STATEHOUSE & POLITICS
Stumping: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, widely considered a top potential Republican presidential contender in 2024, is planning a stop in Ohio this month to stump for J.D. Vance, the GOP nominee for this year’s Ohio’s U.S. Senate race, Andrew Tobias reports. The two are scheduled to appear at 6 p.m. on Aug. 19 at the Blue Wolf Events Center in Youngstown.
Budget bill: The U.S. Senate approved a budget bill that aims to reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030, cut the federal budget deficit, expand Medicare prescription drug benefits and raise corporate taxes, Sabrina Eaton reports. Unsurprisingly, Ohio’s two major U.S. Senate candidates are at odds over the packages proposed benefits, Andrew Tobias reports. The U.S. House of Representatives will consider the package later this week.
METRO
Ambulance fees: Cleveland EMS has substantially raised billing rates for ambulance services, marking the first fee increase in nearly two decades, Courtney Astolfi reports. As of July 1, the new rates billed to insurers for ambulance runs is between roughly $750 and $1,300.
Retiring: Three Greater Cleveland counties - Lake, Summit, and Geauga - recently ranked among the top 20 best counties in Ohio to retire in, mostly because their outdoor activities. Zack Smith reports the ranking was compiled using data from Niche, which factored in data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the weather service, and proprietary information.
COVID-19 & HEALTHCARE
Monkeypox: There are currently 16 known cases of monkeypox in Cleveland, Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports. Statewide, Ohio’s total rose to 45 on Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
BUSINESS
Gambling: Ohio’s casinos and racinos took in $206.7 million in gambling revenue in July, just short of a record they set in 2021, but well ahead of pre-pandemic figures, Sean McDonnell reports. The gambling revenue is what the casinos and racinos make after paying out winnings, but before taxes.
Lawsuit: The state is suing a Cleveland garage door company, accusing it of collecting nearly $182,000 in down payments from residents between April 2021 and January 2022 but providing no service. Cleveland.com reports that CLE Door Co. refused to refund consumers’ payments
CRIME
Hit-skip: Police are searching for a suspect who killed a man in a hit-skip crash during a police chase on Sunday. Olivia Mitchell reports that Cameron Crews, 26, of Maple Heights died after he was struck by a vehicle on Grand Division Avenue that was being pursued by Garfield Heights police.
Festival crash: Five people were injured Sunday when a U-Haul crashed through vendor tables at the Puerto Rican Parade and Cultural Festival in the city’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood over the weekend. Olivia Mitchell reports the driver was trying to pick up supplies and equipment for one of the vendors when his foot slipped off the brake pedal and pushed the accelerator.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Oktoberfest: Cleveland’s Oktoberfest will return for two weekends, Sept. 2-5 and Sept. 9-10, at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, Annie Nickoloff reports. The events will feature Oktoberfest-style beers and dining options, fireworks, a Bavarian vendor village, a live glockenspiel, wiener dog races and performances by tribute bands and groups like Chardon Polka Band, Alex Meixner Band and Fred Ziwich & International Sound Machine.
On the road: When living as a full-time traveler, tracking weather is a crucial part of staying safe on the road. Annie Nickoloff reports that Jeff and Patti Kinzbach, the hosts of the “Rocking the RV Life” podcast, got a crash course in forecasts and weather tracking from Kirk Lombardy, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service of Cleveland
AJ & The Woods: Cleveland roots-rock band AJ & The Woods to release debut album ‘Stay Steady’ on Friday. Annie Nickoloff writes that the album’s title became a kind of mantra for the band members during years of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, which pushed back the original release date.
