The lawsuit calls it a “tale of two cities.” But instead of Charles Dickens’ Paris and London during the French Revolution, we’re talking about Cleveland and Brook Park in 2001. After battles over Brook Park’s attempt to buy the I-X Center, the cities reached a deal for Cleveland to buy 300 Brook Park homes marked in the path of a planned third runway at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The runway never happened. Cleveland bought only a portion of the homes. And in 2017, Brook Park sued Cleveland to force it to fulfill its agreement. Now, after Brook Park passed a resolution to “strongly” encourage the Browns to build a new domed stadium at the site of the old Ford plant near Interstate 71, the battle is heating up again.
— Laura
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Overnight Scores and Weather |
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Mayor Justin Bibb broke with city precedent Wednesday in commenting on a pending lawsuit with Brook Park, but denies the move was related to negotiations with the Browns. (David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com file photo) |
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Brook Park lawsuit: Mayor Justin Bibb on Wednesday broke with City Hall precedent and issued a public statement on a years-old lawsuit between Cleveland and Brook Park. Courtney Astolfi reports the move comes amid simmering tensions between the two cities as the region waits to see which one the Browns might choose for their new or renovated stadium. Lakefront plans: Uncertainty over whether the Browns will remain at Cleveland’s lakefront stadium or move to suburban Brook Park hasn’t slowed the city’s plans to transform the downtown shoreline. Steven Litt reports the city applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation for $260 million in funding to help pay for a $440 million revamp of the downtown section of the Ohio 2 Shoreway and to build a lakefront “land bridge’' from the Mall to North Coast Harbor. Drag queen events: Children should not be exposed to story hours, Pride celebrations and other events featuring drag queens, backers of an Ohio House bill testified Wednesday afternoon. Laura Hancock reports the proponents included four people who traveled to Columbus to address lawmakers in person during a House Criminal Justice Committee hearing and 44 letters submitted to the committee in support of House Bill 245, which would create a new crime for drag queens who perform in front of children: unlawful adult cabaret performance. Today in Ohio: The campaign behind a proposed redistricting reform amendment says it expects to collect more than enough signatures that it needs to qualify for the ballot in November. We’re talking about Citizens Not Politicians on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Highway enforcement: As summer road construction season begins in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine says he’s ordered state troopers to increase enforcement of speed limits and other traffic safety laws in highway work zones to deter unsafe driving that could lead to deadly crashes, reports Jeremy Pelzer. Opioid ban: Gov. Mike DeWine has issued an executive order outlawing nine new synthetic opioids that state officials say can be more potent than fentanyl. Andrew Tobias reports the governor’s order applies to a group of drugs called nitazenes. Shortly after DeWine issued the order, the state pharmacy board added them to the state’s list of illegal drugs, meaning they will be treated identically to heroin, fentanyl and other illegal opioids. Contraception rights: Even before legislation dubbed the “Right to Contraception Act” was sidetracked in a 51 to 39 U.S. Senate vote on Wednesday, nobody expected the Democratic bill would become law with the House of Representatives under Republican control and with enough GOP Senate votes to block it. Sabrina Eaton reports U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, backed the legislation and U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, a Cincinnati Republican, missed the vote. Global drugs: An Ohio House committee unanimously voted Wednesday to pass a resolution condemning China for its role in the global drug trade, reports Jake Zuckerman. As a resolution, the action is purely symbolic and carries no force of law and will almost certainly have no impact on overdose fatalities or substance use in Ohio. Voter purge: Ohio elections officials have released the names of nearly 159,000 Ohio voter registrations that face cancellation for inactivity ahead of the November presidential election. Andrew Tobias reports the voter purge is part of the state’s regular process of updating its rolls, including removing voters who are presumed to have moved away or died. East Palestine: East Palestine residents won’t pay taxes on most of the payments they received from Norfolk Southern after a train derailment spilled toxic chemicals in the community last year, reports Sabrina Eaton. The Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department are categorizing most assistance payments and reimbursements as disaster relief that will be exempt from most taxes. |
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Elections HQ: Cuyahoga County will lease the former Plain Dealer building as a new home for the Board of Elections headquarters and potentially Health and Human Services offices. Kaitlin Durbin reports eight councilmembers approved the $91 million, 17-year lease securing the building at 1801 Superior Ave. on Tuesday, concluding six weeks of discussion and debate over whether it was a good deal. Delinquent: Blake had much to overcome, with childhood trauma. He entered the juvenile justice system having committed the kind of violent crime that has deeply undermined Clevelanders’ sense of safety, report Kaitlin Durbin and John Tucker in their Delinquent series. But Blake’s personal transformation while incarcerated is a remarkable example of what’s possible when the justice system builds second chances into a youth’s sentence – an opportunity to earn something back. Dog bites: Once again, Cleveland ranks in the top five among worst U.S. cities for dog attacks on mail carriers, reports Megan Sims. The United States Postal Service released its annual Dog Bite National Rankings this week and it determined that Cleveland ranked fifth with 44 reported dog attacks against postal workers in 2023. Food inspections: More than 600 restaurants and food places in Ashtabula County were cited during the most recent inspection year, reports Zachary Smith. But less than 5% of them received more than 10 citations. St. Theodosius: Construction crews on Monday began dismantling the main dome at St. Theodosius Orthodox Cathedral after a fire last week caused $1 million in damage to the historic church, reports Olivia Mitchell. I Promise: Akron resident Anthony Claytor, 22, is the first person in his family to earn a bachelor’s degree, reports Megan Becka. He is also the first person in the LeBron James Family Foundation’s I Promise Program to graduate from a four-year university. |
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Lupus treatment: An experimental treatment for cancer, known as CAR-T, is a relatively new type of immunotherapy in which the body’s own immune system is “trained” to recognize and eliminate rogue cells. But it had never been tried on patients with lupus until 2021 in Germany. Now another clinical trial is underway here in the United States, and the Cleveland Clinic is enrolling some of the first patients, Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports. Saving you money: Last year Sean McDonnell found an easy way to get a dump truck full of free mulch delivered to his home using ChipDrop. Should you do the same thing? McDonnell would 100% do it again. |
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Akron shooting: Akron officials said Wednesday the number of people hurt in a mass shooting at a birthday party on June 2 has climbed to 27, shot by five weapons. Molly Walsh reports police said an unknown number of suspects sprayed shots into the crowd. Giant Eagle stabbing: A Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted a Cleveland woman Wednesday on charges that accuse her of fatally stabbing a 3-year-old boy and wounding his mother outside a Giant Eagle grocery store. Cory Shaffer reports Bionca Ellis, 32, is charged with aggravated murder, murder, attempted murder, felonious assault, endangering children, tampering with evidence and theft in the attack that left Julian Wood dead. In less than a day, a GoFundMe account has raised more than $126,000 for the family, reports Olivia Mitchell. Vintage cards: Strongsville police have arrested a second suspect in connection with the theft of vintage baseball cards valued at more than $2 million. Officers on Monday charged Jason Bowling of Cleveland with receiving stolen property, a felony of the third degree, reports Molly Walsh. School lawsuit: A lawsuit filed by a Cleveland Heights-University Heights student accuses the district of failing to investigate or act after a boy attacked an 11-year-old classmate, reports Adam Ferrise. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Cleveland, said the district never investigated after the sixth-grade girl at Roxboro Middle School was repeatedly harassed and attacked by a classmate in October 2021. Assault: Prosecutors say a Cleveland man tried to run over a police officer in a stolen car and struck a sheriff’s cruiser during an earlier escape, reports John Tucker. Malik Shabazz, 20, was charged Tuesday in Cleveland Municipal Court with felonious assault. He has been wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service since at least April for crimes in Cleveland and New York. |
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Vacation patios: Some patios feel like they belong on tropical beaches while others channel the feeling of the streets of Paris, but all of them bring plenty of pizzazz to the Northeast Ohio culinary landscape. Alex Darus has 25 Greater Cleveland bar and restaurant patios that will make you feel like you’ve been transported somewhere else. Back to the Future: “Back to the Future: The Musical” arrives at Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre for the first extended run of its inaugural North American tour June 11 to July 7, reports Joey Morona. The show features a high-energy blend of styles that reflect the story’s themes and time periods, from 1980s pop and rock to classic rock and roll and Broadway-style show tunes. Styx interview: Styx never phones it in, but you’d forgive them if they did, knowing the aggregate age playing on stage, reports Peter Chakerian. The band is due to land at Blossom Music Center with their “Renegades & Juke Box Heroes” tour on June 12 with co-headliners Foreigner and special guest John Waite. Chautauqua: For nine weeks every summer, as many as 100,000 gather in Chautauqua, New York, a small community with big ideas. Susan Glaser reports the Chautauqua Institution’s 150th summer season kicks off June 22 and runs through Aug. 25, featuring hundreds of performances, lectures, classes, children’s activities and more. |
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Motorcycle passing vehicles crashes into car, critically injuring 1 person Read more Several people witness woman’s abusive behavior toward 14-month-old child at Eastgate Plaza Read more Avon Lake to see major upgrade in electricity supply Read more Solon school board considers advertising, commercial activities policy Read more Mental health takes center stage at Olmsted Falls High School Read more North Olmsted High School celebrates opening of Eagle Café Read more Lakewood considers Angela Byington for planning and development director Read more Seven Hills gives preliminary OK for Rockside Road rehabilitation hospital Read more |
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