A New York judge in August ordered the Cleveland Museum of Art to give up an ancient Roman bronze sculpture, long believed to represent Marcus Aurelius, because of a criminal investigation involving antiquities illegally removed from Turkey and trafficked through New York. The museum is challenging that effort. But the museum has made plenty of restitution, including the return of 13 antiquities and one stolen late Gothic processional cross to Italy in 2009. The museum in effect agreed that Italy had made its case. The Cleveland museum has made case-by-case decisions on returning objects to source countries, depending on the facts that emerge in its research. When it comes to a 2,200-year-old Ptolemaic Dynasty-era statue of a man, the museum is returning it to Libya, believing it was looted during World War II.
— Laura
|
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Guardians at Colorado Rockies: Guardians lose to Rockies, 7-4, as Logan Allen falters in shortest start of career Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Sunshine returns |
|
|
"Statue of a Man,'' 200–100 BCE or later, is considered Egyptian from the Greco-Roman period (332 BCE–395 CE) and from the Ptolemaic Dynasty (305–30 BCE). (Cleveland Museum of Art) |
|
|
Returning art: Under an agreement announced jointly by the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Department of Antiquities of the State of Libya, the museum will voluntarily recognize a 2,200-year-old Ptolemaic Dynasty-era statue as the property of Libya, reports Steven Litt. Affordable housing: The state awarded nearly $30 million in grants to construct or rejuvenate single-family homes, part of a modest answer to a statewide shortfall in the affordable housing supply. Jake Zuckerman reports the money is the first tranche of a $100 million program created in the state budget, which offers grants to landbanks to buy, fix up, or build new homes for low-income earners. Weirdo cats: A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers are again pushing one of their pet issues: getting the state Bureau of Motor Vehicles to issue a “Weirdo Cat Lovers of Cleveland” license plate, reports Jeremy Pelzer. House Bill 586, introduced earlier this month, would allow Ohio motorists to pay an extra $25 to get one of the plates. Today in Ohio: National Democrats have a solution for getting around an Ohio law that has threatened to prevent President Joe Biden from appearing on the ballot while Republican legislators dither. We’re talking about the timing, and who looks worse, on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
|
|
Biden ballot: Republican state lawmakers are pressing on with their special legislative session, even though the national Democratic Party has acted to ensure a state candidate deadline won’t impede President Joe Biden from appearing on the November ballot in Ohio, the ostensible reason that Gov. Mike DeWine called the rare session. Andrew Tobias reports the House Government Oversight Committee held a second hearing on Wednesday on two bills: one dealing with the Biden ballot deadline problem and the other restricting state ballot issue campaigns, including by banning non-U.S. citizens from funding them. DeWine/Huffman: Gov. Mike DeWine called a rare special legislative session last week in an attempt to force Republican lawmakers to work together to ensure that Ohioans will be free to vote for or against President Joe Biden during the election this November. In an analysis, Andrew Tobias writes that DeWine essentially picked sides once again in an impasse stemming from the ongoing political cold war between Ohio’s two Republican legislative leaders: House Speaker Jason Stephens and Senate President Matt Huffman. Trump investigation: U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance on Wednesday asked U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to open a criminal investigation into the New York judge overseeing ex-President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial, claiming that Judge Juan Merchan illegally deprived Trump of his First Amendment rights, reports Sabrina Eaton. Bus grants: More than a dozen Ohio school systems were among 530 school districts around the country set to receive nearly $900 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law money to replace older, diesel-fueled school buses that have been linked to asthma and other ailments, reports Sabrina Eaton. The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it is issuing rebates that will help school districts all over the nation purchase over 3,400 clean school buses — 92% of which will be electric — to accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles. |
|
|
Parks and recreation: Mayor Justin Bibb has proposed the creation of a standalone city department focused exclusively on parks and recreation. If City Council signs off, the move will break up City Hall’s massive public works department, which was consolidated in 2010 under former Mayor Frank Jackson, reports Courtney Astolfi. Internal auditor: Watchdog Cory Swaisgood is returning to Cuyahoga County to again serve as director of internal auditing, reports Kaitlin Durbin. County Council unanimously appointed Swaisgood to the position on Tuesday. His term will start July 1 and run through June 2028. CSU finances: As Cleveland State University continues to wrestle with its financial future and a deficit, the university will also be looking for a new person to take the lead on its finances. Sean McDonnell reports CSU Chief Financial Officer David Jewell resigned from his position Wednesday, according to an email sent out to university staff. St. Theodosius: A fire at St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral on Tuesday caused $1 million in damages, reports OIlivia Mitchell. The blaze was started accidentally by roofers, but it is unknown what kind of work they were doing. Delinquent: Three of Anita Deal’s sons were fatally shot, including a 13-year-old killed in a drive-by shooting, a case of mistaken identity. Her fourth son is behind bars. In their Delinquent series, Kaitlin Durbin and John Tucker explore the aftermath of violence. Food inspections: More than 1,200 restaurants and food places in Lake County were cited during the most recent inspection year. But less than a tenth of them received more than 10 citations. Zachary Smith lists the spots with the most. White fluff: The white fluff is back. Surely you’ve noticed it wafting on the wind, encircling your car and collecting on the ground. That’s the handiwork of the cottonwood tree, reports Peter Krouse. Akron schools tax: The Akron Public Schools board on Tuesday night voted unanimously to place a tax increase on the November ballot to pay for operating expenses and a new North High School. Megan Becka reports the tax increase would amount to $312 a year per $100,000 of home value - $266 for operating expenses and $46 to cover payments on bonds over 35 years for the $85 million construction project. Spelling bee: Spellers dropped like flies in the second day of Scripps National Spelling Bee competition, with 89 of the 148 who made it to Wednesday’s quarterfinals knocked out, reports Sabrina Eaton. |
|
|
Eye department: MetroHealth System is pushing back against what it called University Hospitals’ mischaracterization of MetroHealth’s eye department as delivering care that doesn’t rise to the level of UH’s care. Julie Washington reports UH last week asked Cuyahoga County Council for $500,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act money to upgrade its specialized ophthalmology equipment and staff training. Genomic medicine: The Cleveland Clinic has tapped a new name to head up its department of genomic medicine. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports Dr. Russell P. Bowler will take over the role previously held by Dr. Charis Eng, who founded the Department of Genomic Medicine in 2005. Fed Reserve: The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland announced Wednesday that Beth Hammack will become the organization’s next president and CEO, succeeding the bank’s current leader, Loretta Mester. Sean McDonnell reports Hammack, who is currently co-leader of Goldman Sachs’ global financing group, will begin her role at the Cleveland Fed on Aug. 21. Acme: The city of Medina is holding a groundbreaking for Acme Fresh Market, reports Marc Bona. The groundbreaking for the store, which will be at 1225 S. Court St., is planned for June 13. Grocery prices: Giant Eagle announced Wednesday that it will give customers “Deals for Days.” Sean McDonnell reports the grocery store is lowering prices on more than 1,000 items. |
|
|
CH-UH allegations: Five former Cleveland Heights-University Heights students have accused the school district of ignoring sexual assaults and incidents of sexual harassment reported to officials. Adam Ferrise reports that in a lawsuit, the former students said that school administrators never conducted thorough or prompt investigations nor made accommodations to make the accusers feel safe. Choking death: A jury on Wednesday found the father whose infant son choked to death on a baby wipe guilty of murder, reports Cory Shaffer. Traveon Hughes Sr., who was 18 years old when his son and namesake Traveon Hughes Jr. died, took the stand in his own defense Wednesday and testified that his son shoved the wipe in his own mouth. Lawsuit charge: Amherst officials have paid a 78-year-old man $90,000 to settle a lawsuit over his arrest on a charge that was taken off the books years earlier, reports Adam Ferrise. Donald Margolis, a U.S. Air Force veteran and retired businessman, was arrested by Amherst police in 2022 after an officer saw Margolis allow a 12-year-old boy to sit in his vintage 1970 MG sports car. Cars stolen: Strongsville police say cars were stolen from the driveways of two homes over Memorial Day weekend, reports Molly Walsh. One car was recovered while the other remains missing. Baseball cards: A Brunswick man is to appear today on charges of stealing 54 vintage baseball cards worth more than $2.1 million, reports Molly Walsh. Jacob Paxton, 27, is accused of felony theft involving the cards, which were to be sold at the Strongsville Sports Collectors Convention in April. Metroparks murder: An acquaintance of a 74-year-old man found dead in the Cleveland Metroparks last year was charged with aggravated murder Wednesday, reports Olivia Mitchell. Viktor M. Vendler, 22, is accused of killing Leroy E. Johnston of Cleveland. On Sept. 30, authorities found Johnston’s body in a wooded area in the Mill Stream Run Reservation’s Royalview Picnic area in the Strongsville park. Brink’s robbery: An arrest warrant is out for a Bedford man accused of robbing a Brink’s armored car driver in broad daylight last month in Cleveland, sparking a shootout, John Tucker reports. Sincere Knights, 18, was charged Friday in Cleveland Municipal Court with aggravated robbery following the April 1 incident in the city’s Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood. |
|
|
'Back to the Future': The “Back to the Future” musical arrives in Cleveland on June 11, the first major city on its inaugural North American tour. Joey Morona talks to creator Bob Gale about bringing the beloved movie to the stage. Chappell Roan: Chappell Roan celebrated Midwest flare during the Cleveland stop of her worldwide tour on Tuesday night and proved she’s the future of pop music with a soldout show. Alex Darus reports the glam-pop singer took the concept of “camp” to the next level with her performance at Jacobs Pavilion. Noah Kahan: On Tuesday night, Noah Kahan kicked off the summer concert season at Blossom Music Center as he held 23,000 young, enrapt Northeast Ohio fans in the palm of his hand. The sold-out show was a glowing testament to Kahan’s rising star, Peter Chakerian reports. Nicki Minaj: Rapper Nicki Minaj has added a second leg of 22 shows to her wildly successful “Pink Friday 2 World Tour,” which includes a stop at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sept. 13, Malcolm X Abram reports. Tickets for the show go on sale at 9 a.m. Friday at SeatGeek.com. State lodges: Over the years, Ohio had no money for room renovations of state lodges, nor back-of-house upgrades in areas including heating, air conditioning and roofing. Now the state is in the final stages of a major investment in its 10-park lodge portfolio. Susan Glaser reports the lodge at Mohican State Park recently reopened following a $12 million investment in its electrical system, elevators, heating and air conditioning. Morocco trip: Dave Petkiewicz has always admired camels for their ability to trek for miles on end without water, carrying heavy loads. He and his son packed a lot into a week, visiting Casablanca, Tangier and Marrakech in Morocco. Museum of Illusions: Visitors will not believe their eyes when they walk through Cleveland’s new Museum of Illusions in The May Co. Building, reports Paris Wolfe. They shouldn’t. The museum, which opens Friday, has more than 60 exhibits designed to mess with perception. |
|
|
Ohio man used cattle prod to discipline children, authorities say Read more Man leaves young son in sweltering car, with a gun inside, while he shops at Beachwood mall Read more Medina councilwoman reminds residents to be mindful of deer Read more 1 confirmed dead in explosion in downtown Youngstown Read more Western Reserve Academy, city of Hudson to illuminate 60-foot oak tree to mark milestones Read more Cleveland rock photographer releases book chronicling a decade-long concertgoing journey Read more Orange High School robotics team, bands win state honors Read more Free NEO Feline Forum this weekend features adoptions, vendors, clinic in Summit County Read more |
|
|
NEW! Terry's Talkin' with Terry Pluto Newsletter |
Connect with Northeast Ohio’s favorite sports columnist as Terry shares his exclusive thoughts and insights on Cleveland sports teams, as well as issues on personal faith like in his popular weekly Faith & You column. There's one caveat, though. This is an exclusive newsletter for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer loyal subscribers. Not a subscriber? That's ok. You can receive a few weeks of Terry’s newsletter as a free trial. In either case, click here sign up. |
|
|
Want the top headlines but don't have time to read? Listen to cleveland.com’s Today in Ohio podcast on Spotify, Google or Apple Podcasts. |
|
|
WANT TO SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER WITH A FRIEND? |
Did someone share this newsletter with you? Click here to never miss a day! |
|
|
To contact the newsrooms for any of our publications regarding technical support, news tips, classified ads and other inquiries, please click here. |
|
|
| Every story. Every day. Your local news is on cleveland.com Unlimited Digital Access. |
|
|
Start today for $1 (cancel anytime) |
| |
|
Start today for $1 (cancel anytime) |
| |
|
INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING
OR SPONSORING OUR NEWSLETTERS? |
|
|
|
