The Browns are baked into Cleveland’s identity. So steeped is this region in brown and orange that football is not just a game on Sundays and players are not just performers on a field. So when the Browns in 2022 made a deal for quarterback Deshaun Watson, who then faced 22 sexual-misconduct lawsuits, fans felt the decision keenly. A new civil suit accusing Watson of rape has reignited the maelstrom of emotions. “We got very comfortable with Deshaun Watson the person,” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said more than two years ago. We “are comfortable he will ultimately be vindicated,” said Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, this week. This isn’t a criminal charge, it’s civil. As it plays out in the courts of Texas, it also will play out in the court of public opinion in Cleveland. — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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A woman on Monday filed a new lawsuit against Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, the latest in a string of similar sexual-abuse accusations. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com) |
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Watson accusations: Whether to pursue a case through a civil lawsuit or a criminal complaint to law enforcement often depends on both personal preference and practical legal reasons, reports Adam Ferrise. Among the reasons people choose civil litigation is they can exert more control over the case. Facade collapses: Partial collapses of two buildings in Cleveland Heights in the past month have renewed the city’s focus on reforming its building department, reports Cory Shaffer. After hiring the city’s first building commissioner this year and canceling a contract that outsourced its building inspections to a private company, Mayor Kahlil Seren is working to draft legislation that would require commercial property owners to pay for inspections to the façades of their buildings. Springfield spotlight: Local residents and natives of one Ohio city are speaking out against former President Donald Trump and his allies' recent claims, saying they are lying about Haitian immigrants in the area for political gain. Jake Zuckerman reports city officials estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 Haitians have legally arrived in the last five years in a town that had about 58,000 people as of the 2020 census. In addition, Zuckerman reports multiple buildings, including city hall and an elementary school, were evacuated Thursday morning following an e-mailed bomb threat. HB6 lawsuit: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday sued former FirstEnergy Corp. CEO Chuck Jones and accused him of committing securities fraud in connection with the House Bill 6 bribery scandal that landed Ohio’s former House speaker in prison for two decades, Adam Ferrise reports. Also on Thursday, the SEC settled its investigation into FirstEnergy, having accused the company of securities fraud. Today in Ohio: Cleveland.com’s daily news podcast was off today and returns Monday. |
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Voter fraud: Of the 600-plus voter fraud cases Secretary of State Frank LaRose has referred to county prosecutors since he took office in 2019, only 12 have resulted in criminal charges. LaRose said that low percentage is at least partially because county prosecutors aren’t investigating them fully. An official representing county prosecutors pushed back on Thursday, saying LaRose has given them weak cases, reports Andrew Tobias. Abortion access: U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes led more than 100 Democrats in introducing a resolution whose passage would clarify that the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act guarantees women’s access to emergency abortion care in every state. Sabrina Eaton reports Sykes’ resolution isn’t likely to get a floor vote, but her move will likely become a talking point for abortion rights Democrats in November’s election. |
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Cleveland homicides: The number of violent crimes continues to drop in the city. Police said 80 people have been killed in Cleveland from Jan. 1 through Thursday. There were 123 violent deaths in the same period in 2023, a decrease of 35%, reports Olivia Mitchell. Traffic restrictions: Tonight looks to be a busy one for downtown Cleveland, with multiple events taking place. Between a Guardians game and major concerts at both Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Huntington Bank Field, Marc Bona reports guests heading downtown should be prepared for parking restrictions as well as ramp and road closures. Drought conditions: Ohio's historic drought has worsened in southern counties, as exceptional levels of drought shifts and spreads. More than 8% of Ohio counties are now affected by exceptional drought, the highest drought classification by the U.S. Drought Monitor, reports Zachary Smith. Meanwhile, moderate drought begins to close in on Northeast Ohio once more. 'Miracle' rescue: For 11 hours, James Manning treaded the black waters of Lake Erie as a helicopter and a police drone flew overhead and rescue boats zigzagged in search of him. Despite all of the technology and resources deployed to locate Manning, he is alive thanks to two recreational fishermen who heard his cries for help, Lucas Daprile reports. Port of Cleveland: The Port of Cleveland's board of directors approved nearly $200 million in bond financing for three major projects in Northeast Ohio and a fourth project in Toledo, Megan Sims reports. Wetlands funding: State H2Ohio grants include money for projects in Lake and Summit counties, reports Laura Hancock. The West Creek Conservancy’s Grand River Casement Floodplain Restoration Project will receive $748,585. The city of Fairlawn will receive $913,807 for the third phase of the Rosemont Preserve Tributary. |
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United Airlines: One month after losing its crown as the top airline in Cleveland to Frontier, United Airlines is back with the most passengers last month. Susan Glaser reports United had been the top carrier at Cleveland Hopkins for more than a decade. In addition, the airport tallied nearly 1 million passengers for the month – the most since August 2008. Shaker Square: A new business has plans to open at Shaker Square this fall. Paris Wolfe reports Coyoacán Taqueria & Brew will open in mid-to-late October in the space formerly occupied by Balaton restaurant. Top Nurses: Nurses aren’t confined to working at the bedside. They can also be found in law firms, cruise ships, correctional facilities and other workplaces. Julie Washington profiles one such nurse, Westlake High School nurse Tim Detwiler. Washington also writes about Case Western Reserve University’s Rebecca Patton, who is the 2024 Top Nurses Lifetime Award winner. Coronavirus numbers: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio stayed steady this week, moving up by 20 cases over last week. This marks the second straight week in which the number of new cases has essentially been unchanged after increasing sharply since early June, reports Julie Washington. |
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Embezzlement charges: A former union treasurer embezzled nearly $90,000 over a seven-year span, according to federal prosecutors. Kenneth Kleinhenz, a former treasurer of the now-defunct United Steelworkers International Local 1-673, is charged in federal court in Cleveland with embezzlement and theft of funds from a labor union, reports Adam Ferrise. Murder-suicide: An argument Thursday evening led to the shooting death of a 24-year-old woman and the suspected gunman also is dead after he turned the gun on himself while being chased by officers, police say. Cliff Pinckard reports another man, 26, and a woman, 21, also were wounded in the shooting in Cleveland's Old Brooklyn neighborhood Cleveland man indicted: A Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted a Cleveland man Thursday in the hit-skip death of a 7-year-old boy. Donald Mynatt is accused of running over Amir Prewitt on Aug. 16 as the boy rode his skateboard in a parking lot on Lakeshore Boulevard. The grand jury charged Mynatt with negligent homicide, two counts of failure to stop after an accident and tampering with evidence, Olivia Mitchell reports. |
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Ask Yadi: A woman tells Yadi Rodriguez she's grown weary of her husband's friend constant flirting with all of the ladies, whether they are single, married, young or old. Yadi recommends the woman have a conversation with the man with her husband present, explaining how it makes her uncomfortable. HalloWeekends: Cedar Point’s annual fall spectacular kicked off yesterday evening. Susan Glaser reports on everything you can expect to find this year, from food and entertainment options as well as who isn’t returning this year. Speaking of Halloweekends, a visit to Cedar Point and the Lake Erie islands happens to be one of Glaser’s six suggestions for fall getaways close to home. Cleveland Public Theatre: CPT unveiled its 2024-25 season on Wednesday, boasting a mix of new and exciting plays. Joey Morona reports the season features two world premieres, a trio of holiday shows, a new play development program and the annual family-favorite Día De Muertos celebration. Things to do: Looking to get out and enjoy a concert, show or one of the many festivals taking place across the area? Mike Rose breaks down some of the top events taking place across Northeast Ohio this weekend. |
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Longtime Mayfield Heights councilman Robert DeJohn resigns from council, moves to Texas Read more Northeast Ohio road construction: Center Street Bridge to have short closures Read more Mum Festival returns to Barberton with air, land, water entertainment Read more O’Callahan promoted to deputy chief, Debeljak to lieutenant in Orange Police Department Read more Lakewood adds funding for $21 million re-envisioning of Bunts Road Read more YMCA of Greater Cleveland earns abuse-prevention accreditation Read more |
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