Cleveland has ambitious plans to modernize Hopkins International Airport. The decades-long, $3 billion project calls for rebuilding the 1950s terminal in phases as passenger numbers grow. The first phase includes adding spaces for ticketing, customs, baggage claim and security, plus new concourses, additional parking and a relocated car rental facility. The plan to pay for all of that hit a snag in November, when several airlines questioned the project and its increasing costs. On Thursday, Hopkins announced the airlines unanimously agreed to fund the $175 million first phase of the project. That encompasses limited construction and more detailed planning: cost estimates, the benefits of renovation vs. replacement, minimizing the burden on passengers. The goal is to better serve the airport’s prime market of local travelers, who require more parking, more drop-off space, more security screening and other services. Thousands of Northeast Ohioans will travel through the airport this month as spring-break travel commences. — Laura |
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Airlines at Cleveland Hopkins have agreed to fund the first phase of a massive terminal modernization project. (Marvin Fong, Plain Dealer file photo) |
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Airport expansion: Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has reached an agreement with its airlines to fund the initial phase of a massive terminal redevelopment project, set to begin in 2025. Susan Glaser reports the airlines doing business at Hopkins have unanimously agreed to fund the $175 million first phase of the project, which eventually will include expanded ticketing and gate areas, new customs and security areas, more parking and better roadway access to the aging facility. Cleveland schools: The Cleveland Metropolitan School District announced Thursday that it would relaunch the shuttered “Get More Opportunities” program. Courtney Astolfi reports the reversal comes days after City Council members criticized the board and CEO Warren Morgan for ending the program, saying it amounted to a broken promise to students. The original program was funded with an unrestricted $20 million gift from MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. College closing: Notre Dame College in South Euclid announced Thursday it will close at the end of the spring semester, Sean McDonnell reports. Notre Dame said it has dealt with declining enrollment, rising costs and significant debt, and these challenges led the college’s board of trustees to decide to close the school. The college has worked out agreements so students can finish their education at nine other colleges and universities. Today in Ohio: The Ohio Senate passed a fairly innocuous bill Wednesday requiring state colleges to disclose the cost of education, plus recent graduates – but not before adding more than $1.4 billion in state spending proposals. We’re talking about the power showdown involved in the government machinations on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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EPA rule: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reversed itself after a loss in court and is now in the process of reinstating a legal rule designed to allow Ohioans to file lawsuits against large-scale polluters. Jake Zuckerman reports the agency under President Donald Trump repealed the nearly 50-year-old “air nuisance rule” from Ohio’s Clean Air Act implementation plan, which allows citizens and the state to sue polluters who emitted enough smoke, grime, acids, fumes, or other matter sufficient to “endanger the health, safety or welfare of the public.” Gun proposal: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan is pushing firearms regulators led by Steve Dettelbach to provide information about what led to a proposal that could expand the pool of gun sellers who must be licensed by the federal government. Sabrina Eaton reports that Jordan sent a letter to Dettelbach on Thursday asking for records, including communications between the Executive Office of the President and ATF regarding the proposed policy, and an explanation of how ATF plans on enforcing the policy when it’s finalized. Pension payment: A pension plan with a large Ohio presence that got $36 billion in American Rescue Plan money to prevent drastic pension cuts to more than 350,000 union workers and retirees is seeking a way to repay the federal government for almost $127 million it got in relief overpayments. Sabrina Eaton reports Republican members of Congress have pressed the Central States Pension Fund to repay a slice of the relief money that was mistakenly sent to bolster pensions of at least 3,479 deceased participants. CVS settlement: The Ohio Board of Pharmacy announced Thursday it entered into a $1.3 million settlement with CVS Pharmacy over problems with 22 Ohio stores, including several in Northeast Ohio. Laura Hancock reports the allegations include missing drugs, improper drug security, dispensing errors, prescription delays, lack of general cleanliness, understaffing, and failure to report losses of controlled substances, according to a statement by the board. Early voting: More than twice as many people have voted early so far ahead of the upcoming primary election compared to the equivalent time in 2020, although absentee vote requests are down significantly, reports Andrew Tobias. Through Tuesday, or with three weeks to go until the March 17 primary election, 37,819 Ohioans had cast early ballots, compared to 15,747 votes at the same spot in the election calendar in 2020. Polymer prize: With their eyes on $20 million to $70 million, Northeast Ohio Congress members on Thursday urged the U.S. Commerce Department to direct big bucks to a Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub in Akron. Sabrina Eaton reports President Joe Biden and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo last year designated Akron one of 31 “Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs” that are eligible for hefty federal grants funded from a $10 billion chunk of money from last year’s CHIPS and Science Act. |
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EMS billing: Cleveland EMS bill collections have tumbled by nearly 50% in recent years and it’s unclear whether a solution is on the horizon, reports Courtney Astolfi. Mayor Justin Bibb wants to outsource EMS collections so the city can start to recoup the millions of dollars in revenue it lost in 2023. But City Council has so far resisted the move. UPK: Cuyahoga County could change which schools are part of its Universal Pre-K program, which awards scholarships to families to improve preschool access, reports Lucas Daprile. Currently, 67 schools are involved with the program and the county does not intend to significantly increase or decrease that number after schools submit qualifications. Holocaust survivor: Art Gelbart, 95, brought the painful memories of the Holocaust and the atrocities of the Nazis to Brooklyn High School to share with students. His speech came months after the district came under fire for an antisemitic incident at a football game, Molly Walsh reports. African-American Garden: Once the African-American Garden is completed, it will convey how the community journeyed to America and Cleveland, reports Zachary Smith. It begins with the forcible departure of Africans to North America as part of the slave trade depicted through the “Door of No Return," the first phase of the garden’s installation in 2016, and will include a multi-use platform with imagery of the North Star, honoring how enslaved people used the stars on their journey through the Underground Railroad and the Great Migration. A planned water feature will symbolize waterways enslaved people traveled to freedom and a fountain representing victory and hope. Kindland: W.A.G.S. (short for Working Animals Giving Service for Kids) is an organization that provides mobility, autism and psychiatric service dogs for children across three dozen counties in northeast and central Ohio. The organization prepares canine helpers to best assist each individual child’s needs — all with the goal of empowerment and immediate impact on their quality of life, reports Peter Chakerian in his Kindland series. |
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Lordstown Motors: A federal agency says Lordstown Motors did in fact mislead investors by exaggerating the amount of preorders it had for the all-electric Endurance pickup truck and that it promised it would get the truck to customers much sooner than it actually could, Sean McDonnell reports. Cedar Point: Cedar Point’s parent company on Thursday agreed to reform its policies and pay two former employees back pay and damages in an age-discrimination lawsuit brought by a federal agency, Adam Ferrise reports. Cedar Fair will pay the two seasonal employees a combined $50,000. It also changed how the company houses seasonal employees. COVID shots: Americans age 65 and older are recommended to get an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Julie Washington reports older adults are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. COVID numbers: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio showed a significant drop for the second week running, from 6,219 last week to 5,665 this week, reports Julie Washington. The last time that case numbers were this low was mid-October. Sports betting: It isn’t $1.1 billion like last year, but Ohio’s sports betting industry still took in a lot of wagers to start off 2024, reports Sean McDonnell. Gamblers bet $812 million on sports in January. Ohio’s sports betting operators — whether it was by phone, in-person or at a kiosk — collected $113 million in revenue after paying out the winnings and settling voided wagers. Mortgage rates: U.S. mortgage rates have been moving in the wrong direction for many homebuyers and are now close to 7% once again. Sean McDonnell reports the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was 6.94% Thursday, up from 6.63% four weeks ago. Boutique hotel: Fidelity Hotel, downtown Cleveland’s first new traditional hotel in nearly a decade, is due to open in December in an historic building off busy Euclid Avenue. Susan Glaser reports the boutique hotel, with 97 rooms and suites, will also feature a restaurant, bar and meeting space in the 11-story Baker Building, built in 1919 at 1940 East Sixth St. Vegan eatery: The latest restaurant to open at Crocker Park is catering to those customers with an all-vegan diet. Alex Darus reports Bodhi Express is a fast-casual eatery with a 100% vegan menu inspired by Asian dishes. Design elements: Presentation is important for prospective homebuyers trying to imagine themselves in a new home, but sometimes nothing matters more than having the right features. Megan Sims reports that Agent Advice, a digital resource for real estate agents, analyzed home-related Google searches made in every state and, based on that data, identified features and design elements that attracted the most attention from homebuyers. |
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Incel sentence: The first “incel” to be convicted of a hate crime in the United States was sentenced Thursday to more than six years in prison for his plot to carry out a mass shooting targeting women at Ohio State University, reports Adam Ferrise. The sentence will likely be used to compare future incel and hate crime cases. Dealer lawsuit: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is suing a former car dealer in Akron and accusing it of failing to deliver auto titles to customers. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Summit County Common Pleas Court, alleged that Shane Beers and SJ Motorworks used deceptive acts and practices when selling cars and trucks to customers, Olivia Mitchell reports. |
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Ask Yadi: What’s the proper response if someone flirts? Yadi Rodriguez writes that a smile is fine, but you can also say something like “I’m not interested, sorry. I’m in a committed relationship.” Connie Schultz: “Lola” is the youthful heroine and protagonist of Connie Schultz’s new book “Lola and the Troll,” a milestone for the syndicated columnist, author and self-proclaimed children’s book lover/collector. Peter Chakerian interviews the Pulitzer Prize winner about social media trolls, her grandkids and the fans she meets. Rock Hall: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will kick off its latest exhibit, “Revolutionary Women In Music: Left of Center,” with a special edition of its “Rock Hall Nights,” reports Malcolm X Abram. The event features 2021 inductee Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go’s, Shirley Manson of Garbage, singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb, and singer-guitarist Malina Moye. FRONT: The FRONT International Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art, a project initiated by Cleveland-based philanthropist and collector Fred Bidwell, challenged both kinds of boundaries. For all too brief a time, it triumphed. Steven Litt writes that in 2018 and again in 2022, the nonprofit Triennial collaborated with more than two-dozen venues to host coordinated exhibits of works by more than 100 artists from around the world and region. But there will be no FRONT 2025 as previously scheduled. Dine Drink CLE: Northeast Ohio’s distillery scene has exploded in recent years, so cleveland.com reporters Paris Wolfe and Alex Darus are kicking off a Spirited Women series to explore them. The duo are joined by fellow host Josh Duke on the latest episode of “DineDrinkCLE: The Podcast” to kick off the series and give listeners the low-down on what to expect. Things to do: It’s beginning to look -- and feel -- a lot like springtime in Northeast Ohio. So, go out and find some fun this weekend. Joey Morona has 17 activities to choose from, including theater, concerts, art exhibits, festivals, sporting events and more. |
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Family of BGSU student who died in hazing incident seeks $225 million from Cleveland Hts. man Read more A 6th Ohio tornado confirmed from Wednesday’s severe weather Read more Safety won’t be eclipsed during celestial event, Avon Lake police say Read more Medina Boy Scout gives back to his elementary school as he soars toward Eagle Read more Spring programs at Medina County libraries focus on technology, crafts and history Read more Pepper Pike pauses creation of its first-ever charter review commission Read more From pigeon lofts to fortune-telling fees: Parma Heights digs deep into code updates Read more The root of the problem: Olmsted Falls seeks to settle resident lawsuit over damaged tree Read more |
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