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| What you need to know Monday, Jan. 24, 2022 WEATHER
We can expect some more snow this afternoon, with 1 to 3 inches possible. Highs will be around 30 degrees. Snow showers remain possible overnight and temps will dip to the mid-teens. Read more. OVERNIGHT
Redistricting elsewhere: When Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O'Connor voted to overturn the Republican-passed state legislative maps, she said the current system has faults, allowing politicians to gerrymander the state in their party’s favor. Instead, Ohioans should look elsewhere for better models and consider another citizen-passed ballot initiative to change the system once again. Seth Richardson explores the independent commissions in Michigan, California and Arizona.
Ohio plan: Ohio Republicans on Saturday passed a revised version of a state legislative district plan, reports Andrew Tobias. The maps favor Republicans to win 57 of 99 House districts and 20 of 33 Senate districts with a proportion of seats, 58%, similar to a plan the Ohio Supreme Court identified as unconstitutional in its order striking the previous maps. In drawing the plan, Republicans appeared to try to match the number while drawing as many slightly Democratic districts as possible.
Bibb transition: Mayor Justin Bibb’s sprawling transition team has recommended prioritizing mental-health crisis responders, committing to 100% renewable energy by 2030, and bringing neighborhood-based City Hall satellite offices to libraries or recreation centers, among hundreds of suggestions intended to inform the mayor’s priorities for his first 100 days in office. Courtney Astolfi reports Bibb has already executed a handful of them over his first three weeks on the job, but it’s unclear which ones the mayor will pursue and which ones he’ll ultimately toss aside.
Ukraine: As co-chair of the U.S. Senate’s Ukraine Caucus, Ohio Republican Rob Portman went into full television mode last week after a presidential news conference where Joe Biden suggested the United States might dither over what to do if Russian troops massing along Ukraine’s border made a “minor incursion” into their neighbor’s turf. Sabrina Eaton reports that Portman developed an interest in Ukraine because of the number of Ohioans who are of Ukrainian descent and because his U.S. Senate predecessor, George Voinovich, “got me very involved in some of these eastern and central European issues.” TODAY IN OHIO Gov. Mike DeWine and Intel have confirmed Intel’s plans to build a massive new semiconductor manufacturing complex in Ohio. The state has not yet revealed what the state is giving the company to build a pair of factories in the Columbus area. We’re talking about the biggest economic development deal in Ohio history on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily news podcast.
STATEHOUSE & POLITICS Intel: Gov. Mike DeWine took several in-person victory laps Friday as he announced plans from Intel to build a massive factory complex outside Columbus, reports Andrew Tobias. State officials plan to spend more than $1 billion on infrastructure in the Columbus area, which already is doing better economically than the rest of the state. They refused to say how much in additional tax credits and other incentives Ohio has promised Intel.
Intel reaction: President Joe Biden on Friday applauded a newly announced Intel semiconductor chip factory outside Columbus, reports Sabrina Eaton. Flanked by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, and both of Ohio’s U.S. Senators in front of a backdrop that said “A Future Made in America,” Biden called the factory “a truly historic investment in America and American workers” that will help restore the industrial Midwest and “shows the world we’re always going to fight for American workers.”
Dark money: A newly formed political group backing Gov. Mike DeWine’s re-election campaign has launched a six-figure ad campaign that will air on cable television in Ohio this week, reports Andrew Tobias. Free Ohio PAC’s ad reservation costs at least $220,000, and includes radio ads and commercials on Fox News.
Volkswagen lawsuit: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has settled a lawsuit with Volkswagen over claims the automaker manipulated computer software in vehicles in order “to mask carbon dioxide emissions.” The $3.5 million settlement will be shared by Yost’s office and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, reports Peter Krouse.
METRO Jail death reports: Cuyahoga County Jail officials failed for more than a year to follow county protocol and produce reports that analyze inmate deaths, reports Adam Ferrise. The county required the reviews of all jail deaths in 2019, in part to identify how future deaths could be prevented. The new protocol came after nine inmates died during an 11-month span in 2018 and 2019.
Transportation grants: The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency announced Friday that it is making $44.8 million in federal grants available for new projects throughout Northeast Ohio aimed at relieving congestion and promoting active transportation, transit investments and more. Steven Litt reports the grants include $14.5 million for two long-discussed projects in Cleveland: The Lorain Avenue Cycle Track and the Superior Avenue Midway.
Hopkins expansion: Cleveland Hopkins officials are starting to prepare for a proposed $2 billion reconstruction of the terminal as traffic continues to pick up at the city-owned airport. Susan Glaser reports that major work is still at least three years away, but some enabling projects may get started this year on airport grounds, including utility work and demolition of old buildings.
Bibb maskless: Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb was photographed at a crowded event at a Washington, D.C., bar without a mask, hours before he issued a mask advisory strongly encouraging Clevelanders to wear masks indoors. Bibb and six other prominent Ohio mayors were listed as invitees to the Happy Hour Honoring Ohio Mayors gathering from 5 to 7 p.m. at P.J. Clarke’s, reports Kaylee Remington.
Bike trail: Mayfield Heights is considering converting a grassy, 130-foot-wide median between Gates Mills Boulevard’s east and westbound lanes into a linear park with an all-purpose trail meandering down the middle. Steven Litt reports the issue may come to a head today at the city’s council meeting, where members are scheduled to vote on whether to spend $112,000 on detailed design, engineering and administration. A vocal minority of residents is opposed to the project.
Brownfields: A Cleveland firm hoping to redevelop the contaminated Accurate Plating site between Carnegie and Cedar avenues in Midtown is one of a growing number of projects in the running for Ohio’s $350 million Brownfield Remediation Program. Peter Krouse reports the likes of the grant program hasn’t been seen since the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund from 2002 to 2013.
Strike notice: The Euclid Teachers’ Association delivered a 10-day strike notice on Thursday as contract negotiations with the city’s Board of Education have reached a stalemate. If a strike does happen, it could occur as soon as February, reports Alexis Oatman.
Snow good: Is it safe to eat snow? If you ask the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the answer is no. But Peter Krouse reports that doctors say it’s something people are going to do and for the most part it should be harmless, especially in small amounts.
Snow plows: Mayor Justin Bibb on Thursday apologized to Cleveland for the city’s snow-removal effort, which he said “wasn’t good enough.” Robert Higgs reports that Bibb took aim at former Mayor Frank Jackson’s administration for leaving him a snow-removal system he described as “broken.”
COVID-19 Cases: For the second consecutive week, daily COVID-19 patient counts in Ohio hospitals – including those in intensive care – fell, an encouraging sign that the Omicron surge is coming to an end, at least in Northeast Ohio. The daily COVID-19 patient count in Ohio hospitalizations dropped every day this past week. Week-over-week, the count was lower on Saturday (5,376) than it was on Jan. 15 (6,285); that’s a decrease of 909 patients, Jane Morice reports.
Masks: The Biden administration will distribute free N95 respirators via community health centers and pharmacies across the country, reports Julie Washington. About 400 million respirators will be made available starting this week.
Mask up: Mayor Justin Bibb issued a mask advisory for all indoor spaces on Friday, effective through January. While not a mandate, the advisory is a “strong recommendation to all residents to wear a mask” when gathering inside to help stop the spread of COVID-19, reports Kaitlin Durbin.
Timeline: Former Vogue magazine editor and fashion icon André Leon Talley, 73, died after contracting COVID. Marc Bona has the latest coronavirus news in his weekly round-up.
BUSINESS Apartment buildings: Buyers from New York and suburban Chicago paid $12.4 million for two apartment buildings with a combined 250 units in the Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood of Cleveland. Eric Heisig reports that new owners Adam Glickman of AMG Group in Skokie, Illinois, and the Chetrit family of New York finalized the sale on Jan. 11 for The Vista and the Residences across the street.
CRIME Sexual assault: Lorain police are investigating after high school students shared experiences of sexual assault during a recent forum. Kaylee Remington reports that some students described incidents that happened years ago, while others were recent.
Drug pipeline: A federal investigation into a cocaine pipeline to Cleveland led to the arrests of three men linked to the Mexican drug trade, reports John Caniglia. Court documents say officers grabbed nearly 50 pounds of cocaine, more than $2.4 million in cash and a ledger that shows a North Royalton man owes millions of dollars for previously purchased cocaine.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Ice fest: Cleveland’s annual Ice Fest, a family-friendly winter celebration at North Coast Harbor in downtown Cleveland, featured more than 30 ice carvings on display Thursday, including “Harry Potter” characters. David Petkiewicz has photos.
Cuyahoga railroad: The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad is back for its 2022 season, offering special-event trains along with scenic loops through May. Anne Nickoloff reports that the train, which winds through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, will offer its popular Cleveland Dinner & Event Train on Friday nights. Special events like “Cocktails on Rails,” murder mysteries and Night Rides are also available with the dinner trains.
Sistene Chapel: The Great Lakes Mall features “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition,” a touring immersive art experience that shows large-scale, high-resolution photos of the Sistine Chapel on cloth pallets, meant to offer viewers an up-close look at a copy of Michelangelo’s masterpiece, Anne Nickoloff reports.
Meat Loaf: The singer born Marvin Lee Aday, better known as Meat Loaf, was no sure thing. But if there was one place in this world that believed in Meat Loaf, it was Cleveland. Troy Smith reports that Steve Popovich, a record executive who had returned to his native Cleveland to form Cleveland International Records, saw something special in the singer whose biggest claim to fame up until that point was a role in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
House of the week: With soaring ceilings, walls of windows and an impressive list of amenities, Point East has everything you’d expect when it comes to penthouse living. The Beachwood unit has 3,939 square feet on two levels, listed at $699,000, reports Joey Morona. OTHER HEADLINES Northeast Ohio’s snow totals for Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022: How much did your area get? Read more
South Euclid Housing Director Sally Martin to become Cleveland’s director of building and housing Read more
Berea board member gains no support to repeal diversity document Read more
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