🌱 Cleveland Mayor ARPA Fund Ideas + Gas Prices Rising + City Lawsuit

Hello there, Cleveland. I'm here in your inbox this chilly winter morning to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on around town. Because community news matters!

But first, today's weather:

A p.m. rain or snow shower. High: 42 Low: 37.

🏠 If you're a real estate agent in Cleveland, of course you're looking for a way to stand out from the crowd and attract new clients. We can help you do that with an exclusive sponsorship in the Cleveland Patch newsletter. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top four stories in Cleveland today:

1. Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announced his ideas for the next round of American Recover Act Plan (ARPA) funds, which is $40 million. Bibb's list of requests to the city council include $16.68 million for Education for Everyone, $13.5 million for Inclusive Economic Recovery, $4 million to modernize City Hall, $5.5 million for Civic Participation Fund, and $850,000 for Violence Prevention and Public Safety. Bibb said these "critical initiatives will help accelerate progress on literacy, mental health, and engagement" as the city continues "to come out of the pandemic." (Cleveland 19 News)
2. Gas prices have risen for the second week in a row, ending the steady decline at the end of 2022. According to new data released by GasBuddy on Jan. 9, the average Cleveland gas price has increased another 12.9 cents per gallon and is now at $3.37. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said the increase is "due to previous refinery outages caused by the cold weather the week of Christmas," but he is "optimistic that as refiners get back online, we could see the increases slow down as we head into the time of year when gasoline demand is at its weakest." (WKYC)
3. Cleveland officials settled a lawsuit for $50,000 with Eve Bonvissuto, an assistant administrator in the city's public safety department's medical unit, who sued the city in federal court in August. The City Hall employee said she was owed $68,709 in overtime pay because the city misclassified her job as exempt from overtime while she was working from home during the coronavirus pandemic. In the settlement, Bonvissuto's job will be classified as non-exempt moving forward and the city maintained it did nothing wrong. (Subscription: Cleveland.com)
4. Cleveland police officer Vicki Przybylski returned to work after defeating stage four ovarian cancer. On Dec. 29, Officer Przybylski's heartwarming return to her beat in the city's Fourth District inspired her co-workers, according to Cleveland.com's Olivia Mitchell. (Subscription: Cleveland.com)

Today in Cleveland:

• Virtual Cleveland Job Fair Hosted By CloudHire (11:00 AM)
• Broadway Buzz At Upper Allen (6:30 PM)
• Beetlejuice: The Musical At Connor Palace (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) recognized the dedicated Airport Unit of the Cleveland Police Department on National Law Enforcement Day. The CLE thanked the Airport Unit for their important work which includes patrol, investigation, and responding to airport emergencies. (Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) via Twitter)
• Looking for a new job or just curious about what else is out there? Check out the latest job openings in the Cleveland area, including remote appointment setting specialist, dental implant sales coordinator, and fuel truck driver. (Cleveland Patch)
• City Dogs Cleveland is searching for a forever home for Marshall, a sweet dog. He is overall gentle and soft in his mannerisms, has a pleasant walking pace, sits patiently for treats, and does not mind posing for pictures. Click here to set up a meet with Marshall. (City Dogs Cleveland via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• 2023 Cuyahoga County Solar Co-op Online and In Person Info Session (January 12)
• Add your event

You're officially in the loop for today! See you all tomorrow morning for another update.

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.