Good Morning, Cleveland! It's Thursday, August 20th, and here is what you need to know.
FirstEnergy CEO says Lakewood's power grid must be fully replaced
Frustration is growing in Lakewood over persistent power outages, and the city's aging power grid needs a major overhaul. FirstEnergy's CEO spoke at an event Wednesday and told a Lakewood city councilman the grid must be fully replaced to fix the outages. The project will cost hundreds of millions of dollars and will take seven to nine years to complete. Lakewood City Councilman Tom Bullock says crews have been patching the system for decades, even using lawn sprinklers to cool down substations. Bullock is urging residents and business owners to keep filing complaints against FirstEnergy. The company has a Friday deadline to reply to the state about the outages.
Garfield Heights police chase ends in crash, injuring suspect and innocent driver
A driver in a silver SUV sped away from Garfield Heights police on Turney Road around 11 p.m. The fleeing driver crashed into another vehicle at the intersection of McCracken and Turney roads. A witness told News 5 he was stopped at a red light and pulled over to get out of the way to avoid the chase. Paramedics took the handcuffed suspect and at least one person from the other car to the hospital. Their conditions are not known.
Ohio BMV changes gender marker update process for driver's licenses and IDs
The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles has changed the process for updating the gender marker on a state driver's license or ID, impacting many LGBTQ Ohioans. The BMV confirms it is no longer accepting the declaration of gender change form, saying it is no longer compatible with state code. Anyone wanting to change their gender on their ID will now need an updated birth certificate as proof of gender change. LGBTQ activists say the change was made with no warning and will make the process much more difficult. According to Equality Ohio, name changes are not being impacted by this change and can still be completed with a court order. Anyone who already holds an updated birth certificate can use it to update their gender marker.
Cuyahoga County launches 'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over' campaign
Law enforcement agencies across Cuyahoga County launched a new "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign this week. Officials gathered under the Superman statue in downtown Cleveland to deliver a simple message: you do not have to be Superman to be a hero. Cleveland Police have already issued 150 citations and arrests for impaired driving this year. The county medical examiner says impaired driving kills about one person every week in Cuyahoga County. To help bring that number down, Cleveland Police will set up sobriety checkpoints throughout the year.
Cavaliers trade Max Strus to Clippers, acquire Peyton Watson in 5-team deal
The Cleveland Cavaliers traded Max Strus to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a five-team NBA offseason deal, acquiring Peyton Watson from the Denver Nuggets in return. Watson averaged nearly 15 points per game for Denver last season. He will reportedly sign a four-year contract with the Cavaliers worth almost $90 million. Strus will join former Cavaliers teammate Darius Garland in Los Angeles.
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