Cuyahoga County Sheriff nominee Harold Pretel promised County Council Thursday he would stay “as long as possible,” an antidote to the instability of the office, where six sheriffs have resigned in the last 12 years. Pretel, a Cleveland police officer from 1994 until his recent retirement, after last serving as Deputy Chief of Homeland Special Operations, also improved retention and morale among staff, and humane treatment of inmates. That includes almost unidentifiable globs of food served. The situation is “not just urgent, it’s now an emergency,” he said, referencing Kaitlin Durbin’s reporting. “It’s going to be a palpable feeling that it’s different.” Pretel kept his answers short and diplomatic throughout the meeting, declining to weigh in on controversial topics, including the ongoing debate over who the sheriff should report to. Council members liked what they heard. -- Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Guardians vs Royals: Guardians opens series against KC after rain delay Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Additional rain possible this weekend |
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Cuyahoga County Sheriff nominee Harold Pretel speaks before Cuyahoga County Council's Committee of the Whole on July 6, 2023. (Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland.com) |
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Cuyahoga sheriff: Harold Pretel, who is nominated to be the next Cuyahoga County sheriff, earned County Council’s first nod of approval Thursday, repeatedly stressing that he will always keep the body informed about issues with the sheriff’s office and the jail. Kaitlin Durbin reports Pretel is expected to be formally confirmed and sworn in on third reading at council’s July 18 meeting. Affirmative action: When the U.S. Supreme Court ended the decades-long ability for colleges to use race as a factor in admissions decisions, many Ohio higher education administrators were expecting the decision. Hannah Drown reports they’ve been developing planning groups to not only understand the new laws by which they would need to comply – but formulating new ways to ensure they retain a diverse student body. Overflowing shelters: Animal shelters already at capacity are now facing a crisis as dog intakes rise following the Fourth of July holiday weekend, historically the busiest time of the year for shelters nationwide. Both City Dogs Cleveland, which takes in all strays picked up by Cleveland’s animal control officers, and the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter are at capacity, and seeking good homes for the pups now in their care, reports Hannah Drown. |
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Absentee ballots: Ohio is about to hold its first statewide election since state legislators passed a slew of election law changes, including one one absentee ballot requests that is causing problems in Cuyahoga County. Andrew Tobias reports the Cuyahoga Board of Elections rejected roughly 30 absentee-ballot applications submitted by voters who used a form printed in the Cleveland Jewish News But the new law requires a uniform, state-mandated form. Campaign mailer: The campaign working to defeat State Issue 1 is using a “voter shaming” technique that political scientists have found can boost turnout but also warn can be off-putting to those who receive them, writes Andrew Tobias. The One Person One Vote mailer describes the election as “critical” and contains an ominous message at the bottom: “Whom you vote for is private, but whether or not you vote is a matter of public record.” Medicaid requirements: Ohio will again ask the federal government in 2025 whether it can impose a work requirement on residents who get health insurance through Medicaid. Jake Zuckerman reports that the state budget requires Ohio to apply to the federal government to impose the new rule. If granted, able-bodied Ohioans 55 and younger would need to either work or study for at least 20 hours per week (with exceptions for the mentally ill and some others). Affordable housing: The state budget signed this week by Gov. Mike DeWine provides $150 million in tax credits for developers who build new, affordable living spaces across the state. Jake Zuckerman reports that the money – offered as a solution for Ohio’s current housing shortage and increasing rent prices – goes toward the construction of apartment-style and single-family units for those earning more modest incomes College warning: U.S. Sen. JD Vance on Thursday warned the presidents of all eight Ivy League colleges and universities, as well as Ohio’s Oberlin and Kenyon colleges, to preserve records for a congressional probe of their efforts to undermine last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning race-based admissions. Sabrina Eaton reports that Vance sent a letter to the 10 college and university presidents “to express concern” about their institutions’ “openly defiant and potentially unlawful reaction” to the decision that forbade race-based college admissions preferences, and reactions that “seemed to announce an intention to circumvent it.” |
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Student loans: Some graduates of Ohio colleges and universities are leaving with over $40,000 in debt, reports Zachary Smith. Ohio schools, on average, have students graduating with the 19th highest student loan debt in the country, averaging $30,047 in 2019, a 3.8% increase from 2018. Drought: A week of thunderstorms and increased temperatures did little to sway Ohio’s drought conditions from the previous week, according to Thursday’s update from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Zachary Smith reports that over a quarter of the state is still in a moderate drought, at 28.41%, only slightly down from last week’s 33.38%. Jail site: Cuyahoga County Council clashed with Executive Chris Ronayne Thursday over plans to build a new jail in Garfield Heights, reports Kaitlin Durbin. Council President Pernel Jones, Jr., said he had “sticker shock” over the price. |
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Mortgage rates: The average interest rates on a mortgage has slowly climbed back up, reaching their highest point so far this year. Sean McDonnell reports the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was 6.81% Thursday, while rates on a 15-year fixed mortgage were 6.24%, also a year-high. COVID numbers: After last week’s slight uptick, this week the number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio resumed the downward slide seen in May and June. Julie Washington reports the number of cases dropped from 1,414 last week to 1,286 this week. David Adjaye: Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock company is evaluating its association with renowned architect David Adjaye in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations. Adjaye has denied the allegations. Money talks: Numerous studies show Americans would rather discuss anything but money, including marital problems, mental illness, drug addiction, race, politics, sex and religion. Meanwhile, a recent study by Thriving Wallet reports 90 percent of Americans are stressed about their financial well-being. Darnell Mayberry writes that truth and transparency are our best tools for overcoming what society has deemed a sore subject. Before fixing any problem, we must face it. That gets easier with time and intentionality. |
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Run over: A grand jury on Thursday handed up murder charges to a woman who police said drove her car over the curb to run over her children’s father during an argument, reports Cory Shaffer. Shaniqua Menefee, 34, is charged with aggravated murder, murder and felonious assault in the June 26 death of Jamal Thompson. Officer suspended: A Cleveland police officer who discussed an active homicide case on social media was slapped with a 10-day suspension, reports John Tucker. The city says Ta’Lor Payne broke several rules when she used a public Instagram forum to comment on an open investigation. Hit-skip: A driver who fled the scene after he struck and killed a 66-year-old man in the crosswalk outside a Cleveland Heights library is headed to prison. Cory Shaffer reports that Derrick Matthews, 56, will spend the next four years behind bars for leaving David Eisler, a lover of the arts and devoted father of two sons, bloodied on the street outside the Heights Libraries’ Lee Road branch on Jan. 19. |
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Fahrenheit opening: Rocco Whalen's new incarnation of Fahrenheit on Public Square is fueled by hard work seen in his resume of restaurant experience in Cleveland and in Charlotte, along with the need to create a positive training ground for chefs. Marc Bona reports Whalen has been a consistent presence and flag bearer in Cleveland’s culinary scene, one of the top chefs in the city for the last two decades, and his new project in the high-rise building, in space that once housed John Q’s Public Bar & Grille, will be able to accommodate 700 people. Bud Light: Modelo has eclipsed Bud Light as the top-selling beer in the United States for May, reports Marc Bona. That’s kind of a big deal considering Bud Light has been atop the suds-selling list for a couple of decades. Northern Ireland: Though Ireland and Northern Ireland are separate countries, you don’t need a passport to travel between them. Susan Glaser found dynamic city in Belfast, with a fascinating history, and the terrific Titanic Belfast museum, as well as spectacular scenery, including Giant’s Causeway, the fantastical geologic creation on the far-north coast. Hip hop: Hip-hop culture is celebrating 50 years in 2023, a fact being showcased in a big way in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s expansive new exhibit, “Hip Hop at 50: “Holla If Ya Hear Me!” Malcolm X Abram writes that you can argue all you want about whether hip-hop is rock ‘n’ roll or belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but it supplanted rock as the predominant sound of global youth culture. Eagles landing: Rock & Roll hall of Fame inductees The Eagles are calling it a career and embarking on “The Long Goodbye Tour,” which will stop at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Tuesday, October 17, reports Malcom X Abram. Things to do: Summer is in full swing in Northeast Ohio. Mike Rose lists professional baseball, concerts, comedy shows and more picks for things to do this weekend. |
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Summit Metro Parks continues Cuyahoga River monitoring efforts Read more Suspect at large after allegedly ramming vehicle into Cleveland police car Read more Parents express concerns over school busing reduction in North Ridgeville Read more Rare deer spotted in Chesterland Read more Northeast Ohio city may soon welcome short-term rentals, but restrictions will be in place Read more United Way of Greater Lorain County seeks school supplies to Fill the Bus Read more Wickliffe police say reckless motorcyclist taunted officers while fleeing Read more New cracks close bridge on South Main Street in Green Read more |
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