Should Ohio tax cigarettes more so that parents can receive a child tax credit? What about sports betting companies paying double the taxes so professional and youth sports can build new stadiums? After nearly 50 years in government, Gov. Mike DeWine has proposed his final two-year budget plan, and he's doubling down on vice while strengthening support for his deep-rooted beliefs in child care, infrastructure and more. The goal is to raise money for programs that help the greater good while tamping down on habits that contribute to societal ills. The Republican-majority state legislature likely won't embrace DeWine’s proposed tax hikes. We’ll see their priorities when the House and Senate unveil their own proposals. — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Super Bowl LIX: Eagles deny the Chiefs a Super Bowl three-peat with dominant defense in 40-22 rout Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Sunny and chilly |
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| Proposed tax hikes on cigarettes would offset revenue loss from a child tax credit. (Elise Amendola, Associated Press file photo) |
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Sin taxes: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's budget proposal would significantly raise state taxes on cigarettes, recreational marijuana, and sports-gambling companies to raise millions of dollars for a child tax credit, police training, local jails, sports stadium projects and more, reports Jeremy Pelzer. Refugee support: Hundreds of recently arrived refugees in Cleveland are losing federal money for necessities like rent and food after the Trump administration suspended previously approved federal funding for resettlement agencies. Sabrina Eaton reports that three agencies are scrambling for alternate funding sources to keep the refugees from being evicted from their apartments in the dead of winter and make up for the loss of federal money that was previously guaranteed. Today in Ohio: FirstEnergy is now charging all customers 50 cents every month to pay their bills if they’re not on autopay. We’re talking about the unfairness of the extra charge on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Hunting licenses: If you’re exactly 65 years old and frustrated about paying full price for sportsmen licenses, then two Republicans have just the legislation for you. Jake Zuckerman reports that right now, senior discounts for licenses to hunt, fish, or fur trap don’t kick in until applicants turn 66. The lawmakers' bill would take that down to 65. |
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Bird flu: Ohio leads the country in the number of commercially raised birds that have had to be destroyed over the past monthbecause of exposure to the avian flu, reports Peter Krouse. Close to 10 million birds, mostly chickens but also turkeys and some ducks, have had to be “depopulated” since the virus started spiking in Ohio in late December. Bedrock: Mayor Justin Bibb wants to make Bedrock’s plans to redevelop Tower City Center and the adjacent riverfront less financially risky by leaning on tax dollars generated by other successful projects like East Fourth Street and Steelyard Commons. Sean McDonnell reports that the plan would wrap five finished development projects into Bibb’s “Shore-to-Core-to-Shore” tax district and divert property taxes from those buildings into public subsidies for downtown development. Air pollution: In some Cleveland neighborhoods, one in four children suffer from asthma, while in others, the rates are much, much lower. Peter Krouse reports that’s one of the concerns motivating the Cleveland Division of Air Quality to rewrite the city’s Air Code, which hasn’t seen major revisions since 1977. Teen jobs: Youth Opportunities Unlimited’s (YOU) Summer Youth Employment Program matches teens with paying jobs for the summer, reports Kaitlin Durbin. The program allows teens, ages 14 to 18, to explore work opportunities across a variety of sectors, like retail and food service, tutoring, life-guarding, even engineering. And it pays them for it – $13.50 per hour, working up to 25 hours per week. Low taxes: Twenty-one taxing districts in Ohio have property taxes that don’t exceed $950 a year per $100,000 of home value, up from 14 districts in 2024. Zachary Smith lists the lowest rates in the state. Shelter fire: A homeless shelter in Cleveland suffered a small fire but was able to quickly rebound, reports Lucas Daprile. Just after noon on Wednesday, a fire began in the basement wall of St. Herman House, an Orthodox Christian shelter west of Ohio City. Our Best Life: On a cold winter night, a hockey rink crackles with energy. Bright lights shine on the slick white surface. Pump-up music blares before the puck drops – smack! – on the line. That moment, when the ice is fresh and the teams face off, is magic. After nine years, Laura Johnston has reached the final weekend of her 14-year-old's youth hockey season. |
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Cancer deaths: While cancer death rates are falling overall, the rising incidence of cancer in young and middle-aged women is placing a burden on family caregivers, according to the American Cancer Society’s annual report on cancer facts and trends. Julie Washington reports that cancer deaths in the United States fell by 34% from 1991 to 2022, averting approximately 4.5 million deaths. |
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10-year-old shot: A 10-year-old boy has died after being shot in the head on Cleveland’s East Side Friday night, police said. The shooting happened shortly before 8 p.m. on East 147th Street near Glendale Avenue, Kaylee Remington reports. Youths charged with murder: Cuyahoga County prosecutors filed charges against 41 youths in 29 deaths last year, with the youngest suspect 12 years old. Olivia Mitchell reports the cases underscore what county Prosecutor Michael O’Malley has stressed for years, that violent, gun-toting youths have terrorized cities and their residents. Fatal hit-and-run: A man is dead after being struck by a car Saturday morning in a hit-and-run crash outside of a Long John Silver’s restaurant in Lorain, police say. The Lorain Police Department’s traffic bureau is investigating the incident but currently has no information on the suspect vehicle, Kaylee Remington reports. Giant Eagle settlement: A man shot by an off-duty Cleveland police officer working security at a Giant Eagle has reached a confidential settlement in the case, reports Adam Ferrise. Melvin Robertson was placed in a medically induced coma after Cleveland police officer Robert Taylor shot him on Aug. 2, 2021, at the store on West 117th Street. Robertson recovered. Murder trial: A jury on Friday began deliberating the fate of two men charged with aggravated murder in the shooting death of 3-year-old Luis Diaz, whose mother prosecutors believe was the intended target of the assailants, David Gambino reports. |
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Airport dating: Romance on the runway? It’s not as silly as it sounds, according to DatingAdvice.com, which recently surveyed 3,000 single travelers to find out which U.S. airports are the best for making a special connection. Cleveland Hopkins, “where Midwest warmth and rock-and-roll cool collide,” ranked among the top 50 airports, Susan Glaser reports. CLE Eats: This week, “Classic CLE Eats & Drinks HQ" is following up the January edition of 10 “essential” Cleveland dishes with 10 more. These are classics in the making – impeccably done and sure to satisfy your inner foodie. Award nomination: Since opening in 2022, Cordelia on East 4th Street has been one of the buzziest restaurants in Greater Cleveland. Chef Vinnie Cimino has been nominated for his second James Beard Award in a row, Alex Darus reports. Cupid's Run: Runners donning just their skivvies Saturday braved a chilly lap around Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland during the annual Cupid’s Undie Run, a charity event aimed at raising money to fight neurofibromatosis. John Kuntz has photos. Black History tours: Black art is in the spotlight in February at the Cleveland Museum of Art thanks to a series of Black History Month tours of the exhibitions, Megan Sims reports. House of the Week: Located just steps from the Shoreby Club and offering private beach access, the residence at 4 Hanna Court in Bratenahl is luxury living at under $1.4 million, reports Joey Morona. Built in 2000, the colonial-style home boasts three bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms. |
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Middleburg Heights man arrested after fleeing from Brook Park police Read more Brook Park police track down Cleveland man who led them on vehicle chase Read more Three Parma siblings accumulate 300 years together Read more Berea sheds light on traffic signal improvements Read more Berea City Council mulls proposed updated Browns District 46 legislation Read more Village Project celebrates another year of supporting families dealing with cancer Read more One finalist remains in Rocky River City Schools superintendent search Read more Dog still searching for forever home after more than a year at Cleveland APL Read more |
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