When it comes to Cleveland winters, do you like last year’s or were you partial to the year before? Last winter was the second warmest in 80 years, with less snowfall than we’d seen in 50 years. Compare that to 2021-2022, which included the city’s third-longest streak of snow on the ground, a full 31 days in January and February, as measured at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Either way, now that it’s October, the snow could start flying anytime. (On average, according to the National Weather Service, Cleveland sees its first winter weather around Nov. 11. But the earliest snow has appeared is Oct. 2 - first in 1974 and again in 2003. Last year, it was Oct. 18.) Skiers like me are hoping for lots of snow, but that looks unlikely, since we’re up against an El Niño forecast for a warm, dry season. That’s good news for Clevelanders who grouse about the cold. But if you put on your boots, mitts and hat, you can embrace it. – Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens: Injured Deshaun Watson watches rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Browns get embarrassed, 28-3, by Ravens Guardians at Detroit Tigers: Miguel Cabrera goes out in style as Guardians fall to Detroit in season finale, 5-2 Northeast Ohio weather forecast: October gets a warm start |
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U.S. winter temperature for strong and moderate El Niño winters since 1950. (NOAA) |
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El Niño: The United States will likely experience its first “strong” El Niño winter since 2015-16, reports Zachary Smith. There likely will be below-average snowfall and a good chance of warmer-than-normal temperatures, meaning there may be less need for warmer winter coats or opportunities for winter sports. That also means Ohio could be in a drought. Government funding: A last-minute funding compromise that passed the U.S. House and Senate by large bipartisan margins on Saturday will keep the federal government open. Sabrina Eaton reports it passed the Senate in a lopsided 88 to 9 vote, with all opposition coming from Republicans, including Ohio’s JD Vance. Ohio’s Jim Jordan and Warren Davidson were the only Ohioans among the 90 Republicans in the House who opposed it. Redistricting: Ohio Redistricting Commission members’ bipartisan deal on new state legislative maps Tuesday night came after months of discussions that hit a crescendo with hours of closed-door negotiations. Even headed into Tuesday, it wasn’t clear whether the five Republicans and two Democrats on the commission could reach agreement on new Ohio House and Senate district lines, reports Jeremy Pelzer. New maps: Even though the Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously voted earlier this week to pass new House and Senate district lines for the state, there still isn’t consensus on an important question: How long will these new maps remain in place? Republicans and Democrats on the redistricting commission say they think they will be in place for eight years, until after the 2030 U.S. Census is completed. But Jeremy Pelzer reports the Ohio Constitution’s new legislative redistricting rules don’t explicitly lay out what happens now after the state’s initial redistricting process in 2021 and 2022 went off the rails. Today in Ohio: An attorney for the former Brooklyn High School football coach who resigned after his team used the word “Nazi” to call out plays during a game against Beachwood is arguing that the term is not antisemitic and that it’s used widely on high school fields to signal plays. We’re talking about the ridiculousness of the argument, as well as the antics in U.S. Congress, on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Senate race: With the March primary election fewer than six months away, the main political event in Ohio normally would be the Republican contest for the chance to try to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown. But Andrew Tobias reports the race is getting overshadowed by the November campaign over State Issue 1, which would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. But the November campaign also provides a natural runway for the Republican Senate candidates, who all oppose Issue 1 and are looking for support from activists and GOP voters who polling shows remain staunchly opposed to abortion. Vance vote: Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard Durbin on Friday urged Ohio’s JD Vance to stop delaying swift confirmation of Justice Department nominees, including Northeast Ohio U.S. attorney nominee Becky Lutzko, to protest the committee's prosecution of ex-President Donald Trump. Sabrina Eaton reports Durbin said it was “not explainable” for Vance to stop appointment of a criminal prosecutor who could “go after these cartels and drug gangs." |
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Irishtown Bend: Irishtown Bend will be one of the most impressive new urban parks in the Great Lakes, writes Steven Litt. Archaeological sites where 19th century Irish immigrants lived along the riverbank, giving it the Irishtown name, could be framed by sheets of Corten steel to keep them visible and protected from sedimentation. Planners will present the latest designs at a joint meeting of the city’s planning and landmarks commissions on Friday. Center Street Bridge: Cleveland’s Center Street Bridge will remain closed for at least another week as crews have finished construction and moved into the safety-testing phase of the project. Sean McDonnell reports the red swing-bridge, a main artery between the west and east sides of the Flats, was set to open in late summer. Residents First: Mayor Justin Bibb is proposing what he’s calling the “Residents First” housing reform agenda -- a sweeping overhaul of building, housing, zoning, fire and health codes that dictate City Hall’s response to some of Cleveland’s most vexing housing issues. Courtney Astolfi reports that if City Council agrees, the wide-ranging changes could tighten code enforcement and improve housing conditions across the city. Civil rights summit: The Summit for Civil Rights at Cleveland State University brought advocacy for marginalized communities back into the spotlight — a place where former Michigan congresswoman Brenda Lawrence believes it always should be. She tells Peter Chakerian that the dangerous intersection of racial inequity, flaring economic disparity and rising political divergence in society today is “ever-present” and requires “a kind of work that, despite what others may say, is never done.” |
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Penicillin: There are more than a dozen modern antibiotics in the penicillin family and an estimated 32 million Americans - around 10% of the population - who report being allergic to them. But although penicillin allergy is the most widely listed drug allergy, experts say over 90% of those who are thought to be allergic to penicillin may not be, either because they have outgrown the allergy or because they were never truly allergic in the first place, reports Gretchen Cuda Kroen. UH: University Hospitals in Cleveland has received more than $1.18 billion toward a $2 billion fundraising effort, nearly 60% of its fundraising goal so far. The Because of You campaign, led by volunteers Dee Haslam and Shelly Adelman, is the most ambitious campaign in UH’s 157-year history, reports Gretchen Cuda Kroen. UAW strike: General Motors has laid off 130 union workers at the Parma Metal Center, reports Kaylee Remington. Thirty-four union workers at the Marion Metal Center also have been laid off, according to a statement from General Motors. These layoffs come as the UAW’s strike ramps up at facilities in other states. Lordstown: The former CEO of Lordstown Motors Corp. has bought the company’s assets for $10 million, reports Kaylee Remington. Stephen Burns, who was also a member of the board of directors, resigned in June 2021. He is the majority equity holder of LAS Capital LLC. The sale includes all items of machinery, including the hub motor assembly lines, the battery module assembly lines, the battery pack assembly lines, and related or associated machinery and all inventory. |
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Shooting arrest: Two people have been arrested and charged in the shooting death of a 3-year-old last week, Megan Sims reports. On Sunday, Cleveland Police confirmed the arrest of 34-year-old Juan Davis of Cleveland Heights and 30-year-old Katherine Treadway of Cleveland. Authorities say Davis will be charged with aggravated murder, while Treadway will be charged with murder. Abduction charge: A New Mexico man was charged Friday with sexually exploiting a 12-year-old girl from Ashtabula County, reports Olivia Mitchell. Joseph Gunter, 41, of Albuquerque, was charged in federal court in Cleveland with sexual exploitation of a child and transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Hit and run: A 30-year-old woman was run over early Sunday morning near her apartment in downtown Cleveland, and the driver fled the scene, police say. Lew Bodee tells cleveland.com that his daughter, Elyse Bodee, was declared dead on arrival. Her identity was confirmed by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office, Megan Sims reports. ATF bust: The plan went like this: Five men aligned with the Heartless Felons street gang would toss flashbang and smoke grenades into a heavily guarded cocaine stash house, shoot those inside and snatch up all the drugs — hopefully as much as 12 kilos of pure Colombian. But the stash house never existed and the people with the cocaine were made up by undercover federal agents investigating the band of suspected drug dealers who, on the side, robbed other street peddlers, according to court records. Adam Ferrise reports that recently unsealed documents offer insight into the little-known but terrorizing world of drug dealing in Cleveland and the way people would do anything to profit from it. Shaker murder-suicide: Danielle Harris and Lasteven Huckabee, both 35, were found dead in a Shaker Heights home’s basement with gunshot wounds after a shooting reported at 11 p.m. Thursday, Molly Walsh reports. Police found four children unharmed, two outside the home and two inside. |
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Michael’s: Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink, an upscale restaurant by James Beard award-winning chef Michael Schwartz, has closed its location in the Van Aken District in Cleveland, reports Alex Darus. 'Clyde’s': There’s a lot of sandwich-making and eating in Lynn Nottage’s dramedy, "Clyde’s," reports Joey Morona. But Karamu House’s 2023-24 opening production will leave you with more than just a craving for a steak sandwich on a cheddar biscuit. You’ll have a laugh, a think and maybe even a cry. Arepas: Arepas are a sandwich-type vehicle for meat, beans, and cheese, and have been around longer than Colombia and Venezuela have been established countries, reports Alex Darus. Northeast Ohio has a growing list of restaurants and caterers that serve up Colombian and Venezuelan arepas. House of the Week: If you’re in the market for a private escape surrounded by nature, 11945 Ladue Trail in Auburn Township deserves your attention, reports Joey Morona. Built in 2008, the home in Geauga County boasts five bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms, an in-ground pool, finished walkout lower level and a four-car garage at a price of $1,750,000. |
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Orange school board approves needed repairs at administration building, Brady Middle School Read more Beachwood Schools to hold two public sessions to gather community input on elementary facilities project Read more Nine candidates are seeking four University Heights City Council openings Read more Berea Historical Society gets OK for building to go solar Read more Berea approves next phase of home demolitions for Browns facility expansion Read more Middleburg Heights seeks brownfield grant for former Sears buildings Read more Haunted house actor takes punch to the jaw at Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Berea Read more |
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