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A half-million Ohio public school teachers, past and present, depend on the State Teachers Retirement System to support them once they leave the classroom.

The 11-member board that has overseen the $94 billion pension fund has been in turmoil for years.

Many retirees turned against the board after receiving no yearly cost-of-living raise between 2017 and 2022. The retirees supported reformers as board members, who clashed with their more traditional colleagues.

In December 2022, state Treasurer Keith Faber released an audit of the fund, finding it well-managed, with no evidence of fraud. Faber said it could be transparent about how it makes its investments and awards staff bonuses.

So what now?

Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday raised a “red flag” and sent STRS documents to the Ohio Ethics Commission, the Ohio Retirement Study Council, Attorney General Dave Yost, Auditor Faber, Treasurer Robert Sprague, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, and “relevant members of the Ohio General Assembly.”

Yost on Thursday launched his own investigation.

— Laura

Overnight Scores and Weather

Cavs at Boston Celtics: Donovan Mitchell takes over in second half to lead Cavs to 118-94 Game 2 win over Celtics

Guardians at Chicago White Sox: Guardians’ late rally falls short in 3-2 loss to White Sox

Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Cooler temps this weekend, periods of sun and rain

Statehouse and Politics

Biden ballot: For weeks, Ohio officials from both sides of the aisle have tried to calm fears about the potential for President Joe Biden to be left off the state’s general election ballot. Sabrina Eaton reports that after Ohio’s legislature failed this week to meet a deadline to change state law to ensure that happens, the courts appear to be the next logical option to fix the problem. But legal experts said that could carry some of its own risk.

RFK: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign says it has collected more than enough voter signatures for him to make the Ohio ballot this November, reports Jeremy Pelzer. Kennedy, who’s aiming to run for the White House as an independent candidate, has so far collected more than 8,000 signatures from Ohio voters, according to campaign spokeswoman Stefanie Spear.

ODNR app: The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is ditching a relatively new, custom-built hiking and biking app that cost taxpayers nearly $1 million in favor of adapting an existing one developed by a California-based company. Andrew Tobias reports ODNR soon plans to launch a new app developed by San Francisco-based Trailhead Labs.

School phones: State lawmakers passed legislation Wednesday demanding school districts pass policies emphasizing students’ phone use be “as limited as possible” during school hours, reports Jake Zuckerman. In his state of the state address, Gov. Mike DeWine said phones are a distraction from the learning process, an impediment to building basic social skills and a drain on kids’ mental health.

Northeast Ohio News

Algal bloom: Experts on the annual harmful algal blooms that plague the western basin of Lake Erie are predicting a “moderate to larger than moderate summer bloom,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. Peter Krouse reports the bloom is expected to be between 4.5 and 7.5 on the severity index. Scientists are reluctant to be more precise given that its uncertain how much rain will fall in May and June.

Delinquent: Our System, Our Kids — Will was convicted for violent gun crimes committed at 17, following many chances at reform, including a long stint in youth prison. He was finally sent to adult lockup, which he says was necessary for him to straighten out. Though he’s thankful the system helped save his life, he still has advice for justice leaders on how to avoid such escalations in the first place.(Illustration by Andrea Levy, Advance)

Delinquent: For most youth who are charged, they enter a juvenile delinquency system designed to disrupt bad behavior, address the kid’s unmet social, emotional or psychological needs and help them find their way out. If the system is working, transfers to the adult system – called bindovers – should be rare. But Kaitlin Durbin and John Tucker report in their Delinquent series that bindovers are happening more often in Cuyahoga County than anywhere else in the state.

Food Bank: The Greater Cleveland Food Bank served 401,000 unique people in 2023, according to its annual report released this week. Zachary Smith reports this is a 15% increase from 2022, when it served 349,000 people. Those who used the food bank’s services included 93,000 people aged 65 years or older who received services at one of the food bank’s pantries or distribution centers, as well as 112,000 children.

The Detours: The Ohio Department of Transportation has released its lists of upcoming detours for Cuyahoga County and other areas of Greater Cleveland. Cliff Pinckard has a summary.

Healthcare and Business

Parental burnout: Researchers at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently conducted a national survey that found the majority of parents experience isolation, loneliness and burnout from the demands of parenthood, with many feeling a lack of support in fulfilling that role. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports the survey found that roughly two-thirds felt the demands of parenthood were sometimes or frequently isolating and lonely, and nearly the same fraction reported feeling burned out by their parenting responsibilities.

Norfolk Southern: Activist investor Ancora won three seats on Norfolk Southern’s board Thursday. It’s enough to have a say, but not enough to immediately oust CEO Alan Shaw, which was Ancora’s plan, reports Sean McDonnell.

Great Lakes Brewing: Mark King has resigned as chief executive officer of Great Lakes Brewing Co., reports Marc Bona. Chief Commercial Officer Chris Brown and Chief Operations Officer Steven Pauwels will serve as interim co-CEOs.

Cedar Six Flags: The proposed merger between amusement park giants Cedar Fair and Six Flags is still expected to be finalized by the end of June, reports Susan Glaser.

COVID numbers: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio has fallen below the 1,000 mark for the first time since the early days of the pandemic in March 2020. Julie Washington reports new cases dropped from 1,241 last week to 936 this week, marking the 12th consecutive week of falling case numbers.

Crime and Courts

Police shooting: Officers on Wednesday fatally shot a man in North Ridgeville who was wanted in Tennessee for killing his girlfriend, reports Molly Walsh. Officials told reporters Thursday that Jason Norris, 41, came out of a home in the 4800 block of James Road, pulled a handgun and fired shots at police. Two officers fired back, striking Norris in the chest. He died at St. John’s Medical Center in Westlake at about 8:30 p.m.

Car thefts: Car thefts are declining in Cleveland, a trend that began last fall and continued through the first four months of this year, reports Olivia Mitchell. A report released by Cleveland police shows that the number of stolen vehicles has dropped 26% compared to the same time last year. Police reported 1,529 through May 4.

Arts and Entertainment

Ask Yadi: What do you do when you’re working from home and your husband won’t stop bothering you? Yadi Rodriguez writes that on his day off, he is going to want to relax, but you can make it clear that he can’t be disruptive in the same area where you are trying to work.

Classic CLE: For Peter Chakerian, Malley’s chocolate-covered strawberries remind him of his mother, who always looked forward to the Valentine’s Day (and now Mother’s Day) tradition with the delight of a kid. Chakerian’s mother never met chocolate that she didn’t like, but she was especially partial to those Malley’s berries when that time of year would arrive.

Concert week: In a win for live music fans, the two major corporate live-music promoters -- Live Nation and AEG -- are offering $25 concert tickets to select shows in all genres of music for a limited time. Malcolm X Abram reports that Live Nation is ostensibly celebrating 10 years of its “Concert Week” promotion, which is running now through Wednesday and includes a lengthy list of shows featuring $25 tickets at Live Nation venues.

Gymnastics tour: Simone Biles is coming to Cleveland this fall. The most decorated gymnast in history is headlining the Gold Over America Tour (GOAT), which stops at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Oct. 27. Joey Morona reports presales begin May 16.

A.J. Rocco’s: After several years of being closed, A.J. Rocco’s downtown is set to reopen next to its previous location, Marc Bona reports. A. Brendan Walton aims to open the multi-floor Huron Road bar and restaurant today.

K-Pop: The wave of exhibitions on Korean art that has swept American museums over the past year is breaking over the Cleveland Museum of Art in a big way this spring. Steve Litt reports two powerful shows that opened in March and April combine memorable artistic experiences with underlying messages about South Korea’s aspirations for greater visibility and appreciation.

DineDrinkCLE: The West Side Market is now officially operated by a nonprofit corporation, but that doesn’t mean major changes are happening immediately. On the latest episode of “DineDrinkCLE: The Podcast,” hosts Josh Duke and Alex Darus are joined by Paris Wolfe to talk about what’s going on at the West Side Market.

GroundWorks: After 25 years of groundbreaking contemporary dance performances throughout Northeast Ohio, GroundWorks DanceTheater is practicing for its grand finale on Aug. 10 at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights, Paris Wolfe reports.

Mother’s Day: Moms give everything. When it’s time to give back, sons and daughters are usually all-in – but sometimes get stuck on giving a unique and meaningful Mother’s Day gift. Beth Keenan, the owner-operator of locally focused arts boutique FunktiniLand and retail manager for City Goods, is a parent who also happens to share arts entrepreneurship with her own mother, Jo Rawley. Every day is Mother’s Day in FunktiniLand, a gift that keeps on giving for their relationship, writes Peter Chakerian.

ArtWalk: More than 65 artists are participating in the Little Italy Summer ArtWalk from May 31 to June 2. Paris Wolfe reports the show is more than doubling in size as it combines forces with the Cleveland Bazaar, Northeast Ohio’s longest-running indie craft show producer.

Things to do: It’s Mother’s Day weekend and there are plenty of events taking place across the area to enjoy, whether you’re a mom, a kid or just looking for something fun to do. Mike Rose has 19 ideas.

You’re all caught up

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

Gov. DeWine raises ‘red flag’ over teachers pension fund; Ohio AG opens investigation: The Wake Up for Friday, May 10, 2024