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Akron is accepting applications for 100% tax abatements on new construction and major renovations of houses anywhere in the city. Cleveland has long had a similar program. From member station WKSU, M.L. Schultze reports. City Council approved the program in April, and now the state has OK’d the designation that allows the residential abatements to be applied anywhere in the city. Mayor Dan Horrigan’s spokeswoman, Ellen Lander-Nischt, says the idea is to try to counter decades of population loss.

Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown says he has "no problem" with delaying Congress’s August recess, to make progress on key legislative items. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday announced the two-week recess push-back in order to gain support for the Republicans’ health care reform bill. But Brown emphasizes the need for both sides of the aisle to work together. “If he’s willing to work with us. If he’s willing to just say to his members, ‘Go ahead and work with the Democrats, we’ll get stuff done,'” Brown said.

More help is coming for people caught-up in Cuyahoga County’s growing opioid epidemic. The YMCA of Greater Cleveland has received funding to add beds to its transitional housing program for recovering addicts. From Ohio Public Radio station WKSU, Kevin Niedermier reports. Executive director of the Y-Haven program, Ed Gemerchek says the $200,000 from the Cleveland Foundation is a big boost to the 23-year-old program, which now serves 113 homeless men.

A campaign to combat prescription opioid addiction, believed to be the first in the country, kicked off Wednesday in Cuyahoga County. The education effort includes coordinated ads and special print and broadcast programming, with input from a wide range of resources. From Ohio Public Radio station WKSU, Kevin Niedermier reports. Titled “Opioids: Know the Risks,” it enlists the area’s medical, government, law enforcement, education and religious communities.

At least 50 racers are expected to paddle the rapids at Saturday’s Cuyahoga Falls Kayak Race Organizers have been eyeing the level of the Cuyahoga River, to see whether they’d need water released from Lake Rockwell upstream in order to hold the event. The recent downpour has brought the river high enough, so the infusion won’t be necessary, according the lead organizer, Don Howdyshell.

When the Cleveland San Jose Ballet closed in Playhouse Square in 2000 it was shock for the company. “We all came to work and the doors were closed,” Gladisa Guadalupe said. “It was devastating.” Guadalupe was company principal teacher and artistic associate at the time. She didn’t want to move to San Jose, where the ballet company continued until last year. Instead, she stayed in Cleveland and opened a dance school.

With over 400 marinas in Ohio and over 500,000 registered boats, there’s a lot of activity in the state’s rivers and Lake Erie -- and a lot of potential for pollution, from fuel spills to plastic debris. Ohio and 5 other Great Lakes states have Clean Marina programs that aim to educate marina owners about ways to improve air and water quality.

By Angelica Morrison The problem of sewer overflows affects the entire Great Lakes region. More than 182 municipalities have systems that can release untreated sewage during big storms, the Environmental Protection Agency says. A group called Environmental Advocates of New York analyzed sewage discharge data published by the state. The group estimates that more than 3.8 billion gallons of sewage was released into waterways from 2013 through July 2017.

Agents from the federal Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development descended on Cleveland's City Hall last night as part of an investigation. A spokeswoman for the FBI has confirmed the agencies conducted "law enforcement activity" after business hours. Vicki Anderson said the matter is "under seal in federal court" and could not provide further details. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, asked on the Sound of Ideas about the raid, said, he wouldn't be able to comment on it.

He's the foul-mouthed, over-confident friend of Larry David from the award-winning HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm. But comedian J.B.