Ohio should be an easier state to drive in for Tesla, Rivian and other EV owners by the end of the decade.

That’s the overall goal underlying an announcement of a massive funding package by state electric vehicle advocates Wednesday morning, one that intends to inject hundreds of millions of dollars into bringing Ohio’s lackluster EV charging station stock up to speed.

And the data doesn’t lie.

Just in April, a report from S&P Global Mobility ranked Cleveland well near the bottom of the top 50 U.S. cities for registered owners of electric vehicles, a stat owed to both the high point of entry for said vehicles and, undeniably, the deficit of charging stations across the state.

On Wednesday, in a lecture room at Tri-C’s Advanced Technology Training Center , Grace Gallucci, the director of the Northeast Ohio Area Coordinating Agency, and experts on alternative energy infrastructure spoke promisingly to a packed room about how $169 million in federal grant dollars would be doled out across Ohio in the next five years.

Priorities in that spending money—spread out amongst NOACA, the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council and the Ohio Department of Transportation—were made clear: power stations for Ohio EV drivers should be conveniently placed. That is to, one day, have 9 out of 10 Ohioans within a 25-mile radius of an EV charging station.

“We have a pretty extensive alternative fuel corridor network,” Breanna Badanes, a spokesperson for DriveOhio, said. “But it’s clear that there are still plenty of gaps throughout the state, particularly in Southern Ohio, some in Northwestern Ohio. So that’s kind of what we’re here to talk about: planning for these future phases when we can build outside of the alternative fuel corridors, what we still need to prioritize as a state.”

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Mark Oprea

Breanna Badanes, a spokesperson for DriveOhio, at Tri-C on Wednesday.

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Ohio currently has 1,578 stations in sum, those mostly on private land and relatively close to highways and shopping centers. Many are in areas with higher income levels, an issue of equity speakers on Wednesday said its charging station spending plans to address.

As of June, there a dozen new charging stations planned in the greater Northeast Ohio area, and only one so far in construction, a station west of Akron. A Pilot EV station, funded in part with federal dollars, opened off I-71 in Columbus in December.

These future stations, for which $56 million has been spent thus far, follow guidelines listed by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, which dictates a state must build a station every 50 miles off major transportation corridors and include at least four Fast Chargers of at least 600 kilowatts of combined power.

Katie Zehnder, vice president at HNTB, a transportation infrastructure firm, reminded attendees on Wednesday that Ohio’s push to become more EV-friendly is based on—just like bike lines and crosswalks—the premise that infrastructure creates culture.

The same goes, she said, for encouraging more electric usage at commercial enterprises, such as equipping UPS and DHL trucks with the on-road power they need to make the switch sustainable.

A recent survey of freight riders testing out new electric trucks showed Drive Ohio that driving EVs led to employees taking fewer sick days, less gas engine vibration, and led to “less back issues.”

“Which I was admittedly kind of shocked by at the time,” Zehnder said about the study. “Ride and drives, just exposure to EVs, that’s really the best thing. Because once people get into these vehicles, they really seem to enjoy them.”

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CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Luckman Apartment building, which weeks ago was just the site of a massive fire, is now facing foreclosure.

According to court documents, the owners of the building, Marlin Springs, haven’t been making payments on a large loan since April.

On April 23, 2018, Sphere Apartments, LP, which is owned by Marlin Spring, took out a loan of $35,900,000

A loan company, BSPRT JPM Loan, LLC says Marlin Springs now owes over $30 million in debt.

In April, residents at the Luckman, which is located on East 12th and Chester Avenue, were evacuated due to a trash chute fire.

People were not able to escape because the doors were screwed shut. Firefighters had to break down doors to fight the fire.

The Cleveland Division of Fire then cited the building management for multiple violations.

The fire costs owners about $450,000.

19 News reached out to the Luckman, which has 411 units, to find out what the foreclosure means for residents.

Will they be able to stay in their apartments? Do they need to find a new home? We were told “no comment”.

When 19 News called the owners, Marlin Springs, we were able to leave a message, but have not heard back.

There has not been any information released about who could next own the building.

Copyright 2024 WOIO. All rights reserved.

Its Official 1000% Commited #TheeOhioStateFootball #Blessed@ryandaytime @Locklyn33 @OhioStateFB @TonyJCoach #Ohio25 @EliLee12 @TJSaint_1 @big_carter72 #WhoGotNext pic.twitter.com/Zj4LKdoI8a

— Bo Jackson (@BoJackson2025) June 4, 2024

Regardless of whether you go by Jackson’s legal first name, Lamar, or his nickname, Bo, the newest member of the Buckeyes’ 2025 cycle shares a name with a former Heisman Trophy winner. Sounds like a great omen for a successful collegiate career.

That said, after a lengthy recruitment that involved holding off Georgia and Alabama in the end, Ohio State accomplished a major goal by successfully keeping four-star 2025 running back Bo Jackson in-state on Tuesday with the Cleveland product’s commitment to the Buckeyes.

Jackson’s official visit over the weekend sealed the 6-foot, 205-pound running back’s recruitment, as the talented tailback got a feel for what life could be like for him with the Buckeyes. He attended a gathering thrown by JT Tuimoloau and bonded with his player host, Sam Williams-Dixon on his visit. He also spent extensive time with Carlos Locklyn, who showed him how he’d develop in Chip Kelly’s offense. While Jackson still had an Alabama official visit scheduled, he felt comfortable ending his recruitment early and pledging to his home state team. 

“Overall, it was a great weekend for me and my family,” Jackson told Eleven Warriors of his visit. “Spending time with coach Ryan Day, Chip Kelly and Carlos Locklyn were great, but the real highlight with both trips so far was hanging with current players around campus.”

In a weird way, Tony Alford’s departure to Michigan in the spring may have actually helped the Buckeyes land Jackson, considering Alford’s replacement was Locklyn, the former Oregon running backs coach. Jackson had established a strong rapport with Locklyn from his time with the Ducks and it was a seamless transition recruiting him in his new role at Ohio State. Since Locklyn arrived on campus, he and Jackson spoke nearly every other day until his commitment.

Jackson is the 13th OSU commitment in 2025 and the first running back, though he likely won’t be the last. Ohio State continues to be in strong pursuit of four-star California prospect Jordon Davison and also has a vested interest in former Kentucky commit Isaiah West. Another potential fit could be Alabama commit Anthony Rogers, who just took an unofficial visit to Ohio State last week and may take an official visit this fall.

Jackson brings powerful running style to Columbus, could get early playing time

Per 247Sports’ composite rankings, Jackson is considered the No. 81 prospect nationally and the No. 5 running back in the 2025 class. It’s hard not to dream on how Jackson could be utilized in Ohio State’s offense immediately upon his arrival on campus, considering the carries that will likely be available assuming TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins are NFL-bound following the 2024 season.

“They say with a new offensive coordinator they’re going to get the ball to the running back a lot in the backfield,” Jackson said in May. “Throwing the ball, running the ball, everything. My parents and I had a good talk with Chip Kelly (on my spring visit to OSU). The way he’s got everything set up in the offense, it feels like it’s going to open up everything with everything spaced out.” 

Jackson is both a powerful runner and a talented pass catcher and will bring a mean streak to an Ohio State rushing attack that may only get better using Kelly’s offensive schemes. He’s talented enough that he could vie for early playing time in 2025, though players like James Peoples and Williams-Dixon will be one year ahead of him.

“I love how they use their backs,” Jackson said last year regarding what he felt was the most appealing thing about playing for Ohio State.

Jackson has elite acceleration and can run between the tackles or in an outside zone. Arm tackles aren’t going to get the job done against Jackson, who scored nearly 30 touchdowns and ran for 1,700 yards in his junior season.