Mental health need is so great, families are waiting six months for appointments: The

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Weather

This week’s weather forecast brings a mix of temperatures and precipitation as Northeast Ohio transitions to spring. The National Weather Service’s forecast says it will be cold and breezy on Monday, with lingering snow showers, before warming up into the 60s by Wednesday. We’ll end the week with early morning rain showers and mild temperatures. Read more

The headlines

Therapy shortage: In the third year of the pandemic, the need for mental health services is huge. Yet Julie Washington reports the shortage of therapists in Greater Cleveland means adults, children and families often wait four to six months for appointments. The uptick in demand began prior to the onset of the coronavirus and the life-altering changes that followed, but the pandemic made it worse.

Permitless carry: Will Ohio’s permitless carry gun law affect gun violence in Ohio, when the law takes effect in June? Most researchers say it’s too soon to tell whether it will increase or decrease: 19 of the 23 states (including Ohio) that have permitless carry laws passed them only in the last decade. But Jeremy Pelzer examines the data.

Today in Ohio

A coalition of voting-rights groups fighting gerrymandered Republican congressional districts has backed down from an Ohio Supreme Court case because of the tight election timeline. The groups, including the League of Women Voters and the ACLU, cited the time litigation has taken, including what it said was intentional foot-dragging by state Republicans. We’re talking about giving up on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.

Statehouse & politics

Redistricting lawsuit: The backlash within Ohio’s political left was swift after a major voting-rights group dropped its attempt to block a new Republican-drawn congressional map from taking effect in 2022, reports Andrew Tobias. The ACLU of Ohio, representing a coalition of voting-rights groups, cited the time litigation has taken, including what it said was intentional foot-dragging by state Republicans, in its decision and said it would focus on 2024.

Deadline: The Ohio Redistricting Commission has until midnight on Monday to draw new state legislative maps in time for the May 3 election. Members were considering three sets of rough draft maps on Sunday, Andrew Tobias reports.

May primary: A federal court is considering whether to order Ohio to trim its early voting period for the May 3 primary election to buy more time for the state’s stalled redistricting efforts. Andrew Tobias reports the panel of federal judges indicated they wanted more information on the impact court intervention could have on the May election while allowing the state process extra time to play out. They also expressed reluctance to use a map the state court found to be unconstitutional.

Metro

Ukrainian refugees: Global Cleveland has compiled a list of more than 100 people who can offer housing, jobs, and other services to Ukraine refugees who make their way to Cleveland, reports Sabrina Eaton. The agency estimates Northeast Ohio will eventually get 3,000 to 4,000 refugees but predicts many will return to help a devastated Ukraine rebuild.

Food banks: Inflation that has driven up prices for food and fuel for consumers has also driven up demands on food banks, reports Robert Higgs. Requests for assistance at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and others across the country spiked during the coronavirus pandemic. While they declined some in 2021, those numbers are climbing again, and higher demand, coupled with higher operating costs, is challenging food bank budgets.

COVID-19 & health

Timeline: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it will convene an advisory panel on April 6, to discuss the country’s strategy for booster shots and selecting strains of the virus for a potential dedicated COVID vaccine. Marc Bona highlights the week in COVID news in his last timeline, after two years of keeping track.

Booster shots: Moderna has asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize a second COVID-19 booster shot for Americans 18 and up, reports Julie Washington. Moderna is seeking an amendment of the FDA’s emergency use authorization to allow a fourth vaccine dose for any adults who’ve gotten one booster of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine.

Business

Home buying: The busy spring buying and selling real estate season is starting, and signs point toward prices continuing to rise. Eric Heisig reports increases in interest rates have not stopped average sale prices from increasing in all seven Greater Cleveland counties, as well as the state. Instead, a lack of homes for sale, as well as a lack of new home construction, are fueling a frustrating market.

Sale prices: Eric Heisig lists the homes that sold in February in Cuyahoga County, with the sales price of each.

Unemployment: Ohio’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.2% in February from 4.3% in January as non-farm employment increased by 6,700 jobs, reports Peter Krouse. The national unemployment rate was 3.8% in February, compared to 4% in January.

Crime

Crash: A man died early Friday in a crash that destroyed a Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority bus shelter and damaged more than a dozen cars at a Euclid dealership, reports Olivia Mitchell. Terron Everton Brown, 20, of Richmond Heights, died in the crash at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and Chardon Road in Euclid.

Police suit: A judge has ruled that the family of Luke Stewart can sue the Euclid police officer who fatally shot him in 2017. Cuyahoga County Judge Shannon Gallagher found that qualified immunity does not protect officer Matthew Rhodes from facing the wrongful death lawsuit that Stewart’s family filed in state court, reports Cory Shaffer.

Pellet guns: Westlake and other suburbs have reported an increase in shootings involving BB or pellet guns that might be tied to a viral TikTok challenge, reports Kaylee Remington. The challenge involves shooting at someone with a pellet gun — typically one that fires gel-ball pellets — and posting a video of the act on social media.

Judicial victory: A federal judge in Akron who gained attention for demanding answers on the House Bill 6 scandal has earned a victory in his yearslong fight against an appellate panel that sought to force him to take a mental-health examination. John Caniglia reports the Judicial Council of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dropped its directive that U.S. District Judge John Adams committed misconduct by refusing to take the evaluation.

Arts & entertainment

Rock off: The Tri-C High School Rock Off returned in full force to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Saturday night for its Final Exam. Bands from the east, west, and south sides of Cleveland competed throughout March to make it to the final nine vying for the grand prize of $1,000 cash and $250 towards their high school’s music program. Troy Smith reports Seeing Scarlet took the grand prize.

Rental cars: It took Susan Glaser two hours to get her rental Ford Escape in Arizona. She reports travelers should expect another spring and summer of car rental woes.

Butterflies: More than 600 butterflies will be released into the Costa Rica Glasshouse at the Cleveland Botanical Garden on Friday, Jane Morice reports. Those butterflies come from about 10 different species.

House of the Week: Built in 1925 on a serene, tree-lined street, the Rocky River colonial at 20515 Lake Road has such a classic look inside and out, it’s almost straight out of a magazine or TV series. The home includes back porch, concrete stamped patio and a lush, fenced-in backyard, priced at $599,900.

Other headlines

Elyria man dies in Carlisle…