Here are your morning headlines for Monday, May 3:
- NFL draft scores big for Cleveland
- Alleged assault at high school party
- Retail development moving forward
- Revere hires Wooster superintendent
- KSU mourns death of Director of Basketball operations
NFL draft scores big for Cleveland
Cleveland tourism leaders say the draft helped bring us one step closer to getting back to normal after the pandemic. The city hosted thousands of people over the 3-day event that wrapped up Saturday. Fans said they felt safe with the precautions that were taken and out-of-town visitors say they enjoyed visiting the city, despite some rain and chilly temperatures. The first night of the draft scored well with TV viewers, drawing 12.6 million viewers, second only to last year’s record 15.5 million.
Alleged assault at high school party
Six seniors at Walsh Jesuit High School won’t graduate this spring. The school’s president says they have left the school after an alleged assault during a party at a Silver Lake home in late March. The Beacon Journal reports an 18-year old male at the party passed out, his pants were removed and a group of boys assaulted him anally with a bottle of hand sanitizer. The county prosecutor’s office reviewed social media videos that the school president described as horrific but determined felony charges were not warranted. Cuyahoga Falls police are still weighing possible misdemeanor charges. What was perceived as delayed punishment by the school led to a petition drive on change.org seeking action. More than 7,800 people signed it.
Retail development moving forward
Wisconsin-based home improvement chain Menards has won approval to build another new store in the area—this one, a 157,000 square-foot location off state route 18 at the Medina/Summit County line. It will anchor a new retail development called The Market at Medina Line that will stretch for nearly a half-mile. The Beacon Journal reports Granger Township trustees last week approved the first phase of the development plan, which will allow construction to begin. Menards has not announced a timeline. The project on the 125-acre site was first proposed in 2019. The development is expected to bring in about $70,000 in new tax revenue to Granger Township and an additional $460,000 annually to local schools.
Revere hires Wooster superintendent
Less than three weeks after announcing the departure of Superintendent Matthew Montgomery, Revere Local Schools has tapped a new leader. In a special meeting Saturday, the school board hired Wooster City Schools Superintendent Michael Tefs to lead the district. Tefs official start date is July first but he will work with Montgomery before his June 30 departure. Montgomery is a Portage County native who’s accepted a position with the Lake Forest Schools in suburban Chicago. Tefs previously served as superintendent in North Ridgeville City Schools. The Baldwin Wallace grad started his career as a science teacher and has also worked in Chippewa Local and Wadsworth City Schools.
KSU mourns death of Director of Basketball operations
Kent State basketball is mourning the loss of the team’s director of basketball operations. Brian Barnes died suddenly Saturday. The Beacon Journal reports he suffered a brain aneurysm. Kent State coach Rob Senderoff said Barnes was an integral part of the program and will be incredibly missed. Social media lit up with tributes to him over the weekend. Barnes served as operations director since 2018 and had been a member of the coaching staff since 2015. He was 27.
