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You can’t drop a friend’s absentee ballot in the Board of Elections drop box this election season.
Under a directive from Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, only relatives can return the ballot. And they have to fill out a form, attesting under R.C 3509.05 that they are one of the following: “spouse of the voter, the father, mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandfather, grandmother, brother, or sister of the whole or half blood, or the son, daughter, adopting parent, adopted child, stepparent, stepchild, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece of the voter.”
At the bottom of the form, it warns: “WHOEVER COMMITS ELECTION FALSIFICATION IS GUILTY OF A FELONY OF THE FIFTH DEGREE.”
LaRose argued the new rules are needed to curb “ballot harvesting,” in which absentee ballots are collected and submitted en masse.
A judge ruled that the rules cannot apply when the ballots are filled out by disabled voters. But for other voters, it stands.
— Laura
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Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Morning showers followed by clearing
Dropboxes: The Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday let stand Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s directive that ballot drop boxes in Ohio can only be used this year by people submitting their own early absentee ballots, reports Jeremy Pelzer. In a 4-3, party-line decision, the state’s high court held that the Ohio Democratic Party and two Ohio voters waited too long to file their Sept. 27 lawsuit challenging LaRose’s directive, which was issued in late August.
War crime: A Parma Heights sausage-maker who admitted to lying about war crimes charges during the Croatian War to gain entrance to the United States was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison. Adam Ferrise reports Jugoslav Vidic, 55, wiped tears from his eyes as he apologized for lying and said he did it for his family.
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Garfield reservation: Garfield Park Reservation’s old boating pond was suffocated for decades by vegetation and silt, reports Megan Sims. Two years after the Cleveland Metroparks began its long anticipated $7 million renovation, the park will put new features on display, with an official opening Thursday.
Justice oversight: Federal authorities will monitor voting in Portage County, a move that follows Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski’s online post that told supporters to “write down” the addresses of residents whose yards had signs supporting Kamala Harris. Lucas Daprile reports the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday it will examine both early voting and Election Day voting in the county to ensure federal voting laws are upheld.
Today in Ohio: A Franklin County magistrate says the Ohio House Republicans’ political arm is responsible for $1.67 million in a defaulted office lease. We’re talking about whether the group will ever pay on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.
Householder trial: Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder is scheduled to go to trial in Cuyahoga County in April for more charges stemming from the House Bill 6 scandal, reports Sean McDonnell. Householder is accused of illegally using campaign funds to defend himself in a federal trial in March 2023, where he was convicted of running a $60 million bribery scheme to benefit FirstEnergy Corp.
Remediation grants: Over $52 million has been directed at properties across the state to environmentally remediate or demolish structures, including to Cleveland’s West Side Market and a former YMCA building that is to become an African art and cultural center, reports Laura Hancock.
City Council maps: Cleveland City Council will hold a series of meetings to get feedback from the public on its once-in-a-decade redistricting process, reports Courtney Astolfi. With new maps due by April 1, Cleveland’s legislative body will have to cut the number of council seats from 17 to 15.
Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne’s jail planning team revealed early plans for what a new facility in Garfield Heights might look like, but County Council members had concerns.Courtesy of Cuyahoga County
Jail design: Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne’s jail planning team gave County Council its first look at what a new facility in Garfield Heights might look like, but members did not come away encouraged. Kaitlin Durbin reports they took issue with constructing a four-story jail, rather than the low-rise they were expecting, and whether planning should include space for Cleveland inmates.
Motorcycle crash: Authorities have identified a couple who died in a motorcycle accident in Hinckley Township on Friday. The victims are Rocky Iammarino, 42, and Rachel Iammarino, 38, of North Ridgeville, reports Lucas Daprile.
Student death: A 19-year-old Kent State University student has died after he fell from the roof of an eight-story apartment building last week, police say. Cliff Pinckard reports that police say Jayden Brieske, a sophomore from Racine, Wisconsin, fell early Thursday morning from the roof of University Inn in Kent.
Lead poisoning: Akron and Summit County are getting more than $10 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to remove lead poisoning hazards from homes and HUD-assisted properties, Sabrina Eaton reports.
Winter’s coming: Early Tuesday morning, commuters were welcomed to the day by hail and graupel falling throughout Northeast Ohio, which caused a multi-car crash on Interstate 71. Most of what was seen in the region was graupel, which is often smaller and crunchier and an opaque white color, reports Zachary Smith.
Pumpkin chase: Bay Village police were presented with a unique challenge Monday night when a large, inflatable Halloween pumpkin display from a nearby residence broke loose from a yard during a gusty night and rolled onto Wolf Road near Saddler Road in an incident caught on video, Cliff Pinckard reports.
Medicare: The Medicare enrollment period opens today, so it’s time to get acquainted with the new rules for 2025, reports Julie Washington. Coverage of some weight loss drugs to treat other medical conditions, a Part D drug plans cap at $2,000 a year, expanded benefits for family caregivers and access to more mental health providers via telemedicine are among the major changes coming.
VA grant: Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center will investigate how artificial intelligence can be used to treat colorectal cancer, thanks to a new four-year, $1.14 million grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Julie Washington reports artificial intelligence will allow researchers to develop an algorithm that analyzes MRI scans to better understand how rectal tumors respond to treatment.
Fatal shooting: Police found a man and a woman dead inside a car Monday in Cleveland’s North Collinwood neighborhood. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims as Damarion Quadir Bailey and Mikayla Janay Franklin. Both were 19-years-old, Olivia Mitchell reports.
Homicide arrest: U.S. marshals arrested a third suspect Tuesday in the fatal shooting of a Cleveland woman in May, reports Olivia Mitchell. Members of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Marshae Davis, 34, who was wanted by Cleveland police on charges of aggravated murder.
Street takeover: Members of a new Cleveland task force arrested a man Tuesday and accused him of being involved in the massive street takeover that took place last month, Olivia Mitchell reports.
Rover “Bob” Gray is a golden retriever living in Wickliffe. He loves playing dress-up and lets you put any article of clothing on him.Gary Adamic
Cutest pets: Rover “Bob” Gray is a delightful, 8-year-old golden retriever living in Wickliffe. He’s the winner of the cleveland.com “Best Pet Halloween Costume Contest” and he loves playing dress-up. Apparently, Rover will let you “put any article of clothing on him that you can think of.”
‘Velveteen’: Playhouse Square typically fashions itself as a presenting house, not a producing house. But that changes when “Velveteen, A New Musical,” the first show created and produced by Playhouse Square for young audiences, premieres on Oct. 26, reports Joey Morona.
Flight Social: Flight Social has taken over the space formerly known as The Chocolate Bar in downtown Cleveland. Paris Wolfe reports the menu is casual dining with a global theme.
Things to do: With Rock Hall Inductions, stellar comedy options, classical music with a Swifty twist, Halloween-inspired haunts, dynamite live-and-local music and more, there is no shortage of things to see and do this weekend. A Browns/Bengals “Battle of Ohio” at Huntington Bank Field is in the mix, too. Peter Chakerian has 31 things to do.
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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