Ohioans who drive environmentally friendly vehicles already pay more for their annual state registration than those of us with regular gasoline-powered cars: a $100 extra fee for hybrids and $200 extra fee for electric cars. That’s because they don’t use as much gas – and the 38.5-cents-per-gallon gas tax is the main way Ohio pays for road construction and maintenance. But fuel consumption is projected to drop 40% by 2050, while road use is predicted to increase by 22% by 2049. How will Ohio pay for its roads? ODOT is considering a mileage tax, comparing it to paying a utility bill. - Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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The Ohio Department of Transportation is looking at ways to deal with an expected drop in gas-tax revenue in the coming decades, including raising taxes and fees or even ending the gas tax altogether and instead taxing motorists based on the number of miles they drive. (cleveland.com file photo) |
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Gas tax: With state gas-tax revenues falling as vehicles become more fuel-efficient, state transportation officials are studying whether to raise the tax again, hike registration fees or even charge motorists based on how many miles they drive in Ohio. Jeremy Pelzer reports the Ohio Department of Transportation has launched a website to explain the various proposals being considered and solicit public opinion about the issue, with a study to present this spring to state lawmakers. Athlete threats: The state’s top gambling regulator has threatened to ban anyone who threatens athletes whose play affects their betting on the game after a University of Dayton basketball coach complained about criticism his players received after blowing a halftime lead earlier this week. Andrew Tobias reports the commission has discretion to impose a lifetime ban on anyone who threatens athletes. Today in Ohio: Ohio’s Republican political leaders are either shrugging it off or doubling down on the decision to call natural gas “green energy.” We’re talking about the Republicans’ reaction after records show a dark-money nonprofit pushed state lawmakers to legally redefine the methane-based gas on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Householder trial: A close adviser to former GOP Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder will testify against his former boss when Householder's trial starts next week. Jake Zuckerman reports federal prosecutors confirmed that both Jeff Longstreth, Householder’s former political strategist, and Juan Cespedes, a former FirstEnergy Solutions lobbyist, will testify at trial. |
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Snow sad: Cleveland has received 9.2 inches of snow since the first snow of the fall, well short of the 28.1 inches that usually falls by this time of the winter. Only five times in more than a half-century has Cleveland had less snow by this point of the winter, Zachary Smith finds in reviewing weather records going back to 1950. JFK High School: The former home to John F. Kennedy High School and its recreation center could be torn down soon. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District is scheduled today to go before the City Planning Commission to seek approval for demolition of the historic buildings located on Harvard Avenue near the Lee-Harvard Shopping Center, reports Megan Sims. U.S. Marshals: Ronald Davis, director of the U.S. Marshals Service, on Thursday held a private meeting with Cleveland Police Chief Wayne Drummond, followed by a public meeting with City Council to discuss violent crime in greater Cleveland. John Tucker reports Davis' takeaways from those meetings could lead to more federal money allocated for local law-enforcement officers who put in overtime hours with marshals-led task forces. Golf course: The city of Cleveland intends to hire a nonprofit to manage the historic city-owned Highland Park Golf Course as part of Mayor Justin Bibb’s goal of revitalizing the course, maintaining and expanding Cleveland residents’ access to the sport of golf and potentially attracting tournaments, Courtney Astolfi reports. |
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Baggage fees: Susan Glaser paid $118 for a round-trip ticket to Fort Myers, Florida, last month, and her carry-on bag cost almost as much, a whopping $112. Baggage fees are big business for U.S. airlines, which collected $5 billion in baggage charges through the first three quarters of 2022, on pace to break the record of $5.8 billion in 2019. Walmart lawsuit: A Moreland Hills man sued Walmart over its disparity in prices for products sold online and in brick-and-mortar stores. Kevin Adelstein filed the lawsuit against the supermarket giant in federal court in Cleveland and seeks class-action status. Adam Ferrise reports it's one of several similar lawsuits filed across the country against Walmart. Glick Center: MetroHealth System’s new Birthing Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, aimed at providing mothers with a light-filled, private and family-oriented space for welcoming newborns, is opening next week, Julie Washington reports. They are located inside MetroHealth’s new Glick Center, part of the health center’s $1 billion campus transformation. COVID-19 update: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio fell sharply again, from 10,188 last week to 7,961 this week, reports Julie Washington. The last time the state’s weekly case number fell below 8,000 was in April. |
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Byzantine bones: An appeals court may have finally slammed the door shut on a six-year legal dispute between a Tremont priest and the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma that featured arguments over who should keep the bones of two of the church’s most holy leaders. Cory Shaffer reports the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals decision held that courts have no jurisdiction over the claims by Rev. Robert Plishka that Archbishop William Skurla abused the legal process to justify suspending him. Opioid lawsuit: Summit County has sued a group of pharmacy benefit managers, accusing them of helping fuel the country’s opioid crisis. Adam Ferrise reports that pharmacy benefit managers play a lesser-known role in the link between drug manufacturers and consumers, but the lawsuit accuses the companies of helping stoke the epidemic that ripped through communities across the country. Inmates’ deaths: The causes of death have been released for the five inmates who died in the Cuyahoga County Jail last year, Olivia Mitchell reports. Armed robbery: Five men and two boys are charged with carrying out an armed robbery spree late last year that spanned five cities in Cuyahoga County. Cory Shaffer reports the group named in a 90-count indictment handed down Thursday are accused of committing a home invasion in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood, shooting at a man after they carjacked him in Cleveland Heights’ Cedar-Lee neighborhood, choking an 18-year-old woman, and pistol-whipping a man in Cleveland’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood. |
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Okemo Mountain: Planning an impromptu ski trip to Vermont? Laura Johnston was delighted by the storybook scenery on her first trip to Vermont’s Okemo Mountain, which, like Northeast Ohio’s Boston Mills, is owned by Vail Resorts. Disney Animation: The makers of Disney Animation: Immersive Experience want guests to feel like they’re inside their favorite Disney films. To pull it off, Lighthouse Immersive, the same studio behind Immersive Van Gogh, uses 50 digital projectors to bring some of the most memorable Disney moments to life on the walls, floors and ceiling of its 500,000-cubic-foot gallery at East 72nd Street and St. Clair Avenue, reports Joey Morona. Boom’s Pizza: In March 2020, Chef Ben Bebenroth shuttered Spice Kitchen + Bar in Gordon Square during the pandemic. Now Bebenroth is back with a concept that fits the new normal. Boom’s Pizza will open on Tuesday at 14730 Detroit Ave. in Lakewood in the former Campbell’s Popcorn space, reports Paris Wolfe. Things to do: The Browns might be done for the season, but the Cavs’ push for the playoffs continues. Mike Rose has 15 things to do in Northeast Ohio this weekend, including multiple musical events, Ohio’s largest wedding show and multiple indoor and outdoor happenings. |
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Small plane bound for Cuyahoga County Airport crashes in New York, reports say Read more Berea school board tweaks time when agendas will go public Read more First of three Big Creek detention basins slated for 2023 construction Read more City Council approves grant to upgrade Solon Square Read more Brook Park mayor sees possible need for future safety services building Read more University Heights backyard garbage collection comes with added costs, city official says Read more Richmond Heights wants to hear from apartment residents at Jan. 31 meeting Read more |
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