METRO
Bald eagle: The bald eagle is no longer endangered, and its population has rebounded dramatically in Ohio since 1979, but that hasn’t lessened the protections that our national symbol enjoys. Peter Krouse reports that David B. Huff last year shot and killed a bald eagle from a distance of nearly 100 feet and now has to pay $10,000 fine to the court, $10,000 in restitution to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have the scoped rifle he used destroyed and be forbidden from hunting for five years.
New jail: Cuyahoga County Council approved funding this week to complete an environmental assessment of the preferred site for a new county jail. The 12-member Justice Center Executive Steering Committee overseeing plans ordered the $35,765 study in April, as part of their conditions for potentially relocating the jail just south of downtown Cleveland, at 2700 Transport Road, reports Kaitlin Durbin.
River access: The Zaclon River Landing Project has received Ohio Brownfield Remediation money that will go a long way to bring their vision of a safer riverfront to life. Megan Sims reports the partnership between West Creek Conservancy, Zaclon Corporation and Spartan Alumni Rowing Association plans to develop a 2.76 acre lot on the Cuyahoga River near I-490 and Independence Road, with a dock, kayak launching slip, a park and other amenities, which they estimate will cost around $3 million.
Workforce director: Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb Thursday announced he has appointed a former U.S. Department of Labor leader as the next executive director of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Workforce Development Board. Courtney Astolfi reports that Michelle Rose, who grew up in Painesville Township, will start in her new role on July 6.
Discount pets: The Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter is offering $20 adoptions this weekend to make room for an expected influx of dogs over the Fourth of July holiday. Kaitlin Durbin reports that the shelter typically charges $95 fees, but it is offering the reduced rate Friday through Sunday as part of its 6th annual Adopt-a-Palooza event. The funds cover spaying or neutering, vaccines, microchipping, a current rabies tag, and an annual dog license.
Tomato supports: How do you best support your tomato plants? Susan Brownstein writes that like raised beds and so much else in gardening, often the best solution is to make it yourself.
Put-in-Bay ferry: A new ferry to shuttle people to Put-in-Bay was so poorly designed that it needed to be partially rebuilt, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday. Adam Ferrise reports that Miller Boat Lines sued Elliot Bay Design Group, the designer and engineer of the new Mary Ann Market boat, saying design flaws caused a host of regulatory and safety issues that delayed the project nearly three years and cost Miller some $8 million. It also cost the ship’s builder, Fraser Shipyards Inc. of Wisconsin, at least $500,000, according to the lawsuit.
BUSINESS
Mortgage rates: Mortgage rates continue to climb, now more than two percentage points higher than they were in January, reports Sean McDonnell. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was 5.81% Thursday, up from 3.22% the first week of January.
Jim Tressel: Jim Tressel is stepping down as the president at Youngstown State at the age of 69, reports Stephen Means. The former Ohio State football coach has been at the University since 2014 since making the transition to academia following his resignation at OSU.
For sale: You may have heard recent anecdotal cases of houses selling for well above asking price in Greater Cleveland, but what does the data tell us about the actual difference between the listing price and the final sale? Zachary Smith reports that the median difference between listing and sales prices was about 1.53% in May.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Things to do: It’s the first official weekend of summer and it certainly shows in the list of outdoor festivals, concerts and sporting events taking place over the next several days. Joey Morona has 23 of the most intriguing options.
