Ohio House passes fentanyl penalties that critics call relic of a failed war on drugs: The Wake Up for Friday, April 26, 2024

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Ohio has one of the highest drug-overdose fatality rates in the nation. And fentanyl is a powerful opioid present in four out of every five of the 4,915 fatal overdoses in Ohio in 2022. It was in 27% of all drugs (excluding marijuana) seized by the state last year.

So the Ohio legislature is taking action.

Law enforcement and prosecutors support a new bill as a tool to crack down on traffickers of the drug. Some Democrats, libertarians and drug and health policy experts warn that the legislation will add low-level offenders to the crowded state prison system, without meaningfully reducing the drug problem.

Under current law, possession of small amounts of Schedule III, IV, and V drugs without knowing they contain fentanyl is punishable via a first-degree misdemeanor. The new bill removes the knowledge requirement, so for example, someone who buys Xanax they didn’t know was laced with fentanyl could face jail time.

“That makes no legal, moral or public health sense,” said Dennis Cauchon, president of Harm Reduction Ohio. “You’re criminalizing and putting people in jail when they’re the victim.”

— Laura

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Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Temps around 80 degrees

Fentanyl bill: A broad, bipartisan majority of the Ohio House passed legislation Wednesday to ratchet up penalties for those who knowingly sell or unknowingly possess drugs laced with fentanyl, Jake Zuckerman reports.

Pollen allergies: If you’re one of the 30% of the population afflicted with pollen-related allergies, you might be miserable right now. Its tree pollen that’s causing all the discomfort, but not all tree pollen. What causes itchy eyes or a runny nose in one sufferer might have little to no effect on another. Peter Krouse explains why.

Steelhead stocking: Officers gathered along the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland’s Flats to celebrate the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s first-ever stocking of the Cuyahoga with steelhead trout, a naturalized game fish that brings anglers from all over to fish North Coast rivers that empty into Lake Erie. Once too dirty to justify stocking it with steelhead, the Cuyahoga joins the Rocky, Chagrin, Grand, Ashtabula and Vermilion rivers in that tradition, reports Peter Krouse.

Today in Ohio: A long-term fix to prevent an Ohio law from preventing presidential candidates from qualifying for the state’s ballot is starting to come into focus. We’re talking about how Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman said talks have advanced on legislation changing the law on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.

Sexual abuse: In the wake of the Richard Strauss sex abuse scandal at Ohio State University, state lawmakers are moving ahead on a number of proposed reforms to help ensure it doesn’t happen again. Jeremy Pelzer reports that Senate Bill 109, passed unanimously by the Ohio Senate on Wednesday, would – among other things – increase disclosure requirements, allow the state medical board to take quicker action in sexual misconduct cases, and expand the crimes of sexual battery and rape to include unwanted sexual activity during medical treatment.

Plant power: Congress members from Ohio want the state’s crops to power vessels traveling by air and by sea, reports Sabrina Eaton. In an effort to expand biofuel markets for Ohio soybean farmers, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, introduced legislation that would ensure renewable fuel used by ocean-going vessels is eligible for a renewable fuel credit that is available for biofuels used elsewhere.

College credit: Kent State University and the Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio are among recipients of $3 million in grants to create programs for high school educators to teach college courses under the College Credit Plus Program, reports Laura Hancock. Ohio’s College Credit Plus program offers free college courses to high schoolers, including free textbooks, tuition and fees.

Power outages: More than 90% of Ohio power outages since 2000 were weather-related, according to a new study from Climate Central. Zachary Smith reports Ohio has experienced the fifth-highest number of weather-related power outages since 2000, following only Texas (210), Michigan (157), California (145), and North Carolina (111).

West Side Market: Now that the West Side Market is being managed by the nonprofit Cleveland Public Market Corp., the honeymoon begins. Metaphorically, the marriage is off to a strong start. Paris Wolfe reports first steps include more paperwork to secure tax credits and funding, as well as improved signage and a newsletter.

‘Lone Sailor’ statue: A monument dedicated to those who serve in the U.S. Navy is slated for downtown Cleveland’s lakefront – just in time watch over the planned commissioning of the USS Cleveland. Cleveland City Council this week signed off plans to erect the “Lone Sailor” monument on the northwest corner of Voinovich Park, overlooking Lake Erie, Courtney Astolfi reports.

Adult baseball: The Greater Cleveland Adult Baseball League is an amateur league made up of two dozen teams in four age brackets that play from May through Labor Day. Cory Shaffer reports that the league has operated in some form since the early 1990s. Several members played college and professional baseball. A handful even made it to the big leagues in the strike-shortened 1994 season.

School exercise: A study found that five-minute exercise sessions during lectures not only were possible to complete during class time, but that students also benefited from them. The students in classes that included exercise breaks reported improvements in their attention and motivation, engagement with their classmates and overall enjoyment of the course, reports Gretchen Cuda Kroen.

Mpox: Cuyahoga County is seeing an uptick in mpox cases, health officials announced Thursday. Health officials are concerned because a 2022 surge saw at least 139 cases in Ohio, resulting in mpox vaccine clinics to increase its distribution. From February through this week, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health has documented six cases in its jurisdiction, while three cases have been reported by the Cleveland Department of Public Health, reports Julie Washington.

COVID cases: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio has decreased for the 10th consecutive week. Cases fell from 1,407 last week to 1,350 this week, marking the lowest level since early July. Julie Washington reports case numbers have been falling since February. As recently as early January, the weekly case numbers were over 15,000, at 15,046.

Mother’s Day: Mother’s Day spending is expected to reach $33.5 billion this year, according to an annual survey from the National Retail Federation. On average, adults are expected to spend $254.04 on gifts and celebrations, reports Sean McDonnell.

Cleveland-Cliffs: Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves has sued a stock analyst, accusing him of posting anonymous online comments that urged people to sell the steel giant’s stock and saying Goncalves acts like “a mafia boss.” Adam Ferrise reports that in the lawsuit, Goncalves claimed that Gordon Johnson posted disparaging remarks on Bloomberg Professional Service’s “Bloomberg Intelligence” website, which includes an online chatroom for metals and mining companies.

Hotel Cleveland: Hotel Cleveland, which has been under renovation, is fine-tuning menus for its new Maker and Mowrey restaurants. Paris Wolfe reports that Maker is a casual, fine-dining room in the main lobby, while Mowrey’s is an early breakfast place in the former Sans Souci restaurant space.

Canton death: Authorities are investigating the death of a man who struggled with Canton police officers before he lost consciousness last week, reports Lucas Daprile. Frank E. Tyson, 53, who is Black, yelled and fought with patrolmen for several minutes before they handcuffed him April 18. At one point, an officer placed a knee into Tyson’s back while the Canton man was handcuffed, according to an officer’s body-camera video.

Arson arrest: Authorities arrested a second man Thursday in connection with burning down a home on Cleveland’s West Side. D’Andre Morris, 21, of Cleveland is accused of setting the fire early Saturday, Olivia Mitchell reports. On Wednesday, police arrested Tyric M. Green, 21, of Euclid. Both men are charged with aggravated arson.

Body cam: A Lorain fugitive attacked federal marshals with a table leg and a knife when they tried to arrest him on a warrant last week, Molly Walsh reports. On Thursday, Lorain police released an officer’s body-camera video, which shows the chaotic moments before marshals fired a Taser twice and later a handgun at Smith.

License revoked: A Westlake attorney who pleaded guilty to assaulting an 18-year-old woman after giving her and two other young women alcohol in his home had his law license suspended on Thursday. Cory Shaffer reports the Ohio Supreme Court voted to pull Daniel Perrico’s law license for two years. It decided to reduce the suspension by a year as long as he avoids more improper conduct.

Ask Yadi: Should you knock before entering your parents’ house after you’ve moved out? Yadi Rodriguez writes that she can appreciate that you knock first before just entering.

Stones opener: The Rolling Stones have announced the artists who will have the honor of opening for the rock icons as they take their latest musical trek through America’s stadiums, reports Malcolm X Abram. For the June 15 show at Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Stones have chosen Pittsburgh “rock n’ blues” band Ghost Hounds, who have previously opened for the Stones as well as ZZ Top, Garth Brooks and Bob Seger.

Rock Hall Live: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced details of “Rock Hall Live,” the museum’s summer concert series mixing several national touring artists, including Sleater-Kinney and All Time Low, with popular local and regional bands. Malcolm X Abram reports tickets for concerts range from $25 to $50.

Playhouse Square tour: Cleveland Arts Prize is presenting a special afternoon in Playhouse Square on June 3, reports Joey Morona. The event at the Allen Theatre features a talk with renowned theatre director Joe Garry, followed by a curated tour of the theater district’s historic venues.

‘Company’: “Company” can be difficult to describe, reports Joey Morona. The Stephen Sondheim production, which opens at Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace on April 30 and runs through May 19, is a concept musical that eschews the typical narrative structure in favor of a non-linear one.

DineDrinkCLE: It’s officially baseball season and even those who aren’t big sports fans can find a few tasty reasons to visit one of the local ballparks. In the latest episode of “DineDrinkCLE: The Podcast,” Josh Duke and Alex Darus are joined by Marc Bona to talk about new eats at the ballpark. Bona explains the variety of new offerings available at Progressive Field during Guardians games, including loaded hot dogs and fried chicken.

Art prints: The Print Club of Cleveland is holding its annual Fine Print Fair today through Sunday at the Cleveland Museum of Art, reports Paris Wolfe.

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Top Thrill: The Thrill is back, coaster fans — still 120 mph, still 420 feet high and still breathtaking, reports Susan Glaser. But Top Thrill 2 is a very different ride from its predecessor, Top Thrill Dragster, which was the tallest and fastest coaster in the world when it debuted at Cedar Point in 2003. The new incarnation is just as tall, just as fast and a lot longer than it used to be, clocking in at just under two minutes versus 17 seconds on the original.

Things to do: The weather is warming up in Northeast Ohio this weekend, creating the perfect opportunity to get out and have some fun. Joey Morona has 16 things to do, from the Catawba Island Boat Show to the Geauga County Maple Festival.

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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