Mayor Justin Bibb is having a rough year. The Cleveland Browns are publicly toying with the city, asking for hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars while floating the idea of leaving for a domed stadium in Brook Park. Bibb’s college roommate — hired to a newly created $124,000-a-year job as Cleveland’s senior adviser for public safety — had to resign in May after details emerged from a 2015 investigation of an elderly couple that led to a civil rights lawsuit while Bibb's roommate was a detective in Washington, D.C. City Hall has been shut to the public for a week over some sort of cyber attack. (Bibb is not releasing many details.) And Thursday, his official vehicle got in a crash when it appeared to use its emergency lights and siren to run a red light. The city said Bibb is fine. Here’s what state law says: “Such equipment shall not be used except when such vehicle is operated in response to an emergency call or is in the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law.”
— Laura
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Overnight Scores and Weather |
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Cleveland police are investigating a car accident involving Mayor Justin Bibb. (cleveland.com file photo) |
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Bibb crash: Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb suffered minor injuries Thursday after his driver turned on the emergency lights while approaching a red light at a downtown intersection, then crashed into a van, Olivia Mitchell reports. Bibb was taken to a hospital for an evaluation. Judicial holdup: U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio announced Thursday that he and several of his conservative colleagues will expand their prior holds on President Biden’s nominees for Senate-confirmed positions to include all “Biden lawfare” nominees. Sabrina Eaton reports that the group released a list of more than 40 nominees whose appointments they intend to stall, which includes judicial nominees, U.S. attorneys, including Northeast Ohio’s Becky Lutzko, and nominations of prominent Democrats to posts unrelated to the judiciary. Voucher overpayments: The state of Ohio mistakenly overpaid K-12 school districts, charter schools and private-school voucher programs as much as $30 million during the past year because of a glitch in the state’s funding formula, according to state officials. But while state lawmakers say they’re now working to pass a fix to the error, they also say they won’t try to get the money back from schools, Jeremy Pelzer and Laura Hancock report. Today in Ohio: Ohio will receive about $27.7 million as its share of a $700 million multistate settlement with Johnson & Johnson regarding the company’s marketing of its talc baby products. On Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast, we’re talking about how J&J marketed its talc baby and body powders as safe, despite evidence linking talc, which contained asbestos, to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. |
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Lordstown GM plant: U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s reelection campaign on Thursday launched a new ad that attacks his Republican challenger, Bernie Moreno, by blaming him for playing a part in the Lordstown GM Assembly Plant’s 2019 demise, while omitting mention of a story at the time that tied Moreno to efforts to keep the plant open. The ad’s rationale? Andrew Tobias reports that it hinges on Moreno's Buick dealership in Beachwood selling the Chinese-made Buick Envision SUV until 2019, the year the plant closed and laid off thousands of workers. IVF: Ohio’s U.S. senators both say they support a woman’s rights to in vitro fertilization, but they took opposite stands in a Thursday vote on legislation that would establish a federal right to IVF and try to lower treatment costs. Sabrina Eaton reports that nobody expected the “Right to IVF Act” would gain the 60 votes needed to move forward with debate. It fell 12 votes short in the closely divided Senate. |
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Cyber attack: Cleveland City Hall is closed to the public again today as city officials continue to contend with fallout from a cyber threat, reports Courtney Astolfi. It’s been a rocky week for the city as it attempts to recover from a cyber incident first discovered on Sunday. Israel bonds: Cuyahoga County Council will no longer be considering formal action to force divestment in Israel bonds amid the war in Gaza, but the sponsors still hope that Executive Chris Ronayne and the county treasurer make that decision on their own. Kaitlin Durbin reports council’s vice president, Cheryl Stephens, and Councilman Patrick Kelly announced Thursday they are withdrawing their resolution, which called for the county “to immediately cease any additional” investment in Israel bonds and to create a policy prohibiting future investments in any foreign securities. Summer camp for grown-ups: T&G Flying Club, both a flying school and Northeast Ohio’s longest-running and largest flying club, offers a class for people trying to decide whether to pursue a pilot’s license, become an aviation hobbyist, or, in the case of Zachary Smith, learn how to be a better traveler. Smith tried a “discovery flight." Delinquent: The Greater CLE Youth Justice Collective has invited reporters John Tucker and Kaitlin Durbin to participate in a special webinar on June 25 called “Unpacking ‘Delinquent’ Series.” |
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Pinecrest: At six years old this summer, Pinecrest in Orange is home to dozens of trendy apartments, stores and restaurants, including REI, RH, the only Vineyard Vines store in Northeast Ohio and the area’s first Nike stand-alone store. Megan Sims reports that in its first five years, the development was required to reserve 65% of its commercial space for retailers that were new to the area. Home costs: A recent report found that the cost of homeownership has increased by 26% since 2020 thanks to higher interest rates and other factors, reports Megan Sims. Mortgage rates: U.S mortgage rates have declined slightly for the second straight week, but are still nearly 7% on average, reports Sean McDonnell. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was 6.95% Thursday. Great Lakes drivers: A small contingent of drivers at Great Lakes Brewing Co. are looking to unionize and have taken the first steps to holding a union election. Sean McDonnell reports drivers for Great Lakes Brewing filed an election petition on Tuesday, according to online records from the National Labor Relations Board. Intubation research: During a medical emergency, a breathing tube is often required for patients with low oxygen levels or head and neck injuries. However, Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports that a new study from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center shows that the way a patient is given oxygen in advance of the procedure can greatly affect the outcome. COVID cases: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio rose for the second week, increasing from 1,126 last week to 1,370 this week, reports Julie Washington. |
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I-71 crash: An Oak Harbor woman was killed in a wrong-way crash Thursday on Interstate 71 in Cleveland. Olivia Mitchell reports the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Vetrica Lemaitre, 58. Drug charges: Two suspected members of an East Side Cleveland gang were charged Thursday in connection with a federal drug investigation. Eric Powell, 24, and Terrance Thomas, 27, belong to the Glenville-based Loyal to Brothers (LTB) gang, Adam Ferrise reports. Road rage: A Canton man was arrested Wednesday morning and accused of brandishing a gun during a road-rage incident on Interstate 77, Molly Walsh reports. Board of Elections: A gunshot was fired through a window in an unoccupied office at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on Wednesday, reports Olivia Mitchell. No one was hurt. Ponzi scheme: Several Northeast Ohio residents have sued a financial adviser who authorities say ran one of the largest Ponzi schemes in Missouri history. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 13 businesses, couples and trusts, says several area residents lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to Siddarth Jawahar, 36, and his investment company, Swiftarc Capital, and other related companies, reports Adam Ferrise. Child death: Timmeka Eggleton, 31, of Cleveland, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of murder, felonious assault and child endangering in the death of her 3-year-old son. Cory Shaffer reports the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the boy died of blunt-force trauma. |
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Ask Yadi: If a family wants to get pets, what if nobody wants to help? Yadi Rodriguez writes that you should put your foot down and let everyone know that their help and cooperation isn’t negotiable. Styx: The “Renegades & Juke Box Heroes” tour that stopped at Blossom Music Center on Wednesday teamed up the ambitious prog-infused arena rock of Styx with mainstream rock hitmakers Foreigner and opener John Waite. Malcolm X Abram reports that their Billboard-chart-filling, rock radio staple-filled sets sounded like the late 1970s, early ’80s heyday of WMMS FM/100.7 or, for Gen-Xers, like an all-day viewing of the early years of MTV. Liyuan Xie: Violinist Liyuan Xie has been named the Cleveland Orchestra’s first associate concertmaster. Paris Wolfe reports that Xie joined the orchestra less than a year ago as a member of the second violin section. His new role starts on June 29 with the 2024 Blossom Music Festival. Kelce beer: Jason and Travis Kelce are now the largest investors in Columbus-based Garage Beer. Marc Bona reports the Kelces and the brand’s owners have been working for a while on the deal that brought the brothers into the company. Phoenix Theatre: The 10-screen Phoenix Theatres Great Northern Mall — the chain’s first in the region — officially opened Thursday following a five-month, $5 million renovation of the former Regal Cinemas location, reports Joey Morona. Things to do: Northeast Ohio is buzzing with events -- from outdoor concerts to street festivals and more -- to keep every local busy while the weather is nice. Alex Darus has 24 things to do in Greater Cleveland this weekend and beyond. |
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Online scam costs Solon man more than half-million dollars Read more Berea resident uses firearm to chase trespasser out of home Read more Parma’s new police union contract includes hefty raises to stay competitive Read more Medina plans to partner with schools on K9 program Read more Pool-chemical reaction in Eastlake home sends 5 people to hospital Read more Settlement reached in lawsuit against Orange council; variance granted pending voters’ approval of rezoning Read more Cleveland National Air Show tickets on sale Read more |
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