A month later, we’re still waiting for a Supreme Court redistricting ruling: The Wake Up

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It will be cold today, with highs staying in the low 20s. Snow showers are likely, with the Cleveland area getting about an inch, but the snow belt could see 3 to 5 inches. Temps will climb into the upper 30s over the weekend, with sunshine Saturday but rain and snow showers Sunday. Read more.

NFL: Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. Sunday, FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland. TV: WJW Channel 8. Radio: WKRK FM/92.3, WNCX FM/98.5, WKNR AM/850.

Supreme Court: As the state waits for rulings in redistricting cases in front of the Ohio Supreme Court, the lack of a decision has left many in limbo, with candidate filing deadlines rapidly approaching. Nearly a month after oral arguments in a case about state legislative districts – and just more than a week after arguments about congressional districts – many of the principals of the lawsuits said they still have no clarity on when a ruling might come down, reports Seth Richardson.

A new Ohio law over the summer prevents local governments from charging customers for a shopping bag or other container in stores, but it isn’t stopping Cuyahoga County from banning single-use plastic bags. We’re talking about the pandemic-delayed program, which the county expects to restart this year, on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.

Insurrection: President Joe Biden on Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of a rampage through the U.S. Capitol by supporters of defeated former U.S. President Donald Trump by delivering a speech at the Capitol that decried false election-fraud claims spread by Trump and urged the nation to abandon them. Sabrina Eaton reports the riot resulted in several deaths and criminal charges against more than 700 attackers, including 36 Ohioans.

Senate candidates: A new statement from state Sen. Matt Dolan commemorating the one-year anniversary of the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol stands well apart from the rest of the Republicans running for an open U.S. Senate seat in Ohio. Andrew Tobias reports most candidates have downplayed the attack or criticized the official response to it, while Dolan’s statement calls the events an “attack on American democracy, our Constitution and the rule of law.”

Remaining threat: Michael Chertoff, a former U.S. Homeland Security secretary, on Thursday argued that the nation needs to build an architecture to block future U.S. politicians from trying to use their power to remain in office after they’ve lost elections, Sabrina Eaton reports. Chertoff says the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol posed a more profound threat to democracy than the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks even though the later event caused fewer deaths.

COVID-19 task force: Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb Thursday announced he is launching a COVID-19 task force to monitor pandemic trends, encourage residents to get vaccinated, and offer policy advice to help tamp down the spread of illness. Courtney Astolfi reports the task force will be comprised of at least 22 representatives from a variety of backgrounds, including leaders of major local health institutions, the city, county, and various community groups.

Snowy owls: While it’s common for at least one or two snowy owls to visit the Cleveland area each year, the turnout this time has been exceptional, reports Peter Krouse. Good places to look for the wintering raptors are the marinas along the lakefront, where they hang out along the break walls.

CMSD: Cleveland Metropolitan School District is returning to in-person instruction Monday following a week of virtual learning because of the COVID-19 coronavirus, Cameron Fields reports.

Traffic crashes: NOACA – the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency – crunches traffic data in the counties it serves (Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina). In 2019, there were nearly 50,300 roadway crashes in those five counties, reports Robert Higgs. Fatalities (134) were up by 22 from 2018. Crashes involving serious injuries (1,337) increased by 303 from 2018.

Opportunity Corridor: Cuyahoga County recently approved $500,000 in life support to help build a cold storage facility along Opportunity Corridor that officials say is critical to fulfilling the roadway project’s promise of creating jobs and attracting new development to the area, Kaitlin Durbin reports.

Home sales: Eric Heisig has a list of every home sale and price in December in Cuyahoga County. Statewide, real estate agents have said they are seeing signs of a stabilizing housing market that was competitive for more than a year, with more homes going on the market in recent months. However, prices have generally continued to rise.

Snow soon? A winter weather advisory is in effect this morning for much of the snow belt in Northeast Ohio, with forecasters saying 3 to 5 inches of snow could be on the ground by tonight. Cliff Pinckard reports the heaviest snow is expected during the morning commute.

Cases per population: Ohio’s average coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents on Thursday was 1,818.8, up from last week’s 1,364.7, Laura Hancock reports. The number of cases per 100,000 residents in Cuyahoga County dropped to 2,472.6 from last week’s 3,023. Last week, Cuyahoga County led the state. Now it’s No. 2, following Erie County’s 2,869.4.

Daily cases: The state of Ohio on Wednesday reported 19,442 new cases of COVID-19, reports Julie Washington. That’s not a record, but it is the sixth highest total reported for a single day. All the higher totals have occurred since Dec. 28, the record being 20,598 on Dec. 31.

School surge: Following a big surge around the holidays, Northeast Ohio schools are leading the state with the most new COVID-19 cases among students and staff, Alexis Oatman reports. Solon City Schools reported the most COVID-19 cases among students and staff throughout Ohio. Mentor Exempted Village Schools, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and Brunswick City Schools also were among the Northeast Ohio school districts in the top 10.

Ponzi scheme: A former financial adviser admitted Thursday to her role in what federal prosecutors called a Ponzi scheme that fleeced 54 investors out of $9.3 million. Tara Brunst, 47, of Olmsted Falls, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to five charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud and mail fraud. She faces eight to 14 months in prison, reports John Caniglia.

Ski woes: Boston Mills ski resort will finally open for the season on Friday with limited hours, but its sister resorts in the area, Brandywine and Alpine Valley, will stay closed due to ongoing staffing shortages, reports Sean McDonnell. After warm weather delayed the ski season until January, the resorts are having trouble filling jobs advertised as $11.25 an hour.

Travel: Last January, during those darkest days of COVID, Susan Glaser had more optimism than she does now. But we’ve been told we’re going to have to live with this virus for years. And travel, to Susan, is part of living. Worrying, of course, is part of living too. She writes about her family trip to Florida.

Orchestra cancellation: Prompted by record numbers of COVID-19 cases and the high rate of transmission in Cuyahoga County, the Cleveland Orchestra announced the postponement of its 2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert and Community Day open house. Zachary Lewis reports that the event, originally spread across Sunday and Monday, Jan. 16-17, will now take place at Severance Music Center on a single day, Saturday, June 4. It will remain free and open to the public.

Things go do: Maybe it’s cold outside, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t leave your house and have some fun this weekend. Joey Morona has 15 things to do, both indoors and out, starting with Disney on Ice.

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