Joe Biden and Donald Trump are the headliners. But there are plenty of other candidates and issues on the March 19 primary election ballot. And today is the deadline to register to vote in the election, with early voting starting Wednesday. In Ohio, registered voters can request a Democratic, Republican or issues-only ballot. Cuyahoga County Council has contested races in both parties. Several Common Pleas judge races are contested, as well. (Three races – two uncontested – have a candidate named O’Malley.) All of Cuyahoga County has a say in a countywide tax renewal for health and human services. And voters in several suburbs will decide on tax increases, liquor sales and zoning. Exercise your right to vote. — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Another sunny day |
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Ohio's 2024 primary election is on Tuesday, March 19. (David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com file photo) |
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March primary: Orange Village will decide whether to allow a senior living development near Pinecrest, and voters in Brooklyn, Cuyahoga Heights and Richmond Heights will consider school tax increases. Cliff Pinckard lists what’s on the Cuyahoga County March 19 ballot. CLE budget: Staffing is likely to be a hot topic during this year’s Cleveland City Council budget hearings, as Mayor Justin Bibb looks to eliminate unfilled police positions to pay for raises for existing officers that were agreed upon last year. Courtney Astolfi reports the hearings officially kick off this morning, with Bibb slated to talk through his 2024 spending strategy. Hearings are expected to last for the rest of the week and could spill over into next week, as well. Marijuana rules: With Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens roadblocking legislation to alter the state’s new recreational marijuana program, the House’s point person on the issue now predicts most of the changes state officials are seeking will be put in effect via administrative rule instead. Jeremy Pelzer reports that state Rep. Jamie Callender, a Lake County Republican and the House’s lead negotiator on marijuana reform, said that proposed administrative rules being considered by the Ohio Department of Commerce will likely be put in effect by September. Today in Ohio : We didn’t record a podcast Monday. We’ll be back today! |
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Primary election: Two deadlines for participating in the presidential primary are this week: Today is the deadline to register to vote and early voting, both in-person and by absentee mail-in ballot, begins Wednesday, reports Laura Hancock. National security : U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, a Dayton Republican, on Sunday defended his call last week for the Biden administration to declassify information about a serious national security threat from Russia, saying he accomplished his goal. Sabrina Eaton reports the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence chairman told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he worried the administration would ignore the potential anti-satellite weapon from Russia, much as it allowed a Chinese spy balloon to fly over the United States for several days last year before shooting it down. 'Deepfakes' crackdown: Republicans and Democrats alike in the Ohio House have introduced legislation this month to outlaw the sharing of malicious “deepfakes” – artificial media like videos or audio that can impersonate real people in unflattering or compromising depictions via increasingly sophisticated technology, Jake Zuckerman reports . One of the Republican bills goes as far as to create criminal penalties for creators and sharers of such content. Food for kids: A $120 pandemic benefit sent to help feed Ohio students last summer has not been spent yet by an estimated 131,000 recipients, reports Sean McDonnell. If families don’t act soon, close to $16 million may go unused before expiring starting in March. |
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Snowfall : About 3.2 inches of snow fell on Friday and Saturday, increasing the total since Oct. 1 to 19.8 inches as measured at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Still, Zachary Smith reports that 2023-24 ranks as the third-lowest winter for snow in the past 50 years. Home prices: Median single-family home prices in Cuyahoga County have seen a steady decrease since November, but prices are still higher than they were at the same time a year earlier. Megan Sims reports an analysis of county data shows that the January median single-family home price was $140,000. This was a $19,000 decrease from December, when the median price was $159,000. Black History Month : Now executive director of partnership for a Safer Cleveland, Mike Walker previously worked for the Cleveland Department of Community Relations. His mission throughout his time in the city has been to reduce youth violence. Zachary Smith profiles Walker, 68, as part of The Plain Dealer’s and cleveland.com’s celebration of Black History Month. |
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Breastfeeding medicine: Akron Children’s Hospital now offers a breastfeeding medicine program, a specialization that focuses on supporting breastfeeding parents and their babies, the hospital announced recently. Julie Washington reports the goal is making breastfeeding a positive and fulfilling experience. Brain diseases: Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have found that a single altered gene might be responsible for two different debilitating brain diseases: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports the study in mice found that the damaged gene promotes inflammation throughout the body and brain. |
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Illegal guns: Federal agents have arrested a Cleveland man accused of brokering illegal gun deals with undercover officers who posed as buyers for Detroit gang members, reports Adam Ferrise. Rodrigus Caldwell, 25, is charged in federal court in Cleveland with gun trafficking, possessing a weapon with a felony record and possessing a machine gun. Resource officer : Attorneys for a former Chester Township police officer who also was a temporary school resource officer say sexual battery charges against him should be dropped because he was not working at the victim’s school at the time of the offense. Molly Walsh reports Nicholas Iacampo was indicted after being accused of meeting up with a teenager in the parking lot of the Church of the Blessed Hope in Chester Township on Aug. 6. Drive-by : A Cuyahoga County grand jury has charged a Cleveland man in a series of drive-by shootings, including an August 2022 attack that killed a 61-year-old man while he was sleeping in his bed. Cory Shaffer reports that Thomas Hunter Jr., 35, was indicted last week on aggravated murder, felonious assault and weapons charges in the death of Gerald Loper. Hunter is also charged in connection with drive-by shootings in July, August and September of 2022 and October 2023. |
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Ask Lucas: What if your in-laws won’t honor your religious beliefs in serving Friday dinners during Lent? Lucas Daprile writes that in refusing to honor your religious practices, they have offended God and now they must face its most dangerous warriors: the Catholic grandmothers who work the local church fish fry. Pizza love: Cleveland has been recognized as a city that loves its pizza. Alex Darus reports that thanks to data collected by Clever Real Estate, the numbers prove that Cleveland does take its pizza seriously and we get a pretty good value for it. Michelin restaurants: The five most-expensive Michelin-starred restaurants in the United States are dominated by Asian cuisine. Paris Wolfe lists the five most and least expensive in the star system, which began in 1926. Local chains: In Northeast Ohio, several locally owned restaurants have more than one location that still prioritize consistent food and service without cutting corners. Alex Darus reports that as the Cleveland culinary scene grows, it only seems like more locally owned chains are covering a wide range of cuisines and dining options. Best margarita tequila: Get your best tequila ready, writes Paris Wolfe. Thursday is National Margarita Day. If you want the best margaritas, stock up on fresh limes and agave syrup. A touch of orange liqueur or juice is optional. If you’re adventurous, fruit purees are also optional. Pancake week : National Pancake Week begins today. What better way to celebrate than with pancakes so big they’re falling off the plate? The “Best of Cleveland” team recently visited Over Easy at the Depot in Kent, a delightful spot that topped Yelp’s recent list of best spots for pancakes in Portage County. |
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Shooting in Akron leaves 26-year-old man dead Read more Unknown man in group chat with several Mayfield Middle School students Read more Cleveland Heights receives $1 million in additional grants for Lead Safe program Read more Shaker Heights State of the City focuses on recreation initiatives, policing reforms Read more North Ridgeville secures future of fire services with new union contract Read more North Ridgeville voters to decide EMS levy on March ballot Read more Solon Community Center to host Kiwanis pancake breakfast, other events Read more Students explore self-expression in Black History Month exhibit at Cleveland Institute of Art Read more Memphis Avenue right-turn lane one step closer in Brooklyn Read more Superintendent warns adventure seekers against visiting Parma High School demolition site Read more Olmsted Township increases compensation for snowplow-related mailbox damage Read more |
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