Irishtown Bend: The board of directors for the Port of Cleveland voted Thursday to approve hiring Cincinnati-based Goettle Inc. to undertake a nearly $60 million project to stabilize the Irishtown Bend hillside, which has threatened for decades to slide into the Cuyahoga River. Steven Litt reports the long-awaited work will include making it possible to create a 23-acre park on the curving, Irishtown slope with spectacular views of the Cleveland skyline on the east side of the river, plus trail connections to Wendy Park on the Lake Erie shoreline and the 101-mile Towpath Trail. Downtown lights: Cleveland’s historic Old Stone Church came alive with light Wednesday night, a small piece of a much larger illumination planned for Public Square and other areas of downtown. Susan Glaser reports that Destination Cleveland, which is spearheading the lighting project, sought to build community support for the effort by staging a mini-show for downtown residents and local businesses. Drought map: Just under a quarter of Ohio is now considered to be in a drought, according to Thursday’s update from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Zachary Smith reports about 24.9% of Ohio is now considered in a moderate drought, slightly lower from last week’s 28.4%. |
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Inflation: Inflation hit a two-year low in June, signaling that the post-pandemic era of rising prices may finally be easing up. Prices were up just 3% year-over-year in June, which is the lowest inflation rate since March 2021, reports Sean McDonnell. University Square: The owner of the largely vacant University Square shopping center has filed for bankruptcy protection in a step it said is an effort to move ahead with the long-ago announced plans to sell the property for a promised redevelopment. Developer Brad Kowit, who along with Gregg Levy has been working for years on plans to buy the property, said Thursday that he is confident that the project will proceed. Startup capital: Startups in Cleveland and elsewhere have had a harder time raising money in a struggling venture capital ecosystem. But 10 local companies were able to raise $95 million in the last few months, reports Sean McDonnell. COVID numbers: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio rose from 1,286 last week to 1,471 this week. Since early June, the weekly case number has bounced up and down, going as low as 1,228 on June 15, reports Julie Washington. Birth control: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first daily oral contraceptive that can be sold without a prescription, making one of the most effective forms of birth control available to American women without a doctor’s visit, reports Gretchen Cuda Kroen. |
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Mass shooting: Hours after nine people were shot in downtown Cleveland’s Warehouse District and taken to the hospital, a group of people pushed through the emergency room doors at MetroHealth Medical Center, causing police to get involved. Molly Walsh reports that the hospital is unsure whether the group was tied to the mass shooting and it is investigating the incident at the emergency room. Newly released videos from Cleveland police show the chaotic scene after a gunman opened fire on crowds of people as they left bars and nightclubs in the Warehouse District on Sunday morning. Shooting suspect: Jaylon Jennings, the 25-year-old Lorain man accused of shooting nine people during a downtown spree on Sunday, was noticeably agitated during his first appearance in Cleveland Municipal Court on Thursday. Jennings, who appeared via a video feed wearing orange jail garb, said “I’m about to be sent to jail for nothing,” reports John Tucker. Voter fraud: A Shaker Heights attorney accused of illegally voting in the last two general elections should be acquitted, in part, because he cast ballots in two states by accident, his attorney argued to a judge. The lawyer for James Saunders, 56, says Saunders did not mean to commit a crime when he cast ballots in both Cuyahoga County and Broward County, Florida, Cory Shaffer reports. Carjacking suspect: A teenager awaiting trial for a 2022 carjacking is accused of cutting off his ankle monitor and committing another carjacking in Cleveland’s Fairfax neighborhood, reports John Tucker. Execution delayed: A Cuyahoga County man sentenced to death for helping to kill several inmates during the 1993 Lucasville prison riot has had his execution date pushed back by Gov. Mike DeWine, Jeremy Pelzer reports. DeWine announced he is rescheduling Keith Lamar’s execution from Nov. 16, 2023, until Jan. 13, 2027. Smuggler sentenced: A federal judge on Thursday sent a Cleveland Heights man to prison for smuggling more than 50 rifle barrels to Saudi Arabia. U.S. District Judge John Adams sentenced Abdulrahman Zalah, 20, to two years and nine months in prison, Adam Ferrise reports. |
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'Good Morning America': Social media influencer Brandon Zingale and his son were on ABC’s “Good Morning America” “Rise and Shine” segment Thursday morning, spotlighting family-friendly activities in The Land, reports Paris Wolfe. Raja Deen Dayal: It’s strangely unsettling to peer into the razor-sharp, beautifully toned photographs of 19th century English colonial gentry, servants and native royals in India, now on view at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Steven Litt reports the 37 photographs in the show portray people who were every bit as alive as we are today when they were captured on glass plate negatives by Raja Deen Dayal (1844-1905), the pre-eminent Indian portrait photographer of his time. Indianapolis: There’s more to Indianapolis than fast cars and basketball. There’s art and culture, revitalized historic spaces and some terrific outdoor places to play. Susan Glaser spent a couple of days in Indianapolis last month and received a refresher course on the many charms of this major Midwestern city, an easy five-hour drive from Cleveland. Best milkshakes: Whether you prefer refreshing and fruity or sweet and decadent, a great milkshake can top off a meal or make for the perfect yummy refreshment on a hot summer’s day. Cleveland.com has partnered with Yelp Cleveland to find the best milkshakes available in restaurants in Northeast Ohio, by county according to their reviewers. CLE movie: Hollywood is coming back to Northeast Ohio, reports Joey Morona. “Shiftstick,” described as a heist/car-chase action movie, is reportedly being produced for release on Hulu. Taste of Tremont: Tremont West Development Corp. expects to attract more than 10,000 people to Professor Avenue for the Taste of Tremont, which showcases restaurants, retail spaces and artists throughout the Tremont community, Marc Bona reports. Things to do: This weekend has plenty of concerts, festivals and shows on the calendar, including Alicia Keys, Taste of Tremont and the Cleveland Irish Cultural Festival, reports Joey Morona. |
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Broadview Heights man killed during drug transaction in Cleveland’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood Read more Boy, 15, uses his grandmother’s stolen vehicle in armed robbery Read more Berea man brandishes firearm during road rage incident Read more Middleburg Heights OKs Aldi building for Pearl Plaza Read more Berea-Midpark High School seniors will pilot open campus concept Read more A salute: Orange Police Sgt. Damian Davis retires Read more Staci Vincent to seek re-election to Orange council; Ryan Bilsky aims to retain seat Read more |
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