Subscribe to the Wake Up, cleveland.com’s free morning newsletter, delivered to your inbox weekdays at 5:30 a.m.
It’s been more than two decades since the mayor of Chicago shut down the city’s lakefront airport by ordering city crews to bulldoze giant X’s on the runway in the middle of the night.
Meigs Field had operated as a single-runway airport since 1948, but the landfill that created it had originally been envisioned as a park. Now Northerly Island Park serves that purpose, a quiet space in a busy city, just nature and Lake Michigan.
Could the story have lessons for Burke Lakefront Airport, nearly four times the size of Meigs?
Mayor Justin Bibb offered part of Burke, in use since 1947, for a new Cleveland Browns stadium, but the idea was rejected.
The city is still mulling what to do next after two studies considered the possibilities. But officials have “assured the FAA that we aren’t going to bulldoze the runway overnight.”
— Laura
Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals: Deshaun Watson likely lost for season as Browns lose, 21-14 to the Bengals
Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Sunny, unseasonably warm
Meigs Field: Northerly Island Park is the former home of Chicago’s controversial Meigs Field airport. The small lakefront airport is probably best known not for what it provided the city when it was open, but for the audacious way in which it was closed. Susan Glaser reports the airport might also offer a lesson for Cleveland officials, who are debating the possibility of closing Burke Lakefront Airport.
Summit County: Downtown Akron has a different vibe to the more cosmopolitan Cleveland: Less traffic, cheap or free parking, fewer gigantic high-rise buildings, more mid-rises and a university campus that crowns the downtown. Yet politically, the counties have more in common than not, reports Laura Hancock. When some Northeast Ohio counties have trended “red,” Summit and Cuyahoga counties have remained Democratic strongholds.
Geauga County: Geauga County hasn’t voted for a Democrat for president since Lyndon Johnson ran against Barry Goldwater in 1964, averaging about 60% for the Republican candidate in five the last six presidential elections. Peter Krouse reports a swath of Geauga County shares similar views, whether it’s a desire to crack down on border security, spend taxpayer money closer to home or not get too worked up about climate change.
Springfield population: How many Haitian immigrants are in Springfield? The answer ranges depending on who is reporting the statistics and it’s often a combination of multiple statistics, running the risk of being misinterpreted, reports Zachary Smith. Resources that didn’t previously need to be considered are now needed, with many immigrants needing public benefits such as Medicaid and food stamps, English language classes, driving classes and financial literacy courses.
Today in Ohio: The Browns intend to leave the city of Cleveland for a new dome in Brook Park. But they haven’t released their plan when it comes to public financing. We’re talking about the lack of concrete details on Today in Ohio.
Plugging wells: The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is asking a panel of lawmakers to waive competitive bidding for $11.2 million in contracts to plug abandoned oil and gas wells around the state. Jake Zuckerman reports the request is a small piece of a nationwide, federally funded effort to plug such “orphan” wells – which pose environmental and human health risks – around the country. Some estimates peg the total number of such wells long abandoned by their owners in the millions.
Issue 1: Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office is asking Ohio mayors to spread the word about its website on Issue 1, the proposed redistricting reform measure on next month’s ballot, using his misleading ballot language. Jeremy Pelzer reports that one Northeast Ohio mayor says it’s nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt by LaRose to recruit local officials into helping him spread Republican propaganda against Issue 1.
Science of reading: Ohio is adding another layer of training in the so-called science of reading, thanks to a $60 million U.S. Department of Education grant, reports Laura Hancock. The money will be distributed among preschools, early childhood education programs, and elementary, middle and high schools that apply to become a comprehensive literacy implementation site.
Miller divorce: U.S. Rep Max Miller and his wife Emily Moreno Miller have traded accusations in public filings of their divorce case, but the pretrial hearings in the case are now behind closed doors, a questionable matter according to local legal experts, reports Sean McDonnell.
Fall colors are reaching their peak in Northeast Ohio.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Fall color: Autumn’s peak display is expected throughout much of Ohio in the coming days – so get out there and enjoy it. Susan Glaser reports the fall color season in Ohio has turned out better than initially expected, in part because of recent rain.
Shaker listening: A key takeaway from Shaker Heights’ months-long listening project on policing practices in the city came with a bit of a catch. Cory Shaffer reports the project found that teens and young adults were much less likely to feel safe in their neighborhoods and respected by police. But the project considered responses from only a few dozen people under age 30.
Our Best Life: Passing along a pop culture love to your kid can help forge connection and reignite your passions, writes Laura Johnston. It can give you a shared language, inside jokes, a comforting activity away from the daily routine. Which is why she’s rewatching “Gilmore Girls” with her 11-year-old daughter.
Fatal crash: A 24-year-old tow truck driver died Thursday in a car crash on Ohio 2 in Willoughby, reports Olivia Mitchell. There were two accidents on the same road just minutes apart, officials said. The first crash happened shortly after 4 p.m. on Ohio 2 west, just east of the Vine Street exit. Four minutes later, a 24-year-old man who drove a flatbed tow truck rear-ended a plumbing truck.
South Euclid judge: Federal prosecutors will not charge former South Euclid Municipal Judge Gayle Williams-Byers after an FBI investigation that was launched more than two years ago, her attorney said. Adam Ferrise reports Larry Zukerman said federal prosecutors told him this week that no charges are forthcoming against the former judge, who resigned in 2022 after about a decade on the bench.
Police shooting: A Cuyahoga County sheriff’s deputy shot a suspect Thursday night in Cleveland as crowds left the Guardians playoff game, authorities said. The incident took place about 10 p.m. at Superior Avenue and East 26th Street.
Lorain shooting: A prosecutor has cleared officers in the fatal shooting of a fugitive in Lorain who attacked police, reports Lucas Daprile. Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson said in a report Thursday that Deputy U.S. Marshal Nathan Lupica and LaGrange Police Officer Wayne Ramsey followed the law when they shot Derrick Smith.
1/155
Rock Hall inductions: The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductions were filled with five hours of icons, legends, their lawyers, managers and thousands of loyal and apparently financially stable fans who all gathered in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for a night of music and speeches. Malcolm X Abram reports on the Rock Hall’s big night.
DineDrinkCLE: In the latest episode of “DineDrinkCLE: The Podcast,” host Alex Darus chats with Marc Bona about Cleveland breweries winning big at the Great American Beer Festival this year. Both Noble Beast Brewing Co. and Masthead Brewing Co. brought awards back to Cleveland at this year’s annual blind-judged competition, which drew 9,200 entries from 1,800 breweries.
Bally Sports: Bally Sports is getting a new name but not new owners. The collection of regional sports networks, which is owned by Diamond Sports Group, will be known as FanDuel Sports Network starting on Oct. 21, Joey Morona reports.
Non Bruises: Non Bruises is a relatively new band on the Cleveland scene, but its membership has decades of music making under its collective belt. Peter Chakerian reports they’re bringing that energy to communal technique at the Happy Dog on Tuesday, when they open for Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate/Baseball Project).
Art + beer: This story of Sekhmet marks an intersection of art and beer at the Cleveland Museum of Art, reports Paris Wolfe. For more beer-meets-art stories, attend The Art of Beer from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 6 in the museum’s banquet room. The presentation by art historian and brewery tour guide Amanda Mikolic will explore artworks from the museum’s collection that highlight the rich history of making and drinking beer.
House of the Week: If you’re in the market for a true trophy property in Northeast Ohio, this French country estate in Gates Mills certainly fits the bill, writes Joey Morona. Designed and built by architect Tony Paskevich in 1999, the home has six bedrooms and eight bathrooms (six full) across 15,000 square feet of living space. The price is $5.4 million.
Don’t forget, you can always find the latest Cleveland news by visiting cleveland.com. If you value the hard work of Cleveland journalists, consider becoming a cleveland.com subscriber.
— Curated by content director Laura Johnston with contributions by by Cliff Pinckard.
Avon Lake man dies after altercation with neighbor Read more
North Olmsted woman dies in Friday crash with semi in Lorain County Read more
Halloween fever hits Detroit Avenue in Lakewood during 2024 Halloween Flea Market Read more
Medina school board, city talk collaboration during joint meeting Read more