CLEVELAND, Ohio- Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb, a former Barack Obama intern and banker who won the Cleveland nonpartisan runoff election for mayor in November over then City Council president Kevin Kelley to become the city's fourth Black mayor and its second youngest behind former mayor Dennis Kucinich, delivered his first state of the city address on Wednesday evening at the Maltz Performing Arts Center on the campus of Case Western University where he earned both an MBA and a law degree. More than 1,000 people attended the in-person, open-to-the public event that was also streamed live.

“We said that Cleveland can’t wait, and we meant it,” the mayor said during opening remarks, a reference to his campaign slogan, one that helped to catapult him to the city's highest political office. "Cleveland, the wait for change is over.”

He said that as soon as he took the leadership helm as mayor he began making progressive changes for the betterment of the city, and that Cleveland is on the rise. Deemed the poorest big city in the nation in 2019  by the Center for Community Solutions with 114,000 people living in poverty, including 37,700 children,  the city remains steeped in  poverty,  prompting the mayor to say during Wednesday's speech that Clevelanders "have to do more with less."

Billed as a look back at the mayor's first 100 days in office since he officially stepped into the role on Jan 3, Wednesday's state of the city was hosted by the City Club of Cleveland and also included a question and answer session of previously chosen questions submitted by Cleveland residents. Several members of the 17-member city council were there as well as members of the mayor's newly appointed cabinet, and the city's top brass, including interim police chief Andre Drummond and higher ups.

Cleveland's first new mayor in 16 years, who, per state law, also control's the city's public schools, Bibb laid out several initiatives he plans to address as mayor, including public safety, economic growth, community development, and education, and he spoke on his achievements in office thus far. They include a bailout of the Westside Market in cooperation by city council, the filing of a motion in Cleveland Municipal Court by the city's chief prosecutor that ask the city's judges to expunge some 4,000 low level marijuana criminal records, and what the mayor says is a much needed $10 million project for upgrades at Shaker Square on the city's east side that is in the workings.

The mayor said that public safety is his first priority, and he spoke about the city's response to the pandemic. He also promised to fight poverty tooth and nail, and said that he is committed to revamping the Burke Lakefront Airport and working with city council to develop an ambitious budget.

The mayor asked for patience as he carries out what he called a progressive agenda that will improve city services and make Cleveland a sustainable city and one that residents can be proud of.

"I did not promised that I will be a perfect mayor but I did promise I will do my best every day," said Mayor Bibb.

The mayor spoke about the tragedy regarding the New year's Eve carjacking and shooting death of slain Cleveland police officer Shane Bartek, and also took the opportunity to call for an end to the escalating gun violence in the city after the recent passage of Senate Bill  215 by Ohio lawmakers, a new state law that permits Ohio residents to carry concealed handguns without a permit.

"This moves the needle on gun violence in the complete wrong direction, and undermines our ability to keep cities safe," he said.

The city's 58th mayor, Bibb said that Cleveland, a largely Black major American city of some 372,000 people and Ohio's second largest city behind Columbus, has the mechanisms to someday become a great city and that he is determined to carry out the demands that voters called for when they put him in office last year

"I am committed on delivering on the changes you called for," said Bibb.

The mayor said that police reforms and accountability are upmost to improving the city, as well as the  full funding of the new Community Police Commission, which is mandated by the voter adopted Issue 24, a charter amendment for police reforms that Cleveland voters overwhelmingly approved in November. According to the mayor, Issue 24 will be taken seriously as the city and the U.S. Department of Justice remain parties to a court monitored consent degree for police reforms that implemented in 2015

Bibb, 34, walked away with 63 percent of the vote when he upset Kelley via last year's mayoral election. It was a  political shakeup that stunned some old heads, including outgoing four-term mayor Frank Jackson, 75 and a Kelley ally, and some members of city council who also supported Kelley's candidacy like  east-side Councilman Blaine Griffin, Jackson's former protege and now the city council president. A former city council president and the city's third Black mayor, and its longest serving mayor, Jackson opted out of seeking an unprecedented fifth term last year.

The mayor is also poised to revamp the city's largely Black Cleveland Metropolitan School District, which is under the control of the city mayor as to a state law that took effect in 1998 when the state of Ohio and the school district were released from a a longstanding desegregation court order. The mayoral control law eliminated an elected school board and replaced it with appointees of the mayor, who also controls the schools multi-million dollar budget that is funded primarily by taxpayers.

Cleveland sits in heavily Democratic Cuyahoga County, the second largest of Ohio's 88 counties, and most of its residents live in poverty. It is the most segregated city in the nation behind Boston and most Blacks reside on the city's east side and Whites on the west side, the two sides separated by the Cuyahoga River.

By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor-in-chief

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio- Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb, a former Barack Obama intern and banker who won the nonpartisan runoff election for mayor in November over then City Council president Kevin Kelley to become the city's fourth Black mayor and its second youngest behind former mayor Dennis Kucinich, delivered his first state of the city address on Wednesday evening at the Maltz Performing Arts Center on the campus of Case Western University where he earned both an MBA and a law degree. Some 1,000 people attended the free and open-to-the public but ticketed event that was also streamed live by the City Club and nearly every mainstream media outlet in Cleveland.

“We said that Cleveland can’t wait, and we meant it,” the captivating mayor said during opening remarks, a reference to his campaign slogan, one that helped to catapult him to the city's highest political office. "Cleveland, the wait for change is over.”

A Democrat raised on the southeast side of the city in Cleveland's Mount Pleasant neighborhood by a social worker mom and father who was a Cleveland cop, Mayor Bibb said that as soon as he took the leadership helm as mayor he began making progressive changes for the betterment of the city, and that Cleveland is on the rise. Deemed the poorest big city in the nation in 2019  by the Center for Community Solutions with 114,000 people living in poverty, including 37,700 children, the city remains steeped in poverty, prompting the mayor to say during Wednesday's speech that Clevelanders "have to do more with less."

Billed as a look back at the mayor's first 100 days in office since he officially stepped into the role on Jan 3, Wednesday's state of the city was hosted by the City Club of Cleveland and also included a question and answer session of previously chosen questions submitted by Cleveland residents. Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin and few other members of the 17-member city council were there, as well as members of the mayor's newly appointed cabinet, and the city's top brass, including interim police chief Andre Drummond and higher ups.

Other dignitaries there, mainly Democrats, include Ohio 11th Congressional District Congresswoman Shontel Brown, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish, state Sen Nickie Antonio of Lakewood, former Cleveland councilman Zack Reed, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor last year in the primary and later endorsed Bibb, and Maple Hts Mayor Annette Blackwell.

Cleveland's first new mayor in 16 years, who, per state law, also control's the city's public schools, Bibb laid out several initiatives he plans to address as mayor, including public safety, economic growth, community development, and education, and he spoke on his achievements in office thus far. They include a bailout of the Westside Market in cooperation with city council, the filing of a motion in Cleveland Municipal Court by the city's chief prosecutor that ask the city's judges to expunge some 4,000 low level marijuana criminal records, and what the mayor says is a much needed $10 million project for upgrades at Shaker Square on the city's east side that is in the workings.

The mayor said that public safety is his first priority, and he spoke about the city's response to the pandemic. He also promised to fight poverty tooth and nail, and said that he is committed to revamping the Burke Lakefront Airport, and working with the city council to develop an ambitious city budget that includes resources for improving the city's inner city neighborhoods, including city streets and walkways.

The mayor asked for patience as he carries out what he called a strategic economic agenda designed to improve city services so that Cleveland can become a more sustainable city, and a city that residents can be proud of.

"I did not promise that I will be a perfect mayor but I did promise I will do my best every day," said the articulate Mayor Bibb, the city's 58th mayor and a novel mayor who, before winning office last year, had never held public office.

The mayor spoke about the tragedy regarding the New Year's Eve carjacking and shooting death of slain Cleveland police officer Shane Bartek, 25, and also took the opportunity to call for an end to the escalating gun violence in the city after the recent passage of Senate Bill  215 by Ohio lawmakers, a new state law that permits Ohio residents to carry concealed handguns without a permit.

"This moves the needle on gun violence in the complete wrong direction, and undermines our ability to keep cities safe," he said.

Bibb said that Cleveland, a largely Black major American city of some 372,000 people and Ohio's second largest city behind Columbus, has the mechanisms to someday become a great city and that he is determined to carry out the demands that voters called for when they put him in office last year by a landslide.

"I am committed to delivering on the changes you called for," said Bibb, whose roughly 45 minute speech drew routine applause from the tentative audience.

The mayor said that police reforms and accountability are upmost to improving the city, as well as the  full funding of the new Community Police Commission, which is mandated by the voter adopted Issue 24, a charter amendment for police reforms that Cleveland voters overwhelmingly approved in November. According to the mayor, Issue 24 will be taken seriously as the city and the U.S. Department of Justice remain parties to a court monitored consent degree for police reforms that was implemented in 2015 behind several questionable police killings of Black people since 2012.

Bibb, 34, walked away with 63 percent of the vote when he upset Kelley via last year's mayoral election. It was a  political shakeup that stunned some old heads, including outgoing four-term mayor Frank Jackson, 75 and a Kelley ally, and some members of city council who also supported Kelley's candidacy like  Councilman Griffin, Jackson's former protege who succeeded Kelley as city council president. A former city council president himself and the city's third Black mayor, and its longest serving mayor, Jackson opted out of seeking an unprecedented fifth term last year.

The mayor is also poised to revamp the city's largely Black Cleveland Metropolitan School District, which is under the control of the city mayor as to a state law that took effect in 1998 when the state of Ohio and the school district were released from a a longstanding desegregation court order. The mayoral control law eliminated an elected school board and replaced it with appointees of the mayor, who also controls the schools multi-million dollar budget that is funded primarily by taxpayers.

Cleveland sits in heavily Democratic Cuyahoga County, the second largest of Ohio's 88 counties, and most of its residents live in poverty. It is the second most segregated city in the nation behind Boston and most Blacks reside on the city's east side and Whites on the west side, the two sides separated by the Cuyahoga River.

Pictured is former president Donald Trump

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

By Kathy Wray Coleman, political and investigative reporter, editor-in-chief

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former president Donald Trump will speak at a GOP-led rally in Ohio ahead of the May 3 primary election, an effort, say sources, to boost voter turnout for Republican candidates, though he has not yet announced an endorsed candidate for governor or for the high profile U.S.  Senate race for the seat up for grabs due to the upcoming retirement of GOP Sen. Rob Portman of Cincinnati.

Trump will headline a GOP rally at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Delaware, north of Columbus, on the evening of  April 23, organizers said.

Several Republicans are vying for the nomination to succeed Portman in what has become a political bloodbath. Among them are author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance, businessman Mike Gibbons , former state Treasurer Josh Mandel, former Ohio GOP Chair Jane Timken, and state Sen. Matt Dolan.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, attorney Morgan Harper and tech executive Traci Johnson round out the  Democratic candidates vying to replace Portman, Ryan a Youngstown area Democrat who is not seeking reelection to Congress this year and the front-runner candidate for the Democratic primary .

Both Harper, a former consumer protection attorney with the Obama administration, and Johnson are Black.

The former president last visited Ohio on June 26 of last year and spoke at  a GOP rally at the Lorain County Fairgrounds. According to Trump's Save America PAC, last year's rally marked the first of many appearances by the former president "in support of candidates and causes that further the MAGA agenda and accomplishments of President Trump’s administration."

That  GOP rally last year in Wellington, Ohio where Trump spoke was to support Max Miller, whom he has endorsed in the primary for Ohio’s 16th Congressional District against GOP incumbent Rep. Anthony Gonzalez.The rally later this month where the former president will speak is also to stomp for Miller, sources said.

A conservative one-term president and real estate mogul, Trump, a staunch Republican, lost reelection in 2020 to current president Joe Biden, a Democrat and former U.S.  senator and vice president under former president Barack Obama, the nation's first Black president. But the former president, still a controversial figure, remains a viable force for GOP endorsements as gubernatorial and congressional and U.S. Senate races heat up and the November midterm elections near.By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor. Coleman is a seasoned Black Cleveland journalist who trained at the Call and Post Newspaper for 17 years and an experienced investigative and political reporter. She is the most read independent journalist in Ohio per Alexa.com-Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.

Pictured are 18-year-old Tamara McLoyd, who has been indicted on two new robbery charges since a Cuyahoga County grand jury last year indicted her on charges of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault, grand theft, and having weapons under disability relative to the New Year's Eve carjacking and shooting death of 25-year-old Cleveland police officer Shane Bartek

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com

By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor-in-chief

CLEVELAND, Ohio - An 18-year old Black Cleveland area woman charged in connection with the New Year's Eve carjacking and shooting death of Cleveland police officer Shane Bartek in the Kamms Corner neighborhood on the city's largely White west side was indicted on Tuesday by a Cuyahoga County grand jury on two more robbery charges, including a Christmas Day robbery in the apartment complex where Bartek lived at the time he was killed.

Tamara McLoyd, of Garfield Heights, who has been in trouble with the law since she was a juvenile, faces two additional charges of aggravated robbery and weapons under disability. She has not been arraigned and her attorney, Kevin Cafferkey, would not comment to reporters

In addition to the two new charges, McLoyd faces several charges relative to the officer's shooting death, including aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault, grand theft, and having weapons under disability. She also faces charges regarding two alleged robberies in November, one at a Happy's Pizza restaurant, as well as an additional charge for an alleged arson. She remains in the Cuyahoga County jail on a $5.5 million bond in the murder case and has pleaded not guilty in that case and as to the previous cases.

Though Officer Bartek, 25, was off-duty when he was killed, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb deemed his killing that of an on-duty cop in order that the fallen officer's family could qualify for benefits, including funeral and burial monies. Cleveland Police Patrolmen's President Jeff Follmer had argued that since Bartek struggled with McLoyd before she allegedly gunned him down, that he was, in fact, acting as an on-duty police officer. How this questionable determination by the city that Bartek was on-duty when he was killed will impact the upcoming likely trial and McLoyd's constitutional right to a fair trial remains to be seen.

Hundreds of police officers from across the state, including as far away as Cincinnati, were in attendance to bid farewell to Bartek at funeral services in early January. Bartek's twin sister, Summer Bartek, was among the speakers, and she gave a touching tribute.

“I wish I could tell him one more time how much I admired him,” Summer Bartek said. “How he has always been my idol growing up and always will. I am 13 minutes older than Shane, but he always treated me like a little sister.”

Interim police chief Wayne Drummond, a 32-year law enforcement veteran, has called the tragic shooting death of the police officer "senseless."

Drummond was also among the speakers at the funeral, and he described Bartek as an officer and a gentleman, and a role model for other patrolmen.

“While I did not have the privilege to know Shane personally, I have recently talked with many officers who spoke of him very highly,” Drummond said. “I’ve learned that courage came naturally to Shane. And I’ve heard stories that tell me Shane truly embodied the virtues needed to be an outstanding law enforcement officer.”

Prosecutors say McLoyd  was on probation and under the supervision of the Lorain County Juvenile Court for a robbery conviction when she allegedly shot and killed Bartek.  Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Mike O'Malley told reporters that at the time McLoyd had been convicted of robbery as a juvenile in Lorain County Juvenile Court and that should not have been on the streets, though a judge who had released her from custody obviously disagreed with his stance.

Officer Bartek was shot twice in the back in his car, which was parked outside of his apartment complex. He was pronounced dead after being transported by EMS from the scene of the shooting to Fairview Hospital.

Surveillance video purportedly reveals that McLoyd drove off in the officer's car after she allegedly shot him. She ultimately delivered the car to Anthony Butler Jr, 28 and of Bedford Heights, the other suspect in the case is charged with fleeing and receiving stolen property. Police recovered the stolen car following a high speed chase through the city and several other communities.

By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor. Coleman is a seasoned Black Cleveland journalist who trained at the Call and Post Newspaper for 17 years and an experienced investigative and political reporter. She is the most read independent journalist in Ohio per Alexa.com

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.