A decade-and-a-half ago, Cuyahoga County commissioners decided to build a showplace of medical technology on the northeast corner of St. Clair Avenue and Ontario Street, believing the building would draw medical associations and keep the connected convention center full. The concept aimed to bring doctors and hospital administrators to Cleveland to see new medical technology and take continuing-education classes. And Cleveland wasn’t the only city banking on it. For years, Cleveland raced against Nashville and New York to be the first to build. But the World Product Center, imagined as a 1.5-million-square-foot skyscraper in Manhattan, never materialized. And the Nashville Medical Trade Center plan was canceled in 2012. Eleven years later, Cuyahoga County has officially given up the idea, aiming to erase the spaces envisioned for healthcare innovation and transform them into regular meeting rooms. All at a cost of $49 million. - Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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The Global Center for Health Innovation is undergoing a $49 million renovation. (Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland.com) |
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Med Mart: Construction is underway to officially dissolve the Global Center for Health Innovation (originally the Medical Mart) into an extension of the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland – a multi-million dollar renovation that officials say is necessary to attract future business and already appears to be eating into contingencies. Kaitlin Durbin reports construction has already dipped into the project’s $4 million contingency budget to make enhancements to the original renovation plan. 20-year-old parking tickets: Thousands of people who had been ticketed for parking illegally in Cleveland as long ago as the year 2000 recently received notices from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, which the city has contracted to collect on unpaid parking debts. Lucas Daprile reports that a 2021 agreement says they are only supposed to collect on debts where the principal exceeds $100, but 98.4% of the 100,000 tickets in question are for less than $100. Jayland Walker: Following the announcement that a grand jury declined to indict eight Akron police officers who fatally shot Jayland Walker with a hail of bullets as he fled from his car, the question still remains: What happened? Dueling narratives are well-established, reports John Tucker. Now some experts are weighing in, asking whether Walker, who was troubled in recent weeks following his fiancée’s death in a car crash, induced his own death through a criminological concept known as “suicide by cop.” Today in Ohio: As Gov. Mike DeWine’s office has launched an independent investigation into “HR irregularities” at the Ohio Lottery Commission, his state budget proposal is seeking to keep findings of the commission’s internal audits secret until they’re completed. We’re talking secrecy on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.
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Civility caucus: Studies have shown that Congress these days is more politically polarized than it has been in decades. But two members of Congress from Ohio say they’re trying to maintain some decorum amid all the disagreement. Jeremy Pelzer reports U.S. Reps. Joyce Beatty and Mike Carey, a Democrat and Republican, respectively, who are both from Columbus, announced Monday they’ve re-formed the Congressional Civility and Respect Caucus. Jayland Walker: U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, a Democrat from Akron, on Monday asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Akron police department’s “patterns and practices” after its officers shot and killed DoorDash driver Jayland Walker last year. Sabrina Eaton reports Sykes said she was shocked that Akron officers fired 94 rounds in 6.7 seconds. Nursing homes: Older Ohioans in nursing homes or receiving home-based care could see a big boost in state funding under an Ohio House framework that significantly changes the governor’s proposed budget. Jake Zuckerman reports the House’s current proposal would deepen investments in nursing homes but also reflects new spending in assisted living and other home and community-based care, which keeps people in their homes and is much cheaper. |
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Toxic spots: What extent are toxic chemicals used regularly in the Cleveland area? Zachary Smith reports that in Cuyahoga County, there were 130 toxic release facilities tracked in 2021 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Combined, these facilities released 8,754,093 pounds of 79 separate toxic chemicals into the environment, over 1 million pounds more than in 2020 during the first year of the pandemic, when some operations might have slowed down. Snow: The brief sight of snow in the air Monday morning raised the question, how late has it snowed in Cleveland? Rich Exner reports that when it comes to enough to measure at the official weather station at Hopkins International Airport, the short answer is May. Med debt: Cleveland City Council is set to approve $2 million to eliminate medical debt for an estimated 48,800 people. Lucas Daprile reports the program would be administered by New York-based nonprofit RIP Medical Debt, which purchases outstanding medical debt at a discount and forgives it. Irishtown Bend: The Port of Cleveland announced Monday that it will accept bids through May 31 for a project to stabilize the Irishtown Bend hillside estimated to cost roughly $55 million. Steven Litt reports the project will precede a related effort to create a 23-acre park on the hillside with sweeping views of the river and the downtown skyline. Cleveland’s Promise: Coach Sam’s Scholars was started by former Browns coach Sam Rutigliano, partnering with Cleveland Playhouse and The Centers for Family and Children to provide services in a growing number of schools in Cleveland Metropolitan School District, including Almira Elementary. Cameron Fields reports the program aims to develop reading skills for second- and third-graders, who are at a critical moment in their academic careers because of the state’s third-grade reading guarantee. |
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Pharmacy kickbacks: A former pharmaceutical salesman was sentenced Monday to 18 months in federal prison for a scheme in which he paid kickbacks to two Cleveland-area doctors for prescribing neurological medicine to patients who didn’t need it. Adam Ferrise reports former Avanir Pharmaceuticals representative Gregory Hayslette, 46, convinced two area doctors to prescribe the drug Nuedexta to patients without the proper diagnosis. Carjacking: Authorities have arrested a 15-year-old Cleveland boy who cut off his ankle monitor and failed to show for a sentencing hearing in which he faced a minimum of 18 years in prison. Cory Shaffer reports Derrelle Travis was 14 in December 2021 when he shot a 22-year-old woman in the stomach during what prosecutors said was his fifth armed carjacking in less than two weeks. Shot by partner: A report released by the team overseeing police reform is questioning the department’s ability to hold officers accountable after finding that Cleveland police officials mishandled the investigation and subsequent reviews of a rookie police officer who shot his partner. Adam Ferrise reports the consent-decree monitoring team’s report is the latest in a series of twists in the case, including that officials for more than a year told the public that a suspect shot the officer. |
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Juneteenth: Save the dates for the MetroHealth Cleveland Juneteenth Freedom Fest. The celebration goes from 6 to 10 p.m., June 16 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 17 on Mall C in downtown Cleveland, reports Paris Wolfe. Prime rib: Cleveland.com readers voted Mahle’s Restaurant and Lounge in Westlake as serving the best prime rib in Greater Cleveland, reports our Best Of team. The Timber Lodge in Medina snagged second place, and Silvestro’s Depot Café Inc. in Painesville claimed third. RV Rocking: Jeff and Patti Kinzbach have had an interesting week taking in Utah’s stunning landscapes, driving from the Grand Canyon to Monument Valley and seeing incredible rock formations before traveling to Moab, Utah, to visit Arches National Park. Summer concerts: Between the major venues -- Blossom Music Center, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica -- Cleveland's summer concert schedule offers something for everyone, from the big stars like Lizzo, Madonna, Pink, Peter Gabriel, Shania Twain and Duran Duran to young upstarts like Tyler Childers, Yung Blud, Melanie Martinez and Noah Kahan. Malcolm X Abram and Kaylee Remington have a comprehensive list of all the shows (so far) coming to the major venues, plus the 411 on the big area festivals – and how to get tickets. |
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Woman charged with murder after being accused of fatally shooting boyfriend in Cleveland’s Brooklyn Centre neighborhood Read more Man faces murder charge in fatal stabbing at Hocking Hills rental cabin Read more Armed man climbs through drive-thru window, robs Akron convenience store Read more Cleveland police investigating fatal shooting in city’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood Read more South Euclid residents will see an improved Bexley Park this summer Read more Medina City School District begins fleshing out redistricting timeline Read more Cost of Orange High School classroom refresh estimated at $6.1 million Read more Classic Lotto winning ticket worth $1.6 million sold at Lorain County grocery store Read more Rocky River residents object to insurance company’s plans to alter historic Cowan property Read more Westlake voters to decide combined library levy renewal, increase on May 2 ballot Read more Avon Lake voters to decide Ward 3 primary on May 2 Read more Middleburg Heights mayor touts teamwork during annual recap Read more |
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