Erin’s Law: Thirty-seven states so far have passed Erin’s Law, which requires public schools to provide age-appropriate sexual abuse prevention instruction, reports Laura Hancock. Erin Merryn traveled to the Ohio Statehouse to testify on her bill, as she has yearly.
Domestic terror: Former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Justin Herdman on Tuesday urged the Senate Judiciary Committee and federal authorities to thwart domestic terror threats by working closely with local law enforcement and the “whole host of communities of color and ethnicity that are under threat.” Sabrina Eaton reports that Herdman testified with a man whose mother was killed by a white supremacist during the mass shooting at a Buffalo, N.Y., supermarket.
METRO
Global Center: A cleveland.com survey finds that Cuyahoga County residents are not as eager to spend money on the Global Center for Health Innovation as their elected representatives seem to be. Kaitlin Durbin reports that not only did the majority of respondents say they do not support investing millions more dollars in the four-story building, they don’t think the county should own the property, period.
Rental assistance: Cuyahoga County Council on Tuesday approved funding for two programs meant to help low-income and homeless residents, Kaitlin Durbin reports. The first involves $45.5 million in federal funds to provide emergency rental assistance to income-eligible tenants unable to pay rent due to economic impacts from the pandemic. Council also approved nearly $2 million in state and federal funding to create a new grant that will provide rapid re-housing to homeless individuals and families.
LGBTQ couples: About 1.3% of households in Ohio identify as LGBTQ, below the national average, reports Zachary Smith. About half the 32,000 same-sex households are married. Franklin County leads the state, with Cuyahoga County second.
Casino revenue: Ohio’s casinos and racinos hot streak might be showing signs of slowing down, but they’re still on pace to break the record set in 2021 and are bringing in much more revenue than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. Ohio’s casinos and racinos brought in $202 million in gambling revenue in May, down from the $209 million brought in during May 2021, reports Sean McDonnell.
Growing herbs: Perhaps no plants in Northeast Ohio are as rewarding to grow as herbs, perfectly suited to our damp summers and tolerant of our fluctuating temperatures. Susan Brownstein writes that they offer a lot of bang for the buck.
COVID-19 & HEALTHCARE
I Promise: The LeBron James Family Foundation on Tuesday announced plans to open the I Promise HealthQuarters, reports Julie Washington. The healthcare center will offer medical, dental, mental health and optometry services, along with an on-site lab and a reduced-cost pharmacy to the entire community.
Egg freezing: A survey has found that freezing and thawing eggs at a later date leads to more successful pregnancies than using fresh embryos during assisted reproductive technology, reports Julie Washington. About 70% of women who froze eggs before they were 38 -- and thawed at least 20 eggs at a later date -- had a baby.
BUSINESS
Soybean tires: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. is now producing heavy duty tires for buses and garbage trucks by using soybean oil to replace some of the petroleum-derived oil previously used in the manufacturing process. That brings the number of tires the Akron-based company is now making with soybean oil to six, reports Peter Krouse.
Gas prices: Average gas prices in Greater Cleveland are tipping over $5 a gallon in Cuyahoga and Medina counties. Zachary Smith reports this comes after more than a week of continual gas price increases (and broken records) in Northeast Ohio.
Jif recall: J.M. Smucker Co. said it will take a $125 million hit over the next year because of its recall of Jif peanut butter, Sean McDonnell reports. The Orville company announced the impact Tuesday morning in an earnings report, saying the financial setback is because of manufacturing downtime, customer returns and unsellable inventory the company has.
CRIME & COURTS
Murder warrant: Former Mayor Frank Jackson’s great-grandson is charged in connection with a deadly shooting that investigators allege he carried out in retaliation for the slaying of a family member, according to four law-enforcement sources. Adam Ferrise reports Donald Jackson-Gates, 19, is charged with aggravated murder, accused of killing Chris’Shon Coleman of Cleveland.
Police lawsuit: A former Cleveland police Black Shield Association president sued the city and police officials on Tuesday over his firing, which came at the end of a bribery investigation. Adam Ferrise reports that former police Sgt. Vincent Montague accused the city of racial discrimination and employment discrimination.
Sex sting: A judge on Tuesday sentenced an 81-year-old art appraiser to six months in jail after the man tried to meet up for sex with an undercover agent posing online as a teenager. Cory Shaffer reports James I.W. Corcoran will remain free on bond while he appeals his conviction on attempted unlawful sexual contact with a minor, importuning and possession of criminal tools.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Rainbow flags: Where did the rainbow flag originate and how did it become an international symbol of the LGBTQ community? Brenda Cain reports the flag was sewn in 1978, representing hot pink for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for magic and art, indigo for serenity and violet for spirit.
Freedom Fest: The second annual Cleveland Juneteenth Freedom Fest will feature two Grammy winners in a headlining slot, along with plenty of other performances and family-friendly fun on June 18, reports Annie Nickoloff.
