Northeast Ohioans hate E-check. The mandatory testing of vehicle emissions began in the 1990s to help Cleveland, Akron and surrounding area meet air-quality standards set in the federal Clean Air Act. Under Ohio’s program, vehicles between four and 25 years old and weighing 10,000 pounds or less must be inspected. Every two years, you get the letter, requiring you to line up to get your car tested – and maybe fixed – before you can renew your registration. In 2022, E-Check testing of nearly 797,000 vehicles in Northeast Ohio prevented the release of an estimated 316 tons of nitrogen oxides, 205 tons of volatile organic compounds, and 10,350 tons of carbon monoxide, according to the Ohio EPA. Ohio lawmakers have called on the federal government several times to end E-check. Now they’re hopeful President Trump will end the requirement, given that he has already rolled back more than 30 other federal environmental regulations. — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Colder, cloudier conditions |
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An E-Check station on East 55th Street in Cleveland. State lawmakers are again trying to remove the requirement. (Roadell Hickman, Plain Dealer file photo) |
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E-check: The Ohio House budget calls for the Ohio EPA to immediately discontinue the E-Check program if the U.S. EPA determines that it's not necessary for Ohio to comply with the federal Clean Air Act, reports Jeremy Pelzer. Municipal bonds: Ohio cities warn that taxing the interest on municipal bonds to help extend President Donald Trump’s tax cuts could drive up costs for roads, schools and even hospitals, report Anna Staver and Sean McDonnell. Critics of the exemption argue lower interest rates encourage excessive borrowing and the exemption primarily benefits wealthy investors. Library funding: An email from the state House majority whip’s office appeared to threaten library funding for those “pushing specific ideologies” — but the GOP leader says it was sent by a staffer without approval and doesn’t reflect his views. Libraries have been a conservative target over their hosting “drag story hours,” where drag performers read stories to children, reports Anna Staver. Today in Ohio: State and federal cuts mean hurt for Planned Parenthood, Boys and Girls Clubs, libraries, Medicaid patients, Lorain residents and more. On Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast, we’re talking about the devastating effect of budget cuts on all of us, especially the most vulnerable. |
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Orphan wells: State officials have freed an additional $27 million to plug some of the tens of thousands of idled and abandoned oil and gas wells around the state, Jake Zuckerman reports. The vote Monday from the Ohio Controlling Board, a panel of state officials that approves certain fiscal transfers, grows the Ohio Department of Natural Resource’s budget line for such “orphan well” plugging to more than $73 million. That’s funded via oil and gas permit fees and severance taxes. AI warrant: A civil rights group and defense attorneys have formally opposed Cleveland police’s use of artificial intelligence to justify a search warrant in a homicide case, reports Lucas Daprile. The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed a friend-of-the-court brief in a potentially precedent-setting case about facial recognition before the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals in Cleveland. VR headsets: State lawmakers rejected, at least for now, a $225,000 request for 120 virtual reality headsets for incarcerated youth, reports Kaitlin Durbin. The Department of Youth Services asked the Ohio Controlling Board, a panel of Ohio lawmakers that approve certain state contracts, to OK the purchase of the headsets. Social Security: U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes wants the Social Security Administration to immediately reverse its decision to recover overpayments it issues to beneficiaries by withholding 100% of recipients’ checks until the overpayment is repaid. Sabrina Eaton reports that in a Monday letter, the Akron Democrat asks that the withholding rate for overpayments be restored to the 10% level it was during President Joe Biden’s administration. |
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Euclid agreement: Euclid’s City Council and Board of Education are expected this week to approve a settlement to a years-long dispute over a 30-year-old income tax change that the school district said cost it millions of dollars. The city agreed to nearly double the amount of income tax revenue it currently shares with Euclid City Schools from residents who work outside the city, reports Cory Shaffer. Political travel: A survey last month found that 42% of American travelers said politics will “greatly impact their travel choices.” That’s up from 24% last September, reports Susan Glaser. The poll, as well as news coverage of travelers being held up at the U.S. border and angry Canadians boycotting visits to the United States, got us wondering about Greater Clevelanders’ travel plans for this summer. Canadian travel: Increasingly tense relations between the United States and Canada are expected to result in a drop of Canadian visitors to the U.S. this year. What's less clear is whether Americans will limit their visits to Canada, Susan Glaser reports. Police interaction: University Circle police are teaching students a key lesson that isn’t in a text book: what to expect when they deal with police officers. Olivia Mitchell reports the new outreach program is headed by Officer Gloria Mercado and aims to have new drivers understand what being on the road entails and how to interact proactively with officers. Turnpike construction: From end to end, the Ohio Turnpike this summer will have 14 construction zones, with at least two lanes of travel maintained in each direction, and another two in far western Ohio, where traffic will be reduced to just one lane each way overnight, reports Rich Exner. But how many of those construction zones could cause you delays will depend on where you are headed. Lightning strike: Cleveland Clinic workers Jojo Zhou and Myroslav Goubar renovated their home a year before a lightning strike Wednesday in Twinsburg. The flash hit a meter, which exploded, and flames ripped through their house on Meadowbrook Boulevard. Olivia Mitchell reports the couple, their 1-year-old daughter and three of their parents escaped the home before fire crews arrived. Foster care closet: Two foster moms have opened Honey From the Rock, Cleveland’s first foster care closet, reports Kaitlin Durbin. It’s meant to be a one-stop shop for foster families, kinship caregivers and recently reunified or adoptive families to get free, new or gently used items they need for the children in their care, often on very short notice. |
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Society Lounge: Hangry Brands has acquired Society Lounge on East Fourth Street, adding to its growing roster of Greater Cleveland bars and restaurants. Society Lounge first opened as a speakeasy-style cocktail bar in 2013, reports Alex Darus. Job fairs: The Built Environment Collaborative will host three job fairs over the next three months to help residents look for “stable, well-paying careers in construction, infrastructure and clean energy,” reports Megan Sims. The effort is led by Greater Cleveland Works, the workforce development organization for the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. West Palm: Breeze Airways will restart service from the Akron-Canton Airport to West Palm Beach in September, with additional flights per week to the southeast Florida city, reports Susan Glaser. |
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Fatal chase: A police chase that led to a fatality and a critical injury late last month reached speeds of nearly 100 mph, documents show, Lucas Daprile reports. The records show the chaotic moments of a pursuit that lasted less than five minutes. Witness intimidation case: A Cleveland defense attorney has one week to respond to allegations by Cuyahoga County prosecutors that she was present during extortion and witness intimidation in the case of a neighborhood activist. Maryam Assar of the Pattakos Law Firm represents Antoine “Fahiem” Tolbert, the leader of a neighborhood group called New Era Cleveland, reports David Gambino. Telephone harassment: A North Ridgeville man has sued the city over his overturned conviction for a profanity-laced message he left for a water department employee who repeatedly hung up on him after his water was shut off, reports Adam Ferrise. |
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Looted statue: An ancient Greco-Roman bronze statue that the New York District Attorney’s Office said was looted from a site in Turkey will be put on public display one final time at the Cleveland Museum of Art before being returned to the Turkish government. Peter Chakerian reports the statue, often referred to as “The Draped Male Figure,” will go on display today and will be on public view until July 8, then shipped back to Turkey. Best of Lakewood: Lakewood’s walkable and tight-knight vibe is a hub for an impressive food culture that’s helped to put the Greater Cleveland scene on the map. Cleveland.com’s Best Of team is on the hunt for the best places to eat and drink. Architectual heritage: A new lecture series celebrating Cleveland’s architectural heritage and legacy through the lens of historical and contemporary practitioners is on the way. “Body of Work” kicks off April 24 at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, reports Peter Chakerian. Caregiving memoir: Cleveland author Ellen Wohl channeled the lessons learned while caring for her ill husband into her 2022 book “Snap Out of It: An Unexpected Caregiver’s Way to Self-care, Stability, and Survival.” Julie Washington reports Wohl will speak about her book and caregiving experiences April 24 at the Beachwood branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library. Guardians on TV: Guardians baseball is returning to over-the-air television on WKYC Channel 3, reports Joey Morona. The local NBC affiliate will simulcast 10 games this season, extending the team’s reach to 1.7 million additional homes in the Cleveland market. Vegetable soup: Your “Best of Cleveland” team of Yadi Rodriguez and Peter Chakerian is back with another ranking and this time we hit a bowl of vegetable soup ... 55 times. We did the heavy lifting and spoon work so you don’t have to! |
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Man steals dog then tries to obtain reward for its return, Parma police say Read more Canton man convicted of repeatedly raping child gets life in prison Read more Certification helps Medina building department reach milestone Read more Orange Board of Education requests more information on student trips to France, Italy Read more Westlake’s pinwheel garden: A colorful symbol of hope for abused children Read more Akron organizations seek volunteers for Earth Day cleanup events this month Read more |
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