Yost analysis: Will Attorney General Dave Yost’s public doubt of a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim who traveled to Indiana in June to get an abortion hurt him at the ballot box this November? Andrew Tobias reports that for now, the incident is playing a role in shaping the public policy debate over abortion restrictions, which are in uncharted legal and political waters following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning Roe v. Wade.
Intel change: Barbara Vanhoose and her husband, Danny, have lived on the same road in the same 100-year-old house for about 50 years, where they raised three daughters and built a community. Now, according to the Reporting Project, land and homes have been purchased and set to be demolished by the New Albany Co., a real estate developer that has been buying houses for Intel, the multibillion-dollar technology company, since at least the summer of 2021.
Mask mandate: The Ohio Supreme Court has re-implemented a mask mandate for visitors, hours after health officials in Columbus and Franklin County issued a mask advisory in response to locally rising COVID-19 numbers, reports Andrew Tobias.
METRO
Culvert inspection: It’s the job of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District to inspect and maintain 476 miles of regional rivers and streams in Greater Cleveland, and to remove debris if necessary to ensure that they remain free-flowing. Josh Gunter has photos of a routine inspection of Doan Brook, providing a rare glimpse of the aging, subterranean infrastructure.
Rhino: A baby rhino has been born at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and you can help name her. Marc Bona reports the female eastern black rhino calf was born July 9. Zoo officials report that mom Kibibbi and calf are doing well and are bonding behind-the-scenes for a few weeks.
COVID-19 & HEALTHCARE
Live transplants: “Split-liver transplants” is one method doctors at the Cleveland Clinic - the nation’s busiest liver-transplant hospital - are trying to close the gap between those in need of livers and the number of organs available for transplants. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports split-liver transplants were first done in the late 1980s, initially for pediatric patients, for whom there were few available donors.
CDC map: The latest CDC map shows half of Ohio’s 88 counties are now red, or designated as having high COVID-19 transmission, reports Julie Washington. Last week, only nine Ohio counties were designated red.
European spread: The World Health Organization says there were 3 million new COVID-19 cases and 3,000 deaths reported in Europe last week. The director of WHO is calling for European countries to reinstate mask mandates and increase vaccinations now, or he says they may face tighter restrictions in the fall and winter. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports that it appears Europeans are not listening.
BUSINESS
Unemployment: Ohio’s unemployment rate for June came in at 3.9%, the same as it was for May, reports Peter Krouse. The U.S. rate for June was 3.6%, also unchanged from the previous month.
CRIME
Teens shot: Two teens are dead and a woman was critically wounded in a shooting late Saturday night on Nottingham Road in Cleveland, Megan Sims reports. Charles Moore, 19, and Torionne Chappmon, 18, were pronounced dead at the scene, and a 20-year-old woman was taken to University Hospitals. Cleveland police say the three victims were sitting in car just before midnight Saturday when two male suspects pulled up in a vehicle, exited and opened fire.
Deputy fired: A Lorain County Sheriff’s deputy has been fired after he admitted to stealing money during an investigation into a man’s death last week, reports Kaylee Remington. Dylan Hazzard, 29, of Elyria, was indicted Thursday on charges of theft in office and theft.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Sand Fest: Bring your bucket and head to Edgewater Beach for this year’s Cleveland Sand Fest, hosted by the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Cleveland chapter, reports Annie Nickoloff. The fest takes place 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 6.
Christmas in July: For those who just couldn’t wait the 155 days before the arrival of Christmas, the city of Cleveland and Downtown Cleveland Alliance filled the void Saturday at North Coast Harbor. Joshua Gunter has photos of Santa and all the fun.
Blazing Paddles: It was a beautiful sight as hundreds of paddle boats and boards moved along the Cuyahoga River near downtown Cleveland on Saturday morning at the fourth Blazing Paddles Paddlefest event. Dave Petkiewicz has photos.
House of the Week: A Mayfield Heights house has a lot going for it in terms of features and amenities, reports Joey Morona. Built in 2020, the three-bedroom, three-full-bathroom home is made for clean and healthy living. It’s equipped with high-quality reverse osmosis water filtration, an ERV ventilation system and a high-efficiency HVAC with UV light.
