Cleveland loves Terry Francona. After 23 years as a Major League Baseball manager, the 64-year-old Francona marked his last home game Wednesday night. When the season ends after a series in Detroit, Francona will have managed 3,622 games, including 1,678 in Cleveland. That does not include another 78 postseason games. The son of Tito Francona, who played 15 years in the majors, including five with Cleveland (1959-64), Francona won two World Series in Boston and has had nine winning seasons in Cleveland. His teams made the playoffs six times. He’s been the American League Manager of the Year three times. He’s likely headed for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. But Clevelanders will miss Francona for more than his record. A down-to-earth guy with a calm demeanor and two pairs of jeans, Francona told the team “I felt like it was an honor of a lifetime to be here for 11 years.” – Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Guardians vs. Cincinnati Reds: Guardians give Terry Francona the perfect send-off with 4-3 win over Reds Northeast Ohio weather forecast: More rain, but warmer weather is returning soon |
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Guardians manager Terry Francona acknowledges the appreciation from the fans on managing his final home game as he retires from baseball. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com) |
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Francona retirement: Longtime Guardians manager Terry Francona wants to unplug and see what the world outside of a 162-game schedule has to offer. Of course, there will be medical procedures before he can go, reports Paul Hoynes. He had a way of relating to players, the good guys and the hard cases. Redistricting: Backers of a proposal to replace the elected officials in charge of drawing Ohio’s political maps with a citizen’s commission are panning the new bipartisan maps that a state panel approved late Wednesday. Andrew Tobias reports Maureen O’Connor, a retired Republican Ohio Supreme Court chief justice who’s leading the redistricting reform amendment effort, issued a lengthy statement Wednesday morning calling the new maps a “bipartisan gerrymander,” suggesting that both parties can’t be trusted. Participatory budgeting: The Ohio Senate has approved a fast-tracked bill that would block Cleveland’s proposed Peoples Budget charter amendment from taking effect if city voters approve it in November, reports Andrew Tobias. The Senate voted Wednesday, 25-6, to approve Senate Bill 158, with Democratic state Sen. Bill Demora of Columbus joining majority Republicans in voting “yes.” It now goes to the Ohio House, where it must get a two-thirds supermajority in order to take effect before the Nov. 7 election. Today in Ohio: The Ohio Redistricting Commission on Tuesday night gave final, bipartisan approval to new state legislative district maps, giving Republicans an advantage in 61 of 99 Ohio House districts and 23 of 33 state Senate districts. How did Democrats agree? We’re talking about it on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Redistricting compromise: During Ohio’s last redistricting cycle in 2021 and 2022, Democrats on the Ohio Redistricting Commission repeatedly refused to vote for state legislative maps passed by the Republican majority, saying they were too gerrymandered to support, Jeremy Pelzer reports. So why did the two Democrats, Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio of Lakewood and House Minority Leader Allison Russo of suburban Columbus, cut a deal with Republicans and vote to pass a redistricting plan that, while tweaked to help Democrats compared to an initial GOP proposal, could preserve the GOP’s Statehouse supermajorities for the next eight years? Georgia DA: House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan on Wednesday accused the Georgia district attorney who indicted ex-President Donald Trump of focusing on “advancing a political cause” and her “own notoriety” instead of fairly administering the law as he demanded a response to his committee’s inquiries. Sabrina Eaton reports that on Wednesday, Jordan shot back with another letter that said his committee has “a strong legislative interest in ensuring that popularly elected local prosecutors do not misuse their law-enforcement authority to target federal officials for political reasons.” Government shutdown: Republicans who control the House of Representatives will kick off an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden days before a looming deadline to find a legislative solution to keep the government open after current funding expires on Oct. 1. Sabrina Eaton reports that today’s hearing will examine the value of an impeachment inquiry and present evidence House Republicans have uncovered so far about Biden’s knowledge of and role in his family’s domestic and international business practices. IRS: U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown this week asked the Internal Revenue Service to assist low- and middle-income taxpayers who were harmed when the IRS destroyed 30 million information return documents in 2021. Sabrina Eaton reports the IRS has insisted “there were no negative taxpayer consequences” after it erased 2019 documents from its computer to make room for new documents for the next tax season. Marijuana banking: The U.S. Senate’s banking committee, chaired by Ohio’s Sherrod Brown, on Wednesday signed off on legislation that would let cannabis companies access the banking system, the farthest such legislation has ever gone in the U.S. Senate. Sabrina Eaton reports that the legislation, introduced by Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley and Montana Republican Steve Daines, would let financial institutions do business with the legal cannabis industry without running afoul of federal laws that currently block their access because the federal government considers marijuana illegal. Abortion case: The state argued Wednesday to the Ohio Supreme Court that abortion clinics and a doctor who are challenging the constitutionality of the fetal “heartbeat” law have no right to sue on behalf of their patients. Laura Hancock reports that if the court determines the plaintiffs lack standing, then the heartbeat law, which largely bans abortion at around six weeks and makes no exceptions for incest or rape, could be reinstated in the state. HB6 ties: After being repeatedly tied at a historic federal criminal trial to a central cast of political operatives advancing corrupt legislation, lobbyist Dan McCarthy was confirmed by the Ohio Senate on Wednesday for a new state job. Jake Zuckerman reports Gov. Mike DeWine appointed McCarthy, his former staffer, to the Ohio State Racing Commission, where he will earn about $11,000 per year. |
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Great Lakes: The environment and economy of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River regions of the United States and Canada will be the central focus of U.S. governors and Canadian officials when they meet next month at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Cleveland. Peter Krouse reports the burgeoning cruise industry, ways to reduce the commercial shipping industry’s carbon footprint, and finding more uses for commercially caught fish will be among the topics discussed at the Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers leadership summit from Oct. 13 through Oct. 15. CLE neighborhoods: Cudell or Detroit Shoreway are two vibrant neighborhoods anchored by the Gordon Square Arts District around West 65th Street and Detroit Avenue, where visitors can find local theaters and art galleries stacked with incredible talent from all around Northeast Ohio. As the streetcar developed in the 1800s along Detroit Avenue, so did the neighborhood, writes Molly Walsh in our Get to Know Cleveland’s Neighborhoods series. |
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COVID vaccines: Despite the fact that the new COVID-19 vaccines were approved on Sept. 11, many locations have yet to start providing them. This has made getting the updated vaccine difficult, especially for young children, reports Gretchen Cuda Kroen. |
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Police lawsuit: Two men who each spent 15 years in prison for a crime that they were later acquitted of committing have sued the Cleveland police officers who put them behind bars. Cory Shaffer reports Michael Sutton and Kenny Phillips accused officers Daniel Lentz and Michael Keane, as well as former detective Carl Hartman, of violating their civil rights by conspiring to fabricate and suppress evidence to pin the shooting on them. More arrests: Cleveland police and troopers with the State Highway Patrol made 43 felony arrests in a two-day sweep last week, the latest attempt to reduce violence in the city, Olivia Mitchell reports. This is the fourth crackdown in which Ohio law-enforcement officers have made arrests and seized guns and illegal narcotics. Trucking discrimination: A federal agency on Tuesday sued a Sheffield Village trucking company over accusations that the company discriminated against an employee because of his religion. Adam Ferrise reports the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit in federal court in Cleveland against Wheeler Trucking on behalf of Charles Lynch III, who is of Middle Eastern descent and belongs to the Torah Observant Christianity religion. Court lawsuit: A Summit County Probate Court judge is among several officials who agreed to pay a portion of $82,500 to settle a lawsuit filed by a court psychologist after he was attacked by sheriff’s deputies entering the downtown courthouse. Curtis Williams II will receive $42,500 from Summit County, $30,000 from Summit County Probate Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer and $10,000 from the city of Akron, reports Adam Ferrise. 'Halloween' mask: Westlake police arrested a man Tuesday evening and accused him of threatening a woman while he wore a Michael Myers "Halloween" mask. Molly Walsh reports the victim frantically called police about 7 p.m. after the man approached her with what appeared to be a knife. |
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Rock Hall: When the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame completes its massive $135 million-plus expansion sometime in late 2025 or early 2026, the museum will have something it’s never had in its 30-year history - a real indoor concert venue. Malcolm X Abram reports the Rock Hall announced that longtime partner PNC Bank has extended its sponsorship deal through the end of the decade and, in the process, acquired the naming rights to a new indoor stage that will be built to host concerts and other events. Taste of the Browns: Tickets still are available for the 25th Taste of the Browns, held from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Proceeds, which benefit the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, are an important contribution to local hunger challenges, Paris Wolfe reports. That’s especially important as the Food Bank has been busier than previous years. Ask Lucas: How can you resist the nanny state from meddling in the affairs of sovereign individuals? To start, Lucas Daprile writes, we need to be bribing ... uh, persuading ... our elected officials to legalize driving on the “wrong” side of the highway. Bounce: The Big Bounce America Tour, home to “The World’s Largest Bounce House,” is set to expand into the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds this weekend, reports Peter Chakerian. Touted as “the biggest touring inflatable event in the world,” the epic-scale inflatable attraction aimed at children, families and “kids at heart” will run this Saturday and Sunday, and Oct. 6 through Oct. 8. Amazonia: Barroco Arepa Bar and Hola Tacos are two staples of Lakewood’s robust Latin American offerings in the neighborhood for food, drinks, and ambiance. Now, owner Juan Vergara is preparing to open Amazonia, a South American-style bar made for those looking for an adventure via their tastebuds, with more unknown parts of Vergara’s culture, Alex Darus reports. |
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Shooting at Akron home critically wounds 33-year-old woman Read more Orange school board considers purchase of new maintenance facility boilers Read more Curbside recycling coming to Richmond Heights in January Read more North Olmsted schedules Springvale Golf Course dredging with stormwater management in mind Read more Lakewood’s foxy neighbors are nothing to worry about Read more Fairview Park kindergarten moving to Gilles-Sweet Elementary School Read more Brooklyn fire hydrants take on a patriotic look Read more Brooklyn’s new recreation coordinator to focus on Senior Center operations Read more Parma Heights is repairing leaky service garage roof Read more Seven Hills Finance Department to add corporate credit cards Read more |
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