I would be lost without my library. Before the pandemic, I visited a few times a week to browse and pick up whatever new release I had on hold and return the stack of books that came due. When COVID-19 shut down the world, I stocked up on books like other people hoarded toilet paper. How could I possibly survive the unimaginable if I didn’t have a book to escape into? Obviously I knew about e-readers; I’d bought a Nook at one point. Still, I was loathe to relinquish the heft of a thick book with an enticing cover. When the pandemic dragged on, though, and libraries remained closed, I finally downloaded the Libby app, plugged in my Clevnet ID and gave it a try. I was immediately converted to the ease of e-books, to never having to drive to the library to pick up or return. To swiping pages while I eat lunch and never misplacing a book. With an app on my phone, I am never without a book. I currently have nine novels on my virtual shelf, plus an audio book. Plenty of other Northeast Ohio library patrons feel the same, as ebooks are making up bigger and bigger chunks of checkouts. That’s even though a single copy can cost $90! -- Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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Libraries in the Cleveland area are still very much feeling the pandemic’s ripple effects. (Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland.com) |
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Book borrowing: The pandemic dramatically changed the way libraries serve Northeast Ohio, reports Courtney Astolfi. Though services never stopped and library doors reopened a few months later, many patrons stayed hunkered down indoors, and a “new normal” set in – one that saw visitor numbers drop, a surge in popularity of e-books, higher demand for virtual programming, and a host of other changes. Visitors are still way down at both the Cleveland Public Library and Cuyahoga County Public Library. Today in Ohio: A campaign group opposing a proposal to make it harder to change the Ohio Constitution has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to block the Aug. 8 election that Republican state lawmakers set last Wednesday. We’re talking about how Ohio could hold a statewide election in August, after Republican lawmakers in December outlawed state elections, on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.
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Dark money: Who supported Generation Now, a dark-money nonprofit allowed to raise unlimited sums from donors and spend it on Larry Householder’s political aims? Jake Zuckerman reports bank records displayed at trial show how trade unions, Columbus-based American Electric Power, nursing homes, casinos, shale gas interests, telecommunications companies, payday lenders, health insurers and more all chipped into Generation Now. Prosecutors argued the nonprofit functioned as a bottomless, secret piggy bank Householder could tap when he needed political support in the form of staffing, consulting and advertising. August election: State Attorney General Dave Yost has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to dismiss a lawsuit asking the court to block an Aug. 8 election for a proposal to make it harder to change the state constitution, saying Republican lawmakers did nothing illegal last week when they set the election, Andrew Tobias reports. Husted salary: In a state ethics disclosure on Monday, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted revealed the exact salary paid to him through a side gig he took serving on the corporate board of a Columbus-area bank. Husted was paid $21,600 to serve on Heartland Bank’s board, Andrew Tobias reports. He also disclosed personally owning Heartland Bank stock worth at least $1,000, and owing Heartland Bank at least $1,000 for a home equity line of credit. Driver’s licenses: A recently launched state program has slashed costs for nearly 223,000 lower-income Ohioans seeking to reinstate their suspended driver’s licenses, reports Jake Zuckerman. Enrollees in the state’s driver’s license fee reduction program saved an average of $612, per analysis from the Ohio Poverty Law Center. From those enrollees, the state collected $23 million, money that may well never have been paid otherwise. Supreme Court: Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Dan Hawkins has announced his candidacy for the Ohio Supreme Court in 2024, part of a three-candidate GOP slate that will attempt to remove two sitting Democratic justices and keep a third seat in the party’s hands. Laura Hancock reports that in 2018, voters elected Hawkins to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. In Franklin County, voters have leaned more to the left in recent years, rejecting almost all party-endorsed Republicans at the ballot box, with the exception of Hawkins, who has won without sacrificing his conservative values, his campaign said. |
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Parental leave: City of Cleveland employees soon could be getting a new benefit: 12 weeks of paid leave to parents welcoming a new child. Courtney Astolfi reports that city workers would no longer have to rely on the Family and Medical Leave Act, which offers 12 weeks of unpaid time off annually, or other forms of city-provided leave, like sick and vacation time. A growing list of cities are offering such leave to workers. West Side Market: After a relatively brief legislative process, Cleveland City Council seems likely to approve $10 million to help repair the West Side Market, Lucas Daprile reports. The $10 million is half of what Mayor Justin Bibb initially proposed for the market and less than a quarter of the money that market officials say they need to fully repair the 111-year-old city landmark. Baby names: Over the last 100 years, Michael has held the No. 1 spot on the list for most popular baby names 44 times. For girls, Mary has been ranked No. 1 34 times. Some other names are on the rise, writes Zachary Smith. Toxic releases: Geauga County had the least amount of toxic emissions in Greater Cleveland in 2020 and saw decreases in total chemical emissions from facilities dealing with toxic chemicals in 2021. Zachary Smith reports the county hosts 18 facilities that reported toxic releases in 2021 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Science honor: An astronomy professor from Ohio State University has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors a scientist can receive in the U.S., reports Gretchen Cuda Kroen. David Weinberg is one of only 11 other Ohio State faculty who are members of the National Academy of Sciences and the only astronomer. Lake swimming: When is the Lake Erie water warm enough for swimming? The short answer is not yet, at least near Cleveland. |
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Commercial real estate: COVID-19 brought changes to the commercial real estate market that likely will extend well beyond the pandemic emergency, from forcing landlords to change the way offices look to extending those spaces into apartment buildings. Many companies are now tailoring their floor plans to make the office more enticing, reports Megan Sims. An apartment building offers private “Zoom rooms,” plus all 170 units have dedicated work spaces. Creative writing: A community of Cleveland healthcare professionals are learning to express themselves -- even cope with the unique stresses of a life in medicine -- through writing. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports whether participants come for the purposes of improving their medical communications, for pushing creative boundaries into blogs, podcasts, and personal essays, or to find a safe supportive space to try their hand at their first novel, all are welcome. Cheaper gas? Unleaded 88 is a cheaper way to fill up your tank. But because it has more ethanol than regular gas, it’s less fuel-efficient. Will buying it actually save you money? In his weekly Saving You Money column, Sean McDonnell reports the answers are kinda, sort of and maybe. The extra ethanol in unleaded 88 probably won’t damage your engine — but your vehicle will likely get less miles per gallon. |
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8-year-old's death: A second man has been arrested in connection with the death of an 8-year-old girl in Akron in 2020. Jaevone Suggs, 18, was arrested Friday morning involving the shooting death of MiKayla Pickett, reports Molly Walsh. |
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Best ribs: Ol’Chefski’s, a popular restaurant at 15 Trails End Road in Aurora, serves up the best BBQ ribs in Greater Cleveland, according to voters in our Best of Cleveland poll. Ol’Chefski’s, which also won cleveland.com’s 2018 Best Barbecue contest -- reclaimed its crown with nearly 65 percent of the 6,500 votes cast, report Brenda Cain and Yadi Rodriguez. Best distilleries: Everwild Spirits in Sandusky was among 10 Ohio distilleries to bring home medals from the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Paris Wolfe reports Ohio distilleries took home 31 medals. RV Rocking: From coastal adventures to visits to national parks and our neighbors in Canada, the Kinzbachs have you covered in this week’s “Rocking the RV Life” podcast. Jeff and Patti suggest 10 locations for summer vacation. Things to do: Cleveland.com has partnered with Stacker to find the 30 most popular -- and entertaining -- activities that will fill your summer days with fun! These are the highest-rated things to do in Cleveland, according to reviewers for Tripadvisor. |
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2 women, 1 man die in shootings Sunday in Cleveland Read more Two men die in separate shootings Saturday on Cleveland’s East Side, police say Read more Gun goes off accidentally, wounds teen girl in face, Akron police say Read more Dog trained in accelerant detection joins Akron Fire Department: Meet Phoenix Read more University Heights council, in replacing former councilman Gould, selects Threse Marshall as its newest member Read more Medina Athletic Boosters seek district support for new high school gym scoreboards Read more Sculpture to stay put outside Solon Community Center Read more Chagrin Falls has fallen in love with its rubber duck race Read more North Royalton Schools to replace natural turf with artificial on baseball, softball fields Read more Libraries, patrons are making beautiful music together Read more Orange school board expresses ‘unwavering support’ of superintendent in wake of security issue Read more |
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