Republican leaders propose congressional maps that likely would give them disproportionately large share of Ohio seats

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What you need to know Friday, Sept. 10, 2021

WEATHER

Temperatures will remain cool today, with highs in the low 70s, but warmer conditions arrive this weekend. Highs will reach the mid-80s on Sunday. Mostly sunny skies are expected through the weekend. Read more.

Local scores: Indians 4, Minnesota Twins 1

NFL: Browns at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. Sunday, Geha Field at Arrowhead Stadium. TV: WOIO Channel 19. Radio: WKRK FM/92.3; WNCX FM/98.5; WKNR AM/850.

OVERNIGHT

Redistricting: Republican Ohio legislative leaders have proposed new
state House and Senate maps that, if passed, likely would award them a disproportionately large share of Ohio seats, allowing them to maintain their veto-proof majority despite new rules meant to discourage partisan gerrymandering. Andrew Tobias reports the maps, unveiled on Thursday morning, would create districts likely to award Republicans 67 of 99 House seats and 25 of 33 Senate seats
-- or around 66% in each chamber -- according to Dave’s Redistricting.

Vaccine mandate: The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, which up until now had not announced plans to mandate vaccines for workers, will be forced to do so under a new federal rule announced Thursday. The nation’s hospitals are among the U.S. businesses that President Joe Biden will order to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for employees, Julie Washington reports. The Clinic says it will follow the new rule, but UH says it won't comment until has a chance to review Biden's mandate.

Mu variant: A small number of coronavirus cases involving the mu variant, which preliminary research has found is resistant to vaccine antibodies, have been identified in Ohio, health officials said Thursday. Laura Hancock reports that genetic sequencing has located the variant in 0.09% of the cases from July 1 to present.

Stand your ground: Two Ohio Democratic lawmakers and left-leaning groups are asking a judge to throw out the state’s new “stand your ground” law, arguing that the last-minute way Republican lawmakers passed it violates the state Constitution. Jeremy Pelzer reports their lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment from the Franklin County Common Pleas Court voiding Senate Bill 175, passed in the final
days of last year’s legislative session. The bill initially was fairly non-controversial, seeking to grant civil immunity to churches and other nonprofits where shootings occur, but legislative Republicans passed it after hastily adding language to eliminate any “duty to retreat” before using force in self-defense.

COVID cases rise: Ohio now averages 582.4 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks, up from last week’s average of 472.4, the Ohio Department of Health announced Thursday. Laura Hancock reports that Thursday’s figure shows the delta variant continues to cause community transmission. Some counties are worse than others, but no Ohio county is under 200 cases per 100,000 residents.

This Week in the CLE: A week after blowing through the deadline set by the state Constitution, Ohio leaders finally provide the legislative maps they’ve been working on in secret. We’re talking about the furtive redistricting effort and what to expect from the rest of the process on This Week in the CLE, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.

Ken Mills: As ex-Cuyahoga County Jail director Ken Mills pushed ahead with the ill-fated plan to expand the already overcrowded and understaffed facility in 2017, many of the corrections officers, supervisors and medical staff who worked there saw the potential for disaster. Cory Shaffer reports that Mills told a current warden
that his job depended on regionalizing the jail, as he created budgets that showed he would reap more money for the county if the jail housed more inmates, testimony showed. Mills hoped to leverage the savings into a promotion to the chief of public safety, above the man who was supposed to be his boss at the time, then-Sheriff Clifford Pinkney.

Ohio Medicaid: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, is appealing a decision by the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden to nix Ohio’s Medicaid work requirements, Laura Hancock reports. The appeal was requested by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who announced it Thursday morning. Under Ohio’s work-requirement plan, approved by the administration of Republican former
President Donald Trump in 2019, Ohio Medicaid recipients who received coverage under Medicaid expansion were to work 80 hours a month.

Schools and COVID: The Medina and Wadsworth school districts are among those reporting the highest number of new COVID-19 infections in the latest weekly update from the Ohio Department of Health. Alexis Oatman reports Medina City Schools had the third-highest total of new infections, with 91 among students and five among staff members. Wadsworth City Schools reported the sixth-highest total, with 71 new infections among students and six among the staff.

Employee vaccinations: Ohio businesses are offering incentives that range from cash bonuses to paid time off to encourage their employees to get coronavirus vaccinations as they try to return to in-person work amid an infection spike caused by the virus’ highly contagious delta variant. Sabrina Eaton reports on the complex, nuanced nature of businesses encouraging employees to get vaccinated.

Foundation donations: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and The KeyBank Foundation on Thursday announced a pair of grants intended to prevent lead poisoning and address systemic poverty in Cleveland. Alexis Oatman reports the Clinic is donating $2.5 million to the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition, which was designed as a long-term approach to help rid the Cleveland area of lead poisoning. KeyBank is donating $2.1 million to the United Way of Greater Cleveland to address
systemic poverty in Cuyahoga County.

Police reform: A proposal to change Cleveland’s charter and dramatically shift oversight of the police department to civilian hands will appear on the November ballot as Issue 24, Robert Higgs reports. Proponents say the charter issue would install independent oversight that will ensure transparency and accountability. Critics argue it would cede authority to an unelected layer of bureaucracy.

Muslim community: When Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda carried out the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Americans’ perception of Muslims and the religion of Islam forever changed. Muslims experienced harsh scrutiny, discrimination, and sometimes violence. Alexis Oatman reports on what growing up was like for young Northeast Ohio Muslims.

Lone Sailor Statue: The historic Lone Sailor Statue honoring U.S. Navy service members will be unveiled Friday at the Great Lakes Science Center in downtown Cleveland. Cameron Fields reports that Cleveland will be the 18th location to display the statue, which honors Navy veterans and those who are currently serving. The Cleveland statue will also be a tribute to the Northeast Ohio residents who’ve served
in the Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard, said Mike Dovilla, the president and executive director of the USS Cleveland Legacy Foundation.

Irishtown Bend: The longtime effort to stabilize the Irishtown Bend hillside and build a 23-acre park on the slope overlooking the Cuyahoga River and the downtown skyline has had some developments this week, reports Steven Litt. The board of the Cleveland Cuyahoga County Port Authority voted unanimously Thursday to approve a “declaration of public necessity” as the first step toward acquiring a key property at the southeast corner of West 25th Street and Detroit Avenue. Also, the board of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency is
poised to vote today on a recommendation to devote $12.8 million in federal COVID relief money toward the $45 million project.

Rock Hall: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced Thursday that all fans attending the 2021 Induction Ceremony must show proof of a full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of the show (along with an ID matching the required documentation), reports Troy Smith. The ceremony will take place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Oct. 30.

Waterfront Line: Just before the start of Browns season, the Greater
Cleveland Regional Transit Authority has announced an indefinite suspension of service on its Waterfront Rapid Line that serves FirstEnergy Stadium, other lakefront attractions and the Flats. Rich Exner and Robert Higgs report RTA cited concerns over safety for a bridge west of the stadium in making the decision.

Armyworm: The fall armyworm invades areas of the Deep South each year, but this summer it has made its way to Ohio, reports Peter Krouse. It’s a “routine pest” primarily kept in check by insecticides, said Blake Layton, extension professor at Mississippi State University. But while it’s not unusual to have an occasional boom year, this year’s outbreak has been the largest he has seen in 50 years, he said.

Funeral home director: The former director of a now-closed North Olmsted funeral home will spend 18 months in prison for stealing more than $100,000 from elderly clients who prepaid for services. Adam Ferrise reports former Kacirek Funeral Homes owner Mark Kacirek, 70, pleaded guilty in June to one count of aggravated theft, a fourth-degree felony.

House fire: One person is dead and another injured following a house fire Thursday in Cleveland’s West Boulevard neighborhood, officials said. Adam Ferrise reports the fire broke out about 2:30 p.m. at a multi-unit boarding home on Denison Avenue near West 99th Street. Investigators are working to determine what caused the fire.

‘Little Charleston’: Beaufort, South Carolina, is about 70 miles south of Charleston and is sometimes called “Little Charleston” because of its impressive history and charm. Susan Glaser reports on experiencing the city’s downtown and learning about its storied history.

9/11 memorials: As we near the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, we are reminded of the tragic day by nearly a dozen 9/11 memorials located around Northeast Ohio. David Petkiewicz has photos of the memorials, which feature debris from the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the crash sight of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa.

Engagement rumors: This year’s MTV Video Music Awards could include a very special announcement from Cleveland-native rapper-turned-rocker Machine Gun Kelly. Troy Smith reports that MGK and Megan Fox are sparking engagement rumors after the latter was spotted Wednesday wearing what appeared to be an engagement ring at rehearsals for MGK’s VMA performance.

Vegan cheese: Vegan cheese has become a grocery store staple in recent years, but the cheese still presents a problem – it won’t melt, stretch, brown or bubble. Cleveland.com’s sister site, Wired, investigates the science behind why vegan cheese doesn’t act like we expect.

Things to do: The unofficial end of summer has passed, but the first day of fall isn’t technically until Sept. 22, so make sure to live up the last bits of summer. Anne Nickoloff writes about things to do this weekend, including going to Fresh Fest Cleveland, the Waterloo Arts Fest or some Browns season-opener watch parties.

Wright-Patterson Air Force base on lockdown on reports of active shooter Read more

Akron man sentenced to life for shooting that killed 1, wounded 3, including 12-year-old boy Read more

Man dies 11 days after someone sucker-punched him in Cleveland convenience store, police say Read more

Head-on crash with semi kills 1 in Lorain County Read more

City of Akron shares framework to reduce violence, with funding coming from American Rescue Plan Act Read more

University Heights Fire Department to conduct 9/11 memorial walk; public invited to take part Read more

Middleburg Heights to conduct citywide light pole survey Read more

Middleburg council OKs extra Middlebrook Blvd. drainage work Read more

Berea City Schools keeping COVID-19 at bay so far Read more

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