92 months, 26 weeks and 104 days of Ohio special recognition: The Wake Up for Wednesday, March 19, 2025

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In Ohio, we officially recognize 92 special months, 26 special weeks and 104 special days celebrating outstanding Ohioans like Toni Morrison and special interests like German Heritage Month.

The first day the Ohio legislature designated in Ohio Revised Code was Veterans Day in 1955. For the next few decades, lawmakers mostly added national designations.

But by the late 1990s, all sorts of groups wanted commemoration.

The 127th General Assembly (2007-08) added 29 designations, including Omega Psi Phi Month, German Heritage Month and U.S.S. Hocking Day.

Obviously, some of these overlap.

Said one expert: “So much of the political world is inherently adversarial and anger and grievance based. This is one of our last vestiges of old-time politics.”

— Laura

Overnight Scores and Weather

Cavs at Los Angeles Clippers: Cavs reach unfamiliar territory

with 132-119 loss to Clippers

Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Warmer, windy today

Statehouse and Politics

Ramaswamy: For those wondering how to pronounce Vivek Ramaswamy’s name, the Columbus-area Republican made it clear in a nationally televised freestyle rap a couple years ago. “My name is Vivek. It rhymes with ‘cake,’” rapped Ramaswamy, now the frontrunner in the Republican primary race for Ohio governor next year, reports Jeremy Pelzer.

Transgender minors: Ohio’s law banning transgender minors from using hormones and puberty blockers has been put on hold, again. On Tuesday, a three-judge panel on the Tenth District Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s decision that let the law take effect in August, reports Anna Staver.

Head Start: An estimated 33,465 Ohio children attended Head Start in the 2023-24 school year, according to a new report released amid potential federal cuts. Laura Hancock reports the Big Ten Early Learning Alliance put out the Head Start research brief because Project 2025 advocated eliminating the program.

Energy bill: An Ohio Senate committee on Tuesday unanimously passed legislation that backers say will eliminate add-on charges to customers’ monthly electric bills and, they hope, spur development of new, natural gas-fired power plants. Jake Zuckerman reports that Republicans say natural gas development is the answer to a looming energy shortage, driven by both a boom in data centers that power the emerging artificial intelligence industry and the retirement of coal-fired power plants.

Farm to Fly: U.S. Rep. Max Miller wants to boost the use of U.S. crops in making biofuels to power airplanes, reports Sabrina Eaton. Legislation he’s introduced called the “Farm to Fly Act” would foster the development of Sustainable Aviation Fuels within existing U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and ensure that U.S. crops effectively contribute to aviation renewable fuels.

Northeast Ohio News

Bus cameras: Cleveland Councilman Kevin Conwell is pushing to install new cameras on Cleveland school buses so that police can catch and fine motorists who fail to stop for the buses' flashing red lights. Sean McDonnell reports the cameras would be installed on the stop signs that extend from school buses when they are picking up and dropping off children.

Sun sets behind the Lorain Lighthouse. Lorain County is one of the fastest growing counties in Ohio.Rich Exner, cleveland.com

Population: While the four fastest growing counties in Ohio since the last census are in the Columbus and Cincinnati areas, one county from Greater Cleveland is close behind, according to new population estimates released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau. Lorain County ranks fifth in the state, picking up an estimated 9,049 residents since April 2020, reaching 322,030, Rich Exner reports.

Housing fund: City officials were among those who celebrated the opening of the $38 million Cleveland Housing Investment Fund during a Tuesday afternoon news conference at City Hall, Megan Sims reports. The fund was seeded by an $18 million contribution from the city and $20 million from KeyBank, though officials hope to raise a total of $100 million through future private and public investments.

Heights mayor: Two people have filed paperwork to challenge Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren in the city’s September mayoral primary election, reports Cory Shaffer. Current City Councilman Jim Petras and former South Euclid City Councilman Marty Gelfand each declared treasurers for their mayoral campaigns.

RTA: Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority trustees on Tuesday approved a series of fare and payment changes aimed at making it less expensive and easier to use the countywide transit system, reports Rich Exner.

Foster children: More than 100 Cuyahoga County youths age out of the system every year without a home. In 2022, there were 135 emancipations, data provided by the county’s Children and Family Services showed. Last year, there were 118, reports Kaitlin Durbin. The county has numerous resources meant to help prepare them for that day, starting three months prior to their separation.

Emergency test: Cuyahoga County will participate in a statewide tornado drill at 9:50 a.m. today, reports Kaitlin Durbin.

Early planting: Are you itching to start planting? There are only a few vegetables that can be planted now in Northeast Ohio. The earliest spring vegetables include two delightful salad greens: corn salad (mâche) and chervil, writes Lois Rose.

Business and Health

Meijer openings: Meijer has announced plans to open three new supercenters in Northeast Ohio this spring and hopes to hire hundreds of people. Molly Walsh reports that the new stores, located in Austintown, Medina, and Richmond Heights, are set to open on May 8.

Kindergarten vaccinations: The percentage of Ohio kindergarteners who are up-to-date on all recommended vaccines continues to fall, an alarming development in light of the serious measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico, the state’s health director, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, said during a Tuesday news conference. Julie Washington reports that the percentage of Ohio kindergarteners who are up-to-date on all recommended vaccines is 85.4% for the 2024-25 school year, down from 86.2% in the previous year.

Strep throat: Ashtabula County is experiencing a spike in cases of strep throat and scarlet fever from strep throat infections, reports Julie Washington. The scarlet fever rash is a symptom of a strep infection.

Crime and Courts

Not guilty plea: A Cleveland man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to accusations that he shot and killed a man he believed was having an affair with his wife, reports David Gambino. Billy Garrett, 30, is charged with aggravated murder and other offenses in the death of 28-year-old Jordan Neal.

Cold case: A Ravenna man on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and raping a woman in 1995, reports David Gambino. Edmund Scott, 54, was arrested last week after Cuyahoga County prosecutors, using advanced DNA investigative techniques, identified him as a suspect in the cold case.

Body found: The body of a missing man from Warren was located Monday behind an abandoned home in East Cleveland, police say. Olivia Mitchell reports construction crews located the body of Juvar King, 46, about 5:35 p.m. in the 1800 block of Chapman Avenue, near Terrace Road.

Shooting at police: A statewide alert has been issued for a suspect who shot at Akron police officers during a traffic stop early Tuesday, reports Olivia Mitchell. Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a silver Ford F-150 XLT at 3:50 a.m. When officers exited their patrol car at Vernon Odom Boulevard and Tyler Street, the driver of the Ford fired a shot at them, according to a report from Akron police.

Murder-suicide: A man and woman were found dead Monday night in a residence in the Highland Square neighborhood in what has been ruled a murder-suicide, Cliff Pinckard reports. Jessica Leigh Violand, 44, of Elyria, was shot in the head, according to the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office. Authorities say she was shot by Elliot Hareem Altesa, 26, of Akron, who then shot himself in the head.

Drug Trafficking: Cleveland tire shop owner Jerry Baker Jr. was sentenced to 14 years in prison for running a marijuana operation out of his East Side business. Baker, who purchased In & Out Tire with $114,000 in drug money, pleaded guilty to racketeering, money laundering, and distributing nearly 700 pounds of marijuana, reports Adam Ferrise.

Ravenna shooting: New details have emerged after Ravenna officers fatally shot a man who they said pointed a BB gun at them and used a 911 caller as a human shield, reports Lucas Daprile. Police later discovered the weapon was a BB gun, footage of the officers’ body camera shows.

Standoff: A 49-year-old man is in custody after an hours-long standoff with police Tuesday in Barberton in which he reportedly cut the gas line inside a home and threatened to set off an explosion, forcing the evacuation of neighboring residences, Cliff Pinckard reports.

Fatal shooting: A Bedford Heights man was shot to death Tuesday in Cleveland’s Corlett neighborhood, Olivia Mitchell reports. Austin Walker, 26, died about 2:25 a.m. from a gunshot wound he suffered in front of a home on Dove Avenue, near East 126th Street, authorities say.

Arts and Entertainment

NFL Draft party: Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Journey will help the Browns celebrate the NFL Draft with a performance during the Browns Draft Party at 6 p.m. April 24. Malcolm X Abram reports the concert and party will continue until 8 p.m. when the first round of the draft begins.

Home show: If you’re planning a home project, check out the Cleveland Home + Remodeling Expo this weekend at Cleveland’s I-X Center, reports Paris Wolfe.

FanExpo: Call it a cavalcade, plethora or superfluity — they all apply to the level of celebrity heading to FanExpo Cleveland. Northeast Ohio’s annual comic-con takes place this weekend at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, Joey Morona reports.

Karamu prints: Graphic arts played a pivotal role at Cleveland’s Karamu House, one of the nation’s preeminent Black community art centers. Peter Chakerian reports the Cleveland Museum of Art is set to focus on the impact that printmaking had on Karamu, the city it serves and the country at large.

Food sampling: Adun Spice Co. is hosting a free sampling event featuring Beituti’s Lebanese marinades and sauces from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at their Larchmere Boulevard shop. The collaboration brings together two local Cleveland brands, with Beituti offering vegan, gluten-free products that already are sold at Adun’s store, reports Alex Darus.

You’re all caught up

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— Curated by content director Laura Johnston with contributions by by Cliff Pinckard.