Here are your morning headlines for Tuesday, Oct. 15:
- Dover schools pulls ballot issues;
- Akron RTA rolls out mobile ticketing;
- Details on tonight's Democratic debate;
- Med pot dispensaries to open following settlement;
- Cleveland launches industrial job growth initiatve;
- CVNP to unveil new visitor's center;
- Howe Avenue reopens as holiday season approaches;
Dover City Schools pulls levy weeks before election
A school district in Tuscarawas County has pulled a tax levy from the ballot three weeks before the November general election. The Dover Board of Education voted Monday to remove its 6.9-mill additional tax levy after a recent update of county property values shows Dover City Schools will receive an additional $858,000 annually. The district told The Times Reporter that Dover has not seen an increase in property values of this magnitude in more than 20 years. It would have been Dover’s third attempt to get an additional operating levy approved as the district faced a more than $1 million deficit at the end of fiscal year 2020.
Akron RTA rolls out mobile ticketing
Summit County's public transit service has launched a mobile ticketing service. Akron Metro RTA riders can download the free EZfare app to purchase bus passes. EZfare is a collaboration between 12 transit agencies, including Portage, Stark and Medina. The app launch is a part of the Metro's Try Transit Week. For Tuesday, it's promoting its DASH service, a free downtown Akron shuttle that runs in a loop every 10 or 15 minutes through 11 p.m.
Details on tonight's Democratic debate
Tuesday night’s Democratic debate in Ohio will be the first time that candidate Tom Steyer will be on the stage. Steyer is a billionaire former hedge fund manager who founded the non-profit NextGen America to mobilize young voters. He told the Columbus Dispatch that Ohio is now a Republican stronghold, rather than a swing state, and that young voters are key for Democrats hoping to change that. Twelve candidates are expected to take the stage at Otterbien University in Westerville, that largest televised presidential debate ever. WKSU will have live coverage of the debate starting at 8 p.m.
Med pot dispensaries to open following settlement
An Ohio medical marijuana dispensary owner will open three more locations after reaching a settlement in a lawsuit with the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. A judge ordered Greenleaf Apothecaries to return $13 million it received in a partnership with marijuana company Acreage Holdings. It will also pay a $300,000 fine. The state said the management deal was illegal because Acreage Holdings isn't licensed to operate in Ohio. The lawsuit halted the launch of The Botanist dispensaries in Cleveland, Akron and Columbus. They'll open once final inspections are completed. Two other dispensaries in Canton and Wickliffe are already up and running.
Cleveland launches industrial job growth initiative
Cleveland City Council has approved legislation aimed to promote industrial and manufacturing job growth. The city will spend $500,000 in federal development funding to partner with the Cleveland Industrial Retention Initiative (CIRI), which helps makes companies aware of new technology, succession planning and workforce availability through partners including MAGNET, Greater Cleveland Partnership and Team NEO. The retention initiative group will be required to make 450 visits to more than 225 companies in Cleveland over the next year. The legislation still needs Mayor Frank Jackson’s signature.
CVNP to unveil new visitor's center
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is unveiling its new nearly $6 million visitor’s center this morning. The park broke ground on the project last January, remodeling an old general store in the historic village of Boston as the centerpiece for the project, dubbed the Boston Mills Visitor Center. It’s the first official welcome center in the park’s 43-year history. It officially opens to public next Friday.
Howe Avenue reopens as holiday season approaches
Two-way traffic on Howe Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls has resumed ahead of the holiday shopping season. The $6 million project to repave the one-mile stretch is on pause until the spring with completion slated for next fall. Since May, the eastbound lanes of Howe Avenue had been closed. Shoppers could still get to major retailers like Target and Best Buy, but had to detour through access roads.
