Laden...
| What you need to know Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022 WEATHER
There are concerns of flooding today in some areas of Northeast Ohio, with up to 2 inches of rain possible and rapidly melting snow. Highs will be in the mid-50s but temps will fall throughout the day, dropping into the teens overnight. That will create freezing rain, sleet and snow, with 1 to 2 inches possible. Wind gusts will be around 32 mph. Read more. OVERNIGHT
Checks and balances: The blocks by the Ohio Supreme Court on Republicans drawing new legislative and congressional maps illustrate a fundamental principle of government: Checks in the system balance the ability to wield power. Robert Higgs reports on the nearly unprecedented battle at the highest level of government.
Ukrainian Clevelanders: The Russian troops assembling along Ukraine’s border may be thousands of miles away from Cleveland, but their threat feels close to home for members of Cleveland’s Ukrainian-American community, reports Sabrina Eaton. Andy Fedynsky, who serves as director of Cleveland’s Ukrainian Museum-Archives, estimates that roughly 80,000 Northeast Ohioans have roots in Ukraine, and many are still in touch with their extended family in Ukraine.
Portman endorsement: U.S. Senator Rob Portman on Wednesday endorsed Jane Timken to succeed him, a significant external development in a race that has fallen into a bit of a stalemate, reports Andrew Tobias. Timken might have received the jolt she needed, Seth Richardson writes. Portman’s support might not outweigh a Trump endorsement, but it is highly significant. What that means for the rest of the field is a mixed bag.
TODAY IN OHIO Newly released emails show former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chair Sam Randazzo worked behind the scenes to hinder attempts to fully repeal House Bill 6 in the months before he resigned. We’re talking about Randazzo’s behavior in the weeks before the FBI raided his home on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. STATEHOUSE & POLITICS Election woes: Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has warned Ohio legislative leaders that the May election could have significant problems if it isn’t moved due to the continued litigation challenging new state legislative and congressional lines. Even if the Ohio Supreme Court eventually ends up approving new state legislative lines the Ohio Redistricting Commission must approve today, LaRose said the ruling could come too late to pull off the May election smoothly, Andrew Tobias reports.
Riot laws: Ohio House Republicans have passed a bill that would make a sweeping expansion of state riot laws in response to the social unrest related to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. Andrew Tobias reports the bill’s sponsors called it a necessary move to protect public safety and property, but critics of the legislation said it would discourage political activism.
Nomination blocked: Republican U.S. Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas on Wednesday stalled full U.S. Senate consideration of Marisa Darden’s nomination to U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio and other Justice Department nominees. Sabrina Eaton reports Cotton renewed his complaint over the Justice Department’s failure to pay legal bills for several federal law-enforcement officers who are being sued by demonstrators in Portland, Oregon. In doing so, he refused to allow the Senate Judiciary Committee to move forward with nominations of six U.S. Attorney nominees, including Darden, and two U.S. Marshall nominees.
Appointment: Ohio House Democrats announced Wednesday that Shayla Davis, a former Garfield Heights City Council member, has been appointed to finish ex-state Rep. Stephanie Howse’s term in House District 11, Jeremy Pelzer reports. House District 11 covers much of Cleveland’s East Side, Garfield Heights and Newburgh Heights.
Black cemeteries: U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown is teaming up with Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney to renew his drive for legislation that would create a voluntary National Park Service database of historic Black burial grounds around the country and dedicate federal money to restore and preserve them. Sabrina Eaton reports Brown is more optimistic it will become law this year because there’s more time to work on its passage.
Opioid lawsuits: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is leading 10 states urging a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Cuyahoga County, the city of Cleveland, and hundreds of other local governments around the state and country against a global consulting firm that boosted sales of opioids. Jeremy Pelzer reports that Yost and his counterparts argued that the local governments are trying to “usurp” the authority of states.
METRO COVID-19 testing: Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish says the community has a lot to celebrate as COVID-19 infections continue to fall to “astounding” lows, plummeting from over 3,000 new infections a day at the beginning of the year to just 28 cases on Saturday. Even so, he isn’t ready to rule out a testing mandate for county employees to safeguard against future surges, Kaitlin Durbin reports.
Power of Sport: The Cleveland Power of Sport Summit, hosted by the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission during the NBA All-Star weekend, will highlight diversity, equity and inclusion in sports. Cameron Fields highlights the panels, demonstrations and exhibits.
COVID-19 & HEALTH Medical innovations: The next generation of mRNA vaccines, as well as treatments for type 2 diabetes and postpartum depression are among the innovations that earned spots on the Cleveland Clinic’s Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2022. Julie Washington reports the medical advancements have the potential to transform healthcare.
UH gift: A family’s legacy of leadership and service to University Hospitals has led to a $2.5 million gift honoring the late KeyCorp CEO Henry L. Meyer III, reports Julie Washington. Jane Meyer of Hunting Valley has established the Jane and Henry Meyer Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair at UH.
Deadly months: How deadly was the late fall and early winter COVID-19 surge? Confirmed COVID-19 deaths routinely take weeks and can take months to show up in data reported from the Ohio Department of Health. Zachary Smith analyzes the 10 deadliest months.
Daily cases: The state of Ohio on Wednesday reported 2,433 new cases of COVID-19, reports Julie Washington.
BUSINESS In-demand jobs: Ohio’s most in-demand jobs range from healthcare to offices to warehouses, but there’s one trend seen across many of them. Sean McDonnell reports Ohio’s Top Jobs List shows what employers need and what students should potentially look for as a career, built with responses directly from employers.
Cedar Point: Cedar Fair CEO Richard Zimmerman confirmed Wednesday that the Sandusky-based parent company of Cedar Point and more than a dozen other parks rejected a buyout offer from SeaWorld Entertainment, saying “it was not in the best interest of the company and its unitholders.” Susan Glaser reports that Zimmerman gave few details as to why the company rejected SeaWorld’s offer, other than to say that the outlook for Cedar Fair is bright, even after a couple of very difficult years.
The Lumen: Playhouse Square plans to list its downtown Cleveland luxury apartment high-rise, The Lumen, for sale, less than two years after its completion. The 34-story, 318-apartment building at Euclid Avenue and East 17th Street is expected to be listed at around $159 million, Eric Heisig reports.
Steel move: A steel distributor is consolidating its operations into a 200,000-square-foot facility in Bedford Heights. Sean McDonnell reports Jade-Sterling Steel Co, which has a presence in the Cleveland and Chicago areas, on Tuesday announced that it purchased a manufacturing building at 26400 Richmond Road.
CRIME East Cleveland: An East Cleveland police officer is on paid administrative leave after a video shared on social media shows him kicking a kneeling man in the back. Ian McInnes, who has been with the department for five years, is on paid administrative leave per the department’s collective bargaining agreement, reports Kaylee Remington.
Officer charge: A judge on Wednesday dismissed an assault charge against an off-duty Cleveland police officer accused of attacking his girlfriend about an hour after a separate fight at the police union hall. Cleveland Municipal Judge Pinkey Carr ruled that city prosecutors did not have enough evidence during a one-day bench trial to substantiate a first-degree misdemeanor assault charge against officer Michael Phelps, Adam Ferrise reports.
Rape trial: A Cuyahoga County prosecutor said Wednesday that Alexander Lackey, a top official in former Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s cabinet, groomed and controlled a teenager before forcing her into having sex, during the opening statements in Lackey’s trial. John Caniglia reports that Lackey, 36, is charged with five counts of rape, three counts of sexual battery and one count of domestic violence. OTHER HEADLINES Ravenna man gets 14 years in prison for sex trafficking of minor Read more
Thieves steal dump truck in Cleveland, crash it into store and light it on fire, officials say Read more
Fire heavily damages hotel in Brooklyn; no injuries reported Read more
Heights coalition hosts Feb. 23 online forum discussing ‘Vouchers Hurt Ohio’ lawsuit Read more
Middleburg Heights zoning code update nears completion Read more
Brook Park considers tightening commercial, RV parking laws Read more
Richmond Heights council will discuss banning fireworks; plus a Belle Oaks update Read more
Pathway Caring for Children opens North Olmsted location Read more
Lakewood City Schools seeking public input on three-year strategic plan Read more
Olmsted Falls City Council appoints residents to open council seats Read more
NEORSD to start Sprague Road flooding project in Parma and North Royalton Read more
The Holiday Sale is almost over Cleveland.com Unlimited Digital Access. $49 for the first year. You can cancel any time. Subscribe now
Community | Politics | Videos | Photos To ensure receipt of our emails, please add [email protected] to your address book or safe sender list. You received this email because you opted-in to the newsletter. Was it forwarded to you? Sign up now! | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Laden...
Laden...
