Access to the Internet is a necessary utility in the modern age. And the nonprofit broadband provider DigitalC has been making lofty promises to bridge the digital divide since its founding more than a decade ago. In 2015, DigitalC set a goal for connecting 40,000 predominantly low-income families with high-speed internet by 2024. By June, DigitalC served roughly 2,000 customers. That’s despite tens of millions in private donations, lower prices than many commercial internet providers, and a firehose of public money through the American Rescue Plan Act. Now it’s failing to fulfill a $20 million deal with the city of Cleveland. — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Cavs vs. Toronto Raptors: Darius Garland makes All-Star statement, helping Cavs avoid trap-game loss to Raptors, 132-126 Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Snow returns, slight warmup this weekend |
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DigitalC failed to hit its goal for new internet subscribers in 2024, which means the nonprofit broadband provider could lose $1.75 million of its $20 million contract with the city of Cleveland. (Chris Boehke, AdvanceLocal/Shutterstock) |
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DigitalC: DigitalC failed to hit its goal for new internet subscribers in 2024, which means the nonprofit could lose $1.75 million of its $20 million contract with the city of Cleveland to help close the city’s digital divide. Sean McDonnell reports Cleveland City Council had set the benchmarks for DigitalC in 2023, out of skepticism. Market parking: Parking at Cleveland’s West Side Market is changing to address consumer and vendor feedback. The biggest news is an extension of the free parking period from 60 minutes to 90 minutes, reports Paris Wolfe. Vance resigns: Cincinnati Republican JD Vance announced the resignation of his U.S. Senate seat at midnight on Friday so he can be sworn in as Donald Trump’s vice president on Jan. 20, reports Sabrina Eaton. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will pick Vance’s successor. Whoever he selects will need to seek reelection in 2026 to stay on the job. Today in Ohio: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has been fighting for five years to refuse a public records request from a progressive watchdog. The case went before the Ohio Supreme Court for the third time on Wednesday. On Today on Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast, we’re talking about the records the Center for Media and Democracy requested from the Republican Attorneys General Association. |
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Unemployment fraud: A temporary worker for Ohio’s unemployment system bought “high-end luxury footwear, clothing, and accessories” with fraudulent pandemic unemployment benefits, according to the Ohio Inspector General. Anna Staver reports on findings that the contractor worked with at least two other people, artificially inflating claims in exchange for payments and processing claims for family members. Mortgage settlement: Ohio and 52 other financial regulatory agencies across the country are getting a piece of a $20 million settlement from the nation’s largest nonbank mortgage company after a data breach affected 5.8 million customers, including 138,000 Ohioans, reports Laura Hancock. FirstEnergy case: A Summit County judge rejected a pre-trial request from the former chief executive and senior vice president of FirstEnergy Corp., both of whom are accused of bribing a state utility regulator with $4.3 million. Jake Zuckerman reports the two defendants sought release of grand jury transcripts, which are typically held as secrets, claiming that prosecutors’ choice to add and amend the original slate of dozens of charges via a second grand jury risked inconsistency or even prosecutorial misconduct. Great Lakes: U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce led members of the Great Lakes Task Force in introducing a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for another five years and boost its funding. Sabrina Eaton reports the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which funds efforts to restore the lake’s coastlines, prevent contamination and stop spread of invasive species, will expire at the end of the 2026 fiscal year if it isn’t reauthorized. |
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Canal Basin: The city of Cleveland is moving closer to making major changes at Canal Basin Park, including construction of a riverside boardwalk, a river-inspired playground, and a nod to history of the area, which was once home to the terminus of the historic Ohio & Erie Canal. Megan Sims reports the city last week received conceptual approval from the Cleveland Planning Commission for its new plans for the 20-acre park on the Cuyahoga River in the Flats, under the Detroit-Superior bridge. Rainforest fire: Sparks from a cutting tool ignited the fire Wednesday at the RainForest exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The sparks from the tool touched the exterior insulation, which caused the fire, reports Olivia Mitchell. Guardians tickets: After winning a new $435 million lease that included a major facelift for Progressive Field, the Guardians twice tried to give Cuyahoga County Council members hundreds of free game tickets, reports Kaitlin Durbin. The Ohio Ethics Commission blocked them both times, reminding that the law prohibits public officials from personally benefiting from the decisions they make. Lost dog: A small dog’s five-day adventure in the bitter Ohio winter came to a happy conclusion Tuesday when Sonic -- a 10-pound Maltese that had slipped away from his dog sitter in North Ridgeville on Jan. 2 -- was reunited with his owners. Hannah Drown reports the rescue effort was led by Remi’s Pet Recovery, a volunteer-run nonprofit organization based out of Brook Park that specializes in reuniting lost dogs with their owners. Cold snap: If National Weather Service forecasts are correct, Saturday will be Cleveland’s 10th day in a row of below-freezing temperatures. After two years of warmer winters, this may seem like an extended cold spell, but it is far from the most-severe stretch of 32-degree or lower temperatures in recorded history. Zachary Smith reports that about half of total Cleveland winters see a 10-day streak of temperatures below 32 degrees. Police shootings: State agents investigated 10 cases in which police killed residents in Northeast Ohio last year, part of a broader examination of officers’ use of force. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on Thursday released a report that showed his office handled 67 investigations last year at the request of local and federal departments. There were 26 in 2019. Innerbelt: Akron is getting a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help the city repurpose a one-mile section of Ohio 59, or the Innerbelt highway that cuts through central Akron, reports Sabrina Eaton. |
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COVID numbers: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio ticked downward, dropping from 8,018 last week to 6,639 this week, reports Julie Washington. It was the first weekly decrease after five straight weeks of rising. |
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Shooting sentence: A 21-year-old Cleveland man will spend at least 18 years in prison for killing a 15-year-old boy as the youth walked home from a community listening session, reports Lucas Daprile. Accidental shooting: A Cleveland grandfather will not go to jail after he accidentally shot his 10-year-old grandson last year in the city’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood. George Zatik Jr., 66, received five years of probation after he pleaded guilty to charges of endangering children and assault, Olivia Mitchell reports. Capitol riot: An Army veteran from Rittman who was part of the throng of people who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced Wednesday to two years of probation, reports Adam Ferrise. Mason Porter, 39, also was ordered by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington, D.C., to pay $500 in restitution. Cleveland shooting: A Cleveland man died at a local hospital Wednesday after he was shot, reports Olivia Mitchell. |
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Ask Yadi: How much small talk should you make with health-care providers? Yadi Rodriguez writes that there’s nothing wrong with politely asking about their day, but advises not going too far, especially with a therapist. 'Life of Pi': “Life of Pi” is a play you have to see to believe, writes Joey Morona. Faithfully adapting Yann Martel’s fantastical novel about the sinking of a cargo ship full of zoo animals is a daunting task. Now at Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace through Jan. 26, this visually stunning, impressively staged and thought-provoking night of theater is one you won’t soon forget. Nighttown space: Brandon Chrostowski has signed a lease to take over Nighttown in Cleveland Heights and move both of his Shaker Square restaurants, Edwins and Edwins Too, there with refreshed menus and revamped dining approach, Marc Bona reports. Anticipated openings: While it’s an impressive feat, the growing culinary scene in Northeast Ohio shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. To celebrate the start of another year, Alex Darus lists 17 highly anticipated restaurants and bars set to open this year in Greater Cleveland. Garden show: The Great Big Home + Garden Show is set for its 10-day run, reports Marc Bona. The show is scheduled at the International Exposition Center from Jan. 31 to Feb. 9. It features more than 475 exhibits. 'Cabin Music': Pianist-filmmaker James Carson's two-decade effort to transform how music is created and presented has resulted in “Cabin Music,” an atmospheric, introspective multimedia work that will screen at 6:45: p.m. on Jan. 18 at Cleveland Institute of Art’s Cinematheque, reports Peter Chakerian. Things to do: This weekend, Northeast Ohio has one eye on history and another on the ice – the unsalted center-ice variety, to be precise – with plenty of on-stage excitement crammed in-between. There are even a couple of concert events that speak to brazen 1990s nostalgia. Peter Chakerian has 17 things to do this weekend. |
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Stephen Byron reappointed Orange law director; Blair Melling in final year as prosecutor Read more See how you can win free ride on Goodyear Blimp for 100th anniversary Read more Orange police detective Stephen Attewell promoted to sergeant Read more Former Mayfield Heights councilwoman Gayle Teresi announces run for mayor Read more North Olmsted city and school district are updating shared facilities agreement Read more Beachwood council to consider nine applicants in filling spot vacated by new Ohio Rep. Synenberg Read more Richmond Heights receives full funding for sewer improvement project that will also benefit Highland Heights Read more |
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