STATEHOUSE & POLITICS
Highway Patrol: Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday his administration is considering raising the starting pay for state troopers as it tries to address a staffing shortage that’s left the state roughly 200 people short of state officials’ hiring goals. Andrew Tobias reports Lt. Col. Charles Jones, whom DeWine has tapped to take over as the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s superintendent, said the state’s pay scale for starting cadets has fallen behind some big-city and suburban police departments.
Governor's race: Gov. Mike DeWine expanded his fundraising lead for this year’s re-election campaign, doubling what his Democratic challenger reported raising for the month of July, Andrew Tobias reports. DeWine, a Republican, reported raising $2.5 million between June 11 and Aug. 3, according to a new campaign finance report filed Wednesday. Nan Whaley, a former Dayton mayor, raised nearly $1.1 million between June 11 and July 31.
Court race: Republican candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court raised twice as much in June and July as their Democratic challengers, new campaign finance reports show. Laura Hancock reports that Justice Sharon Kennedy, who is running for chief justice, and fellow Republican Justices Pat DeWine and Patrick Fischer raised over $854,000 combined, compared to the $421,000 raised in total by Democrats -- Justice Jennifer Brunner, who is also vying for chief justice, and state appeals court justices Marilyn Zayas and Terri Jamison.
METRO
Manganese treatment: Decomposing algae at the bottom of Lake Erie has led to recurring problems with discolored, manganese-tainted water reaching the taps of some Cleveland Water Department customers – an issue the department is now looking to remedy with a $2 million project. Courtney Astolfi reports the work involves upgrades to the intake crib in Lake Erie that feeds water into the Nottingham Water Treatment Plant, which supplies water to Cleveland’s East Side and several eastern suburbs.
ARPA projects: Cuyahoga County Council unanimously approved $11 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for dozens of projects Tuesday. Some of the 33 approved projects from $66 million criticized as slush funds include $2 million to support the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s construction of its Primate Forest, $1 million for a project supporting Hispanic culture in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, and a new playground in Beachwood, reports Lucas Daprile.
Dog park: Two members of Newburgh Heights Village Council called for Cuyahoga County Council to reject their village’s request for $219,000 in federal COVID relief funds for improvements to a dog park, arguing that few people use the park, and the money is best spent elsewhere. Lucas Daprile reports the members spoke during the public comment period of a Tuesday Cuyahoga County Council meeting to make their case against an application signed by Mayor Gigi Traore.
Business stimulus: Cuyahoga County will spend $2 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding to support local small businesses. Lucas Daprile reports the Cuyahoga County Small Business Stimulus Grant Program, approved during a Tuesday County Council meeting, would provide grants of up to $50,000 for local businesses that have fewer than 50 employees.
Charging stations: The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency plans to spend $4.14 million to create 47 public charging stations for electric vehicles in 40 communities across Greater Cleveland. Peter Krouse reports the charging stations will either be Level 2, which offers two to four ports with a full-charge time of four to six hours, or Level 3 DC fast chargers, with one to four ports that provide a full charge in 30-60 minutes.
Body cams: A Cleveland City Council committee on Wednesday signed off on legislation that would require Cleveland police to make public within seven days video footage of police shootings or other uses of deadly force. Courtney Astolfi reports the new rule would also apply to independent police departments when those officers use deadly force within city limits.
Quality control: Mayor Justin Bibb has selected Elizabeth Crowe as the new director of quality control and performance management – the city’s data-analysis arm that Bibb intends to revamp in hopes of improving city operations. Courtney Astolfi reports that Crowe, who starts in the role on Monday, spent the past five years at JumpStart Inc., where she most recently served as principal of data governance and analytics.
Bucket list: Lizzy Myers was 5 when she learned she had a rare genetic order that was likely to rob her of eyesight in her teens. Her parents created a “visual bucket list” of everything they want her to see and experience before her world goes dark. After an outpouring of support, they founded the The Visual Bucket List Foundation to help other children facing blindness have meaningful experiences of their own, reports Kaitlin Durbin.
Farm business: Twelve-year-old David Beekman spends his days playing video games and surfing social media on his phone. But when he's not being a “kid,” Beekman is a focused businessman, reports Brenda Cain. David raises an average of 350 chickens, in batches, five times a year between March and Halloween.
COVID-19 & HEALTHCARE
Pain perception: Patients with fibromyalgia and those prone to opioid addiction may have something in common, researchers say: The part of the brain that controls the body’s perception of pain has the volume cranked too high. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports an overactive response to pain in the brain and spinal cord may be shared by individuals suffering from chronic pain disorders and those who struggle with opioid addiction.
Health improvements: The Ohio Department of Health has awarded $6.89 million to 26 community-based organizations with the goal of supporting projects that improve the health and lives of residents in Ohio Health Improvement Zones. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports the money could pay for programs that support positive health decisions, economic vitality, quality education, safe neighborhoods, and quality housing.
BUSINESS
Cedar Point: Cedar Fair, the parent company of Cedar Point and 12 other amusement properties, continues to recover from the pandemic, generating record revenue in the second quarter of 2022, paying down debt and reinstating a quarterly dividend to unitholders for the first time in more than two years. Susan Glaser reports attendance at the parks continues to lag behind crowds in 2019, in part because of slow-to-recover group travel.
Circle K: New “Smart Checkouts” are being installed at Circle K stores across the area, reports Sean McDonnell. Instead of using barcodes, the checkouts use cameras and “computer vision” to scan what you’re buying, whether it’s a Polar Pop, chips or a candy bar.
CRIME
Bartek murder: A jury on Wednesday convicted 19-year-old Tamara McLoyd of aggravated murder and other charges in the fatal New Year’s Eve carjacking of off-duty Cleveland police officer Shane Bartek. Cory Shaffer reports McLoyd confessed on three separate occasions to killing Bartek but maintained she didn’t mean to do it. She now faces up to life in prison without a chance at parole.
Money laundering: An Akron man was charged Wednesday with laundering drug money by buying a $325,000 house and with fraudulently obtaining a small-business loan from the federal government’s coronavirus relief funds to buy a Tesla. Adam Ferrise reports Nicholas Crawford, 41, is charged in federal court in Akron with money laundering, wire fraud, theft of government funds and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Summer songs: What’s the song of summer 2022? Joey Morona lists the 15 most ubiquitous songs of the past three months.
