WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2024 |
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Taking your eyes off the road to text for a few seconds is like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed, warns the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. For teenagers inexperienced with driving, texting while driving increases the risk of crashing by 23 times. Yet of the 58,011 distracted driving crashes in Ohio since 2019, 38% of them have been by drivers ages 15 to 24, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. About 26% of the crashes occur between 3 and 6 p.m. on weekdays. It’s a massive safety issue, which is why since October, Ohio police officers can pull over drivers when they notice them on their phones. While the number of distracted-driving crashes have dropped since the law took effect, the number of citations has skyrocketed, topping out at 2,032 in February, more than triple the 656 citations written in February 2023. — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Guardians vs. Boston Red Sox: Not a second time: Guardians beat Boston, Tanner Houck, 4-1, with late rally Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Cloudy, chilly conditions expected |
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Distracted driving was a factor in five fatalities this year, as well as 43 serious injury crashes. That’s compared to six fatalities and 70 serious injury crashes during the same time period last year. (Robert Bukaty, Associated Press file photo) |
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Distracted driving: Ohio vehicle crashes in which distracted driving was a factor plummeted 33% for the first three months this year, compared to the same time in 2023. Laura Hancock reports that officials, including Gov. Mike DeWine, are crediting the state’s new distracted driving law. Biden on ballot: Ohio House leaders from both sides of the aisle gave assurances Tuesday that they’re working to ensure that President Joe Biden makes it on the state’s November ballot despite running afoul of an obscure state deadline. Jeremy Pelzer reports House Speaker Jason Stephens and House Minority Leader Allison Russo, speaking separately with reporters at the Ohio Statehouse, agreed that state lawmakers need to pass some sort of permanent fix to prevent future presidential candidates from running into the same problem, rather than OK one-time exemptions like the legislature has done in the past. Today in Ohio: FirstEnergy Corp. made $2.5 million in secret payments to a dark money nonprofit that backed Republican Mike DeWine’s 2018 gubernatorial run. That was as the company was executing what would become the biggest public corruption scheme in state history. We’re talking about politicians’ interests being bought on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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DeWine responds: Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday he didn’t know that FirstEnergy Corp., amid its self-acknowledged bribery campaign, made about $4 million in dark money payments backing his 2018 gubernatorial campaign, reports Jake Zuckerman. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, DeWine reiterated his support for nuclear power in Ohio and said FirstEnergy would have to answer for how it spent the money. Union support: Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb is trying to help President Joe Biden with union members across the country while drumming up support for projects at home. Sabrina Eaton reports that on Tuesday, Bibb was in the nation’s capitol to join a cavalcade of Democratic officials urging the North America’s Building Trades Unions more than 3 million members to re-elect Biden. Pete Rose: Ohio lawmakers are again going to bat for Pete Rose, introducing a new resolution urging Major League Baseball to lift his lifetime ban for gambling and induct him into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Jeremy Pelzer reports that House Concurrent Resolution 15, referred to an Ohio House committee on Tuesday, comes 35 years after Rose, 83, agreed to the lifetime ban for betting on baseball games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. Incumbents unseated: A conservative Texas-based group is taking credit for helping unseat four sitting Republican Ohio state representatives, a number believed to be the most in recent history, reports Andrew Tobias. The group spent $2 million in Ohio during the primary election in March as part of its larger goal of ousting Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens. |
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Lakefront planning: Cleveland City Council signed off Monday on more money for lakefront planning after initially holding off out of concern that Mayor Justin Bibb had racked up a bill that exceeded council’s spending cap. Courtney Astolfi reports that now that council has given its approval, planning firm Field Operations will get paid $260,000 for work it already completed in 2023 and up to $140,000 for additional work Bibb wants to pursue now that the Browns have threatened to pull out from Cleveland’s existing lakefront plans. Best high schools: U.S. News and World Report released its rankings of Greater Cleveland high schools, with Solon and Rocky River finishing among the best 25 public high schools in Ohio, reports Zachary Smith. Tops in Ohio, according to the publication, is Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati, beating out last year’s top Ohio school, Bexley High School in the Columbus area. Solon and Rocky River placed fourth and fifth. East Cleveland development: An ambitious proposal that sought to create jobs and provide services for East Cleveland is still going forward despite losing fiscal support from the county, reports Lucas Daprile. Nonprofits Euclid Circle Inc. and the Olympia Foundation seek to transform a 43,000-square-foot former Department of Developmental Disabilities building at the intersection of Euclid and Superior avenues into a light industrial space, a charter vocational school, market, credit union – and eventually apartments on adjacent land. Affordable apartments: A new affordable housing development near Cuyahoga Community College’s Metro campus is designed to nurture local scholars and their children. Megan Sims reports the Louise C. Stokes Scholar House, a 40-unit apartment building on Community College Avenue near East 28th Street, has opened its doors to full-time college students and their children. Problem spring blooms: Lesser celandine is a yellow flower wreaking havoc in the soil with its easily spread structure of tubers and bulbils. The tubers store energy throughout the year, and the wispy bulbils allow lesser celandine to establish new plants very easily, writes Susan Brownstein. This easy ability to spread is why the infestation of lesser celandine seems to be growing exponentially throughout Northeast Ohio. |
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Mercy Health: Mercy Health Lorain has named Marilyn Alejandro-Rodriguez its new director of community health. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports Alejandro-Rodriguez came to Mercy Health after serving as the inaugural director for the Cleveland Clinic Center for Community Health Workers, advocating for the needs of underserved populations. New Chipotle: Chipotle Mexican Grill is opening in Westlake, reports Marc Bona. Like several of its recent openings, the company will offer Chipotlane, a drive-through pickup lane that allows customers to pick up digital orders without leaving their vehicles. U.S. Steel: Cleveland-Cliffs executives made it clear Tuesday that they’re still interested in buying U.S. Steel, but at a much lower price than they offered last year. Sabrina Eaton reports that after President Joe Biden’s public comments about stopping the sale to Tokyo-based Nippon Steel, Cliffs sees itself as U.S. Steel’s only other option. |
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Catholic Charities: A jury on Tuesday ruled Catholic Charities must pay at least $960,000 to the estate of a 4-year-old boy whose body was found buried in the backyard of his Cleveland home while his mother received social services from the agency, Cory Shaffer reports. Heartless Felons: A member of the Heartless Felons, Cleveland’s most widespread and violent gang, was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison in a drug-dealing case in which he worked with a one-time rival. Adam Ferrise reports Markiese Smith, 34, was a minor participant in the drug ring, which U.S. District Judge Patricia Gaughan said is the biggest reason she opted to give him the minimum sentence allowed by law. Prescription drugs: Many people who misuse prescription drugs get them from a home medicine cabinet belonging to family or friends, reports Julie Washington. That’s why area hospitals and retail stores are offering safe, designated drug collection sites during National Prescription Take Back Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Fatal crash: A Cleveland woman died after her vehicle crashed into a Rally’s restaurant Monday after a white pickup truck crashed head-on into her vehicle and it burst into flames, reports Olivia Mitchell. Edgewater arson: Authorities issued a warrant Monday for a suspect accused of starting a fire at the home of his grandmother’s landlord in Cleveland’s Edgewater neighborhood, reports Olivia Mitchell. Police say Tyric Green, 21, traveled to the home in the 1200 block of West 106th Street at 2:15 a.m. Saturday and used an accelerant to set the residence on fire. Three family members – a man, his wife and their 7-month-old child – were able to escape. Ryan Westlake: The Akron police officer who shot a teenager April 1 has a history of breaking department policy, records show, including an incident in which he was accused of using excessive force on a suspect with a Taser. Molly Walsh reports that the incident was not in Ryan Westlake’s personnel file that city officials released earlier in the days after he shot Tavion Koonce-Williams, 15. The officer pulled up to the youth and fired moments after leaving his patrol car. |
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Cavs on TV: The Monday Cavs game was not “blacked out” locally as many fans claimed. The contest was readily available on Bally Sports Ohio, just like nearly all of the team’s 82 regular season games that preceded it, reports Joey Morona. Still, the misconception left many fans scrambling to find a way to watch the game at the last minute and then post their complaints online. Superman casting: The Man of Steel is indeed returning to his hometown. Director James Gunn (”Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise) will film scenes for DC’s new “Superman” movie in Cleveland this summer, cleveland.com reported back in February. But Joey Morona provides new details about the shoot. Broadway Akron: Playhouse Square has announced the show lineup for its 2024-25 Broadway in Akron Series, with performances at E.J. Thomas Hall at the University of Akron, reports Alex Darus. “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” “Dear Evan Hensen,” “Hadestown” and “Come From Away” make up the roster. Broadway in Akron first kicked off in 2015 and has become a popular local theater series. Mr. Worldwide: Armando Christian Pérez -- a.k.a Pitbull and otherwise known as Mr. Worldwide -- will be back on the road this summer. He’ll bring his “Party After Dark Tour” to Blossom Music Center on Aug. 29 with singer T-Pain opening, reports Malcolm X Abram. Ask Yadi: Should you have your music so loud on an airplane that those around you can hear? And is it OK to begin drumming to the beat of your music on the tray in front of you? For anyone traveling, Yadi Rodriguez implores you to be considerate of those around you and the fact that you are, indeed, on a plane. Joe Pagonakis: WEWS Channel 5 investigator Joe Pagonakis is hanging up the trench coat and calling it a career, reports Joey Morona. The Seven Hills native’s final broadcast is Monday. Best tacos: You sent us your nominations and then voted your hearts out after we compiled a list of the best tacos in Cleveland. Yadi Rodriguez and Peter Chakerian have the winners. |
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SUV hits State Highway Patrol car on Ohio Turnpike, injuring trooper Read more Medina donation gives hope to those in recovery Read more Medina Kiwanis plans park memorial and planting Read more Cleveland Heights approves loan for Caledonia storefront rehab Read more Brecksville-Broadview Heights School District looks to future in hiring campus master plan architect Read more Shaker Heights council introduces zoning code revision for JCU off-campus student housing on Fairmount Circle Read more |
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