Here are your morning headlines for Monday, January 24:
- Redistricting commission fails again to pass 10-year state legislative maps
- Groups that won suits over Ohio maps submitted their own plan
- Water main break leads to natural gas outages in downtown Akron
- Expanded services, renewable energy on agenda for Cleveland’s new mayor
- The state sees the lowest daily COVID cases in almost a month
- Cuyahoga County settles suit over inmate beating death
- More federal funding coming for Great Lakes projects
- Cavs gear up for Eastern Conference rival
Redistricting commission fails again to pass 10-year state legislative maps
(AP) -- The Ohio Redistricting Commission has failed for a second time to reach the bipartisan consensus needed to pass 10-year maps of state legislative districts based on 2020 census totals. Despite being scolded by the state’s high court, the seven-member panel approved new maps along party lines in the face of a court-imposed Saturday deadline. That means the plan would be good for just four years. But the Ohio Supreme Court has reserved the right to review the panel’s proposed change. Voting rights and Democratic groups successfully challenged an earlier round of maps as an extreme partisan gerrymander. Republicans defended the new district lines as constitutional.
Groups that won suits over Ohio maps submitted their own plan
(AP) -- The winners of lawsuits challenging the redraw of the legislative maps submitted their own plan for new lines to the state’s redistricting commission over the weekend. The submission came as the Ohio Redistricting Commission and their staff were working to come up with new maps. This was in addition to maps from both the Republican and Democratic caucuses.
Water main break leads to natural gas outages in downtown Akron
(WKSU) -- Dominion Energy says it's making progress at restoring gas service that's knocked out the heat for about 100 customers in downtown Akron. A water main break swamped the lines with hundreds of gallons of water affecting service in an area around Exchange Street. The utility put out a release last night saying the repairs are taking longer than expected due to the freezing temperatures but are expected to be complete by today. Dominion is pulling in crews from as far away as Youngstown and Ashtabula to assist in the repairs. Akron Municipal Court is closed today due to a lack of heat and power. The court says anyone who had proceedings set for today will be contacted later in the week for rescheduling.
Expanded services, renewable energy on agenda for Cleveland’s new mayor
(Cleveland.com) -- Mayor Justin Bibb’s transition team has laid out the priorities for the first 100 days of the new administration. Cleveland.com reports putting an emphasis on mental health crisis responders, a move to 100% renewable energy in the next eight years and setting up satellite city hall services in neighborhood libraries are among the recommendations. They’re listed in a draft report created by Bibb’s 75-member transition team and obtained by Cleveland.com. A Bibb spokeswoman stressed that the draft is a work still in progress, expected to be formally submitted next month.
The state sees the lowest daily COVID cases in almost a month
(Cleveland.com) -- The Ohio Department of Health reported a little more than 9,900 new COVID-19 cases yesterday. Cleveland.com reports that’s the lowest daily total in almost a month. The number of deaths reported last week was higher at 1,065, but other numbers show the continuation of a two-week decline in hospitalizations and the number of patients with COVID in the ICU’s. As of yesterday, 69 percent of residents 12 and up have gotten at least one vaccination shot.
Cuyahoga County settles suit over inmate beating death
(AP) -- The family of a man who authorities say was beaten to death by his cellmate at the county jail in Cleveland will receive a million dollars to settle a lawsuit against the facility. Cleveland.com reports a Cuyahoga County judge approved the settlement last month. But it still must be approved by the county council. Shone Trawick’s family had filed the suit last February, claiming county corrections officers should have isolated his accused killer from the jail’s general population because of his history of violence and inmate attacks.
More federal funding coming for Great Lakes projects
(AP) -- The Biden administration's new infrastructure package will pump more funding into two high-profile Great Lakes projects. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will devote $479 million to the construction of a new shipping lock at Sault Ste. Marie. The money will be enough to finish the long-sought lock, which will boost the passage of cargo vessels between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes. An additional $226 million will help complete preconstruction and design work at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Illinois. Technologies are being installed there to prevent invasive carp from reaching Lake Michigan.
Cavs gear up for Eastern Conference rival
(AP) -- Cleveland takes on New York tonight in an Eastern Conference matchup. The Cavs are 15-10 against conference rivals. The Knicks are 14-18 against conference opponents. This is the second meeting of the season between the two. Cleveland won the first meeting 126-109 led by Ricky Rubio who scored 37 points.
