CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Sharon Dumas had been retired for more than three years when Cleveland Heights’ Interim Mayor Tony Cuda tapped her this fall to be his interim city administrator.

The move followed a familiar solution that public entities turn to when facing challenges: bringing back experienced public servants with decades of institutional knowledge.

Dumas, who retired from Cleveland City Hall in 2022 after more than 40 years in public and private service, agreed to return through the end of Cuda’s interim term, which runs until Dec. 31. Her appointment was Cuda’s first official act after voters recalled Mayor Kahlil Seren in September.

The move comes as Cleveland Heights continues to navigate its transition to a strong-mayor form of government, marked by a contentious 2024 budget process and temporary spending plans earlier this year. Cuda said his priority is stabilizing operations and laying groundwork for a fiscally responsible 2026 budget.

Dumas brings deep experience in municipal finance and administration. She served as Cleveland’s finance director for 15 years and as chief of staff for five years under former Mayor Frank Jackson, managing the city’s $1.3 billion budget and overseeing major fiscal reforms.

Her return reflects a broader trend in Northeast Ohio: veteran leaders stepping back into public roles or consulting after retirement. Just a handful of examples include:

• Ken Silliman, former chief of staff to Cleveland mayors Michael White and Frank Jackson, later led the Gateway Economic Development Corp. and authored a book on stadium financing.
• Eric Gordon, who spent 12 years as CEO of Cleveland schools, now heads Positive Education Program after a stint at Cuyahoga Community College.
• Dan Horrigan, Akron’s former mayor, briefly served as Cleveland Heights city administrator earlier this year before resigning amid internal conflict.
• Jay Westbrook, a longtime Cleveland council member, works with Western Reserve Land Conservancy on housing stability and neighborhood revitalization.
• Lee Fisher, former Ohio attorney general and lieutenant governor under Gov. Ted Strickland, left Cleveland State University’s law school to become president of Baldwin Wallace University in July.
• Ronald Adrine, who served 36 years on Cleveland Municipal Court, remains active in justice reform through statewide committees and advocacy groups.

Dumas’ appointment underscores Cleveland Heights’ reliance on institutional knowledge as it seeks to restore trust and stabilize operations ahead of a pivotal election year.

OHIO (WJW) — Governor Mike DeWine is standing by his veto of Senate Bill 50, which would’ve permitted 14 and 15-year-olds to work after 7 p.m. 

“I did not see a compelling need, frankly, to change that,” he said. “It is pretty much the law in this country at 7 o’clock, so this would be a rather dramatic change in the law.”

The proposed law would have extended the work window for teenagers until 9 p.m. year-round, including school nights, with parental permission.

State Representative Mark Johnson believes it would’ve been good for teenagers.

“There’s so much responsibility to be learned in a work environment,” he said. “We’re raising an entire generation that goes through high school and goes through college even without a lick of work environment experience.”

Johnson said “guardrails” are already in place to prevent students from overworking.

Teenagers must have a work permit signed by both the school administrator and a parent or guardian, which can be revoked if their grades fall. 

“They can only work three hours a day and a total of 18 hours a week,” Johnson said. 

The Ohio Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance came out in support of it, arguing that it would help businesses facing staffing shortages in retail and the food service industry.

“Early work changed my life. I started working, actually, at the age of 14, and you know that experience taught me customer service, communication skills and responsibility,” said Donovan O’Neil, State Director of Americans for Prosperity Ohio.

But not everyone agrees, and some think the change could become a slippery slope that infringes upon child labor laws.

“We have been fighting for child labor laws for so long. Why are we changing stuff? I feel like this is regressing backwards,” said Jamie Shumaker, Executive Director of AFL-CIO Central Ohio.

Shumaker believes kids should focus on their education and supports the veto.

“They’re in school, they play sports, they have homework. I know how exhausting it is,” she said.

Despite the veto, the law remains in play, with lawmakers deciding their next move.

Rep. Johnson said both a legislative override and a compromise of 8 p.m. are being considered.

A legislative override would have to start in the Ohio Senate and must be supported by the House.

That action could take months.

Johnson said if the Senate moves forward, they have the votes in the House to support it.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Northeast Ohio is staring down an active stretch of December weather, with several rounds of rain, snow and strong winds expected to sweep through the region this week.

Before the mess arrives, Monday offers a quiet but frigid calm before the storms. High pressure over the Great Lakes will keep conditions mostly dry, though temperatures will lag well below normal and be stuck in the 20s with wind chills in the teens.

Overnight lows will fall into the teens and even upper single digits, according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland.

Snow showers could return as early as Tuesday as a weak clipper system slips by to the north and sends a warm front across the region. Any accumulation looks minimal, but it’s the opening act for a stronger system arriving Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Midweek storm: Rain and snow, with wind

The midweek storm will start as snow before warmer air is pulled into Northeast Ohio and changes over to rain for most of the area by Wednesday morning.

Rain will continue throughout the afternoon as temperatures rise to near 40 degrees. A strong low-level jet could push wind gusts to 40 to 45 mph, creating a wet and windy day across the region.

A cold front trailing the system will sweep through later Wednesday, flipping rain back to snow and setting up lake-effect chances into Wednesday night and Thursday. Light accumulations are possible across the region, with a better shot at 1 to 2 inches in the primary snowbelt east of Cleveland.

Snow may linger into Thursday, especially in the snowbelt where lake-enhanced bands could persist, before high pressure briefly returns Thursday night.

Another round of snow possible Friday

Forecast models show another low-pressure system sliding through the Great Lakes on Friday, bringing a fresh chance for widespread light snow and reinforcing the cold air already in place.

While snowfall amounts remain uncertain, it marks the start of another potentially messy stretch heading into the weekend.

Lake-effect machine may kick back on this weekend

Behind Friday’s system, colder air spilling over Lake Erie may reignite lake-effect snow Saturday and Sunday. The exact placement and intensity of the bands are still uncertain — models vary widely — but traditional snowbelt areas east of Cleveland have the best shot at accumulating snow.

Forecasters say some clues even hint at the potential for more significant lake-effect totals, if the colder pattern sets in.

Temperatures will stay below normal through the weekend, keeping the wintry pattern firmly in place as December continues.