For weeks, as Cleveland reeled from a summer of violence, city leaders pleaded with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to calm the unrest. The city is likely to surpass 192 homicides in 2023, the highest number in several years. July saw a mass shooting downtown, while the Kia Boyz and other car thieves have run rampant. On Wednesday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced more state support to combat the spike in crime. On the first day of the initiative, State Highway Patrol troopers made 57 traffic stops and 20 felony arrests, located four stolen vehicles, and confiscated four illegally possessed firearms. Teams also seized heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, and crack cocaine, and gave nine individuals referrals to recovery support. “Our state teams have been in Cleveland and we plan to stay in Cleveland as long as local officials need us," DeWine said at a news conference. "We know that most violent crime is committed by repeat offenders who are not legally allowed to possess a firearm, yet they do it anyway. This violence-reduction initiative will target those individuals." As part of the support, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and Ohio Department of Youth Services will make extra visits to adults and youth who have been released from incarceration and are under supervision to make sure they’re meeting the conditions of their release. As summer winds down, let’s hope the violence does too. – Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, center, shown with Mayor Justin Bibb, right, visits Cleveland on Wednesday to announce a surge in law enforcement by the State Highway Patrol in and around the area. The surge is aimed at helping Cleveland battle an ever-increasing crime problem. (David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com) |
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Fighting crime: Gov. Mike DeWine, facing mounting pressure from Cleveland officials to respond to a summer crime wave that has left residents beleaguered and bewildered, offered a full-throated pledge of support during a visit to a Cleveland on Wednesday. John Tucker reports his visit came the day after a swarm of State Highway Patrol troopers fanned across the southeastern section of Cleveland in an enforcement surge, pursuing suspects in helicopters and cars. That blitz, which continued Wednesday, resulted in 20 felony arrests, the discovery of four stolen vehicles and the seizure of four illegal guns. Recreational marijuana: Ohio voters will decide on Nov. 7 whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use after Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Wednesday that the backers have qualified for the ballot, Laura Hancock reports. The announcement comes as a coalition of children’s healthcare, law-enforcement, prosecutors, veterans and anti-marijuana groups have joined forces to try to defeat the proposal. Today in Ohio: A bipartisan group of lawmakers has asked the Ohio EPA to work with Washington to end the E-Check requirement in seven Northeast Ohio counties that forces drivers to get the emissions checked on their vehicles every two years. We’re talking about how it’s not going to happen on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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O’Connor interview: Maureen O’Connor, the former chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, made headlines last year when she defied her fellow Republicans by repeatedly striking down GOP-authored congressional and legislative redistricting maps as being unconstitutionally gerrymandered. O’Connor now is one of the leaders of a coalition called Citizens Not Politicians that’s pushing for a statewide vote in 2024 to put Ohio’s redistricting process in the hands of an independent 15-member bipartisan commission rather than elected officials. She speaks to Jeremy Pelzer. LaRose staffer: Secretary of State Frank LaRose has parted ways with a top staffer after the staffer’s social media posts criticizing former President Donald Trump came to light. Andrew Tobias reports that Rob Nichols, a longtime Republican operative in Ohio, no longer is the office’s press secretary, a job that includes the responsibility of dealing with the news media. Trump diatribe: Former President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social media platform early Monday to question the impartiality of the federal judge assigned to hear the election conspiracy case against him, alleging that remarks she made in sentencing a Jan. 6 rioter from Willoughby show bias. Sabrina Eaton reports that Trump quoted Judge Tanya Chutkan, a U.S. District Court judge, when she sentenced Willoughby’s Christine Priola to serve 15 months in prison. Campaign fund: Gov. Mike DeWine, as he prepares to leave office due to term limits in a few years, has repaid himself the $4 million in personal funds he spent during his first run for governor in 2018. On July 31, DeWine filed two forms: one terminating his state political campaign and the other disclosing that he repaid the $4 million, using the $4.081 million in campaign money he had left over after he won the November 2022 election, reports Andrew Tobias. Gun ordinances: A state appeals court panel has overturned a court injunction allowing Columbus to enact gun-control ordinances as the city challenges a state prohibition on local governments passing such rules. The ruling, issued Tuesday by the 10th District Court of Appeals, means that two Columbus ordinances that generally prohibit large-capacity ammunition magazines and require guns to be safely stored out of reach from children will remain on hold, reports Jeremy Pelzer. |
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Middle neighborhoods: The city of Cleveland is considering spending $3.3 million in federal stimulus money to revive so-called “middle neighborhoods,” reports Lucas Daprile. Middle neighborhoods are areas that are neither very poor nor very wealthy and need investment to stave off decline. Economic development: Mayor Justin Bibb announced Wednesday that Tom McNair, executive director of Ohio City Inc., will serve as Cleveland’s next economic development director, reports Courtney Astolfi. McNair will replace former Director Tessa Jackson, whom Bibb fired on June 15. Stadium repairs: The city of Cleveland is preparing to sign off on $3.4 million in repairs to Cleveland Browns Stadium, reports Courtney Astolfi. Talks are underway between city leaders, county leaders, and Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam about future potential upgrades to the city-owned football stadium and a new lease with the team. But the $3.4 million expense, which was approved by City Council’s Committee of the Whole on Wednesday, is not part of that potential deal. |
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Money Talks: The older Darnell Mayberry gets, the more he pays attention to his mother’s messages. He sent her a sermon that used Genesis 25 to present four legacies Mayberry believes we are obligated to leave our children: Financial freedom. Family. Faith. Fortitude. Fast-growing companies: Inc. Magazine has published its annual list of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. and many companies across Greater Cleveland made list. This year Cleveland Kitchen, formerly Cleveland Kraut, tops the list among companies in Cleveland, reports Sean McDonnell. |
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Murder plea: The great-grandson of former Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson pleaded guilty on Wednesday to murder in a May 2022 shooting that investigators believe was tied to earlier gun violence involving Jackson’s family. Cory Shaffer reports Donald Jackson Gates, 20, faces an automatic term of life in prison for killing Chris’Shon Coleman, 20. His first chance at parole comes up after he serves 18 years. Police officer shooting: The teenager accused of shooting a Cleveland police officer made his first appearance in adult court Wednesday on charges that could keep him in prison for decades if he is convicted. Jayrion Church, 18, pleaded not guilty to an 11-count indictment in the attack March 14 on Mark Bahrijczuk, a detective. Kevin Keith: A federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected the latest attempt to overturn the conviction of Kevin Keith, who was found guilty of murdering three people and wounding three others in 1994. Adam Ferrise reports Keith’s case garnered national attention after celebrity Kim Kardashian championed his innocence and featured it on her criminal-justice podcast, "The System." |
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Ask Lucas: Is your Google Alexa spying on you? Lucas Daprile writes that surveillance is like the gnomes who live in his walls. He’s totally cool with the situation as long as they replace all his vodka. So if companies are going to spy, they better be serving up fresh memes and funny commercials. Institute of Music: The Cleveland Institute of Music announced its 2023-24 concert season on Wednesday, reports Joey Morona. The calendar includes a return to Severance Music Center, multiple opera productions, a residency with distinguished composer Joan Tower and a concert by members of the Silkroad Ensemble. Best cookies: Northeast Ohioans with a sweet tooth might be on a constant hunt to find the best cookies in Cleveland that aren’t made in a home kitchen by someone’s grandma. A hint from Alex Darus: They come from a pizza shop. Porch Rokr: Akron can boast about the Highland Square Porch Rokr Music and Art Festival, one of the region’s most popular single-day neighborhood music fests. Malcolm X Abram reports the festival drew initial inspiration from Cleveland’s Larchmere Festival and has blossomed into its own, a neighborhood party that in past years has drawn upward of 15,000 people for a day of music, arts and artisans, food, drink and a good hang in “The Square.” Buddy Guy: Buddy Guy is a living legend of the blues. Malcolm X Abram reports the singer-guitarist, who turned 87 in July, will bring his “Damn Right Farewell Tour” to Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica on Saturday, with Jimmy Vaughn and Samantha Fish opening. Tickets begin at $20 and are still available at AXS. Dive bars: Wings, burgers and everything fried always are an ideal companion for a cold beer and a laid-back atmosphere. Northeast Ohio is full of too many dive bars to count. Alex Darus lists 12 of the best happy hour deals in Lakewood. |
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Cleveland police search for 2 toddlers reportedly taken by suspect Read more 14-year-old boy shot to death in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood Read more Teen male dies after shots fired into vehicle on Akron street Read more Akron police investigating death of woman shot over the weekend Read more Bay Village, Rocky River and Westlake election candidates for November 7 election Read more North Ridgeville Schools preparing for new academic year Read more Should members of University Heights’ Architectural Review Board be allowed to live elsewhere? Read more Lakewood is busy planting more than 600 new trees Read more Parma Public Housing Agency changes name to North Coast Housing Connections Read more Survey: Parma residents favor culling of white-tailed deer Read more |
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