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| What you need to know Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022 WEATHER
The day will start off cloudy but eventually skies will clear, but highs will stay in the upper 20s. Clouds will move back in overnight, with lows around 22 degrees. Read more. OVERNIGHT
Redistricting ruling: The Ohio Supreme Court once again has struck down new state legislative maps as unconstitutionally slanted toward Republicans under Ohio’s new anti-gerrymandering rules, Andrew Tobias reports. In a ruling Monday evening, the court gave the Ohio Redistricting Commission until Feb. 17 to draw new Ohio House and Senate maps. Once again, retiring Republican Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor joined the court’s three Democrats in rejecting the latest set of maps, approved by redistricting commission Republicans on Jan. 22.
Trying again: Republican state lawmakers are readying a new Ohio congressional map proposal after the Ohio Supreme Court rejected the previous map as an unconstitutional gerrymander. Separate introductory committee meetings were scheduled for today at the Ohio Statehouse for a pair of placeholder congressional map bills. However, at least one was canceled late Monday following an Ohio Supreme Court ruling that again threw out Republican-drawn state legislative maps as unconstitutional, Andrew Tobias reports.
Bibb goals: Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb on Monday identified 85 goals for his first 100 days in office – a wide-ranging set of priorities for how the city delivers basic services, addresses public health and safety, and lays the groundwork for some of Bibb’s more ambitious, longer-term plans. The mayor also unveiled an online tracker to show the city’s progress toward achieving those goals and to provide a way for residents to hold him accountable to his promises, reports Courtney Astolfi.
Balloon ban: Among the first significant legislative acts by the Cleveland City Council, as it began a new term, was this: Outlawing the release of 10 or more balloons. The new law, which City Council passed in January, is needed to reduce power outages and promote public safety. But why the limit of 10? And Robert Higgs questions if City Council doesn't have bigger worries. TODAY IN OHIO Federal energy regulators have given FirstEnergy two months to come up with a plan to issue customer refunds with interest after a new audit found the utility improperly accounted for almost $71 million used to lobby for the scandal-ridden House Bill 6 energy bill. We’re talking about how the expenses led FirstEnergy to improperly raise prices on customers on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.
STATEHOUSE & POLITICS Gubernatorial debate:Democratic governor candidates John Cranley and Nan Whaley have agreed to debate each other March 28 at Central State University in Greene County, reports Jeremy Pelzer. It’s less clear, however, whether the Republican candidates for governor or the Democratic and Republican candidates for U.S. Senate will accept invitations to the debate sent by the Ohio Debate Commission.
Public transit: Public transit in Cleveland will get the largest share of $73.5 million in money for public transit agencies across Ohio that’s being made available in the first tranche of money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that’s being released by the federal government, reports Sabrina Eaton. Over the next five years, Ohio is supposed to get $1.3 billion of guaranteed transit formula funding from the bipartisan infrastructure deal.
METRO Snow removal: Cleveland City Council and members of Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration said the city’s snow-removal process must improve in order to meet the needs of residents and businesses, Courtney Astolfi reports. The comments came Monday during a three-hour meeting of council’s Municipal Services & Properties Committee, where members sounded off about deficiencies in the snowplow system and how Bibb handled communications with the public during the storm on Thursday and Friday that dumped another round of debilitating snow on city streets.
Dunkleosteus: Along a stretch of the Vermilion River, in the shadow of the Ohio Turnpike, Caitlin Colleary of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History expects to find fossil evidence of the fierce, prehistoric fish known as Dunkleosteus. Peter Krouse reports the fish was named for a former curator of vertebrate paleontology at the museum and terrorized the tropical sea that covered present-day Ohio when it was part of a land mass south of the equator some 360 million years ago.
Raw sewage: The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District entered into an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2011 to greatly reduce the amount of raw sewage that flows into Lake Erie and local waterways. But Peter Krouse reports that untreated sewage continues to make its way into Lake Erie, the Cuyahoga River and its tributaries. Here’s where it’s worst.
CWRU donation: Case Western Reserve University is founding the Roth Institute to help prepare students to address the “increasingly complex challenges facing the globe.” Sean McDonnell reports the institute is supported by a more than $20 million gift given by Joel Roth, a 1958 civil engineering graduate. The program will support up to eight undergraduates a year with scholarships, special programming and interactions with accomplished leaders.
Chagrin Falls Park: It’s easy to miss the turn-off into Chagrin Falls Park. There is no sign announcing the subdivision, or the church congregations that still worship there each Sunday, or even the Community Center, which sprung up in the 1930s, but remains the center of life for many residents. Brenda Cain reports the community was once a predominantly Black neighborhood and is still steeped in misconceptions.
Snowplow crash: A 48-year-old Cleveland woman died after a Friday morning crash with a city snowplow, reports Adam Ferrise. Miesha Nicholson drove a 2012 Subaru south on Lee Road and turned left toward a McDonald’s parking lot in front of the city snowplow, which had its blade down and flashing lights on.
COVID-19 Case counts: The state of Ohio on Monday reported 2,594 new cases of COVID-19, continuing the trend of case counts decreasing after spikes in late December and early January, reports Julie Washington.
BUSINESS Casinos: Ohio’s racinos and casinos had their best January ever in terms of revenue, bouncing back from a dip last January due to COVID-19 curfews. Sean McDonnell reports the state’s 11 casinos and racinos brought in $171.2 million this past month.
Flats apartments: A Cleveland panel has approved plans for developers to build more than 600 apartments on Scranton Peninsula in the Flats, though members required those involved to do more planning on the look and use of the public space. Eric Heisig reports that the Cleveland Planning Commission on Friday gave its approval for construction of two apartment complexes along Carter Road in a valley between the Tremont, Ohio City and downtown neighborhoods.
Airline merger: Frontier and Spirit airlines are combining into one dominant, low-cost carrier, a move that may affect service and routes at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Susan Glaser reports the two airlines – fierce competitors for cost-conscious, leisure travelers – both have a major presence in Cleveland.
CRIME Officer trial: A Cuyahoga County judge Monday acquitted a suspended Cleveland police officer of rape charges involving two incidents with women. Common Pleas Judge John J. Russo, however, convicted Matthew Piter of two counts of gross sexual imposition. Piter, 28, faces six to 18 months on each charge when Russo sentences him Feb. 28.
Court tales: During the pandemic, defendants have logged into remote court smoking cigars, lying in bed or driving a car. That’s despite courts’ efforts to explain rules and expectations in materials sent to the parties beforehand. Court News Ohio shares some of the most egregious behavior.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Red Gerard: Westlake native Red Gerard came up short in his bid for another gold medal in men’s slopestyle in the Winter Olympics. Gerard won gold in the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, when he was 17. He was the youngest American male to win Olympic gold in snowboarding. Sunday night, he took fourth, reports Marc Bona.
'Waitress': The hit Broadway musical “Waitress” is returning to Playhouse Square, this time at the Hanna Theatre in a more intimate version that will bring audiences closer to the story, reports Joey Morona. The show opens on May 26 and runs for five weeks.
Wonderstruck: Don’t look now, but WonderStruck, which takes place at Lakeland Community College in Kirtland from July 9-10, has grown into one of Ohio’s premier festivals. Beachwood-based event production company Elevation Group announced the lineup for this year’s festival, with The Lumineers and Vampire Weekend headlining, Troy Smith reports.
Kenny Chesney: Country star Kenny Chesney will hit the road for a tour this summer and will stop at Blossom Music Center for a show on June 9. Carly Pearce will open. Tickets to the show will go on sale on Friday, reports Anne Nickoloff. OTHER HEADLINES Thieves crash vehicle into Akron Circle K, try to take ATM Read more
Ohio landlord accused of stabbing man during argument over water shutoff Read more
Ohio man gets over 42 years in prison for sex trafficking involving minor Read more
Roofs and paving on Medina Schools’ summer maintenance list Read more
Solon Schools drops face mask mandate, continues to recommend their use Read more
Avon Lake companies hope free transportation will attract new workers Read more
Three levies headed to May 3 primary ballot in Lorain County Read more
North Royalton balks at regulations that would keep ‘small-box’ stores at least 2 miles from each other Read more
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