Good Morning, Cleveland! It's Wednesday, May 27th, and here is what you need to know.
Dom and Davion's Law: Sister of victim pushes to block killers from profiting on victims' tragedies
A Northeast Ohio woman is turning her family's loss into advocacy, pushing for legal changes after the deaths of her brother and his friend following a Strongsville car crash caused by convicted killer Mackenzie Shirilla. Christine Russo has launched a petition calling on lawmakers to modernize laws that would block violent offenders from profiting on victims' tragedies through social media and other means. The Change.org petition, created in collaboration with the nonprofit Silver Lining of Hope Incorporated, has garnered nearly 60,000 signatures. It calls for legislation dubbed "Dom and Davion's Law" — Victims Before Influencers. Russo's brother, 20-year-old Dominic Russo, and his friend, 19-year-old Davion Flanagan, were killed in 2022. Prosecutors say Mackenzie Shirilla intentionally drove 100 miles per hour directly into a building. Shirilla survived and is now serving two concurrent sentences of 15 years to life in prison for the crimes.
West Main Street to reopen this week in Geneva
Geneva's West Main Street is set to fully reopen later this week, the city's manager said. New video shows orange cones still lining West Main Street, but major progress has been made. Crews are scheduled to put in the road lines as soon as Wednesday, and West Main Street will reopen shortly after that. The reopening is welcome news for businesses in the area, which have dealt with more than 600 days of construction.
Mentor teen still standing at Scripps National Spelling Bee
Mentor's Tia Geisler is the last Northeast Ohio speller standing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee after advancing through the first 3 rounds of competition. Geisler correctly spelled "xerogel" in Round 1 and continued advancing through Rounds 2 and 3 yesterday. She will compete in Round 4 later this morning. Three other Northeast Ohio spellers were eliminated in Round 1. Lauren Bannick, a seventh grader from Oberlin, was eliminated on the word "sufi." Tommy Schervish, a seventh grader from Canton, was eliminated on the word "aglaia." Esther Lin, an eighth grader at Revere Middle School in Akron, was eliminated on the word "tillamook."
South Lorain park seeking local artists
A South Lorain neighborhood park is looking for local artists to create a public mural, and organizers say ties to the community give applicants an edge. Raise Up — formerly known as Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority — opened the park near Southside Gardens at 30th and Vine to serve as a safe space for families in the neighborhood. Now, the organization is pushing to add public art to the space. Organizers say applicants do not need painting experience to apply. Applications are due at the end of this month.
Warren Road entrance ramp to I-90 eastbound closed for 45 days
The Ohio Department of Transportation has closed the entrance ramp from Warren Road to I-90 Eastbound for 45 days to allow crews to continue work on a $173 million rehabilitation project. Like other area ramps, crews will perform a complete pavement replacement along the Warren Road ramp from the ground up. In addition to ramp closures, contraflow lanes stretching from Wagar Road to West 73rd Street are also in place. Those lanes allow eastbound traffic to travel on the westbound side of the interstate and will remain until November.
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Traffic impact
Work continues in Lorain County along Interstate 90. Crews are replacing pavement and will add an extra lane in each direction on the interstate between the Ohio Turnpike and the State Route 611 interchange. The following closures will be in place overnight:
- The I-90 westbound left lane from just west of SR 83 to the I-90/SR 2 split will be closed tonight between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m.
- On Thursday from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. the I-90 eastbound left lane will be closed.
- On Friday from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., the I-90 eastbound left lane will be closed.
The I-271 northbound ramp to U.S. 422 eastbound will be closed over the weekend for pavement repairs. The closure begins Friday at 7 p.m. and will last through Monday at 6 a.m. For the detour, drivers will need to continue on I-271, turnaround at Harvard Rd., and take the I-271 southbound ramp to U.S. 422 eastbound.
View our News 5 Traffic Map to see any road closures or delays due to weather or crashes.
