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The Ohio Turnpike has been working for years to make its tolling system easier and faster. And now it has eliminated toll booths for E-ZPass users at its eastern border, just in time for Thanksgiving crowds.
The 241-mile toll road – which includes parts of I-76, I-80 and I-90 – rolled out its new tolling system in April. That included a revamp of how tolls are calculated, two new toll plazas, and new tolling lanes that allow drivers with EZPass transponders to drive through toll plazas without stopping.
But unlike in neighboring states, if you don’t have an E-ZPass, you have to stop.
About 70% of Turnpike drivers use E-ZPass. But enough drivers were confused by the system that in August the Turnpike announced a 60-day suspension of late fees and other penalties.
Those fees have since resumed.
— Laura
Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jameis Winston, Myles Garrett and Nick Chubb lead Browns through the snow to 24-19 win over the Steelers
Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Rainy and cold this weekend
Turnpike change: Motorists driving on the Ohio Turnpike using E-ZPass no longer have to slow down to go through toll booths when entering Ohio from Pennsylvania, reports Rich Exner.
Mental health recommendations: A work group looking at how to free up beds at Ohio’s psychiatric hospitals recommends creating local programs to proactively respond to mentally ill individuals who interact repeatedly with the criminal justice system. Laura Hancock reports that Gov. Mike DeWine convened the group earlier this year, seeking recommendations to free up more beds and also expand local options for mental health treatment and support across Ohio.
Today in Ohio: Outgoing Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman is poised to become the next Ohio House speaker, heading a supermajority of Republicans. On Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast, we’re talking about the presumptive pick to take over one of the most powerful positions in state government.
Senator-elect Bernie Moreno answers reporters’ questions Thursday at the Ohio Republican Party’s headquarters in downtown Columbus.Laura Hancock/cleveland.com
Haitian immigrants: Despite Donald Trump and his incoming “border czar” threatening to deport Haitians legally living in Springfield, Ohio, U.S. Senator-elect Bernie Moreno said Thursday evening that they will be allowed to stay until their temporary protected status ends on Feb. 3, 2026, Laura Hancock reports.
Private schools: An Ohio House committee has gutted a bill that would have required more transparency for private schools that accept taxpayer-funded scholarships, allowing for parents to have more information when deciding where to send their children to school, Laura Hancock reports.
Candidate sued: A Summit County Republican who lost his state Senate election this month has been sued by his now-former employer, alleging he stole $4.1 million from the company, of which at least $800,000 was funneled into his campaign, Jake Zuckerman reports.
Euclid trail: Euclid City Council this week passed legislation creating a special tax district to pay for the off-road trail that will connect the Cleveland Metroparks’ Euclid Creek Reservation to Euclid’s Hero Park on East 222nd Street. Council at its Monday meeting unanimously approved creating the 30-year, tax-increment financing district along Euclid Avenue that will span from NEO Sports Park to Heritage Business Park, which includes Eaton Aerospace, reports Cory Shaffer.
The line to board the shuttle after returning a rental car at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in September.Susan Glaser, Cleveland.com
Car rental: In 1998, Cleveland moved Hopkins International Airport’s car rental facility off-campus to a new building about a mile north of the terminal to make way for airport expansion. Twenty-five years later, airport officials are in discussions to move it back to the main terminal at a cost of about $220 million, Susan Glaser reports. The cost would be paid for primarily by the car rental companies and the travelers who use them.
Free Thanksgiving: Residents can get free Thanksgiving Day meals from two local organizations next week, but they’ll need to plan ahead, reports Kaitlin Durbin. Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland is expecting to distribute 12,000 holiday meals. Browns safety and Super Bowl champion Rodney McLeod Jr. and his wife, Erika, are giving away another 200 meals at the fifth annual Change Our Future Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway.
Drought: Heavy rains continue to improve drought and dry conditions in central and southern Ohio, but while Greater Cleveland also saw some precipitation, dry conditions worsened and drought returned to a third county in the area. Zachary Smith reports that every categorization of drought has improved for Ohio for the first time in weeks, according to new weekly data released Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Airport traffic: After months of steady growth in 2024, passenger volume at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport dropped significantly in October, down more than 7% over the same period a year ago, reports Susan Glaser. Airport Director Bryant Francis attributed the decrease in part to cutbacks from Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection this month.
COVID numbers: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio essentially stayed steady this week, moving from 2,239 last week to 2,250 this week, reports Julie Washington. At this same time last year, the state reported just over 8,000 cases. In early November 2023, Ohio’s weekly COVID-19 numbers began an upward curve that lasted through the holidays.
Livestreaming threats: A Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted a Cleveland man Thursday and accused him of making terrorist threats while livestreaming on Instagram. On Nov. 9, George Ivery, 21, pointed a 9 mm gun at motorists on Interstate 90, fired the weapon in the air in Lakewood and threatened people as he walked through Tower City with a handgun and a mask, county prosecutors allege. Throughout it all, prosecutors said, he posted the video online.
Teenagers charged: Three teens facing murder charges as adults denied the allegations Wednesday and a judge set their bonds as high as $1 million. Sean McDonnell reports the boys, who were 14 and 15 at the time of the slaying, are accused of opening fire on a home in Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood and killing a sleeping grandmother.
Cryptocurrency scheme: A Canadian citizen who helped launch an $8.2 million international cryptocurrency scheme was sentenced Thursday to more than four years in prison, Adam Ferrise reports. Yan Ouellet, 41, of Quebec, helped his former company PlexCorps defraud more than 15,000 investors by lying to them about the company’s plans and its ability to unseat giants like Bitcoin with its own virtual currency called PlexCoin.
Mother, son deaths: Authorities say a mother killed her 9-year-old son and then took her own life Wednesday, just days before the boy’s father sought to gain custody of the child, reports Lucas Daprile. The two were identified as Risa Louks, 46, and her son, Alex, 9, according to Lorain County Medical Examiner Frank Miller. Both died of gunshot wounds, he said.
Holiday cookies: Your second place (silver medalists!) winners in the 2024 “Best Holiday Cookies” readers’ poll know what it takes to make a small business successful. To hear owner Mike Fragapane tell it, they “grew up in a Sicilian household, which meant everyone in the family worked for that common goal.”
Swiftie Christmas: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is hosting a “Taylor Swift-mas Celebration” on Dec. 14. Malcolm X Abram reports Swifties can enjoy Swfit-related photo ops throughout the museum and check out Taylor Swift artifacts, including outfits from the “Reputation,” “Folklore” and “Evermore” videos, along with trivia, and a compilation video featuring live and televised highlights and classic videos looped in the Forest City Theater.
House of the Week: Perched above a picturesque lake and featuring an interior with midcentury modern influences, 399 Crossbrook Drive in Berea has been compared to a Frank Lloyd Wright house, reports Joey Morona. Priced at $995,000, the home has been extensively remodeled to incorporate modern conveniences while preserving the integrity of the original aesthetic.
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.
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