STATEHOUSE & POLITICS
Early voting: Early voting in Ohio begins this morning, and Cuyahoga County residents who vote early and in person at the Board of Elections will use a different ballot than normal thanks to the Ohio Redistricting Commission’s failure to pass constitutional redistricting maps in a timely manner. Laura Hancock reports that due to printing delays, voters who show up in person through the week’s end will receive a ballot that is a PDF printout of the normal ballot.
Food insecurity: At the beginning of the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture eased rules around the school breakfast and lunch program, allowing all students to get free food while eliminating requirements that they eat together in a cafeteria. But those rules are set to expire at the end of the current school year, reports Laura Hancock. Now anti-hunger advocates are trying to find money to keep feeding kids through the summer in Ohio, where before the pandemic, about 1 in 5 Ohio children were considered food insecure.
Anthony White: As Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Engagement, Cleveland native Antonio White helps civil rights groups, faith-based organizations and private companies work with the Treasury Department to ensure its policies impact traditionally underserved communities. For example, Sabrina Eaton reports, White worked with Walmart on a digital and in-store display ad campaign to let its customers know how to access the child tax credit.
METRO
Dave Wondolowski: Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb declined to reappoint labor leader Dave Wondolowski to the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority board following a series of controversial actions against Bibb’s campaign, but Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish hopes to reseat him. Kaitlin Durbin reports Budish is recommending Wondolowski to serve an unexpired four-year term that ends in September 2024, replacing Jan Roller.
Security footage: Cleveland City Council is poised to approve legislation that would allow Cleveland police easier and wider access to footage from private surveillance systems to help solve crimes. Courtney Astolfi reports Cleveland police already have a footage-sharing agreement with Ring, but the legislation would allow possible agreements with non-Ring camera brands, as well as alarm companies.
Home value: New census data ranks the median home value in Ohio, with the Cincinnati suburb of Indian Hill at the top at $900,900. Zachary Smith reports the Cleveland-area cities in the top 20 statewide are No. 2 Pepper Pike ($443,000), No. 9 Hudson ($359,500), No. 13 Avon ($309,300), No. 14 Solon ($308,000), No. 17 Beachwood ($300,000), No.18 Highland Heights ($294,400), No. 19 Kirtland ($292,300) and No. 20 Brecksville ($292,000).
University Circle: University Circle Inc. said it plans to demolish a 346-space parking garage used by Case Western Reserve University, reports Eric Heisig. The development corporation said the garage, which dates to the late 1960s, “has exceeded its useful lifespan and it is necessary to demolish the structure for the safety of the community.”
Madeline Cain: Madeline Cain, the first woman to serve as mayor of Lakewood, died Monday at the age of 72, Cliff Pinckard reports. Cain served as mayor from 1996 to 2003. She also served as a member of the Lakewood City Council and served three terms as a state representative, resigning in 1995 when she was elected mayor.
BUSINESS
Made Cleveland: Made Cleveland will focus on local makers, aiming to feature about 100 small businesses when it opens its Coventry storefront on June 1. Anne Nickoloff reports the brick-and-mortar shop is the latest step for the local online shopping portal that launched during the pandemic in 2020.
Sherwin-Williams: Sherwin-Williams finished its purchase of a European company, adding manufacturing and more products to its footprint. Sean McDonnell reports the company announced recently that it completed its acquisitions of Sika AG, an industrial coatings business headquartered in Switzerland.
Energy providers: Over 200,000 households in Ohio will have a new energy provider after a large aggregator filed for bankruptcy protection, reports Sean McDonnell. Volunteer Energy Services filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late March and is offloading customers because of it.
CRIME
Shooting suspect: Cuyahoga County Jail officials mistakenly released a man charged in connection with a deadly shooting, reports Adam Ferrise. U.S. Marshals are searching for Cornell Gray, 21, who is accused of the April 17, 2021, shooting that killed Marvin Keith in Cleveland.
Choking accusation: A Cuyahoga County Jail officer is charged in connection with an attack on an inmate, Adam Ferrise reports. Jerice Bonner, who has been a corrections officer at the jail since 2007, is accused of choking a 37-year-old female inmate on Dec. 15, 2021.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Ukraine support: “Sonyashnyk” (“Sunflower”), a musical benefit for the people of Ukraine, is an unexpectedly grand event at the Cleveland Museum of Art that now appears poised to do more good than anyone could have imagined. Tickets begin at $20 and proceeds go to HIAS (the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) and the International Rescue Committee, reports Marc Bona.
