I’ve been working from home for two and half years, now commuting to the newsroom only one day a week. Plenty of Northeast Ohio office workers are in the same routine. We’ve been waiting to see how this pandemic trend translates to city income taxes and business real estate. Progressive Insurance is offering a sign by putting five office buildings up for sale and dropping plans for a future campus. It seems many employees are, like me, content to work makeup-less in their sweat shirts, dog at their feet. - Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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The Progressive Insurance headquarters off Wilson Mills Road in Mayfield. (Marvin Fong, Plain Dealer file photo) |
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Progressive: Insurance giant Progressive Corp. has put five of its East Side suburban office buildings up for sale as it responds to the new realities of the workplace, reports Megan Sims. After Progressive reopened its offices early this year, the company saw little change in employees working remotely. Progressive will continue to evaluate how office utilization will impact its real estate footprint. Deshaun Watson: Browns QB Deshaun Watson will miss the first 11 games of the season and be fined $5 million after the NFL and NFL Players Association reached a settlement on his discipline under the personal conduct policy, Mary Kay Cabot reports. The settlement, which the two sides negotiated for days, avoided appeals officer Peter C. Harvey banishing Watson for the 2022 season with a chance to apply for reinstatement after the year. It also prevented the NFLPA from suing in federal court to have the longer suspension overturned or reduced. Today in Ohio: A federal prosecutor asked the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to freeze its four investigations into FirstEnergy and the House Bill 6 bribery scandal, arguing it may interfere with an ongoing federal investigation. We’re talking about the separation of government powers, and who answers to whom, on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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PAC spending: A political action committee with close ties to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is launching a massive new ad campaign in Ohio, a clear sign that national Republicans are shifting more toward playing defense in the Senate campaign. Andrew Tobias reports the Senate Leadership Fund is buying $28 million worth of TV and radio ads, up from the $5 million national Republicans have spent in Ohio so far in the race between Republican J.D. Vance and Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan. Governor candidates: No independent candidates will appear on this year’s ballot for Ohio governor, as the Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the Ohio secretary of state’s rejection of a Geauga County resident’s candidate petitions. Jeremy Pelzer reports that F. Patrick Cunnane, along with his wife/would-be running mate Mary Cunnane, asked the Supreme Court to order their names on the November ballot after Secretary of State Frank LaRose refused to certify them as independent candidates. Five Supreme Court justices sided with LaRose, with the remaining two not participating. Gun bill: State Sen. Matt Dolan has introduced a bill that seeks to address mass shootings and other forms of gun violence through a mix of mental-health funding increases and measures meant to make it harder for potentially dangerous people to buy guns. Andrew Tobias reports the bill is an updated version of Gov. Mike DeWine’s “Strong Ohio” bill, a package of gun restrictions, tougher gun-crime penalties and mental-health initiatives that’s stalled in the Republican-controlled state legislature. Utility credits: Thanks to the scandal-scarred House Bill 6, Ohio utility customers have paid nearly $187 million during the past two years to help subsidize two 1950s-coal plants in Ohio and Indiana, state records show. Utility customers are getting some of that money back. Starting last month, residential customers with Ohio’s four major regulated electric utilities – FirstEnergy, AEP Ohio, Duke Energy, and AES Ohio – began receiving credits on their electric bills ranging from 5 cents per month to 37 cents per month, Jeremy Pelzer reports. |
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Black leadership: Case Western Reserve University will host a leadership development program geared toward Black professionals starting in 2023. Alexis Oatman reports that while the Executive Leadership Development Program is open to all professionals, this experience was explicitly created with Black leaders in mind. Chairlift auction: Vail Resorts is auctioning off chairlifts from Boston Mills and Brandywine to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Ohio and Vail’s Epic Promise Employee Foundation. Laura Johnston reports you can buy signs from each chairlift, plus 10 double chairs and 20 quad chairs, starting at noon today. |
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COVID-19 cases: For the third week in a row, the weekly number of COVID-19 cases in Ohio has dropped, Julie Washington reports. The state of Ohio on Thursday reported 24,067 new cases of COVID-19 in its weekly dashboard update, down 1,949 from a week ago. Ohio has been over 10,000 cases per week every week since the beginning of May. |
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Death penalty: The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the death sentence for the man who kidnapped, raped, tortured and killed 14-year-old Alianna DeFreeze on her way to school in 2017. Adam Ferrise reports the high court unanimously upheld the death penalty for Christopher Whitaker, 49, who grabbed Alianna after she departed an RTA bus and used power tools to torture and kill her. |
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Michael Stanley: Forty years ago, Michael Stanley Band played four shows in six nights at Blossom that set an attendance record of 74,404 people. It’s an historic stretch that will be celebrated during a live event at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, at the Music Box Supper Club in the Flats. Bash at the Bay: More than 20,000 country music fans are expected to descend on South Bass Island next week for what has evolved into a two-day music festival on the grounds of Put-in-Bay Airport. Susan Glaser reports the event, dubbed Bash on the Bay, this year features headliners Brad Paisley and the Zac Brown Band, along with Jake Owen, Chris Janson and numerous others. Things to do: It’s back to school on Monday for many Northeast Ohio students. So, you’ll want to make this weekend count. Joey Morona has 21 ideas, including Alicia Keys at Jacobs Pavilion. |
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Woman uses pepper spray to fight off armed carjacker in Akron Read more $28 million Howley Foundation gift to provide 48 annual Gilmour Academy scholarships, pay for restoration of historic campus buildings and new dining hall Read more Richmond Heights police officers receive Bravery Award for their part in apprehending killer of Cleveland police officer Shane Bartek Read more Mary Sullivan named president and CEO of Solon Chamber of Commerce Read more Independence Local School District fills essential teaching roles Read more Seven Hills expected to approve new trash and recycling contract with Waste Management Read more Fairview Park hoping for late fall completion of new ADA-friendly restroom at Bain Park Read more Work continues on new Vitamix Field at Olmsted Falls High School Read more |
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