Lakewood Local Schools’ new superintendent begins August 1
Lakewood Local Schools approved Heather Hedgepeth as superintendent at a special meeting on April 16. Her official start date is August 1, 2026, just before the 2026-27 school year.
Ohio
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Ohio families have until Aug. 14 to apply for 2026 Summer EBT benefits
Ohio families can apply through midnight Aug. 14 for a one-time $120 Summer EBT grocery benefit per eligible child. Many children qualify automatically, but others must apply through the state portal.
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Ohio’s back-to-school sales-tax holiday returns Friday for three days
Ohio’s sales-tax holiday runs from Aug. 7 through Aug. 9, 2026, with exemptions limited to qualifying clothing, school supplies and instructional materials.
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Ohio schools faced an Aug. 1 deadline for new attendance policies. What families should expect
Ohio districts had to adopt new attendance policies by Aug. 1, changing when families are notified, what supports schools offer and how absences are counted.
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Columbus City Council opens process to appoint replacement city auditor
Columbus City Council has released an eligible-candidate list and invited finalists to a public hearing as it moves to fill the city auditor position after Megan Kilgore’s departure.
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Ohio governor calls planned deportations of Haitians a ‘mistake,’ citing danger in Haiti
Gov. Mike DeWine said in Columbus that planned deportations of Haitians would be a mistake, citing Haiti’s political disorder, danger to returnees and potential economic harm in Ohio.
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Cleveland councilman challenges federal grantmaking process in letter to OMB
Cleveland City Councilman Brian Kazy submitted a three-page letter to OMB Director Russell Vought raising concerns about what the Council described as a potential political takeover of federal grantmaking.
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Ohio Supercomputer Center seeks 10 students for 2026 AI research experience
The Ohio Supercomputer Center is recruiting 10 Ohio postsecondary students for a summer 2026 AI research program with university teams.
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Ohio, Justice Department propose settlement over OhioHealth insurer contract terms
Ohio and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a proposed antitrust settlement with OhioHealth that would bar enforcement of contract terms alleged to limit insurers’ ability to direct patients to lower-cost care.
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Cleveland Clinic and IBM forum spotlights AI and quantum computing in biomedical research
Cleveland Clinic and IBM convened more than 30 speakers for their third annual Cleveland Discovery and Innovation Forum, focused on AI and quantum computing in healthcare and life-sciences research.
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Ohio Attorney General makes statewide felony arrest and sentencing data tool public
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has announced public access to an online tool compiling statewide felony arrest and sentencing data, describing it as a resource for public understanding, policymaking and accountability.
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Ohio ranked No. 1 state for business in CNBC’s 2026 assessment
CNBC placed Ohio first in its 2026 America’s Top States for Business study, the state’s first time at the top of the ranking since the study began in 2007.
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Columbus zoning approval clears 419-unit mixed-use development in Italian Village
Columbus City Council’s rezoning of 6.94 acres at 274 E. 1st Ave. took effect July 22, allowing an urban-center mixed-use development described as having 419 dwelling units.
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Cleveland seeks consultant for 2.8-mile East 55th Street safety and mobility rebuild
Cleveland requested consultant proposals for a planned redesign of East 55th Street between Outhwaite Avenue and North Marginal Road, including a center turn lane, separated bike lanes and crossing upgrades.
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Columbus City Council schedules Aug. 10 hearing on police Flock camera audit
Columbus City Council is scheduled to review an audit of the Division of Police’s use of Flock Safety automated license-plate reader cameras at a 4 p.m. hearing Monday, Aug. 10.
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Cleveland back-to-school festival set for Aug. 8 with 3,000 free kits planned
Cleveland and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District plan to hold their 2026 Back-to-School Festival on Aug. 8, with 3,000 free kits planned and 148 organizations committed.
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Ohio school districts face Aug. 1 deadline for student-absence policies
Every Ohio school district board is required to adopt a student-absence policy by Aug. 1, 2026, setting local family-notification procedures and intervention supports.
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Ohio’s 2026 election calendar flags Aug. 4 as a possible special-election date
Ohio’s Secretary of State lists Aug. 4, 2026, as a possible special-election date. The statewide schedule does not show that every county will hold a contest; Nov. 3 remains the statewide general election date.
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Columbus lists July 2026 target for Circuit 7221 grid-conversion work
Columbus’ Power CIPs program says it expected a July 2026 notice to proceed for Phase 1 of the Circuit 7221 voltage-conversion project, with construction anticipated to take about 15 months.
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Ohio candidate-petition deadline arrives August 4 for the November general election
Ohio’s official 2026 election calendar identifies Aug. 4 as a petition-filing deadline tied to the Nov. 3 general election. The deadline does not itself establish that a candidate has qualified for the ballot.
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Port of Cleveland advances financing for 80-unit mixed-income project in Hough
The Port of Cleveland board approved financing actions for Gateway 66, a planned mixed-income development expected to include 80 affordable housing units on East 66th Street in Hough.
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Columbus City Council to review Flock camera audit tied to immigration-enforcement concerns
Columbus City Council is scheduled to hold a 4 p.m. oversight hearing Aug. 10 on an audit involving the Columbus Division of Police’s use of Flock license-plate-reader cameras and questions about the system’s role in federal immigration enforcement.