Good Morning, Cleveland! It's Wednesday, August 12th, and here is what you need to know.
16 inmates taken to hospital after Grafton prison lightning strike
16 inmates are in the hospital after a lightning strike at the Grafton Reintegration Center. The lightning struck Tuesday evening as the inmates walked back from dinner. Emergency crews declared a mass casualty incident at the prison, and ambulances from 3 counties rushed to the scene. 1 inmate was flown to a hospital for treatment. Prison officials say no deaths have been reported. It remains unclear why the inmates were outside while storms were in the area.
Semi-truck crash knocks out power for thousands in Lakewood
A semi-truck crash knocked out power for thousands of Lakewood residents Tuesday afternoon. Cleveland police say the crash happened around 2:30 p.m. in West Park. The truck struck multiple utility poles, bringing down poles and power lines and causing at least 8,000 FirstEnergy customers in Lakewood to lose power. The downed poles also caused damage to several cars parked on the street. FirstEnergy says power was restored shortly after 3 p.m. Cleveland police say the driver of the semi-truck had to be rescued from the vehicle by the fire department, but no injuries were reported.
Cuyahoga County Scam Squad gets $10K grant for teller scam tool
A new scam prevention tool is coming to bank tellers in Northeast Ohio, backed by a $10,000 grant from a nationwide consumer protection fund. The Cuyahoga County Scam Squad secured the funding to roll out a program that addresses the psychological hold schemes can have on victims. The Scam Squad worked with psychologists and crisis intervention specialists to design a questionnaire intended to help tellers reach customers who are living in another reality.
ODOT vehicles hit 69 times in 2026 amid distracted driving concerns
Ohio Department of Transportation crews are out across the state cleaning up storm damage, but a growing number of drivers are hitting their vehicles while they work. The latest crash happened in Brown County, where a driver side-swiped an ODOT truck along State Route 286. Crews were in the area to clear a downed tree. ODOT District 9 shared photos of the damage on Facebook. The incident marks the 69th time an ODOT vehicle has been struck by a driver in 2026. ODOT says crews continue to be hit at alarming rates across the state. 125 ODOT crew vehicles were hit in 2025, up from 88 incidents in 2024.
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