Beginning today, Ohioans will decide whether to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution and to legalize recreational marijuana. The hot-button issues could drive higher-than-usual voter turnout in the Nov. 7 election, which also includes a participatory budget charter amendment in Cleveland, as well as contests for municipal judges, city council seats and school boards. So far in Cuyahoga County, elections officials have processed 43,471 absentee ballot applications, a number that tracks with the higher-than-average voter turnout in August, when voters overwhelmingly rejected Issue 1, which would have made it harder to change the Ohio Constitution. This time around, Issue 1 is for abortion rights. Issue 2, meanwhile, would change state law to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 years and older while setting up rules for the state to regulate the industry. We have four weeks until Election Day. - Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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Voters are reflected in a window as they wait in line in October 2020 to participate in early voting at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. (Tony Dejak, Associated Press file photo) |
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Early voting: Today is the start of early voting for the Nov. 7 election, when voters will decide two hot-button statewide issues dealing with abortion and recreational marijuana. That means elections offices in Cuyahoga County and across the state will begin offering in-person early voting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekday hours that will continue for several weeks, Andrew Tobias reports. PB ban: A state-level effort to squash Cleveland’s participatory budget amendment is dead, House Speaker Jason Stephens said on Tuesday. Jake Zuckerman reports Senate Bill 158 will not pass through the House before the Nov. 7 election. Canadian cannabis: A pair of recent studies from Canada are shedding light on the possible harms and benefits of legalized marijuana, reports Julie Washington. Five years after Canada legalized the recreational use of cannabis, public health experts say it hasn’t created any health benefits — but it has been linked to fewer criminal arrests, and upticks in cannabis poisonings among children and hospitalizations linked to marijuana use. Today in Ohio: The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Secretary of State Frank LaRose "abused" his discretion over a petition to block drag shows in Bellefontaine. We’re talking about how the court unanimously said LaRose failed to follow the law on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Education chaos: Eleven of the 19 members of the Ohio State Board of Education met Tuesday for a monthly meeting and composed a list of questions they want answered to provide clarity over how the state’s education system is being run. Laura Hancock reports the meeting continued the weekslong murkiness over who is controlling Ohio’s K-12 agency and whether those who are running it are complying with a court order prohibiting the state from making several changes. Hunting amendment: Republican lawmakers are targeting the November 2024 election for a proposed new ballot issue that would guarantee the right to hunt and fish in the state constitution. Andrew Tobias reports the 137-word Right to Hunt & Fish Amendment would declare that the right to hunt and fish “shall be forever preserved for the public good” and guarantee a right for people to use “traditional methods” to hunt and harvest fish and wildlife. Congressional flags: Upset that a Democratic colleague is flying a Palestinian flag outside her office after Saturday’s Hamas attack on Israel, Rocky River GOP Rep. Max Miller is introducing a legislative amendment that would ban Congressional offices from spending tax dollars on non-US flags. Sabrina Eaton reports the amendment that Miller wants to attach to an upcoming legislative branch spending bill would limit flags bought with money the bill contains to “the flag of the United States, the flag or pennant of any state or territory or possession of the United States, or the POW-MIA flag.” |
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Kindland: Brandon Chrostowski chooses to give back through Edwins Leadership and Culinary Institute, but he believes that everyone’s definition of kindness and how they make change in the world is going to be different — and should be, reports Peter Chakerian. Edwins is partnering with the Cleveland Police Foundation and the Cleveland Cavaliers on a program extension: a three-on-three basketball tournament. Center Street Bridge: For the first time nearly two years, Clevelanders can use the Center Street Bridge to cross from one side of the Flats to the other. Sean McDonnell reports the red swing bridge over the Cuyahoga River closed in January 2022 for what was supposed to be 10 months of construction. Clover lawn: Susan Brownstein has been experimenting with moving away from a monoculture lawn, where all the plants are a single lawn-grass species, to embracing diversity with the addition of clover to the lawn. She’s a big believer in weeds for the lawn. |
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Most expensive homes: Two condominiums in a new lakefront building in Rocky River nabbed the most money of any homes sold in Cuyahoga County in September, reports Zachary Smith. The townhouse-style units are part of a new complex that sits on the edge of Lake Erie at 22700 Lake Road, just west of Bradstreet’s Landing. The first of last month’s high-dollar sales was for a 3,637-square-foot penthouse with three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a half-bath, for nearly $3 million. |
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River officer: A Rocky River police officer has been replaced as a school resource officer after a report of what authorities are calling an inappropriate relationship with a high school student. Molly Walsh reports a preliminary investigation found that Michael Bernhardt is not expected to be charged, though authorities are seeking to look further into his contacts with the girl. Crime reduction: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday touted the work of Garfield Heights police officials, who used state funds to cut violent crime and protect officers. Olivia Mitchell reports the Ohio Violent Reduction Grant Program, launched in 2021, provides law-enforcement departments across the state with more than $100 million for technology and crime analysis. Judge died: Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Russo died late Monday night after a yearlong battle with an undisclosed illness, reports Cory Shaffer. Russo had been away from the bench receiving treatment for much of the past year. Possible explosion: Rocky River authorities are investigating how a woman’s car caught fire and engulfed a garage in flames Friday. Police and firefighters responded to a house on Beachcliff Boulevard at about 3:20 p.m. The resident said she parked in the garage after shopping and saw a puff of smoke from under the hood, reports Molly Walsh. Government fraud: The owner of an Akron recording studio was sentenced Tuesday to more than eight years in federal prison for laundering drug money by buying a $325,000 house and fraudulently obtaining a small-business loan from the federal government’s coronavirus relief funds to buy a Tesla. Adam Ferrise reports that Nicholas Crawford, 42, overcame what his attorney called “extreme” childhood trauma and saw his daughter, Na’Kia, and brother killed in the span of about 14 months. |
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Ask Yadi: Is chivalry dead, asks Yadi Rodriguez? If you are able, why not at least offer to help someone if you see they are in need? They can say yes or no, but at least you asked. Best brunches: If breakfast is “the most important meal of the day,” it should go without saying that brunch is the most important meal of the week(end). The appeal is easy to see. Cleveland.com has partnered with Stacker to find the 24 highest-rated brunch restaurants in the Greater Cleveland area, and all of them make their own rules -- all so that you can make up yours. 'Frost': Tickets are on sale for “Frost: An Ice-Capped Garden Experience” at Cleveland Botanical Garden. The new winter show, which runs Nov. 18 to Dec. 31, replaces the years-long decorative experience known as “Glow.” Paris Wolfe reports “Frost” will transform the garden into an ethereal wonderland of towering ice arches, dazzling light installations, a tunnel of flowers, larger-than-life animals, more than 500 poinsettias, seasonal soundscapes and much more to create a completely immersive new world for the holiday season. Disney on Ice: We know that “we don’t talk about Bruno,” but you can bet everyone else will be talking about him and his “Encanto” pals when Disney’s beloved characters arrive in Cleveland, Peter Chakerian reports. Disney On Ice runs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse from Jan. 10 to 14, boasting cutting-edge figure skating, acrobatics, special effects, dynamic on-ice sets and more. CLE hotels: A travel booking site says Cleveland has the fourth-most-expensive hotel rates in the country this month – higher than San Francisco and Seattle, Nashville and Chicago, reports Susan Glaser. A recent survey of online hotel rates found that the average price of an overnight stay in Cleveland is $234 in October, up from $187 last year, according to Cheaphotels.org. Cirque du Soleil: Cirque du Soleil is bringing “Corteo” to Cleveland for five performances from Nov. 22 to 26 at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center. Paris Wolfe reports the Montreal-based organization started to reimagine the circus concept in the 1980s. Spooky cocktails: Many beer, wine and spirits brands release festive drinks to give folks ideas for what to serve at Halloween parties and fall dinner festivities. Alex Darus has 13 spooky recipes for Halloween-themed cocktails to try this fall. Orchestra tour: The Cleveland Orchestra has canceled its upcoming tour of Israel because of security concerns amid the country’s war with Hamas. Paris Wolfe reports the orchestra was scheduled for three performances in Israel in late October. |
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2 men dead after shooting in Cleveland’s St. Clair-Superior neighborhood Read more Northeast Ohio driver intentionally hits man with car, killing him, police say Read more Man dies after stabbing incident in Painesville, police said Read more Shaker Schools ballot Issue 13 gets a robust examination at League of Women Voters forum Read more Brecksville councilman may face trespassing, criminal damaging charges if he violates ‘deferred prosecution agreement’ Read more Boulders put up line of defense - twice over the weekend - at ‘Where’s My Guardrail’ house in Cleveland Heights Read more |
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