CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Ohio’s second Buc-ee’s has been approved south of Cleveland in Richland County, but neighbors next door are not happy.

An online petition opposing the location has over 1,800 signatures, the petition is unnamed. Among those opposed is the Stadelman’s, a farming family right next to the field, who will go from a quiet rural exit to a popular destination.

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Rachel Stadelman and her husband Nick farm the land bordering the future Buc-ee’s site. All that separates them is a gravel road.

From farmland to gas pumps

Right now, the exit is farmland on every corner. But Buc-ee’s is betting on the interstate traffic. The Texas-based travel center has become like a tourist destination.

The same 37.5 acres the Stadelmans lease and farm today will be over 100 gas pumps by 2028.

“I don’t know how we’re going to do it. Most of our farms are in Mansfield, so we have to go right through all of it,” Rachel Stadelman said.

Safety concerns on the highway

The Stadelmans raise cattle right next to the proposed site. They drive farm equipment, like tractors, trailers and combines on highway 39, the same route that will carry Buc-ee’s visitors every day. Some of that equipment is 16 feet wide.

“My husband’s been hit out here. He was on a smaller utility tractor. It broke a vertebra in his back. And I was in a hayfield heading toward Lucas, probably a quarter mile down the road, and I got hit,” Rachel Stadelman said.

Rachel Stadelman, emotional at times, said she fears what comes next for her family.

“The girls are just used to running around wild out here with me. Now I’m going to be scared of leaving them for a second. They’re going to have to stay with me all day. I won’t be able to take my eyes off of them. It just makes me sick,” she said.

Economic impact vs. farming future

Supporters point to the economic impact. Mansfield’s mayor Jodie Perry posted on social media after the council approved the project on June 2, saying Buc-ee’s will be a major economic boost for the city.

Buc-ee’s by the numbers, according to Perry:

• Buc-ee’s will spend $50 million to build the store
• $25 million in annual sales
• Up to 225 full-time jobs and 200 part time jobs (starting pay $18/hour
• Annual payroll is expected be $9 million

The city approved a financing deal through a New Community Authority. Under the agreement, Buc-ee’s will front the cost of building the necessary infrastructure, then get reimbursed through a 2% surcharge on retail sales at the store, excluding fuel. Of that 2%, the vast majority goes back to Buc-ee’s to cover its infrastructure costs, plus 6.35% interest. Once those costs are fully paid off, the surcharge drops to a quarter percent.

But for the Stadelmans, the math doesn’t add up.

“I don’t know how we’re going to farm anymore. I think it’s going to put us out of business,” Rachel Stadelman said.

Buc-ee’s did not respond to a request for comment.

The 2026 NBA Draft has potential to be one of the best of all time.

Loaded with front of the draft talent, it also has some late players projected to be potential All-Stars or leaders of their teams.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers picking in the late first round on Tuesday, rumors are circulating on different options the Cavs could take with that pick.

Staying Put

If it turns out the Cavs would rather take their chances on the 29th pick and look for the best available there, it could work out. In recent mock drafts, multiple players are projected to be heading to Cleveland.

They could get lucky and have a player like Dailyn Swain or Jayden Quaintance fall to them. Two players projected in the 20-25 area, but could still fall to Cleveland. More recent reports and mock drafts seem to be leaning towards the Cavs taking big man Tarris Reed Jr. or Spanish wing Sergio De Larrea.

Those are areas of need for Cleveland that could come to be useful. But, there are other options with that pick.

Trading Up

It is very obvious that the Cleveland Cavaliers are tight on cap space. The 29th pick, although not a top pick, could become a valuable piece in any draft night trade.

Cleveland looks to be running Dennis Schroder through the news as somebody they may be looking to move on from. His contract is on the higher side for a player at his age and including the 29th pick with Schroder could get them up into that area of taking a more ready made player.

Getting into the lottery would be a tough task with just Schroder and a pick, but even picking late teens or early 20s would be a better outcome.

Another approach Koby Altman and the front office could look at would be going back.

Trading Down

That 29th pick has a cap hold on it that Altman may be looking at with the idea of dropping that down. A first round pick is guaranteed a four-year contract that could put them in a bad spot once again on their contracts.

Trading into the second round would not restrict them to an exact contract and they could sign somebody to a two-way contract and save them anywhere from $5 to $10 million in cap space.

Being in the second apron would make things hard because they wouldn’t be able to send cash in a trade. Making calls when it’s time for your pick would be the strategy with this decision.

Any team picking early in the second may have somebody they believe can make an impact immediately and could be open to a move.

There really are a multitude of decisions for Cleveland to make that all have pros and cons to them. 

The NBA Draft takes place on June 23rd and 24th at 8:00 p.m. on ABC and ESPN.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cleveland Division of Police worked with multiple agencies to arrest a man in an investigation into involuntary manslaughter and found drugs during a police search Wednesday.

The Cleveland Division of Police Narcotics Unit worked with the U.S. Marshals Task Force to arrest 33-year-old James Williams as part of the division’s Violent Crime Reduction efforts.

Williams was taken into custody in the Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood in Cleveland’s Fourth District Wednesday.

He was previously wanted on an involuntary manslaughter investigation warrant in connection with three fatal drug overdoses, police say.

In November 2025, Williams was identified by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office as one of 37 suspects in a large-scale drug trafficking organization.

Police say that during the investigation into Williams, they seized thousands of grams of illegal narcotics.

After Williams’ arrest, the Narcotics Unit executed a search of his home.

During the search, police say the unit found 83 grams of suspected cocaine, 76 grams of suspected fentanyl and 824 grams of suspected PCP.

Investigators say they seized numerous items associated with drug manufacturing and distribution that contained suspected drug residue.

Investigators say Williams was involved in distributing dangerous narcotics, including mixtures containing fentanyl and xylazine, a drug commonly used as a tranquilizer for animals.

Police say when xylazine is mixed with fentanyl, it can increase the risk of overdose and death.

Police said Narcan can reverse the opioid effects of fentanyl, but it cannot reverse the effects of xylazine, which makes those overdoses dangerous and in need of medical intervention.

“Every day, these men and women dedicate countless hours to complex investigations aimed at removing violent offenders, illegal firearms, and dangerous narcotics from our neighborhoods. We remain deeply concerned about the presence of Xylazine, a dangerous substance that does not respond to Narcan and is contributing to fatal overdoses,” Chief Dorothy Todd said. “We are grateful for the continued dedication of our local, state, and federal partners as we work together to reduce violent crime, disrupt criminal organizations, and keep Cleveland’s residents safe.”