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Who hasn’t complained about airlines?

If we have lost bags, long delays, canceled flights, random charges and more headaches, you bet we’d like a word with customer service. Hundreds of Ohioans have elevated their complaints to the Ohio attorney general. But AG Dave Yost can’t do much — because enforcement of air travel consumer protection laws is almost solely within the jurisdiction of the federal government.

What if the federal government granted states more power?

Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation asked state attorneys general to join a program to better help the federal government and more quickly enforce the laws.

Ohio was not one of the 18 volunteers.

The AG’s office had this delightful quote about why: “It’s like bringing a Wiffle bat to a baseball game – it’s technically a bat, but it’s not very useful.”

You’d think that plastic bat would be better than nothing when it comes to airline frustration.

— Laura

Overnight Scores and Weather

Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers: José Ramírez lifts Guardians to 2-1 win over Detroit with sixth-inning homer

Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Afternoon showers return

Statehouse and Politics

Lead pipes: Ohio will get $184.3 million in money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to identify and replace lead water lines, reports Sabrina Eaton. Lead can stunt childhood brain development, damage kidneys and interfere with red blood cell production when it leaks into drinking water.

Patio smoking: As the weather turns warm and bar and restaurant outdoor patios open, state alcohol and law-enforcement agencies are again warning liquor permit holders that they cannot host any marijuana events, reports Laura Hancock. This is the second such warning in recent months.

Vaccine claims: The state medical board reinstated the license of physician Sherri Tenpenny, who found the national spotlight when she testified to state lawmakers in 2021 that COVID-19 vaccines make their recipients magnetic, “interface” with cell towers, and interfere with women’s menstrual cycles. Jake Zuckerman reports Tenpenny’s June 2021 testimony to a House legislative committee spawned lampooning attention from late-night talk show hosts and, ironically, caused enough of a spectacle to derail the trajectory of anti-vaccine legislation that was the subject of her supportive remarks.

Wrongful imprisonment: A state board on Monday approved a $1.1 million payment to a New York man who wrongfully spent more than 35 years in prison for a 1987 Cleveland murder, reports Jeremy Pelzer. Dwayne Brooks, 58, was released from prison last year after a Cuyahoga County judge held that police and prosecutors withheld police reports and witness statements from Brooks’ attorneys supporting their client’s contention that he wasn’t involved with the ambush killing of 35-year-old Clinton Arnold at Luke Easter Park in August 1987.

Northeast Ohio News

Tavion Koonce-Williams with parents — The Akron police officer who shot Tavion Koonce-Williams, above center, has been fired.Molly Walsh, cleveland.com

Officer fired: An Akron police officer who shot a 15-year-old last month was fired Monday, the same day a Summit County judge agreed to dismiss charges against the teen for carrying a fake gun. Olivia Mitchell reports Ryan Westlake’s termination was based on two recent use-of-force incidents, both occurring before he shot Tavion Koonce-Williams in the wrist on April 1.

College for sale: Notre Dame College’s land and property are now up for sale, reports Megan Sims. The century-old college and its entire 47-acre campus are listed through Howard Hanna’s Commercial Real Estate.

CIFF director: The Cleveland International Film Festival has named Hermione Malone as its new executive director, replacing Marcie Goodman, who is stepping down after nearly 25 years in the position. Joey Morona reports Malone has extensive experience in nonprofit management, strategic development, fundraising, program design and implementation.

House fire: Six people, including two firefighters and 11-month-old twins, were injured Monday in a house fire on Cleveland’s West Side, reports Olivia Mitchell. The blaze started about 9:30 a.m. at a home located in the 3600 block of West 102nd Street. Officials determined the cause of the fire was electrical and accidental.

Delinquent: A few months shy of his 19th birthday, Efrain struggled to wrap his head around how he ended up in an adult prison cell, where he’s now serving three years on attempted murder charges committed as a juvenile. He traces his devolution to a single day in December 2020, his freshman year in high school, when his 13-year-old best friend was fatally shot. Kaitlin Durbin and John Tucker write in their Delinquent series that youth are becoming adults on their first offense, without receiving any opportunities for rehabilitation.

Cost of rent: More than a third of renters in most Ohio cities are living in what the federal government deems to be unaffordable housing, reports Zachary Smith. The highest share of renters spending more than a third of their income on monthly housing costs is in Highland Heights, where 89.9% of renters spend at least 35% of their income on their rental units, with a median rent of $1,783.

Healthcare and Business

Mother’s Day emails: If you have received an email from some of your favorite brands asking if you wanted to opt out of Mother’s Day emails, you are not alone. Megan Sims reports some businesses are offering a reprieve for customers who struggle with the holiday.

Ultrasound truck: University Hospitals MacDonald Women’s Hospital has launched a mobile ultrasound unit in Portage and Lorain counties to give more pregnant women access to prenatal care, reports Julie Washington.

Top Nurses: Every year cleveland.com recognizes excellence in the nursing profession through its Top Nurses Awards. Do you know a nurse who deserves to be recognized? Someone who goes above and beyond and changes the lives of their patients and the patients’ families for the better? Nominate them for an award.

Giant Eagle new bags — Giant Eagle will start offering a new and reusable fabric bag for customers starting next week.Courtesy of Giant Eagle

Giant Eagle bags: If you’re tired of less-than-sturdy paper bags, you’re in luck. Giant Eagle will start offering free reusable grocery bags for customers next Monday that are made of fabric. Sean McDonnell reports the change is coming because shoppers were looking for a sturdier option to hold heavier items such as a gallon of milk.

Hyland CEO: Hyland Software announced Monday a new CEO while simultaneously announcing that current CEO Bill Priemer would retire. Hyland’s new CEO will be Jitesh Ghai, who currently is chief product officer at another software company called Informatica, based in Redwood City, California, reports Sean McDonnell.

Crime and Courts

2-year-old dead: No arrests have been made after a 2-year-old fatally shot himself Sunday at his home in Euclid, reports Olivia Mitchell.

OSU stadium: Officials said Monday they’re working to identify a person who fell from the stands in Ohio Stadium and died during Ohio State University’s graduation ceremony on Sunday, reports Andrew Tobias.

Arts and Entertainment

Ask Lucas: How can you persuade your friend to kick the weird guy out of the group camping trip? Lucas Daprile writes that the “weird guy” obviously hasn’t been properly initiated and that’s why he feels so insecure around his new group.

Cavs parties: Watch parties at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse are set for the first two games of the Cavaliers’ playoff series vs. Boston. Marc Bona reports the No. 4 seed Cavs will take on the No. 1 seed Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The first two games are today and Thursday at TD Garden in Boston.

Marathon relaxation: Ben Bebenroth, who runs Boom’s Pizza, Spice Catering and other foodie ventures, sprints through his days, from kitchen, cooking, gardening and everything else associated with his restaurant ventures. His relaxing time? Long-distance running, when he can slow his life to a marathoner’s pace, reports Marc Bona.

Bop Stop: Skye LaRae Culinary Services took over the kitchen at The Bop Stop in Ohio City on May 3. Paris Wolfe reports the Cleveland-based company specializes in creating culinary experiences like intimate dinners, dinner parties, cooking classes and catered events.

Nut butter: For those people who avoid nuts for allergies or personal preference, Oat Haus created a delicious spread that combines the idea of nut butter with the warm flavor of granola, reports Alex Darus.

Best Pop Tarts: Your “Best of Cleveland” team has opinions and they’re not afraid to share them. With the recent Jerry Seinfeld-helmed Netflix movie “Unfrosted” serving as a backdrop (and perhaps Saturday morning cartoons serving as inspiration!), the team ranked 21 varieties of Pop Tarts.

Stadium shows: Giant rock spectacles aren’t as prolific as they were “back in the day,” which is all the more reason to go when opportunity comes. You don’t need sports as a reason to hang with 50,000-plus of your best mates in The Land. Malcolm X Abram and Kaylee Remington list the big shows this summer.

Jacobs Pavilion: Jacobs Pavilion on the Cuyahoga River will have everything from country music to whacked-out psych-rock to space rock to contemporary folkies to headbanging metalheads to punk -- and whatever you want to call Jacob Collier. Malcolm X Abram has the full list of concerts coming to Jacob’s Pavilion in 2024 and where and how you can buy tickets.

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

Ohio AG declines to help federal government enforce airline consumer protection laws: The Wake Up for Tuesday, May 7, 2024