I-X Center gears up for more shows, renovation: The Wake Up for Tuesday, March 8, 2022

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Skies will be mostly cloudy today, with highs around 40 degrees. It will remain cloudy overnight and temps will dip to the upper 20s. Read more.

I-X Center: The I-X Center, almost a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic, is gearing up for what the new operator hopes will be a major rebirth. And the building will eventually get a new name, if a naming sponsored can be found, reports Sean McDonnell.

COVID anniversary: Two years ago Wednesday — on March 9, 2020 — the Ohio Department of Health confirmed the state’s first three cases of COVID-19. We expected normalcy in a few weeks. Boy, were we wrong. Where have we been and where are we going? Julie Washington recounts three Marches of the pandemic, now that we’re hoping the virus remains manageable.

Retired Ohio public educators haven’t received a cost-of-living adjustment for the past eight years. So teachers have hired an expert who has been battling the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio for information to obtain a clearer picture about management and activity in the pension. We’re talking about how the fight could result in Ohio Supreme Court rulings and changes to state law on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.

PUCO: A top lawyer who handles litigation for the Ohio Public Utilities Commission involving utility companies has stepped down from four investigations involving FirstEnergy Corp. over his role in House Bill 6. The move came after Gregory Price admitted that he provided advice on the legislation that became a statehouse scandal, John Caniglia reports.

College funding: Ohio colleges and universities got nearly $1.2 billion over the past year in funding from the American Rescue Plan, at least half of which was used to provide direct financial relief to students so they could continue their education during the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education announced on Monday. Sabrina Eaton reports roughly $305 million went to the state’s community colleges, and over $34 million went to the state’s two Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Lead pipes: Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday that more than $4 million in state funding will be used to find and replace toxic lead water pipes in communities around Ohio, Jeremy Pelzer reports. As aging lead pipes corrode, particles of lead are swept into drinking water, causing a number of health problems among adults, children, and fetuses.

City budget: Cleveland City Council is poised to approve Mayor Justin Bibb’s first budget proposal, despite major reservations about projected expenses outpacing income by millions of dollars in 2022. Adoption of the $1.8 billion budget is still subject to a vote by the full council, but the council’s Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee’s “yes” vote on Monday is a strong indicator that the budget will win approval from the full council later this month, ahead of an April 1 deadline, Courtney Astolfi reports.

Meth increase: Methamphetamine, the stimulant that has long been a staple of rural Ohio, is gaining a foothold in the state’s largest cities. It’s a major shift brought on by Mexican cartels delivering a cheaper, more powerful product to an ever-growing market, reports John Caniglia. And for the first time in decades, meth is making inroads into the Black community.

Daily cases: The state of Ohio on Monday reported 431 new cases of COVID-19, extending the streak of days under 2,500 to 24, reports Julie Washington.

Ortho tech: A tech startup using software and artificial intelligence to bring orthodontics to more people raised millions of dollars in funding and is looking to grow substantially, Sean McDonnell reports. Richfield-based Orthobrain announced Monday that it received $9 million in its latest funding round.

Casinos: Greater Cleveland’s casinos and racinos all increased their revenue compared to last year, with MGM Northfield Park seeing a 16.7% gain. Sean McDonnell reports that across the state of Ohio gambling revenue is up 12.7%. Combined, the casinos and racinos had $179 million in revenue in February, up from $159 million last year.

Starbucks: Workers at a fourth Starbucks in the Cleveland area have announced plans to unionize. Baristas at the University Circle café on Euclid Avenue announced plans to form a union Monday morning, reports Sean McDonnell.

Fraud trial: Federal prosecutors Monday called a failed financial adviser a con man who lied to his investors in a $9.3 million scam that preyed upon the elderly. John Caniglia reports prosecutors told jurors in closing arguments that Raymond Erker put the savings of 54 residents into risky start-ups, despite his assurances that the investments would be safe.

Ex-girlfriend murdered: A jury on Monday found a Cleveland man guilty of aggravated murder and other charges in the home-invasion killing of his ex-girlfriend. Deangelo Thomas, 46, barged into Arianne Welch’s apartment in the city’s Woodland Hills neighborhood on June 7, 2020, and shot the 29-year-old woman nine times, reports Cory Shaffer.

Playhouse Square: Theatergoers are no longer required to wear a mask when attending a performance at Playhouse Square, reports Joey Morona.

Film Fest: The Cleveland International Film Festival unveiled its full 2022 screening schedule Monday, with a massive lineup that will include more than 300 feature films and shorts. Anne Nickoloff reports the movies will be screened from March 30 to April 9 in person at Playhouse Square, then streamed online from April 10-17.

Russian boycott: The Cleveland International Film Festival removed its Russian films from its initial lineup due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, reports Anne Nickoloff. “No Looking Back” and “Unclenching the Fists” — two films that were originally slated to be a part of the festival this year — will not be shown.

Cleveland man found fatally shot in vehicle outside his home in Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood Read more

Man found fatally shot on sidewalk on Cleveland’s East Side Read more

One man killed, another hurt in shooting on Cleveland’s East Side Read more

Man shot multiple times outside Akron bar Read more

Solon council approves change order to contract for business system Read more

Rocky River police auction features interesting array of items Read more

Berea school board appoints Richard Mack to open seat Read more

North Royalton receives $100,000 grant for amphitheater improvements, will host summer concerts Read more

Healthy canopy revisited: Shaker Heights plants another tree-growing grant application Read more

North Ridgeville Fire Department earns insurance rating improvement Read more