Cleveland, OH
She lost her job. So why wouldn’t Ohio pay her unemployment benefits?
CLEVELAND — A Cleveland resident said she is owed over $5000 in unemployment funds after the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) abruptly stopped paying her benefits.
“This is a system that’s in place to support me should I need it – and I did – and it was just a complete nightmare and a headache,” Jenna Berris said.
A money mystery
After she lost her job last September, Berris applied for unemployment benefits from the ODJFS.
Initially, the process worked as it was supposed to. She filed for benefits each week, along with submitting proof she was searching for a new position.
“The first couple weeks, I got my money,” she said.
But then, she said her payments abruptly stopped.
Berris said she would call ODJFS every Monday after filing for benefits on Sunday to ask why she wasn’t receiving payments.
“No one seemed to be able tell me what was going on,” she said.
A waiting game
Berris said she kept track of the time she spent on the phone waiting for answers from ODJFS.
She estimates she spent at least sixty hours on hold trying to find out why she had stopped receiving benefits.
“They (ODJFS) would do something in their system and say, ‘You know, you should be paid.’ — and it never happened. This went on for eight weeks,” she said.
At the same time, she said she was searching for a job, prepping for interviews, and writing resumes and cover letters.
She said trying to get to the bottom of why she stopped receiving benefits “just added a lot of extra stress to my plate.”
Berris said she was eventually told she had missed a deadline to upload her resume to the state’s system.
But Berris, who works in the technology sector, said she does not recall receiving any notifications about the requirement.
“The system is poorly designed,” she said. “I think it’s both a tech problem and a communications problem.
“The system is super antiquated… so you’re navigating back and forth but, also, any time you receive a communication, whether it’s about why your claim has been denied or why your claim is going for an appeal, it’s written in this complex legal jargon that I can’t understand, that I’m sure most people can’t understand,” she said.
A call for OH to ‘step up its game’
OH Rep. Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland) was not surprised to hear Berris’s story.
“The state should … be stepping up its game,” he said. “We need to hold them accountable as well as to what they’re doing and what they’re not doing to help the citizens.”
Brewer said his office has received numerous phone calls and e-mail messages from constituents who are struggling to obtain unemployment benefits.
He said constituents complained about problems involving uploading information, updating information, and not receiving information from ODJFS.
He also said constituents complained about long wait times when they call, getting hung up on, and never receiving return phone calls.
It’s been six years since a massive surge in unemployment claims during the pandemic exposed Ohio’s unemployment system was antiquated, fragile and easily overwhelmed.
He said the state has improved measures to identify fraudulent claims, but should also improve systems to help claimants, like Berris.
“We (Ohio) should have been there to make sure everything she submitted was submitted on time, correctly and in a timely manner, so she can receive those benefits,” he said.
ODJFS response
ODJFS does not comment on specific cases.
However, in an email to News 5, a spokesperson said the agency regularly experiences an increase in claims during the winter months, which it started seeing in November 2025.
He said the federal shutdown last fall “delayed the hiring and training of our contract staff into December,” which is “partially responsible for some of the delays.”
He also said wait times for callbacks from ODJFS are improving.
At the beginning of February, the average wait time for callbacks was about 21.3 hours.
By the end of the month, it was within 5.6 hours.
The endgame
Berris said she recently got a new job, but drained her savings to stay afloat after the state stopped paying her unemployment benefits.
“I was unemployed for about five months and I didn’t receive payments for about half of that time,” she said.
Even though she’s now employed, Berris is still fighting to receive compensation from ODJFS.
She filed an appeal with the Ohio Unemployment Compensation Review Commission, which reconsiders ODJFS cases.
She said she had been on a decision from the commission since January. She said the commission should authorize the release of unemployment funds to her.
“This is money that I was counting on for survival during that time,” she said.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Thousands of FirstEnergy customers in Lakewood and Cleveland’s West Side, including the Westpark neighborhood, are without power again.
These areas have been plagued by outages since late December 2025.
Check FirstEnergy’s website outage maps for the latest numbers and restoration times.
Cleveland Public Power is reporting some outages on the West side and downtown Cleveland. Click here for the CPP power outage map.
19 News has reached out to FirstEnergy for the cause of the outage.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Published on Mar. 11, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
A series of social media posts from a cryptid-focused podcast has ignited speculation about widespread Bigfoot sightings in northeast Ohio, with enthusiasts pointing to what they describe as a concentrated burst of activity in the Mantua and Garrettsville areas southeast of Cleveland. The Bigfoot Society, a podcast and online community, says it has received six separate reports of alleged Bigfoot encounters between March 6 and March 10 in wooded areas in the region.
Why it matters
Bigfoot sightings are relatively common across the United States, but a cluster of multiple reported encounters in a small geographic area over a short period is considered unusual and potentially indicative of increased cryptid activity. The reports have generated excitement within the Bigfoot research community, which is eager to investigate further and potentially uncover new evidence of the elusive creature’s existence.
The details
According to the Bigfoot Society, the reported encounters include alleged sightings of a nine-foot-tall, brown-haired Sasquatch, as well as other details about the creature’s appearance and behavior. However, the group has not released any photographs, video, or independently verified physical evidence to corroborate the claims. Nonetheless, the podcast host described the cluster of sightings as a possible “flap” event, a term used in cryptozoology to refer to multiple sightings within a short time span.
- The reported sightings occurred between March 6 and March 10, 2026.
- The Bigfoot Society received the six separate reports during this four-day period.
The players
The Bigfoot Society
A podcast and online community dedicated to collecting eyewitness accounts of Sasquatch encounters.
Jeremiah Byron
The host of the Bigfoot Society Podcast, who spoke to Fox 8 about the reported sightings.
Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›
What they’re saying
“It’s normal for there to be Bigfoot sightings all over the United States, but it’s not normal to have multiple sightings in a small area within a short number of days.”
— Jeremiah Byron, Host, Bigfoot Society Podcast (Fox 8)
“So, if you’re in this area, keep your eyes open and maybe your doors locked because there could be a Bigfoot in the same general vicinity.”
— Bigfoot Society Poster (Bigfoot Society)
What’s next
The Bigfoot Society has urged residents in Portage County to remain vigilant and report any additional sightings or evidence to the group. The podcast host indicated that the community is eager to investigate the reports further and potentially uncover new evidence of Bigfoot’s existence.
The takeaway
While Bigfoot sightings are not uncommon across the United States, the cluster of reports in northeast Ohio has sparked significant interest and speculation within the cryptid research community. The lack of verifiable evidence, however, means that the alleged encounters remain unconfirmed, and the true nature of the activity in the region remains uncertain.
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.
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