To help the United States recover from the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government in 2021 handed out $1.9 trillion in the American Rescue Plan Act. Cleveland received $512 million, and Cuyahoga County received $240 million. Cleveland.com criticized plenty of the stimulus priorities, including giving council members slush funds to spend. But one life-changing, successful idea was to pay off residents’ medical debt. Cleveland initially gave Undue Medical Debt $1.9 million in the hopes of forgiving debt for 48,800 people. Sean McDonnell checked up after two years and found the program ended up forgiving debt for three times as many and came in about $900,000 under budget. The average resident who took advantage of the program had $1,023.80 forgiven and a median family income of about $54,000. What a win for families who can emerge from financial strain and regain access to healthcare. — Laura |
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Cleveland City Council held a press conference to celebrate its program that led to 161,000 residents getting medical debt forgiven. (Sean McDonnell/cleveland.com) |
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Medical debt: More than 161,000 Cleveland residents had medical debt forgiven thanks to Cleveland City Council, and $1 million of COVID-era stimulus, reports Sean McDonnell. Building sale: The U.S. General Service Administration announced Thursday it had formally initiated efforts to sell the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building in downtown Cleveland as part of governmentwide cost cutting efforts. Sabrina Eaton reports Warrensville Heights Democratic Rep. Shontel Brown called the plan to sell the Celebrezze building “an insult to Cleveland and the people of Northeast Ohio." Electric rates: Customers of the Illuminating Company and Ohio Edison will see higher electric bills starting June 1 as new standard service offer rates take effect, reports Molly Walsh. The Illuminating Company, which serves customers in Greater Cleveland, will increase the residential rate by nearly 2 cents per kilowatt-hour to .091 cents per kWh. Ohio Edison customers, mostly in Northeast and Central Ohio, will see a similar increase Today in Ohio: You can legally smoke marijuana in Ohio, but it’s still illegal federally. Why? We’re talking about the disconnect on weed and what Congress can do about it on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Browns stadium: Ohio legislative leaders don’t appear fazed by the release of two reports this week casting doubt on the economic argument for $600 million in new state bonds to help build a new Cleveland Browns stadium in suburban Brook Park, reports Jeremy Pelzer. The memos question the Browns’ assurances that the state debt can be repaid in full with state tax revenue generated from the $2.4 billion stadium and $1 billion surrounding mixed-use development. Police pay: After a push to raise employer contributions failed last year, Ohio’s largest police union is pushing a new plan: Give the Ohio Police & Fire pension board power to gradually boost what cities and counties pay. Anna Staver reports that the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio wants the board to be able to increase or lower employer rates by up to 0.5% every three years. Statehouse protest: More than 1,000 demonstrators, braving rain and wind, gathered at the Ohio Statehouse Thursday, primarily to protest against proposed cuts to public education in the two-year state budget. Laura Hancock reports the May Day protest was organized by Columbus-area teachers’ unions. |
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Parking garage: Anyone parking in the 900 Prospect Avenue Garage – whether visiting the attached Cuyahoga County Administrative Headquarters, attending meetings, or spending time downtown – will need to download a mobile app to pay or to have their parking validated. Kaitlin Durbin reports that Metropolis Technologies is ditching tickets and credit card machines and implementing a new AI-powered mobile parking system that will track a driver’s vehicle and license plate entering the garage and automatically process payment when they leave. Hopkins traffic: Cleveland Hopkins International Airport saw a slight dip in passengers during the first three months of 2025 compared to a year ago, reports Susan Glaser. Through March, Cleveland Hopkins welcomed 2.23 million passengers, down less than 1% from the same period a year ago. Highway projects: Four highway projects in the Cleveland-Akron area have been approved for a total of $117.2 million in funding by a statewide committee overseeing major new road construction. Rich Exner reports these were among 14 projects totaling $319.3 million approved across the state last week by Ohio’s Transportation Review Advisory Council. Coyote warning: Westlake police are advising residents to keep an eye on their pets after coyotes recently attacked small dogs. Lucas Daprile reports that officers received two reports of the animals attacking dogs in backyards. Lawn mowing: The city of Euclid has taken a different message this May: Mow your grass or pony up a fine. A message posted on the city’s official Facebook page said that inspectors will begin issuing citations on May 5 for any lawns with grass above 6 inches long, reports Cory Shaffer. |
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SNAP ideas: A proposed app to help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients stretch their food stipend was the winning innovation at the third annual University Hospitals Healthcare Transformation Ideator, reports Julie Washington. Air Canada: Air Canada is set to relaunch daily service between Cleveland and Toronto today, restoring a route that was temporarily cut last fall. Susan Glaser reports that the route resumption comes amid ongoing tense relations between Canada and the United States, which has led to a drop in the number of Canadians traveling to the U.S. Chicago flights: American Airlines will start flying between the Akron-Canton Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport this fall, reports Susan Glaser. The new route will be offered twice daily starting Oct. 6. It’s the third destination at the Summit County airport from American, which also flies to Charlotte and Washington, D.C. from CAK. Rent hikes: A new report shows rent hikes in the Cleveland region have been outpacing rent increases across the state and nation. Apartment List, an apartment listing site, released its “Cleveland Rent Report,” which determined Cleveland’s median rent has grown by 5.6% over the last 12 months. This is more than double the 2.6% growth in the state of Ohio, Megan Sims reports. Store tour: Richmond Heights school students and senior residents were among the guests invited to tour the new Meijer supercenter store at 5155 Wilson Mills Road in Richmond Heights that will open May 8. John Kuntz shares a gallery of the event |
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Veteran sentenced: A U.S. Navy veteran was sentenced to two years in prison for scamming fellow veterans and active-duty sailors out of some $300,000 in an investment fund scam, reports Adam Ferrise. Robert L. Murray, a retired chief petty officer, used investors’ money on gambling trips to casinos in Cleveland and elsewhere and lost investors’ money in the 2021 GameStop “meme stock” wave Millennial lawsuit: A federal judge has tossed out a lawsuit filed by Cleveland-based Millennia Housing Management that challenged the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s authority to impose up to $7 million in penalties against the embattled company. Adam Ferrise reports the federal judge rejected Millennia’s argument that HUD’s administrative process of imposing fines via an internal, administrative law judge violated the company’s due process rights. East CLE trial: Jury selection in the corruption case against suspended East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King will wait until at least Monday as his attorney seeks to remove the judge over allegations of bullying, reports David Gambino. |
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Ask Yadi: Is it still so hard for some people to witness others breast feeding? Yadi Rodriguez writes that moms should never let anyone shame you or make you feel bad for nourishing your child. Mothers have no control over when their baby is going to be hungry. Dazzle: Playhouse Square has announced the nominees for the 2025 Dazzle Awards, honoring the best in high school musical theater in Northeast Ohio, reports Joey Morona. Frank Lloyd Wright: One of two Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Ohio that is open for public tours will be closed this summer for roof repairs. The Welzheimer/Johnson House, one of Wright’s popular Usonian homes, is likely to be shuttered for most of the summer, starting in early June, reports Susan Glaser. Orchestra fellow: Outgoing Cleveland Orchestra Composer Fellow Allison Loggins-Hull will wrap up her residency with the world premiere of her “Grit. Grace. Glory” May 8 – 10 at Severance Music Center. Peter Chakerian reports that the flautist-composer has shown all of that (and more) in the short time she’s spent here, bringing fresh perspectives to classical music. Things to Do: Raise a mint julep or a margarita and celebrate Saturday. The rest of the week is busy, too, with events both indoors and outdoors. Paris Wolfe lists 24 things to do this weekend. |
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Akron doubles down on violence prevention, intervention efforts with summer approaching Read More Fire crews battle rooftop blaze at Solon Nestlé plant Read More Two free mental health and wellness screening events for Lorain County residents in May Read More Construction worker killed in wall collapse at Akron job site, police say Read More Cleveland candymaker’s sweet social media stunt melts bureaucratic barriers Read More Tree crashes onto Cleveland house Read More |
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