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A Call With My Parents:

Part II

Mom, Dad, and Walter (photo courtesy of Walter Checefsky)

A Call With My Parents: Part II

by Bruce Checefsky

I worried about visiting my parents for the Memorial Day weekend because of COVID19. I hadn’t seen them since last December. They live in northeastern Pennsylvania. We weighed the risks, watched the weather forecast carefully so any visit would remain strictly outdoors. I rented a hotel for two nights nearby in a renovated 1930s train station. A few days before driving the seven hours east to visit, I still had my doubts. I was uncomfortable knowing that I might have been exposed to the virus and not know it. Both my parents are 89-years old and their health is what you might expect at that age.

I phoned dad to ask him what he thought.

“I have old A.G.E,” he said with humor uniquely his own. “Whatever you decide is fine.”

Lead tests for children plummet in Cleveland; advocates worry about long-term fallout

This story is provided by ideastream as part of special community coverage of COVID-19 and funded by Third Federal Foundation and University Settlement.

By Rachel Dissell

CLEVELAND, Ohio — State shutdown orders meant to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus have created a double-whammy of lead poisoning risk for young children in Cleveland.

Many of these children are spending more time in homes with potential lead hazards, and fewer are getting tested to see if they’ve been exposed to the toxin.

Mayor Jackson & County Executive Budish to Mandate Use of Masks Throughout City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County

by Tatyana Mcknight July 3, 2020 0 Comments

Ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, Mayor Frank G. Jackson today signed an order requiring the use of masks, among other things, throughout the City of Cleveland. Click here to view the order. Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish announced his intent to bring before Cuyahoga County Council legislation next week mandating the use of masks in the county’s public spaces.

“The spike in coronavirus cases across the City of Cleveland warrants the mandated use of masks,” said Mayor Jackson. “If Clevelanders do not heed these critical warnings and prevention efforts, the effects will be disastrous to the economy and, most importantly, to individuals and families. No one is immune to this virus.”

Your Voice Ohio: Will You Help Shape Ohio 2020 Election Coverage?

by Doug Oplinger

Your Voice Ohio

The uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing protests for racial justice, concern for how the economic recession will affect businesses, families, and communities, and the overwhelming amount of misinformation circulating online about everything from vaccines to voting have already made 2020 a year unlike any other.

Not surprisingly, people are stressed as they sort through unprecedented volumes of information (some of it intentionally misleading), worry about how to be safe and healthy, and pay the bills.

Amidst this turbulent landscape, reliable information related to the 2020 presidential election has become increasingly urgent and important. In an effort to meet the information needs of Ohioans, more than 40 news organizations in the Your Voice Ohio media collaborative, including The Tremonster, will work together over the next five months to provide relevant, important information regarding the 2020 presidential election.

Ohio Supreme Court Green Lights Fast-Track Process That Gives Homes to Developers But Fails to Compensate Owners and Taxpayers

Ohio Supreme Court (Photo courtesy of *Eye on Ohio*)

In 2019, Taxpayers lost at least $11.25 million, While Homeowners and Banks lost up to $77 Million, But Title to Revamped Houses Remains Sound

US Supreme Court Blocked Trump Administration from Ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program

by Joseph C. Fungsang

Today, June 18, 2020, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States blocked the Trump administration from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, thus preserving protections for hundreds of thousands of DACA beneficiaries in the United States today.

The Supreme Court held that it has the jurisdiction to review the DACA program, which was first announced under President Barack Obama in 2012. The Supreme Court also held that the Trump administration’s decision to terminate the DACA program in 2017 was “arbitrary and capricious,” or illegal, under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) because the government failed to consider all required aspects of the DACA program before ending it. Specifically, the Supreme Court determined that the Trump administration failed to reasonably explain its reasons for determining that the DACA program is illegal and also failed to adequately consider DACA recipients’ reliance on the DACA program.

City of Cleveland extends curfew through 8 p.m. on June 2

Here is the full update about the City of Cleveland’s extension of the curfew through 8 p.m. on June 2 and affected area. For more info and maps: https://bit.ly/2zP7vWn

City of Cleveland Curfew Updated 9:52 am, May 31, 2020

Families weigh the risks of sending a loved one to a nursing home during the coronavirus pandemic

By Ginger Christ and Rachel Dissell

Data analysis and Graphics by Cid Standifer

This article provided by Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism. Please join our free mailing list as this helps us provide more public service reporting.

In early March, just as Ohioans were learning about the first cases of novel coronavirus in the state, Anna Bondar’s grandfather fell at his Cleveland home.

Luckily, the 92-year old, who lives with dementia, wasn’t injured badly.

The tight-knit family started to discuss the possibility of a nursing home, though they had serious reservations.

Uphill battle Ohio job seekers face

Buckeyes Battle Uneven Playing Field; COVID-19 exacerbates trends; Women and Young Workers Hit Particularly Hard

By Kevin Williams

Graphics by Cid Standifer

This public service journalism article provided by nonprofit nonpartisan Eye on Ohio, the Ohio Center for Investigative Journalism.

Carmine Ballard graduated from The Ohio State University in 2016, with two Bachelor of Arts degrees— one in Psychology, another in Women’s and Gender Studies. Ballard’s parents helped them through college— paying their tuition. Yet, despite that, Ballard still ended up with about $10,000 worth of federal student loans by graduation, for living expenses during college.

Ballard graduated with a 3.0 average, and made the dean’s list several times. Ballard planned to get into counseling and spaces that served minorities and other at risk populations.

However, after more than twenty-five applications and interviews that didn’t go anywhere, Carmine, short on cash after three months of applying, ended up taking a food service job to make ends meet. The $114 a month for their student loan repayment was too much to handle with very little income, so Ballard’s parents continued to help out.

“When I tried to apply for jobs, I just wouldn’t hear back. I couldn’t even get a job doing clerical work,” said Ballard.