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The iOpener: County to Consider Scooter Bill; Big Drop in Rx Opioids; Fight Mars Cavs' Victory

A bird dockless electric scooter parked on Playhouse Square in Cleveland [Adrian Ma / ideastream]
A bird dockless electric scooter parked on Playhouse Square in Cleveland

Good morning, iOpeners. It's Tuesday, March 12, 2019. 

Cuyahoga County councilmembers will take up on Tuesday legislation that could allow electric scooters to return to Cleveland’s sidewalks. The proposed ordinance would allow the county to collect licensing fees from Bird and other operators of “dockless” bike and scooter programs.  City councilman Kerry McCormack said a city ordinance on scooters should be ready for review in the next few weeks.  Last summer, Bird dropped off more than 100 electric scooters without warning Downtown.  The company pulled the scooters after city officials ordered them removed. 

New data from Ohio’s Board of Pharmacy shows the number of prescribed opioids in the state fell dramatically over the last five years. About 467.6 million doses of pain pills like OxyContin were prescribed in 2017, down 41 percent from 2012.  The information was pulled from a database established in 2006 to fight opioid addiction.

Supporters of the father of Aniya Day-Garrett joined him in Euclid to mark the one-year anniversary of the 4-year-old girl’s death. Mickhal Garrett carried his daughter’s ashes and wore pink, his daughter’s favorite color.   Some in attendance had earlier held a rally outside the administrative offices of Cuyahoga County in downtown Cleveland, demanding further changes at the Department of Children and Family Services, whose caseworkers had missed signs of Aniya’s abuse. Sierra Day, the girl’s mother, and Deonte Lewis, Day’s boyfriend, were convicted last week of murdering the girl.    

Ohio Senate president Larry Obhof is signaling a willingness to change the state’s method of executing inmates on death row. The Republican from Medina said lawmakers need to decide on possible alternatives.  Gov. Mike DeWine has delayed four executions and has ordered a review of the state’s lethal-injection method after a federal judge  ruled it was likely an unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment, akin to waterboarding.

The Cavaliers stunned the playoffs-bound Toronto Raptors, 126-101 at the Q. The victory was marred by a fight, which came at the end of the third quarter when the Cavs lead by 14 points.  Toronto’s Serge Ibaka and the Cavs’ Marquese Chriss were ejected and face possible suspensions.

The New York Islanders blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets, 2-0. CBJ coach John Tortorella said the Jackets had at least 65 shot attempts, 31 of which went on goal.  None of them went in.

Weather forecast: Sunny, high 38. Tonight, increasing clouds.  Low 31.  Tomorrow, Wednesday, cloudy and warmer, with a 30 percent chance of showers.  High 50.

Expertise: Hosting live radio, writing and producing newscasts, Downtown Cleveland, reporting on abortion, fibersheds, New York City subway system, coffee