Mold Remediation in Cleveland, OH

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Huge crowds waited for hours to cast their votes on Sunday, the final day for early in-person voting.

The line of people stretched from East 30th Street and Euclid Avenue and around the corner onto Chester Avenue, over the freeway overpass, all the way to East 24th Street on the Cleveland State University campus.

Early voting in 2024 was a record-breaking year for Cuyahoga County, surpassing the number of early voters who came out for that historic election in 2008.

“It took me four hours to go from waiting in line to finishing voting,” said Susan, a Cleveland voter. “It was definitely worth it.”

Even though the Board of Elections closed at 5 pm for the day, the line of people who were still waiting to vote an hour and a half later appeared endless.

The Board of Elections allowed anyone who was already waiting in line at 5 p.m. to still cast their ballot.

“We don’t mind, we both work so we can’t be here on Tuesday,” said Bill Anderjack, who waited in line with his wife.

Danielle Cisler says it took her 30 minutes just to find a place to park and then she waited in line for nearly three hours to vote.

“It’s 100% worth it,” said Cisler. “There were a ton of first time voters that were celebrating inside the building.”

Several Board of Elections workers called it amazing to see so many people exercising their right to vote during a historic election where there are so many issues impacting our quality of life.

“Oh, it’s very critical,” said Anderjack. “We need to have the right leaders in place.”

Ariel Hayes of Euclid didn’t want to wait until Tuesday to vote.

“As a mom, as an educator, it’s just important we make sure everyone’s rights are valid and heard,” said Hayes. “I just want to make sure my vote counts in this election.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this,” said one man.

“If you’re registered to vote you need to go out and vote. It’s super important,” said Clevelander Faith McGrady. “There are a lot of resources and a lot of information if you’re not sure who to vote for -- regardless of what political party. There’s no excuse.”

If you missed out on early voting, you still have time to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5. Make sure you have your ID and know the location of your polling place.

Copyright 2024 WOIO. All rights reserved.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio is allowing teachers to retire after 33 years – currently they must have 34 years of service – for a limited time, with an eye on making the reduced time more permanent.

From June 1, 2025, through July 1, 2027, teachers can get full benefits if they retire with 33 years of service. Teachers may receive reduced benefits if they have 28 years, or if they are over age 60 and have five years of service, according to information the pension system recently announced to members.

About 13% of the pension plan’s active members would be eligible to retire a year earlier during the limited time period. There were around 175,000 active members last year.

The board may look at extending the window of eligibility in the spring.

The pension has been in a battle with retirees, after having frozen annual cost-of-living adjustments between 2017 and 2022. STRS employees and contractors said the austerity measures were needed to shore up the fund. The retirees began to stack the pension board with people they supported, and the board now has a majority of reform-minded members. Gov. Mike DeWine has said he’s concerned about the board, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is suing to remove two members.

READ MORE: What’s at the bottom of the state teachers retirement dispute between reformers and Gov. DeWine?

Turmoil aside, the fund is apparently able to afford the early payouts.

Cheiron, the pension’s actuarial consultant, in November shared initial results on the financial condition of the pension fund, which was valued at $91 billion on June 30, 2023. Investment returns during the fiscal year that ended June 30 have boosted the fund’s financial outlook. It is now 82.8% funded, up from 81.3% the prior year.

In the past 30 years, the pension was closest to being fully funded in 2000, when it had 97.9% of the necessary assets to cover all future benefits it had promised to pay plan participants. That was during the dot-com boom, according to a chart maintained by STRS.

The lowest in the past 30 years was in 2009, when it was only 56.1% funded, after the Great Recession.

Health care for retirees is also considered to be in a strong position, funded at 158% of what the pension anticipates it needs, down from 168.5%. Employees do not contribute to the health plan at this time.

“The board and outside experts spent significant time and effort evaluating the costs and benefits of these service credit changes for full and reduced retirement,” said Board Chair Rudy Fichtenbaum, in a prepared statement. “Aligning with our goal of restoring benefits to both retired and active members, we are pleased to be able to prudently provide these sustainable retirement options for our most experienced educators.”

Christina Elliott, deputy executive director over member benefits and chief benefits officer, said that STRS has reached out to members who may qualify for the retirement. It offers individual and group benefits counseling to help people plan and understand their retirement, “as the decision to retire is one of the most important decisions an Ohio educator will make,” she said.

Since March 2022, the STRS board has made a number of a benefits adjustments for members as the fund’s position has strengthened, and also in heeding to the calls of frustrated retirees.

The board voted in March 2022 to provide a 3% cost-of-living increase, and it eliminated a previous requirement that a teacher must be at least age 60 to retire. In May 2023, the board adopted a 1% cost of living adjustment. Last March, it lowered the eligibility for a reduced retirement from 30 to 29 years. In October, it provided a one-time payment to retirees to help absorb the blows of recent inflation of roughly $40 per year of service and retirement.

Laura Hancock covers state government and politics for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.

As temperatures drop, dining igloos are popping up at popular restaurants across Northeast Ohio, including The Fairmount, Georgetown/Vosh and the Aviator.

Credit: Aviator Cleveland

CLEVELAND — With winter approaching and cooler weather upon us, many Northeast Ohio restaurants are now offering igloo dining experiences.

From Cleveland to Akron and beyond, these heated spaces will provide warmth during outdoor patio dining for date nights, family outings or festive gatherings.

Here’s where to find the best dining igloos near Cleveland.

Arctic Igloos at Georgetown/Vosh

The dining experience includes an elegant setting with a table and chairs and can comfortably accommodate between six to eight adults.

Polar Patio Igloos at BrewDog

Credit: BrewDog

Winter Chalet Experience inside heated outdoor igloos

Heated outdoor igloos on the patio outfitted with cozy decor and a 4-course pre-set menu starting at $75 per person. Guests can indulge in a pre-set menu featuring highlights such as Artisanal Ohio Local Sausages, Cheese Fondue, Roasted Butternut Squash, Bacon-Wrapped Salmon, and S’mores Au Chalet. Pre-set menus can also be served in the dining room or in semi-private dining areas.

Igloos at The Fairmount

Credit: The Fairmount

Igloos at Lock 3

Igloos include a round table, 8 wooden chairs, heater and lighting. Bring your own food (downtown restaurant list) or check out our menu. Outside alcohol is not permitted unless from a Downtown DORA establishment or Lock 3 (LockStop Cafe). Each igloo must be rented as a whole and can hold a maximum of 8 people.

Credit: City of Akron

Igloos at Twin Oast Brewing

Our Igloos offer a cozy & unique dining experience under the evening's snowfall or starry skies. They may be rented for parties of up to 8 guests, are heated, and feature full-service dining! All Igloos have a 2-hour rental limit.

Now Booking: 2024-2025 Igloo Reservations ❄️ Who’s ready for #IglooSZN? Our seasonal igloos are officially open for...

Posted by Twin Oast Brewing on Monday, October 21, 2024

Igloos on the Runways

Indulge in the cozy ambiance of our igloos, each accommodating up to 8 guests. To ensure your warmth, every igloo is furnished with a dedicated heater.

Credit: Aviator Cleveland

Igloos at Merwin’s Wharf

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Igloos at Darby's on 59

It’s ALMOST that time!! Our igloos and enclosed high top table are getting ready for the season! ❄️ Reservations are...

Posted by Darby's on 59 on Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Truck Bed Igloos

Truck bed igloos coming in hot ???? Email: katie@theyardon3rd.com to reserve your igloo starting on 11.27 ❄️???????? #TheYardWhoStoleXmas

Posted by The Yard on 3rd on Monday, November 4, 2024

Blue Heron Brewery Igloos

Gondolas at Rocky River Wine Bar

Gondolas are available nightly at 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m., can accommodate parties from 2-4 people, and are heated - but dress warmly as you will be outdoors. There is a minimum total spend of $200 for your group.

Rustic Grill Winter Igloos

Credit: Rustic Grill

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cities from Cleveland to Ashtabula have been experiencing more snow on Thursday as lake effect snow continues to dump on Northeast Ohio.

The National Weather Service forecasts up to 10 additional inches of lake-effect snow in the region from Thursday through early Friday morning.

Forecasts expect Ashtabula County to continue being the most affected. Other higher-terrain areas can also expect more snow, including all of Geauga County, southern Lake, eastern and southern Cuyahoga, northern Summit and northern Portage counties.

Lake effect snows occurs when cold air moves across Lake Erie’s warm waters, collecting water along the way and then dumping it once land is reached. Lake and Ashtabula counties, both north and east of Cleveland, are often right in the path for the worst of it.

The weather phenomenon ends when Lake Erie freezes over, although the last instance of it freezing by more than 90% was in 2022. Additionally, it’s historically too early for the lake to do so.

“Winter technically hasn’t even started,” said Dave Marsalek, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Cleveland. Winter officially begins Dec. 21.

“The earliest the lake freezes is the end of November, but it typically freezes in January and February,” Marsalek said.

For the lake to freeze, temperatures need to be consistently cold, so the surface temperature of Lake Erie can drop to the mid-30s. Right now, some of the shallow waters near Sandusky have reached that range, but the water near Cleveland is still in the 40-degree range.

The water will likely not get a chance to freeze before it warms up again. While there have been some days in the 30-degree temperature range and below, forecasts for early next week have high temperatures in the 50s.

For safety, the weather service advises drivers to keep a flashlight, food, and water in their vehicle in case of an emergency.

Snow also occurred early Thursday morning, although this was due to an Arctic front and an associate snow squall.

Overnight, the most snow was seen by snow spotters in Geauga County - in Russell Center, with 8 inches by 7 a.m. and 7 inches in Troy Township by 7:30 a.m.

Ashtabula County saw 6.2 inches in Monroe Center by 8:15 a.m. and Summit County saw 5.7 inches in Sagamore Hills by 8 a.m.

In Cuyahoga County, 5 inches was reported in Russell Center at 7:30 a.m. and 4 inches in Chagrin Falls at 9 a.m. Lake County saw 3.2 inches in Concord by 8:30 a.m. Areas of Lorain, Medina and Portage counties saw an inch or less of snow.

In addition, strong winds pushed the water in Lake Erie eastward, exposing the bottom of the lake in shallow areas near Sandusky, Marsalek said. By Thursday afternoon, water levels mostly returned to normal as the wind direction shifted.

A similar but more severe instance of this phenomenon occurred during the winter storm that occurred near Christmas in 2022. During that storm, 12 hours of 60 mph winds cleared out much more of the most western part of Lake Erie.

Zachary Smith is the data reporter for cleveland.com. You can reach him at zsmith@cleveland.com.

Updated: Dec. 5, 2024 at 10:26 AM PST

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Snowy conditions are causing traffic issues and power outages throughout Northeast Ohio, including, traffic lights in downtown Cleveland.

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At 10:30 a.m., Cleveland Public Power Spokesperson Shelley Shockley released the below statement regarding the traffic lights:

“As our crews work on repairs we are working with the Division of Traffic Enforcement to place generators at key intersections. A generator has been set up at E. 9th & Prospect and another will be situated on Chester Avenue.”

Shockley added the weather caused the circuit breakers to trip.

Blowing snow will also be a problem Thursday.

SNOW EMERGENCIES

Erie County is under a LEVEL 1 snow emergency.

Ashtabula County was downgraded to a LEVEL 2 snow emergency around 10:35 a.m. Thursday.

The Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness explains the snow emergency classifications as such:

LEVEL 1: Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Roads may also be icy. Motorists are urged to drive very cautiously.

LEVEL 2: Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Roads may also be very icy. Only those who feel it is necessary to drive should be out on the roads. Contact your employer to see if you should report to work. Motorists should use extreme caution.

LEVEL 3: All roadways are closed to non-emergency personnel. No one should be driving during these conditions unless it is absolutely necessary to travel or a personal emergency exists. All employees should contact their employer to see if they should report to work. Those traveling on the roads may subject themselves to arrest.

POWER OUTAGES

Click these links for the latest power outage numbers from FirstEnergy and AEP.

FirstEnergy is asking anyone who loses power to report the outage and to maintain a distance from downed powerlines.

As of 11:30 a.m., FirstEnergy is reporting 2,822 customers without power statewide, including, about 1,700 in Northeast Ohio.

CLOSURES

Schools across Northeast Ohio canceled classes for Thursday due to the snow and travel conditions.

In some areas, city buildings were closed as well.

The Miller Ferry to Put-in-Bay and Middle Bass Island has suspended service for Thursday and it will resume Friday.

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