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Gov. Mike DeWine loves the Ohio State Fair.

“It’s a place where we can all celebrate our great state and make memories that will last a lifetime,” DeWine said to open the annual summer event in 2022. “Fran and I absolutely love fairs, none more than the Ohio State Fair. We have experienced so many remarkable moments with our children and grandchildren at fairs over the years.”

The fair likely will be a lasting legacy for DeWine, who soon after his 2018 election created a $400 million “2050 Expo plan” to revamp the 360-acre northern Columbus grounds, which more than 1 million people attended last year.

The plan would bulldoze most of the fair buildings. A new agriculture building will house the Taste of Ohio Café and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation’s Land & Living Exhibit. A new “iconic” entry gate is designed for photo ops, including the Great Seal of the State of Ohio. And a new town square will feature food, family-friendly resting areas and children’s activities.

The state legislature so far has approved $190 million and is waiting for another $196 million. But the total price for the entire plan could reach the billion-dollar mark.

— Laura

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Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Showers with chance for thunderstorms to develop

Fairgrounds: State officials pulled out all the stops on Monday for a ceremonial groundbreaking event at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, which included a marching band and a robot dog named Spot owned by Turner Construction, a contractor that’s doing the work, Andrew Tobias reports.

CLE Flag: A volunteer group of Clevelanders recently launched a citywide competition to redesign Cleveland’s flag, but officials and others have had a range of reactions. Zachary Smith reports CLE Flag is looking for a flag that “embodies Cleveland’s spirit of progress and prosperity while representing the diversity and inclusivity of our vibrant community.”

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Northern Lights: What led to the remarkable sightings of Northern Lights in much of the United States was a geomagnetic storm of Hurricane Katrina-like proportions that can be traced back to events that began roughly 10 days ago and 93 million miles away on the sun, reports Peter Krouse.

Recreational marijuana: A state panel cleared 11 administrative rules for the state’s medical and recreational marijuana programs, including one that spells out how medicinal retailers will apply for dual-use medical and recreational dispensary licenses. Laura Hancock reports the action puts Ohio adults aged 21 and older one step closer to being able to legally purchase marijuana in dispensaries after last November’s election legalized recreational cannabis.

Today in Ohio: The complicated, yearslong turmoil in Ohio’s State Teachers Retirement System is a battle pitting the money managers and staff against the retirees who don’t trust them. On Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast, we’re talking about whether Gov. Mike DeWine spotted a problem when he waved his red flag or if this is about a power struggle.

Childcare protest: More than 250 childcare centers around Ohio were closed Monday to mark the third annual Day Without Childcare, meant to draw attention to efforts to make childcare more affordable and raise wages for providers, according to organizers of the effort. Jeremy Pelzer reports many of those childcare teachers and parents of kids in childcare spent part of the day in Columbus demonstrating in front of the Ohio Statehouse.

Householder arraignment: The arraignment of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder was postponed Monday in a case stemming from the House Bill 6 scandal. Cory Shaffer reports Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Administrative Judge Brendan Sheehan wrote that the hearing would be pushed back to Friday because of “circumstances beyond the court’s control.”

Infrastructure investment: President Joe Biden so far has announced nearly $454 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding all over the country. That includes more than 56,000 specific projects and awards across more than 4,500 communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the territories, and for tribes, reports Sabrina Eaton.

Vance VP? Ohio’s junior U.S. senator nabbed a seat in a crowded New York courtroom to catch some of the criminal trial of former Republican President Donald Trump, reports Jake Zuckerman. U.S. Sen. JD Vance, a rumored member of Trump’s short list to join the ticket as his vice president, played legal observer at Trump’s trial Monday morning.

Bernie Moreno: A New York Times article offers further details on Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno’s biography while scrutinizing the story he’s told publicly about his family’s decision to move to the United States. Andrew Tobias reports the story explores Moreno’s personal origins as a Colombian immigrant who moved to the United States as a child and eventually made a fortune in the car business.

Marcia Fudge: Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge is joining the Taft Stettinius & Hollister law firm as a partner in its Cleveland office and will serve as its firmwide chair of public policy, reports Sabrina Eaton. She’ll dedicate some of her time to the law firm’s ongoing efforts to combat the harmful effects of forever chemicals, and the firm said in a release that it anticipates her presence will bolster its relationships with government and corporate leaders in Ohio and nationally.

Board of control: Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne is proposing to triple the amount of money the county can spend without County Council’s approval and expand the types of contracts that can be awarded without having to be officially bid out. Kaitlin Durbin reports Ronayne recently introduced an amendment to the county’s code that would increase the spending threshold that can be approved without council to $1.5 million.

Jacob Derbin: Euclid police officer’s Jacob Derbin’s death, which authorities say was the result of an ambush-style shooting carried out by 24-year-old Deshawn Vaughn, rocked the law-enforcement community across the state and sparked an outpouring of messages from public officials, civic groups and even the Cleveland Cavaliers in honoring the fallen officer, Molly Walsh reports.

Old growth: Long-lived trees of various species are found throughout a nearly 20-acre section of the Hach-Otis State Nature Preserve nestled high above the Chagrin River. Peter Krouse reports it’s the 31st patch of woodland in Ohio to become part of the Old-Growth Forest Network, a national nonprofit devoted to bringing public attention to the importance of old growth, publicly accessible forests.

3D homes: Cleveland City Council is poised to approve spending $500,000 to support a pilot project to build 3D-printed homes in the city, Lucas Daprile reports. Legislation allocating the money to Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry passed through City Council’s Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee on Monday afternoon and was expected to win approval from the full council at its evening meeting.

Plane collision: The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a minor collision involving two passenger planes at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Susan Glaser reports the incident occurred about 7 p.m. Sunday, when a taxiing Delta Air Lines plane clipped the wing of a stationary Spirit jet that was parked at the terminal and boarding passengers.

Delinquent: At 17, John was accused of shooting into a Cleveland Heights house. A bullet flew into a bedroom occupied by two teens. No one was hurt, but the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office charged John with several felonies, including felonious assault, and requested to transfer him to adult court, a process called bindover. John Tucker and Kaitlin Durbin report in their Delinquent series that John formally denied committing the shooting and his case is pending.

Marathon godfather: Jim Kinard holds the Columbus Marathon record for distance over time. He is the only person to have toed the starting line every year of the race’s existence (one pandemic year was canceled) since 1980. Jake Zuckerman reports that at 81, Kinard’s grip on the “Legacy Runners Group” title, contested by a thinning crowd of hardcore Columbus Marathon loyalists, is tenuous.

Top Thrill 2: Just one week after its much-anticipated public debut, Cedar Point’s record-breaking Top Thrill 2 roller coaster has been shut down indefinitely while the ride manufacturer completes what the park is calling a “mechanical modification” on the ride’s vehicles. Susan Glaser reports it’s unclear how long the ride will be closed — whether two weeks, two months or somewhere in between.

New knees: Artificial knees may, one day soon, not be artificial at all — at least if researchers from Case Western Reserve University meet their goals. The university is embarking on an ambitious project to shift orthopedics away from replacement joints made of metal and ceramics to “live” joints grown to order from the patient’s own cells or human donor cells, Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports.

Demo: Three dilapidated buildings, all a century old, are in line for demolition to clean up a corner in the Forest Hills area of Cleveland’s East Side, reports Megan Sims. Plans submitted by the city to the Cleveland Planning Commission call for the razing of a two-story structure and two one-story buildings that once housed retail, a warehouse and apartments on Superior Avenue between East 124th and East 125th streets. They sit on about a third of an acre.

Money stress: When it comes to stress and mental health, money is negatively impacting people more than anything else, reports Sean McDonnell. Nearly half (47%) of people surveyed by Bankrate, a personal finance website, said money at least occasionally caused them anxiety, stress, worrisome thoughts or loss of sleep.

Lead Safe: A new pilot program funded by the Cleveland Clinic will allow 30 childcare providers in Cleveland to find and remove lead hazards in older buildings while keeping their doors open, reports Julie Washington. The Lead Safe Child Care Pilot Program will award selected childcare providers $12,000 grants, EPA-certified services, business support and lead screening.

Stock growth: Ohio saw stock growth for more than a dozen major Ohio companies increase by at least 3% last week. Zachary Smith reports this was led by manufacturer Mettler-Toledo International with 20.6% growth, or an added $258.30 a share.

Sexual exploitation: A Highland Heights man was sentenced to 15 years in prison Friday for his role in a nationwide group of online voyeurs who forced girls as young as 11 to perform sex acts in front of a web camera. David Pece, 34, faced a maximum of 30 years after he had pleaded guilty in February 2023 to conspiracy to engage in the sexual exploitation of children.

Ask Lucas: What if your husband is a horrible gardener and you hate the food he grows? Lucas Daprile writes that he’s obviously a secret anarchist. Unfortunately, he is going to need more than obscure subgenres of potatoes to convince people to reject the comforts of modern life.

Bacon Cajun: If you’re going to order the McCrispy chicken sandwich (630 calories) from McDonald’s, go all the way with the limited-edition Bacon Cajun Ranch McCrispy Deluxe. Paris Wolfe tries it so you don’t have to. It’s all about the sauce.

Asian Festival: Cleveland Asian Festival is Saturday and Sunday at East 27th Street and Payne Avenue, reports Paris Wolfe. Held during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the two-day event celebrates Northeast Ohio’s diverse and rich Asian culture. And it brings attention to the growing vibrancy and identity of Cleveland’s AsiaTown.

Jewelers: Joyeria Viejo San Juan – also known as the Old San Juan Jewelers – is a small Hispanic-owned jewelry store located at 2705 Clark Ave. in a bustling Latino neighborhood on Cleveland’s West Side. It’s a family affair, started by Ramon Pagan more than two decades ago and is now run by his daughter, Alexandra, reports Yadi Rodriguez.

Don’t forget, you can always find the latest Cleveland news by visiting cleveland.com. If you value the hard work of Cleveland journalists, consider becoming a cleveland.com subscriber.

— Curated by Laura Johnston with contributions by Cliff Pinckard

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CLEVELAND — LeBron James, primary author of the only championship in Cavaliers’ history, was greeted by thunderous applause and a standing ovation during a timeout in the first quarter of Cleveland’s playoff game against the Boston Celtics on Monday night.

James, 39, attended the game with his wife, Savannah, and longtime agent and business partner Rich Paul, who still represents multiple players on the Cavs’ roster.

The kid from Akron returns 👑

LeBron James is in the building for Game 4 of Cavs-Celtics tonight.

🎥 @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/PhO9V15Ts9

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— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) May 13, 2024

As is customary when any former Cleveland player from the franchise’s glory days of four consecutive finals from 2015-18 returns, James was treated to a highlight video and bone-rattling introduction. Fans, some of them perhaps unaware he was seated courtside, watched the video presentation during the timeout, and any cheers were drowned out by the sound from the jumbotron.

But when James was introduced, and shown seated in his jean jacket and backwards cap, well, Clevelanders went berserk.

Screaming. Applause. Towel waving.

James sipped his drink of choice, this night a nice white wine, from a disposable coffee cup, while speaking animatedly to Paul throughout the game. Maybe he was into it, or perhaps it was just trying to be heard over the booming music and shrieks of a delighted crowd during a close game.

James, who was born about 40 miles south of Cleveland, in Akron, Ohio, and played 11 of his 21 NBA seasons as a Cavalier, was the MVP of the 2016 Finals in which Cleveland won in a dramatic, seven-game series. He left the organization for the second time as a free agent in the summer of 2018 and headed to the Los Angeles Lakers, who, for now, still have him under contract.

James has a $51.4 million player’s option with the Lakers for next season. He can opt out and become a free agent. Also, his son, Bronny James, a freshman at USC, declared for the NBA Draft, and it so happens the Cavs have the 20th pick.

Does any of this mean that either LeBron or Bronny is coming to Cleveland? No (the Lakers are expected to make him a huge contract offer and, if he wants them to, would draft his son), but James showing up courtside for a Cavs playoff game brings about such speculation.

When he was here for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, he refused to rule out another return to the franchise when asked by The Athletic. Or, it just could have been LeBron and Savannah getting back to the Akron area for Mother’s Day, or a drop in at the public school in Akron he opened. Or all of the above.

Members of the Kardashian family, and actor Mark Wahlberg, a noted Celtics fan, were also expected to attend the game.

Required reading

(Photo: Lauren Leigh Bacho / NBAE via Getty Images)