Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Heights family with a transgender child faces an uncertain future in Ohio
The Burkle family’s home in Cleveland Heights is warmly lit, filled with the sounds of laughter and joy — a contrast to the grey winter weather outside. The family’s two children laugh as they play video games and leaf through magazines with their parents, Alicia and Aaron.
However, that joy is mixed with a sense of dread about the future and what that future means for the Burkles’ younger child, 11-year-old Astrid, who is transgender.
The Ohio Senate is expected to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of House Bill 68 this week, which would ban transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming medical treatments or playing on girls’ sports teams.
Astrid said she knew she was a girl very early in her life.
“That was right around when I could talk. I started voicing my feelings about who I was to my parents about preschool or pre-K,” she said.
With her family’s support, she decided to socially transition when she was 8.
“When I did transition, I realized I needed this to live as a full person of who I am,” Astrid said.
She added: “It makes me feel happy. I can’t explain how happy I am to just be who I am.”
Community support
Astrid and her family said their interactions with her classmates, school officials, neighbors and the community have been mostly positive.
Ryan Loew
/
Ideastream Public Media
Alicia, Astrid’s mom, said school officials in Cleveland Heights actively worked with the family to support her daughter.
“We put together a plan on what bathrooms Astrid would use, how could we communicate this transition and change to her classmates so that anybody who knew Astrid before, we could communicate that with them,” Alicia said. The family also established the name and pronouns Astrid now uses.
Aaron Burkle, Astrid’s father, said the school system acts quickly whenever there are any problems.
“When there was any kind of negative talk or bullying language, the school administration, the teachers and staff really handled it swiftly and appropriately,” he said.
Most of their neighbors have been accepting, too.
“Most of them are just like, ‘Oh, OK, cool’ or they might say, ‘What does that mean?’ or ‘How did you know?’ We’re always willing to share our story, explain the process. Astrid is willing to tell them her story, just so they can understand better our journey,” Alicia said.
An uncertain future in Ohio
Astrid said the support of her neighbors and school makes her feel accepted in her community.
“I just feel so happy that people are accepting where I am and who I am,” she said.
Astrid knows not everyone feels the same — that they think she’s too young to express a gender other than the one she was assigned at birth. But she rejects what she views as their prying into a personal matter.
“Why is it anybody else’s business? They should be worrying about other things. I’m just a kid going to the doctors. You don’t need to worry about it,” she said.
Astrid has not received any medical treatments related to her gender. Yet she and her family resent the idea that she will likely be unable to receive such treatments in Ohio should she seek them in the future.
Her sibling, Abs, who is 15, said legislation banning medical treatment is a tremendous concern, not only for Astrid, but the entire LGBTQ+ community.
She added lawmakers need to understand “the fear that they’re striking into the hearts of young, queer people everywhere,” and that the long-term impact of such legislation is frightening.
“I, myself, am queer,” Abs said. “And it’s more than just they’re attacking young, transgender folk because then they’re going to move to transgender adults, and then they’re going to move to gay marriage, and they’re going to continue to attack our community as a whole.”
Alicia said if HB 68 becomes law, as is expected to happen, her family will be left with a terrible choice.
“We love our community,” she said. “We love our school, we love our church. We love our family and friends that we have here, so we don’t want to leave here. But that’s not something we’ve taken off the table because there’s more legislation coming down the pipeline [that] could make it ultimately unsafe for Astrid to continue to live in the state.”
That’s the dilemma facing transgender children and their parents throughout the state, Alicia said. But in the meantime, Astrid said she’s going to continue to live the fulfilling life she and her family have created in the city and state they call home.
“Just because I’m transgender doesn’t mean I’m not a normal person,” she said. “There’s lots of normal people who are transgender, and I’m just one of them.”
Cleveland, OH
Ohio’s Asphalt Paving Industry at an Inflection Point: What Cleveland Commercial Property Owners Need to Know in 2025-2026
Empire Paving: Asphalt Paving Contractors in Cleveland, OH
Ohio’s asphalt paving industry is undergoing a significant structural shift driven by $14 billion in federal infrastructure funding through the IIJA, aging pavement across Northeast Ohio’s commercial corridors, and rising demand for integrated pavement management over one-time new construction. For Cleveland-area commercial and industrial property owners, this convergence of public investment, climate-driven wear, and evolving contractor capabilities creates both urgency and opportunity.
CLEVELAND, OHIO – The asphalt paving industry in Northeast Ohio is entering a pivotal period of transformation, driven by federal infrastructure dollars, aging commercial pavement, and the region’s punishing freeze-thaw climate. For commercial property owners, facility managers, and HOAs throughout the Cleveland metro area, these trends directly inform decisions about when to pave, whether to repair or replace, and how to select the right contractor.
Historic Infrastructure Investment
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is channeling an estimated $14 billion into Ohio, including $9.7 billion for roads and bridges. In Northeast Ohio alone, ODOT announced over $1.7 billion across 248 projects. Ohio voters further reinforced this in May 2025, approving $2.5 billion in general obligation bonds for infrastructure. For commercial property owners, improved surrounding roads make neglected private parking lots more conspicuous – and more costly to ignore.
Ohio’s Infrastructure Report Card Signals Urgency
The ASCE issued Ohio an overall grade of C- in its 2025 Infrastructure Report Card. NOACA confirmed that 76% of its 2024-2027 roadway funding is dedicated to system preservation – a clear signal that the region’s pavement stock needs rehabilitation. Privately owned parking lots and access drives, many built during Ohio’s industrial peak, are likely in comparable or worse condition.
The Shift to Integrated Pavement Management
Pure “paving-only” revenue among the top 50 U.S. contractors declined approximately 24% from its 2023 peak, even as total revenues climbed 18%. Property owners increasingly seek contractors offering integrated services – milling, resurfacing, drainage repair, sealcoating, and long-term maintenance planning – not just new installation.
Freeze-Thaw Climate Creates a Compounding Crisis
Cleveland’s repeated freeze-thaw cycles fracture pavement from within, saturate subbases, and accelerate structural failure. Well-maintained asphalt can last 20-30 years; neglected pavement often requires full replacement in 10-15. Replacement costs can run up to seven times that of a proactive maintenance program.
In-House Crews Separate Winners from the Rest
Contractors with in-house crews and integrated capabilities outperform subcontracting-dependent firms on scheduling, quality control, and accountability – all critical on active commercial and industrial sites.
Empire Paving has delivered commercial asphalt paving, concrete construction, drainage solutions, and pavement maintenance across Northeast Ohio for over 20 years from its Cleveland headquarters. Learn more at https://www.empirepaving.biz/cuyahoga-county/cleveland-oh/ or call (216) 581-1000.
Media Contact
Company Name: Empire Paving
Contact Person: Scott Heiman
Email:Send Email [https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=ohios-asphalt-paving-industry-at-an-inflection-point-what-cleveland-commercial-property-owners-need-to-know-in-20252026]
Phone: 216-581-1000
Address:4620 Johnston Pkwy
City: Cleveland
State: Ohio, 44128
Country: United States
Website: https://www.empirepaving.biz
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This release was published on openPR.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were crowned NBA champions for the first time in their franchise’s history ten years ago. The 2016 NBA Finals seems like it was just yesterday.
The memories of LeBron James pouncing on a vulnerable Andre Iguodala to swat away his layup attempt is still fresh in the memory of Cavs fans watching at the time.
Kyrie Irving’s stepback three-point shot over Stephen Curry is a moment in time that will be replayed in NBA documentaries and compilations for decades to come. This period of time was truly a magical time for the city of Cleveland and the state of Ohio.
The city had never experienced anything similar to what the 2016 Cavs did for Cleveland. The star duo of Mark Price and Brad Daugherty from the late 1980s and early 1990s got far into the playoffs routinely, but never into the NBA Finals, largely because of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.
The Cavaliers toppled the mighty record-breaking 73-win Golden State Warriors in 2016 and now the organization is keeping that memory alive in a huge way.
A professional-sized basketball court
Plans to advance development of “Meet Me Here” Park went through City of Cleveland this past Friday. Developers are speeding up plans to revamp the park in order to have it ready by the 10th anniversary of the championship victory later this summer.
The #Cavs have unveiled development plans for a space on the corner of E 4th St. and Huron Rd. to commemorate the Cavs 2016 NBA Championship.
The project will feature a professional-size basketball court, seating, active greenspace and artwork. pic.twitter.com/aRwPLnwGjA
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) March 10, 2026
The space where this development will be built is in Downtown Cleveland. A NBA-sized basketball court will dominate the space, but benches for spectators and artwork is slated to be included as well. The design of the court will be based on the 2016 NBA championship victory. There’s room for additional mobile hoops to be inserted for specific community events.
The space is temporary and has room to grow
The current plans unveiled last Friday are set to be a temporary solution due to the 10th anniversary approaching. There could be more grand plans to revamp the surrounding area beyond the one professional-sized basketball court. The current space will feature grass areas, trees, and a fence to block basketball from wildly rolling into the street.
A nearby parking garage will also hang a banner with LeBron James famous “Cleveland, this is for you” quote after winning game seven of the 2016 NBA Finals.
This development is one of many recent advancements geared toward building up the surrounding areas of Rocket Arena. A riverfront park that supports residences is being developed near Rocket Arena.
The Cavaliers are opening a brand new practice, training, and sports medicine facility in 2027 called the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center. On top of these developments and the new basketball court, a riverfront amphitheater fit to seat about 6,200 people is set to open around 2028. Cleveland is developing right before the eyes of nearby residents and it’s the consistent success of the Cavaliers that have contributed heavily to these possibilities.
CLEVELAND — Ohio’s plan to use unclaimed funds to help fund construction of a new domed stadium for the Cleveland Browns was temporarily blocked in court on Monday.
In her preliminary injunction, Franklin County Magistrate Jennifer Hunt found that plaintiffs in a lawsuit brought by former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann are substantially likely to win their case on the merits. Her order pauses the plan while the case is heard.
The class-action lawsuit argues that provisions of Ohio’s two-year, $60 billion budget that took $1 billion from the state’s Unclaimed Funds Account to pay for the stadium that Haslam Sports Group is planning for suburban Brook Park, south of Cleveland, violate constitutional prohibitions against taking people’s private property for government use, as well as citizens’ due process rights.
The strategy was among several hotly debated topics during Ohio’s budget planning last year.
Dann and former state Rep. Jeffrey Crossman, both Democrats, filed the legal action on behalf of three named Ohio residents, as well as all other individuals whose unclaimed funds were being held by the state as of June 30, 2025.
The litigation challenges specific budget provisions that diverted more than $1 billion in unclaimed funds to create an Ohio Cultural and Sports Facility Performance Grant Fund and designate $600 million for the Browns as its first grant.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office said it was reviewing the decision and determining next steps.
Before ending his bid for governor last year, the Republican spoke out against using unclaimed funds for such a purpose, having gone so far as to urge DeWine to veto it. However, the state’s top lawyer has further said that he believed the plan was legally sound.
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