STATEHOUSE & POLITICS
Ballot re-do: Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose ordered five county boards of elections to review the petitions of six potential candidates and update their ballots for the Aug. 2 special legislative election. Seth Richardson reports that the order comes after a state Supreme Court ruling that county boards of elections must accept and review signature petitions for the six candidates.
Family disagreement: While Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, has led the fight in limiting abortion rights in the state, his son and daughter-in-law feel differently -- posting publicly on Facebook that they believe abortion should remain a woman’s choice. Laura Hancock reports that Lo Yost, Yost's daughter-in-law, and his son Charis Yost posted publicly that they were pro-choice the same weekend Dave Yost's office filed paperwork in federal court, seeking to limit abortion rights to around six weeks.
METRO
ARPA aid: Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin unveiled his plans Monday for spending $53 million – or about one-tenth -- of federal aid provided to the city through the federal American Recovery Plan Act. Courtney Astolfi reports Griffin’s proposal includes a potential $35 million for home repairs and other housing assistance, plus money for other programs related to crime prevention and response, reducing infant mortality, arts and culture, and workforce development.
Lakefront planning: It’s time for the general public to weigh in on a key lakefront planning issue: the future of a 28.5-acre mobile home community sandwiched between public parks overlooking Lake Erie in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood. Steven Litt reports that a public workshop on the strategically located property is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Collinwood Recreation Center, 16300 Lakeshore Blvd., Cleveland.
Vincenza’s closes: Vincenza’s Pizza & Pasta, a longtime lunch staple in downtown Cleveland, has closed, Marc Bona reports. The restaurant answered public queries on its Facebook page confirming the closure.
COVID-19 & HEALTHCARE
MetroHealth: MetroHealth System is Ohio’s most socially responsible hospital, according to the Lown Institute’s 2022 list of America’s most socially responsible hospitals. MetroHealth ranked 15th on Lown’s list of 66 U.S. hospitals that all earned straight A scores in the rankings of measurements of patient outcomes, value of care and health equity, Julie Washington reports.
Kids with COVID: More children landed in pediatric intensive care from COVID-19 than influenza during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Julie Washington reports. The new findings come from researchers at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.
BUSINESS
Abortion travel: Some of Ohio’s largest employers are already pledging to pay for travel if employees choose to leave the state for an abortion, which many would now have to do for abortions because of Ohio’s “heartbeat” bill. Sean McDonnell reports that Kroger, JPMorgan & Chase, Amazon, and Giant Eagle have announced plans to cover travel costs.
Ohio real estate: While real estate may seem to be constantly fluctuating in Ohio, homes in the Buckeye State remain more affordable than in most other places, reports Zachary Smith. The median home value in Ohio as of April 2022 is $221,200, more than $175,000 less than the median home value of $396,700 in the country.
CRIME
Officer-involved shooting: Akron police fatally shot a man after an attempted traffic stop early Monday morning, Olivia Mitchell reports. Police said officers were pursuing a driver who refused to pull over and during the pursuit a firearm was fired from the vehicle.
Federal charges: A Cleveland Public Power employee is accused of trying to gain information from the utility’s computers and lying to the FBI. Adam Ferrise reports the utility’s chief electric transmission operator, John Pelton, 54, of Avon Lake, was charged in federal court in Cleveland with attempting to access a protected computer and obtain information, and lying to investigators.
Deadly shootings: A 30-year-old man was shot to death in Cleveland’s St. Clair-Superior neighborhood on Sunday, Olivia Mitchell reports. Police said the shooting happened at about 5:15 p.m. in the 1000 block of East 76th Street. A 33-year-old man dead was shot dead Saturday on the city’s East Side, Mitchell reports. Witnesses told police that an argument took place involving two men at a large gathering. The victim tried to intervene and gunshots were fired.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Kevin Love’s love: Kevin Love, one of the biggest stars in Cleveland sports who has had his fair share of stylish magazine moments, is married. Troy Smith reports that Love and model Kate Bock married on Saturday at the New York city Public Library.
Swensons: Reader’s Digest, the venerable story-light humor magazine that has been around 100 years, has named Swensons as the home of the best burger in Ohio, Marc Bona reports.
Emmy winners: WEWS Channel 5 was the big winner among Cleveland area TV stations at the 53rd annual Central Great Lakes Emmy Awards. Joey Morona reports that News 5 won 22 awards.
Fireworks: If you are looking to celebrate America’s Independence Day weekend with a bang, you are in luck. Brenda Cain has canvassed Northeast Ohio communities to find the biggest and brightest star-spangled celebrations happening on the North Coast -- from fireworks to festivals to parades.
More football: The USFL will head into its inaugural championship Sunday in Canton with the assurance it will be back for a second season. Marc Bona reports the league will return and expand its single-city hub format.
