Here are your morning headlines for Tuesday, June 5:
- Ohio issues 56 medical marijuana licenses;
- Akron City Council considers increase in trash collection fees;
- A filed union compaint says Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation agents had expired vests;
- South Euclid man to pay $15,000 for trashing a Seven Hills Airbnb;
- A Warrensville Heights man sentenced to 16 years for involvement in a drug ring;
- Cleveland School District begins first of nine community meetings over budget issue;
- Cleveland City Council approves legislation to help elderly fix up their homes;
- Midges return in swarms around Lake Erie;
- Gas prices drop in Northeast Ohio by four cents;
Ohio issues 56 medical marijuana licenses
Ohio has licensed 56 locations that can sell medical marijuana once it becomes legal this fall. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy on Monday awarded those provisional dispensary licenses that give the stores six months to meet state operation requirements. A total of 376 applications were received. Eighteen provisional licenses were awarded in the Northeast Ohio district, including five in Cuyahoga County, three sites in Summit – two in Akron and one in Cuyahoga Falls. Canton will have two sites.
Akron City Council considers increase in trash collection fees
Akron City Council is considering legislation to hike trash collection fees while keeping a discount for those who recycle. Cleveland.com reports the new proposal would raise trash collection by $1 per month starting Aug. 1. But residents who recycle would still get a $2.50 monthly rebate. Council had considered scrapping the discount. The proposal stems from a 20-percent increase in the cost to dump in landfills since 2012. The rates would be in place through 2019.
A filed union compaint says Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation agents had expired vests
A recently filed union complaint says more than 50 Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation agents are wearing expired vests despite pleas to management to get the vests replaced. A spokesman for Republican attorney general and governor's race candidate Mike DeWine says 115 sworn attorney general employees are assigned protective vests. He says fittings for new vests were held in November and January and 18 replacement vests were on order when the complaint was filed. A spokesman for Democratic Ohio governor's race candidate Richard Cordray called it shameful and says DeWine ordered a few vests to cover his tracks because he's running for governor.
South Euclid man to pay $15,000 for trashing a Seven Hills Airbnb
A judge has ordered a South Euclid man to pay $15,000 for trashing an upscale Airbnb home. Cleveland.com reports 20-year-old Isaiah Shahid threw a New Year's party at the Airbnb home in Seven Hills, advertising it on Twitter and asking people for $5 to participate. It took five police departments to completely shut down the party. Shahid was also ordered to serve 2 years’ probation and 45 days on house arrest.
A Warrensville Heights man sentenced to 16 years for involvement in a drug ring
A Warrensville Heights man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for bringing deadly drugs to Northeast Ohio, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine from Chicago and New York. Cleveland.com reports 37-year-old Alfonso Rodrigo was one of 20 people in the drug ring charged since 2010. Police seized two pounds of fentanyl, 18 pounds of heroin and 64 pounds of cocaine. They also recovered $350,000, and several firearms during a six-year investigation. Authorities says the people charged in the drug ring have ties to the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico.
Cleveland School District begins first of nine community meetings over budget issue
The first of nine community meetings will begin today as the Cleveland School District will hear from residents on how to handle a budget issue. In 2014, an issue appeared on the ballot to set aside $200 million to support the construction of new schools in the area. The issue stated it would overhaul 20 schools in the district and replace them with new schools. But as the district fights with the state for funding, city council members whose wards were promised renovations are concerned they might not happen. The rest of the meetings will be between June 18 and June 28.
Cleveland City Council approves legislation to help elderly fix up their homes
Cleveland City Council approved legislation Monday to launch a program that would set aside grants of up to $10,000 to help the elderly fix up their homes. Cleveland.com reports the program will have a total of around $1.2 million, which targets each of the 17 wards in the city to have $75,000. The city's Department of Aging will run the program, and it will be available to seniors to have an income of no more than 250 percent of the poverty rate. For a single-income home, that's $30,350 a year.
Midges return in swarms around Lake Erie
Midges have returned in swarms along the shores of Lake Erie. The small bugs are usually most visible during the months of June and September for up to 10 days at a time. Several local TV stations said the swarms are so dense, they’re showing up on weather radar.
Gas prices drop in Northeast Ohio by four cents
Northeast Ohioans are finally getting a break at the pump. Gas prices dropped by four cents this week to an average of $2.77 per gallon, according to AAA. Overall, Ohio had the second largest decrease in the nation, down 10 cents from last week. Gas prices dropped nationally for the first time since mid-March.
