Here are your morning headlines for November 2, 2020:
- Early voting continues record pace heading into final stretch
- Joe Biden to visit Cleveland Monday
- Gov. Mike DeWine pens open letter as COVID-19 cases climb
- Small businesses, bars and restaurants can apply for aid beginning today
- Strong winds leave more than 20,000 without power
- Cleveland-area bars and restaurants cited for violating COVID-19 health orders
- School mural covered amid concerns about slavery depiction
- Garrett hurts knee, Browns fold in wind and lose to Raiders
Early voting continues record pace heading into final stretch
Early voting in Northeast Ohio continued to draw long lines at county boards of elections over the weekend. Cleveland.com reports more than 1,000 people showed up to vote in-person at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on Sunday, despite the cold, wet weather. To date, more than 51,000 early in-person votes have been processed in Cuyahoga County. Today is the last day of early voting. County boards of election will be open for in-person voting from 8 a.m. through 2 p.m. On Election Day, voters must go to their respective polling places.
Joe Biden to visit Cleveland Monday
Joe Biden will spend part of his final campaign push in Cleveland Monday. The Democratic nominee and former Vice President will make his first stop here since he embarked on a train tour through Ohio and Pennsylvania that started in Cleveland the day after the first presidential debate in late September. The latest polls show Biden holding a slight lead over President Donald Trump in Ohio, although most analysts view the state as a toss-up.
Gov. Mike DeWine pens open letter as COVID-19 cases climb
Ohio reported around 3,300 COVID-19 cases on Sunday. That’s above the three-week average, which currently sits at nearly 2,400 cases. Meanwhile, Gov. Mike DeWine penned an open letter to Ohioans on Sunday, asking residents to band together and fight the coronavirus, as cases continue to climb. DeWine said that while the presidential election has deepened the political divide, “there is still much more that pulls us together than tears us apart.” He also called on Congress to pass a COVID-19 relief bill, regardless of who wins the election. DeWine also appeared on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday, predicting that President Trump will win Ohio, but that it will be close.
Small businesses, bars and restaurants can apply for aid beginning today
Applications open today for two state programs offering federal CARES Act funding. Gov. Mike DeWine announced the aid last week to help those affected by the pandemic. The Small Business Relief Grant will give $10,000 to businesses with fewer than 25 employees. About 15,000 establishments each will receive $2,500 through the Bar and Restaurant Assistance Fund to offset the cost of a liquor permit.
Strong winds leave more than 20,000 without power
The first snow of the year in Northeast Ohio packed strong winds that knocked out power to thousands. First Energy reported more than 20,000 outages Sunday evening. Meanwhile, one man was killed and another man injured when a large tree fell on their pickup trucks in Mentor-on-the-Lake near Cleveland around noon on Sunday.
Cleveland-area bars and restaurants cited for violating COVID-19 health orders
A handful of Cleveland-area bars and restaurants were cited for violating the state’s COVID-19 health orders over the weekend. In Cleveland, state investigative agents cited Carney’s and Dreamers Friday night. The Islander Bar & Grille Middleburg Heights was cited for disorderly activity for hosting a Halloween party with little social distancing. The Islander was among bars and restaurants that sued the state over its health orders in June. Sky Mediterranean Lounge in Parma Heights was also cited for allowing more than 100 people to congregate without social distancing and for serving alcohol past the 10 p.m. cutoff.
School mural covered amid concerns about slavery depiction
Officials at the Canton school district have placed a temporary cover over a historical mural at McKinley High School after concerns were raised about its depiction of slavery. The Beacon Journal reports that a black and red banner now covers the mural at the downtown campus. Administrators decided in September to conceal the northern portion of the 195-foot-long mural. The superintendent calls it a temporary remedy until the district can host a communitywide “true conversation” about whether the mural remains appropriate.
Garrett hurts knee, Browns fold in wind and lose to Raiders
The Cleveland Browns were plagued by dropped passes, costly penalties, a missed field goal and didn't handle the windy, wintry conditions as well as the Raiders, losing 16-6 yesterday. They fall to 5-3 at the bye week. The loss was followed by jarring news that star defensive end Myles Garrett has a knee injury and will undergo an MRI Monday.
