"What Happened Now?" is a lively roundup and analysis of the top stories of the day in Northeast Ohio from News 5's Joe Donatelli. It’s like getting the news from a friend who says we sure could use a man like James Garfield again -- those were the days.
The timing of the Cleveland schools announcement is probably just a total coincidence: One day after Mayor Justin Bibb, who’s in charge of Cleveland public schools, was reelected, Cleveland public schools announced a plan to close 23 buildings and operate 29 fewer schools in a bid to stave off a $150 million deficit. This is major. And you know it’s major because if it wasn’t, Bibb and CMSD CEO Warren Morgan would have announced it before the mayoral election, when voters could have registered their approval/disgust.
- Cleveland.com reports: “Morgan acknowledged the deep disruption that school closings will cause, but he said the district cannot maintain a system built for twice as many students as it now serves. Since 2000, CMSD’s enrollment has dropped by more than 50%, from 70,000 students in 2000 to 34,000 today.” Central office and administrative cuts have yet to be made.
- Signal Cleveland reports: “One surprise that elicited an audible gasp from audience members was that the district plans to merge Collinwood and Glenville high schools and construct a new building, which is expected to open in 2031.”
- Ideastream reports: “Newly re-elected Cleveland City Councilmember Mike Polensek was livid about the recommendation to merge Collinwood with Glenville High School. After the meeting Thursday, he called for the board of ed to become an elected body instead of one appointed by the mayor. He said the district is continuing to deprive the East Side of opportunities for children.”
- If you’re interested in critical coverage of the school district, I recommend Polly Karr’s Substack. She has not posted yet, but I look forward to reading whatever she has to say about last night.
I hate to give Pennsylvania credit for anything: But you have to hand it to this small Pittsburgh college for offering merit scholarships to Ohio students willing to flee the state because of Senate Bill 1 and program cuts. Well-played, for a state that is annoying to drive through and makes it unnecessarily difficult to buy alcohol.
Here’s that JD Vance donor story that’s getting shared a lot: This Washington Post article is about the Rockbridge Network, a secretive political organization that aims to create a lasting MAGA movement beyond Donald Trump. If you ever hear the word “aristopopulism,” this article is probably why.
Way too close to home: “Investigators say a third Michigan man is now facing charges in a plot to stage a terror attack on Halloween. He traveled to Cedar Point, an amusement park in Ohio, to scout the location,” reports the Associated Press. “Investigators say a computer at the home of Nasser and Ali revealed that someone had searched ‘is it crowded on halloweekend’ at the amusement park. Cedar Point, an amusement park near Cleveland, Ohio, hosted special Halloween hours this past month. Tony Clark, a spokesperson for Cedar Point, confirmed that individuals connected with the plot visited its property, and the park assisted the FBI with its investigation.”
Good for you, Swensons: From Nov. 5-12, Swensons is offering a complimentary kids meal to households relying on SNAP who have been impacted by the government shutdown.
Cuyahoga County government turf war: “A fight is brewing inside Cuyahoga County government over who should have authority over county contracts and legal advice, pitting Prosecutor Michael O’Malley against County Executive Chris Ronayne and his law department in a battle that may ultimately have to be decided in court or by voters,” reports Cleveland.com.
I am a President Garfield fan: This is for a couple of reasons. 1.) He is from Northeast Ohio. 2.) I read the Candice Millard book about his assassination, which is excellent, and he comes off as a solid guy. 3.) Garfield didn’t want to be president but was well-qualified and loved his country, which are all admirable traits in a chief executive. I bring all this up because today I learned in Cleveland magazine that there is a Netflix miniseries inspired by Millard’s book, and that during its production, the James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor was consulted. That’s probably the coolest thing that can happen at a historic site after it did whatever it was that made it historic.
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