For years, I stuck up for Cleveland Hopkins International Airport whenever someone called it a dump. It was utilitarian, I protested, easy to navigate, good enough. But my cheerleading has taken a hit after recent trips, including finding toilet paper flung like party streamers all over the bathroom floor before a 6 a.m. flight. That was the women’s restroom by the food court, the location first up to be renovated in a $2.7 million restroom renovation project, meant to tide travelers over until a $3 billion terminal rebuild that likely will take until 2035. The refresh project will see the facility’s 13 busiest restrooms outfitted with new fixtures, improved lighting, new floors, walls, partitions and ceilings. Apparently, bathrooms are a constant gripe from travelers. Said one expert, “Keeping an airport bathroom clean is like shoveling snow off your driveway while it’s snowing.” Some airports use technique known as “distraction” – featuring large photos on restroom walls to distract travelers from paper on the floor or water on the counters. When I was in Newark, N.J., last week, I was definitely taken with the beach murals all over the bathroom stalls. I didn’t notice a single square of paper out of place. — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Browns at Houston Texans: AFC wild-card playoff game, 4:30 p.m. Saturday, NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas. TV: WKYC Channel 3, Peacock. Radio: WKRK FM/92.3, WNCX FM/98.5, WKNR AM/850. Cavs vs. New Jersey Nets:Donovan Mitchell scores season-high 45 points, Cavaliers beat Nets 111-102 in Paris Northeast Ohio weather forecast: More snow, temperatures plunge |
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The men's restroom across from the Food Court is first up for renovations at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. (Susan Glaser, cleveland.com) |
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Restroom refresh: Many of Cleveland’s airport bathrooms haven’t been remodeled for nearly 20 years, reports Susan Glaser. Planned updates will include the addition of adult changing tables in family restrooms and technology to provide immediate feedback from travelers on the condition of the facilities. CLE Orchestra: Franz Welser-Most will retire in 2027 after his 25th year on the job. That’s one year longer than George Szell, who made the Cleveland Orchestra famous, reports Zachary Lewis. “I never thought I would stay this long. It’s important now for the institution to get some fresh ideas.” Fairfax Market: When Meijer’s opens Fairfax Market on Jan. 16, residents and visitors to the neighborhood will have a 40,000-square-foot, classy new supermarket, reports Paris Wolfe. It's Fairfax’s first full-service grocery store to open in decades, bringing access to fresh produce and more to a neighborhood that has been characterized as a food desert or food insecure. Today in Ohio: The Ohio House voted Wednesday to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto on a bill that bans minors from gender-affirming care and transgender girls and women from playing on female sports teams in K-12 and college. We’re talking about how the Republican-dominated House overrode the veto of House Bill 68 on Today in Ohio. |
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Jelly Roll testimony: Rap and country singer Jason “Jelly Roll” DeFord on Thursday told the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee that a planeload worth of Americans die of drug overdoses each day, but America doesn’t seem to care because it bullies and shames drug addicts instead of dealing with the root of their problems. Sabrina Eaton reports from the hearing. Rerun: The issue of whether former state Rep. Steve Kraus can run for the Ohio House again this year despite a 2015 felony theft conviction is now going before the Ohio Supreme Court. Jeremy Pelzer reports that an Erie County voter has filed a complaint with the state’s high court claiming that the Erie County Board of Elections wrongly ruled last week that Kraus, a Republican, can run for state legislature again in the March 19 Republican primary. Representative resigns: For the second time this week, an Ohio House Democrat has stepped down from her legislative seat, reports Jeremy Pelzer. State Rep. Tavia Galonski, an Akron Democrat, announced Wednesday evening that she resigned her House District 33 seat to become Summit County clerk of courts. She was sworn into her new job the same evening. VA center: A bipartisan group of U.S. Congress members introduced legislation Wednesday called the “Veterans Affairs Centennial and Heritage Act of 2024,″ which would permanently locate a national Department of Veterans Affairs History Center at Dayton’s VA Medical Center campus. Sabrina Eaton reports the center would be charged with collecting and preserving VA-related photographs, art, artifacts and other historic materials. |
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CLE school choice: Students preparing to enter ninth grade at Cleveland Metropolitan School District have the unique opportunity to choose which of the 30 district high schools they want to attend. But the deadline for submission is today, reports Hannah Drown. CLE v. IHA: If you’re going to tune in to the Browns-Texans game Saturday, we offer a comparison of the two cities – entertainment to history, beer to music and more. Marc Bona has a city-vs.-city comparison of assorted facts and figures. Sustainability post: Cuyahoga County is looking for someone to oversee its climate and sustainability projects, Lucas Daprile reports. The climate and sustainability chief position, posted in late December, would oversee the creation of a sustainability master plan, developing sustainability legislation, helping the Public Works department find ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions/save energy and lobbying state/federal groups when requested to do so. Medina census: A new set of data released by the Census Bureau last month offers updates of details on a variety of topics for every place in the United States. Zachary Smith looks at those details for Medina County, drawn from surveys spanning 2018 to 2022. Vehicle charging: The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency a $15 million grant to add more electric-vehicle charging sites around the region. Peter Krouse reports the money is for phase 2 of NOACA’s regional vehicle charging program, which will add about 250 charging stations at 63 sites in Cleveland and across Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties. |
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Fairview demo: The first step in the Cleveland Clinic’s $150 million overhaul of the Fairview Hospital complex — the demolition of seven homes nearby — is expected to begin within weeks, reports Julie Washington. The Clinic previously said the demolition was expected to be completed in the summer. Startups: Startups in the Cleveland area raised a combined $95 million in the last three months of 2023. Plus a Canton startup, already known for big deals, raised another $25 million, reports Sean McDonnell. Savings account: There’s a fool-proof way to turn your money into extra money: the humble online savings account and certificates of deposit. You can find both of these with interest rates at 5% or higher, Sean McDonnell writes in his weekly Saving You Money column. Pregancy tests: For women who think they may be pregnant and are seeking medical advice there are a number of free services available. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports MetroHealth System offers a number of walk-in OBGYN services, including free pregnancy testing. COVID counts: After a one-week rise, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio decreased from 15,046 last week to 12,481 this week, reports Julie Washington. |
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Jail death: An inmate died of a medical emergency Wednesday at the Cuyahoga County Jail, Olivia Mitchell reports. The incident happened about 7:20 a.m., when corrections officers and medical staff at the jail administered aid to a 39-year-old man. Cold case: Authorities are working to solve the decade-old murder of a Cleveland Clinic employee who was shot at a bus stop on his way to work, reports Olivia Mitchell. Cleveland police asked the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to reopen the case of Stephen Halton Jr., who died Jan. 11, 2014. Library lawsuit: Cleveland Public Library officials have agreed to pay $120,000 to settle a discrimination lawsuit brought by its former director of inclusion and leadership education. Adam Ferrise reports Twyla Turner accused library officials of fostering a hostile work environment, improperly firing Turner after she sought medical leave, and racial discrimination. Meth discipline: An attorney who pleaded guilty to drug charges after he was caught bringing methamphetamine to the Cuyahoga County Jail now faces a disciplinary complaint against his law license. Cory Shaffer reports the Ohio Supreme Court’s disciplinary counsel said in a Dec. 21 filing that Eric Norton committed misconduct by engaging in illegal activity that adversely reflects his trustworthiness. |
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Rock off: Live Nation and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced that the 2024 Tri-C High School Rock Off, which begins Feb. 3, will be the long-running event’s last, ending a 27-year run, reports Malcolm X Abram. 'Mrs. Doubtfire': Reasonable people can debate whether or not the "Mrs. Doubtfire” musical successfully navigates the challenges of updating a tired man-in-a-dress trope or even if they should’ve tried at all. But Joey Morona reports that the enthusiastic opening night audience at the Connor Palace in Playhouse Square certainly enjoyed the show, which is in town through Jan. 28. Browns how to watch: If you happen to be a local customer of AT&T’s U-Verse, DirecTV or DirecTV Stream services, an ongoing carriage dispute between the company and TEGNA, the parent company of local NBC affiliate WKYC Channel 3, means the station will remain blacked out during the Browns playoff game Saturday. Mike Rose explains how you can still watch the game. U.S Sen. Sherrod Brown is urging feuding television executives to settle their beefs and end the TV blackout, Sabrina Eaton reports. Things to do: The Cleveland Browns wild-card playoff game Saturday might be the biggest event on the calendar this weekend. But Northeast Ohio has much more going on, including the new Disney on Ice and the Ohio RV Show, reports Paris Wolfe. |
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Investigations rule use of force justified in arrest of Miami University football player from Berea Read more Ohio woman who miscarried on home toilet is not criminally liable, grand jury says Read more Man fatally shot in Cleveland’s Woodland Hills neighborhood Read more Northeast Ohio could see gusts of 55 mph, resulting in latest wind advisory Read more Beachwood School Board re-elects Walsh as president, is interviewing nine candidates for open position Read more What’s the good news for Medina County Park District and Friends? Read more Orange hires new police officer and firefighter/paramedic Read more Berea’s temporary 2024 budget reflects ongoing capital projects Read more |
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