Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald is preparing to replace running mate Eric Kearney, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Kearney, a state senator from Cincinnati, has been under increasing pressure to drop out of the race following multiple media reports that uncovered he, his wife and his business owe up to $826,000 in unpaid taxes. FitzGerald is running against Republican Gov. John Kasich in 2014.
Streetcar supporters will seek a city charter amendment that would task Cincinnati with continuing the $132.8 million streetcar project. Supporters say the amendment will act as a back-up plan if Mayor John Cranley and City Council decide to strike down the project after completion and cancellation costs are reviewed through an independent audit. But the Federal Transit Administration says the city would lose up to $44.9 million in federal funding — roughly one-third of the streetcar project — if the city government doesn’t agree to continue with the streetcar before Dec. 19. If the charter amendment gets enough valid signatures to appear on the ballot, voters could decide on the issue as late as May.
Cincinnati’s winter shelter opened today and will remain open through February, according to the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition. The opening comes after winter storms covered Cincinnati’s streets in ice and snow and sparked a citywide snow emergency over the weekend. The colder conditions will continue into the week, according to the National Weather Service. It was originally unclear whether the shelter would be able to open for its traditional two-to-three months, but a $30,000 contribution from City Council helped pave the way forward.
The woman who was struck by a police cruiser in Over-the-Rhine last month filed a lawsuit alleging the officer deliberately deleted the dashboard camera video of the collision and lied when he claimed his emergency lights and siren were on. The camera stopped recording for about three minutes right before Officer Orlando Smith hit Natalie Cole with his cruiser. Police say the camera malfunctioned. But the incident was the second time Smith’s camera stopped working in the past year; previously, the camera failed to record during a shooting that left one suspect dead and another wounded. CityBeat covered the issues surrounding cruiser cameras in further detail here.
Councilman Charlie Winburn says the city wastefully purchased and dumped 2,000 tons of road salt. Although other council members on the Budget and Finance Committee appeared cautious of Winburn’s accusations, he asked the city administration to investigate the issue.
Ohioans can now enroll in an expanded Medicaid program, which covers anyone up to 138 percent of the poverty level, or an annual income of $15,856.20 or less. In October, a seven-member legislative panel accepted federal funds to pay for expanded Medicaid eligibility for two years despite resistance from the Republican-controlled Ohio legislature.
The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber named a new president and CEO.
The rover Curiosity found a former lake on Mars.
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