East Cleveland for years has been notorious for police misconduct, with little accountability for officers. In the poorest city in Ohio, officials are unable to afford to pay officers competitive wages – or pay legal judgments for civil lawsuits they lose. So there was little accountability when police terrorized residents by conducting wild, reckless chases, some of which ended in crashes that killed drivers. The former chief, Scott Gardner, became infamous in East Cleveland for his glib Facebook postings about the department’s arrests. But last fall, Gardner and eight officers were indicted. Wednesday, the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office handed down 11 more indictments, charging seven more officers. Meanwhile, East Cleveland native Brian Gerhard, the new chief, is trying to clean up the department. - Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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A photo released Wednesday shows an East Cleveland police officer beating a suspect during an arrest. (Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office) |
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East CLE police: A Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas grand jury on Wednesday handed up an indictment charging 11 current and former East Cleveland police officers with a host of crimes based largely on several incidents captured off video and revealing astonishing brutality, John Tucker reports. The charges mark the latest black eye against an East Cleveland Police Department that many believe is broken and follow a series of criminal charges that have decimated the rank-and-file and put a beleaguered city on edge. NOPEC: State regulators on Wednesday sided with the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council in a dispute over the electric aggregator’s decision to drop some 550,000 customers last year because it allowed customers to save money on electric bills. Adam Ferrise reports the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio approved renewing NOPEC’s certificate to continue doing business in the state but put future restrictions on aggregators who drop clients before its aggregation agreements end. Today in Ohio: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan on Tuesday added Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives chief Steve Dettelbach to the long list of witnesses he wants to testify before his committee. We’re talking about how many investigations Jordan, a Champaign County Republican, has announced since becoming committee chairman in January on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Householder trial: Jurors did not reach a verdict Wednesday after more than five hours of deliberation in the racketeering trial of ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges. Jake Zuckerman reports that after a rebuttal from prosecutors early Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Black dispatched 12 jurors to their deliberation room just after 10:45 a.m. This came after nearly seven weeks of arguments and evidence. Work hours: The Ohio Senate on Wednesday passed a bill targeting the workforce shortage by allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. any time of the year if they have permission from parents or legal guardians. Senate Bill 30 passed 25 to 7 along party lines, with Democrats voting in opposition, reports Laura Hancock. Abortion pill: Ohio is among the 20 states where Walgreens has vowed not to sell mifepristone, an abortion-inducing drug, after Dave Yost and other Republican attorneys general warned the company to refrain from participating in a new Biden administration program, reports Laura Hancock. Market capitalism: The Ohio Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would require high school students to learn concepts of free-market capitalism in a course they’re already taking about financial literacy. Ohio students who entered ninth grade beginning in the 2022-23 school year must complete one half-unit of financial literacy instruction, either as an elective course or in lieu of one half-unit of math, by graduation, Laura Hancock reports. This requirement was passed by the Ohio General Assembly in 2021. With financial literacy, the students are expected to learn how to make savvy financial decisions today and well-informed plans in the future. COVID-19 theory: Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield on Wednesday told a U.S. House of Representatives investigative subcommittee chaired by Ohio’s Brad Wenstrup that the COVID-19 global pandemic most likely resulted from an accidental lab leak in Wuhan, China, and didn’t spread to humans from animals, Sabrina Eaton reports. Train derailment: Less than a month after a disastrous train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Norfolk Southern plans to create a regional training center for first responders from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, Peter Krouse reports. The center will be located somewhere in Ohio and the railroad will work with community leaders to pick a specific site. |
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Kia lawsuit: Cleveland filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Hyundai and Kia, alleging the companies produced vehicles with poor antitheft devices that enabled thieves to terrorize motorists while forcing police officers to respond to countless calls. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in California, where several lawsuits against the companies are pending, reports Olivia Mitchell. Police commission: Some of the money requested for the newly seated Community Police Commission was among funding slashed during City Council’s 2023 budget negotiations with Mayor Justin Bibb, reports Courtney Astolfi. The move drew swift criticism from some involved with the commission, as well as key organizers behind the charter amendment that gave the commission broad new police oversight powers. Cleveland’s Promise: Zoey finds herself alone in the hallway, in trouble. It was a regular occurrence last year in fourth grade. Zoey’s fifth-grade homeroom teacher approached her outbursts in his classroom this year with a plan – remove her from the classroom and give her a few minutes to calm down before joining her in the hall, treating her with respect and reflecting on the situation together. Hannah Drown reports the school security guard also operates under the belief that you can show students that you’re an authority figure while also treating them with respect. Training center: Less than a month after a disastrous train derailment in East Palestine, Norfolk Southern plans to create a regional training center for first responders from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, reports Peter Krouse. The company also said it will expand its traveling Operation Awareness and Response program that operates across 22 states. |
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Dementia check: Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have developed a new screening tool that detects problems with memory and cognition in older adults at significantly earlier stages, reports Gretchen Cuda Kroen. The study, which was recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, demonstrated that when the screening was included as a part of regular visits with primary care doctors, it was capable of identifying patients with mild memory loss that might otherwise be missed. Home prices: February home prices showed a slight increase from a year ago, reports Megan Sims. Property transfer data showed that countywide, the median price in February was $149,200, up from $138,500 in January and from $144,001 in February a year ago. |
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Double amputee robbed: A Cleveland man is accused of throwing a double amputee onto a set of train tracks, stealing his car and prosthetic legs and then burning them. The suspect threw the 59-year-old’s wheelchair into a ravine before fleeing with two other men, reports John Tucker. |
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Chess champs: More than 250 students are expected to compete in chess championships for high school and middle school May 6-7 at the I-X Center. Unlike sports, the breakdown of competition is based on skill level, not school size, reports Marc Bona. Trailblazing women: Eight Ohio women are profiled in the new documentary “Trailblazing Women in Ohio Politics,” which weaves together the stories of women who threw their hats in the ring when it wasn’t fashionable. Brenda Cain reports the movie features Jo Ann Davidson, the first woman speaker of the Ohio House; Helen Rankin, the first Black woman in the Ohio General Assembly; and Nancy Hollister, the first woman to serve as mayor of Marietta, who later became Ohio's first woman lieutenant governor and the only woman to serve as governor. Women of rock: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is celebrating Women’s History Month with events, programs, and highlighted exhibits and artifacts, reports Malcolm X Abram. Among the featured pieces are Janis Joplin’s handwritten lyrics to “Move Over,” Joan Jett’s Les Paul deluxe electric guitar, Elizabeth Cotten’s 1983 Martin custom acoustic guitar, and Annie Lennox’s jacket from the video for the feminist anthem “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves.” Opera festival: “The American Dream: The Jack, Joseph & Morton Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival” includes several weeks of events, many of them free, all of them involving local arts and culture organizations, and all of them grounded in the orchestra’s May production of Puccini’s opera “La Fanciulla del West.” Zachary Lewis reports that never before has the orchestra rounded out a production or performance with so many or such diverse related events. City Barbecue: City Barbeque has opened a location in Avon. Marc Bona reports the fast-casual barbecue restaurant is known for smoking its meats on-site over local hickory and serving homemade sides, including hush puppies and corn pudding and Southern-style desserts. |
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Former Cavs star Shawn Kemp arrested in drive-by shooting in Washington state, reports say Read more Feds arrest 2 men wanted for 2021 shooting death of Akron man Read more Mother, daughter share novel lives as authors Read more Temple Emanu El receives state grant to keep its facility ‘as secure as possible’ Read more 90-year-old Parma man releases book about growing up in WWII Greece Read more Lakewood High School graduate continues mission as national heart health advocate Read more Local librarian voted president of USA Toy Library Association Read more Seven Hills planning second year of new pavement rejuvenation material application Read more Ridge Road traffic signalization finishing up, repaving project coming soon to Brooklyn Read more |
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