Infrastructure spending: State lawmakers on Wednesday passed legislation approving nearly $700 million in federal transportation funding given to Ohio under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed earlier this year. Under the bill, the Ohio Department of Transportation would get $672,598,581 in federal highway construction money authorized under the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure law, Jeremy Pelzer reports. ODOT would also get an additional $18.3 million from the feds for public transportation.
Amish lights: A bill that would require Amish buggies and other animal-drawn vehicles to display a yellow flashing light as a safety measure while driving on public streets is headed to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk. Andrew Tobias reports the Senate unanimously approved House Bill 30, co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Darrell Kick, of Loudonville, and Scott Wiggam, of Wooster. It requires the light to be mounted on the top-most portion of the vehicle on the rear, visible from the sides.
Democratic representative: A philanthropic staffer and political newcomer was appointed to fill a vacant, heavily Democratic seat representing Cleveland and its eastern suburbs in the Ohio House of Representatives. Andrew Tobias reports Bishara Addison, 33, will represent Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, University Heights and some of Cleveland’s East Side neighborhoods, including Buckeye-Shaker and Mount Pleasant.
COVID relief: A bill moving forward at the Ohio Statehouse would give $422 million from the massive federal coronavirus relief bill to the state’s smaller towns and township governments. The Ohio House voted Wednesday to approve House Bill 377, which formally allocates some of the $10 billion Ohio got from the American Rescue Plan Act, reports Andrew Tobias.
Wage theft: A new report from Policy Matters Ohio, a left-leaning research institute, found that Ohio employers steal from about 213,000 of their workers each year by paying them less than the state’s minimum wage, which is currently $9.30 per hour. Sabrina Eaton reports that victims who stay at those jobs for a whole year lose an average of $2,900, or a quarter of their total pay.
Building appeals: The Ohio House passed a bill Wednesday that takes another swipe at local governments by establishing an expedited appeals process that municipal and county building appeals boards would have to follow. Under the bill, anyone who wants to appeal an order by a state or local building official may request an expedited appeal that begins within one day after the request, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, reports Laura Hancock.
METRO
Swastika: Kent State police are investigating a swastika that was painted on campus, Kaylee Remington reports. Officials don’t have an exact time or day of when it was painted. But after the mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, where 10 people died, its appearance is a reminder of the “threat of extremism and the need for all of us to denounce the growing wave of racism, intolerance and violence in our nation.”
BUSINESS
Fixed incomes: Advocates across Greater Cleveland say financial hardship among the elderly was already a problem and record inflation is making it worse. Sean McDonnell reports social workers are seeing seniors struggle with all types of basic needs, choosing what to pay for between things like electricity, heat, water and rent.
CRIME & COURTS
Opioids trial: A federal judge in Cleveland will soon decide how much three pharmacy giants must pay Lake and Trumbull counties for their role in the opioid epidemic. Attorneys will file briefs to U.S. District Judge Dan Polster before he makes his decision, reports Adam Ferrise. The trial is being watched as a bellwether case that will give other communities and companies an indication of evidence and an idea on how to proceed.
Garage collapse: A grand jury has brought felony charges against a construction company, its owner and a project foreman in the December collapse of a parking deck at a high-rise apartment building in Lakewood. Cory Shaffer reports that Atlas Masonry Restoration and Maintenance, its owner Elmer Mekker and foreman Charles Hawley are each accused of inducing panic, a third-degree felony.
'Chased' podcast: In February 2021, East Cleveland City Council passed the Tamia Chappman Law to control reckless police chases in the city. But the law has largely been ignored by officers. In “Chased,” a podcast series, Olivia Mitchell examines the persistent issue of near-daily police chases in East Cleveland.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Cancellation: Cleveland Public Theatre has canceled the remaining performances of its current production, “Candlelight Hypothesis Workshop,” due to concerns over COVID-19 and “for the health and safety of our audience, artists, and staff.” Joey Morona reports the immersive performance that’s part museum, part haunted house, part workshop, opened on May 11 and was originally scheduled to run through May 21.
