The Cleveland Division of Police’s (CDP) use of force reporting and community engagement before and during the May 30 social justice protest in Downtown Cleveland are under scrutiny by the federal monitor overseeing the city’s police reform efforts. In a review of 29 officers’ use of force reports from May 30, the monitor found officers didn’t record the quantity of non-lethal munitions that were fired, making it hard to evaluate whether excessive force was used.

For decades, Club Azteca was a place for meetings and celebrations for Cleveland’s Mexican American communities. But the now-vacant building has been proposed for demolition. Members of Cleveland’s Latinx communities gathered in front of the club Wednesday hoping to stop its destruction. “There is a growing movement nationwide to preserve historic places for communities of color because ours are always just erased while other narratives are saved,” said Veronica Dahlberg, executive director of HOLA Ohio.

Voters in Woodmere Village removed the council president and two other council members in a recall election Tuesday, according to unofficial tallies posted by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. Council President Jennifer Mitchell Earley lost her seat by 13 votes. Councilwomen Lisa Brockwell and Glenda Todd Miller lost by seven votes and four votes, respectively. The only council member to withstand Tuesday’s vote was Craig D. Wade, who held onto his seat by two votes.

Students at Akron Public Schools will begin a return to in-person learning a week ahead of schedule, but still after the state’s March 1 deadline. The school board approved the decision Monday. The original reopening plan had students back in the classroom March 22.

MetroHealth broke ground this week on new affordable rental units and a job training center on Cleveland's west side.

Updated: 4:50 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021 Confirmation of the new Cuyahoga County sheriff, Christopher Viland, hit a snag Monday when details about who he’ll report to and his office’s independence raised concerns from several county council members at a committee hearing. By Tuesday’s full council meeting, Council President Pernel Jones decided to hold the vote on Viland’s nomination until March 9. Jones asked the county law director to write an ordinance spelling out the sheriff’s independence more clearly.

Updated: 3:28 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021 A federal grand jury has indicted Cleveland City Councilman Ken Johnson on charges that he conspired to steal city money and federal community development dollars, according to U.S. District Court documents unsealed Tuesday. Johnson was arrested Tuesday morning and pleaded not guilty by videoconference in federal court in the afternoon.

The combined efforts of the City of Cleveland, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and MetroHealth System have already gotten the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to 100 people at the largest homeless shelter in Ohio — and hundreds more are at the ready. MetroHealth received about 1,000 vaccine doses for the effort, which began Friday at the Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry Men’s Shelter and will completely vaccinate 500 people, said MetroHealth family physician Dr. Michael Seidman.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) wants to combat misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine by hosting town halls targeting specific, underserved communities and their questions over the next two weeks. “It is important to share reliable, factual information about COVID-19 vaccines with all Ohioans,” said ODH Director Stephanie McCloud in an emailed statement.

The pandemic has kept most Cleveland students and teachers at a distance, but wraparound service providers are finding their way to students and families in need, even if it means showing up on their front porch.