In June 2021, Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Brian Chavez to the Oil and Gas Commission, a five-member panel that rules on drilling disputes. Chavez, the owner of several oil and gas companies, including one named Deeprock Disposal Solutions, represented “major petroleum” — until he was appointed to the state Senate. That was months after brine from Deeprock injection wells shot out of the ground, as Jake Zuckerman describes, “like a busted sprinkler head.” It took the Ohio Department of Natural Resources days to address the issue by removing more than 362,000 gallons of liquid from a nearby stream. About 450 fish, salamanders, frogs and other nearby animals died. But Deeprock was never billed for the $1.3 million cleanup. The cost, instead, was assessed to the owners of an idled oil well, which the brine had surfaced through. Chavez doesn’t seem concerned about any fossil fuel contribution to climate change. “The Earth is always changing and it’s something that we need to be able to understand, and not just point fingers and look at short-term solutions or short-term manufactured crises.” — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Cavs vs. Orlando Magic: Donovan Mitchell carries Cavs to Eastern Conference semifinals in 106-94 Game 7 victory Guardians vs. Los Angeles Angels: José Ramírez, Josh Naylor drive Guardians to 4-1 win against Angels Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Cloudy and cooler |
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A dormant natural gas production well on Jan. 24, 2021, started spraying out toxic brine at rates reaching 42 gallons per minute. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources later traced the brine back to a Class II injection well owned by Ohio Sen. Brian Chavez. (Photo via ODNR) |
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Fracking leak: Injection wells owned by an Ohio state senator leaked fracking waste deep underground in Noble County before blasting through the surface miles away at an oil well, warranting a $1.3 million cleanup effort, reports Jake Zuckerman. Wildfire smoke: The air quality over Cleveland was brutal last spring and summer as smoke from a massive number of Canadian wildfires blew into the area, obscuring the city’s skyline and keeping those with breathing problems indoors. Can we expect the same conditions this year, courtesy of our neighbor to the north? It’s unlikely, reports Peter Krouse. Today in Ohio: A Senate Republican is pitching a compromise to a proposed constitutional amendment that could make the November ballot and raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour for all workers. On Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast, we're talking about how the bill undermines the referendum, with a longer timeline and no mandate to pay tipped workers the full $15 an hour. |
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Social Security office: The Social Security Administration announced Friday that it will reopen its Warrensville Heights office for in-person service on May 8 after temporarily operating the office on an appointment-only basis due to staff attrition. Sabrina Eaton reports the move comes after SSA temporarily closed its Middleburg Heights office over raccoon damage. 'The President’s Own': Whenever and wherever the White House needs music, it’s Lt. Col. Ryan Nowlin’s job to provide it as the 29th director of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. Sabrina Eaton reports Nowlin is a North Royalton High School graduate who served as Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School band director before taking his talents to the military more than a decade ago. Abortion regulations: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost argues a handful of state laws – including one requiring women to wait 24 hours between her initial doctor’s appointment and her abortion – are legal and should not be blocked by a Franklin County judge. Laura Hancock reports that while the new constitutional amendment generally guarantees the right to an abortion until fetal viability, around 22 to 24 weeks, Yost writes that the specific laws that the plaintiffs are challenging are nevertheless allowed because they were upheld by courts during the Roe v. Wade era of abortion rights. Marijuana classification: After hailing the Biden Administration's plans to reclassify marijuana as a much less dangerous drug as a step in the right direction, marijuana advocates and some members of Congress are pushing to go further: removal of marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances. Sabrina Eaton reports that nearly half of U.S. states – including Ohio – have legalized recreational marijuana. Many others allow it for medical use. Alcohol training: All Ohio liquor license holders and their employees would be required to pass a state training course on alcohol safety under new legislation in the Ohio House. Jeremy Pelzer reports Ohio would become the 21st state to impose mandatory training requirements. |
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Delinquent: For many kids like Nathan, the pathway into crime begins with a traumatic experience. They act out, sometimes violently, as they try to make sense of their pain in ways that aren’t always healthy or safe. The trauma festers; bad behavior escalates. Kids -- seeking comfort, connection and belonging -- find themselves entangled with the wrong people and, eventually, with the juvenile justice system, reports Kaitlin Durbin and John Tucker in their series Delinquent: Our System, Our Kids. Phillip McHugh: Mayor Justin Bibb’s college roommate, who landed a high-ranking city job in March, lied about his involvement in a 2015 Washington, D.C., police case in which he was accused of violating the constitutional rights of two senior citizens. Courtney Astolfi reports Phillip McHugh, senior adviser for public safety, also lied about his failure to disclose the D.C. case when he was interviewing for his Cleveland job. Public art: The city of Akron is trying to answer where exactly is all of the city’s art? Mac Love, his wife Alysse and their firm Art X Love are at work on the answer. Sean McDonnell reports the Akron Public Art Commission is paying their firm to create a catalog of all the public art that exists on city-owned property. Rape crisis: Sondra Miller, who has served as president and CEO of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center for more than a decade, will leave the organization at the end of May to pursue other opportunities, reports Gretchen Cuda Kroen. A national search is underway to secure Miller’s replacement and she will remain a senior adviser to aid in the transition. OSU death: A person died at Ohio Stadium Sunday after falling from the stands during Ohio State University’s graduation ceremony, Andrew Tobias reports. Our Best Life: Late Generation Xers and early Millennials have climbed so far. Built careers and fixed up houses. Adopted dogs or cats. Fallen in love. Had kids or didn’t. Planted roots. Accomplished dreams. In her new column, Our Best Life, Laura Johnston writes that in their 40s, Clevelanders have figured out who they are and what they want, and they’re still working hard to get it. Kent State: It’s another year remembering May 4, 1970, for the Kent State University community, but this year a new generation is learning the lessons from Kent State’s historic activism on campus as students across the country protest against the Israel-Hamas War, Kaylee Remington reports. Kindland: Some 90% of all “perfectly good” returned retail products end up in a landfill. Judy Payne couldn't abide it, so she started the nonprofit Goods Bank NEO, writes Peter Chakerian. Parade the Circle: Cleveland Museum of Art’s 32nd Parade the Circle returns to University Circle on June 8, reports Paris Wolfe. The parade kicks off at noon from the museum’s north entrance as a celebration of art, culture and community. |
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Hospital losses: The purchase of a new My Chart patient portal, increased employee costs and inflation contributed to University Hospitals’ $256 million operating loss last year, reports Julie Washington. Southwest General Health Center in Middleburg Heights has reported two straight years of operating losses, MetroHealth had a loss, but the Cleveland Clinic was in the black. Arcade gambling: Dave & Buster’s and Lucra, a gamification technology company, announced Tuesday that they would add new software into Dave & Buster’s app, including to engage in “cash-based competition.” In other words, a $5 to $10 bet on who’s better at an arcade game. But Sean McDonnell reports that Ohio regulators say that wouldn’t be allowed. |
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Catholic Charities: A jury decided late Thursday that Catholic Charities will not have to pay punitive damages over the death of a 4-year-old boy, whose body was buried in the backyard of his Cleveland home while his mother received social services from the agency. The jury’s decision means Catholic Charities will pay no additional money on top of the original $960,000 verdict over the 2017 death of Jordan Rodriguez. Capitol insurrection: FBI agents on Friday arrested a Canton man accused of pushing police officers and attempting to break into the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. Molly Walsh reports investigators identified Clayton Norris, 48, through photos and video showing him on Capitol grounds before breaching police barricades and telling other rioters to “push forward” as they neared an entrance. Amazon shooting: An Amazon delivery driver shot and killed someone who tried to carjack them at gunpoint, Megan Sims reports. Police say their initial investigation found that the Amazon driver, who has not been publicly identified, was working in the area when they were approached by someone who attempted to take the worker’s vehicle. Fatal shooting: A 32-year-old man and two 30-year-old men were injured early Sunday in a drive-by shooting in Akron, police said. Police said the three men were standing outside the building, which they said was an after-hours establishment, when someone inside a car shot them while driving by the building, Andrew Tobias reports. |
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Best tacos: If you are looking for cleveland.com’s best tacos, Yadi Rodriguez and Peter Chakerian detail readers’ favorites and theirs. Barrio: Barrio is expanding to Summit County for the first time, reports Marc Bona. The location, which previously held Comida, is at the northwest corner of North Main Street and Ohio 303 in Hudson. Tequila sales: Cinco de Mayo might be an excuse for everyone to indulge in Mexican food and drinks, but tequila has cemented its place, reports Alex Darus. In 2023, tequila overtook vodka as the second-best-selling spirit in Ohio. American whiskey has held the top spot since 2021, when it beat out vodka. House of the Week: If you’re in the market for a trophy property in Cleveland’s eastern suburbs, this contemporary colonial in Moreland Hills deserves your attention, reports Joey Morona. Priced at $2,295,000, the home has six bedrooms, seven-and-a-half bathrooms, a three-car garage and in-ground pool. |
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Twinsburg City Schools cancels classes after lightning hits high school Read more Summit County deputies investigate fatal shooting in Coventry Township Read more Man leads police on chase after fatal shooting on Cleveland’s East Side, police say Read more Play ball: First pitch tossed at upgraded Independence High School baseball field Read more Avon teenager performs in international piano event in Cleveland Read more Bay Village Schools reorganizes its top administrative positions for 2024-25 Read more Berea council, mayor remain at odds when it comes to recreational cannabis businesses in the city Read more Orange to reward residents who received faulty solar eclipse glasses with free concert Read more |
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