Early voting: Early vote requests for Ohio’s May 3 primary election are down nearly 40% statewide compared to the equivalent time during the last comparable election, with Cuyahoga County apparently responsible for most, if not all, of the drop-off, Andrew Tobias reports. Marijuana dispensaries: The Ohio Board of Pharmacy staff is working on adding 73 new medical marijuana dispensary licenses. Zachary Smith maps the 58 already established dispensaries. METRO Rural counties: Ohio is a predominately a rural state. All but five counties have more than 50% of their area classified as rural, and 65 counties have more than 90% considered rural. Zachary Smith lists the most rural counties in Ohio. Free parking: Members of the public attending Cleveland City Council meetings will soon be able to park for free. Courtney Astolfi reports the change takes effect Monday. Deer protection: Even after planting deer-resistant plants, bare-root shrubs ended up little more than twigs. So gardening columnist Susan Brownstein tried several methods to protect them from hungry wildlife, errant string trimmers, and rambunctious children. She reports on the success and failure of fencing defenses in the last year. COVID-19 & HEALTH Village of Healing: The nonprofit Village of Healing opened its first health clinic in February in Euclid, where patients are surrounded by brightly colored furnishings and care is delivered by Black practitioners. Julie Washington reports the nonprofit follows studies showing it’s important to provide Black healthcare providers for patients who want a physician who looks like them. BUSINESS Cavs CEO: Nic Barlage was named CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Group and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, replacing Len Komoroski, reports Sean McDonnell. He is being promoted from his role as president of business operations and COO for Rock Entertainment Group. Bedrock development: Bedrock, the real estate arm of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert’s empire, said Tuesday that it added a noted architect to a team it assembled to plan and build on a large portion of land along the Cuyahoga River near downtown. Eric Heisig reports David Adjaye will join a team creating a plan for 130 acres of riverfront east of downtown, plus help shape the future of Tower City Center. Spin scooters: Customers using the Lyft ride-share app in Cleveland and Akron can now rent Spin scooters using the same app. Lyft and Spin began offering the integrated functionality on Tuesday in Cleveland, Akron and Detroit after having rolled it out for the first time in Nashville last month, reports Peter Krouse. Madness: A new video game that looks like a cross between Call of Duty Zombies, Among Us and a horror-themed board game was developed by an Akron company. “The Grip of Madness” will be RustBit Studio’s first game and is scheduled to hit digital shelves in October, reports Sean McDonnell. Gervasi addition: Gervasi Vineyard is undertaking an ambitious multiuse expansion project with the addition of two structures over 20,000 square feet slated for the southwest corner of the 55-acre estate. The project involves four main areas - The Spa, The Wine Cave, product warehouse and distribution facility - and Rickhouse, reports Marc Bona. CRIME More charges: The 18-year-old woman accused of fatally shooting Cleveland police officer Shane Bartek during a New Year’s Eve carjacking is now charged with two other armed robberies, including one on Christmas Day in the same apartment complex where Bartek was killed, Adam Ferrise reports. Former Walsh students: A Summit County grand jury has indicted four former Walsh Jesuit students, accusing them of charges involving an intoxicated man at a party in Silver Lake last year, reports Kaylee Remington. The indictment accuses the four of having photos of an 18-year-old man while he was partially nude. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Bike trails: During the pandemic, a national surge of people discovered a growing network of bike trails. Tim Warsinskey details 20 of the best. Playhouse Square: Playhouse Square announced its 2022-23 KeyBank Broadway Series, with seven shows, including two of the most popular musicals of all time and the two most recent Tony Award winners for Best Musical. Joey Morona reports the list: “Les Misérables,” “Cats,” “Beetlejuice,” “Hadestown,” “Tina - The Tina Turner Musical,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” and “Six.” Guardians parking: Parking restrictions will be in effect for the Cleveland Guardians’ home opener on Friday, Marc Bona reports. With Progressive Field and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse both hosting potentially big games, more than 50,000 ticketholders could be downtown Friday night. | 