Subscribe to the Wake Up, cleveland.com’s free morning newsletter, delivered to your inbox weekdays at 5:30 a.m.

Days after Dr. Akram Boutros was fired as CEO of the MetroHealth System, he fired back at the public hospital and its board with a lawsuit claiming trustees violated open meetings laws in hiring his replacement.

The health system on Monday filed a response to Boutros’ lawsuit (the first of two), maintaining that only the board could set his compensation – and that $1.98 million in supplemental bonuses over five years were not permitted.

“The unambiguous language of the Board’s resolutions authorizing a performance-based incentive program stated that ‘the Board will set goals for the System and for the President and Chief Executive Officer and the President and Chief Executive Officer will set goals for senior leadership.’”

The legal briefs will likely fly for months. How will they affect the public’s trust – and support of – the safety-net hospital?

-Laura

Overnight Scores and Weather

Northeast Ohio Tuesday weather forecast: Colder weather settles in

Top Stories

MetroHealth: MetroHealth System on Monday responded to a lawsuit filed after the board fired former CEO Dr. Akram Boutros, arguing that Boutros acted beyond his authority in unilaterally setting year-end goals, evaluating himself against those goals and awarding himself $1.98 million in bonuses based on self-evaluations. Julie Washington reports the legal response argues Boutros concealed his supplemental bonus program.

John Adams: John Adams, who started pounding his bass drum in support of the Cleveland Indians/Guardians decades ago at Municipal Stadium, has died. He was 71. Paul Hoynes reports Adams had been unable to attend Guardians games at Progressive Field for the past three years because of the pandemic and failing health. Adams was beloved by fans; he beat the drum for more than 3,800 games. Columnist Terry Pluto says you can pay marketing people millions of dollars and they couldn’t come up with something for a team with the long-lasting appeal of Adams.

Today in Ohio: MetroHealth plans to pay four executives $50,000 to $100,000 each in bonuses if they stay on through this year – plus more than $500,000 to an executive who resigned. We’re talking about golden parachutes at the Cuyahoga County public hospital on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.

Statehouse and Politics

Householder trial: The leader of the Ohio AFL-CIO mounted an effort Monday to keep himself off the witness stand at the criminal trial of Ohio’s former Speaker of the House. Jake Zuckerman reports a lawyer for AFL-CIO President Tim Burga said attorneys defending Larry Householder issued Burga a subpoena on Jan. 23 to testify on the former speaker’s behalf.

Neo-Nazi schooling: Politicians and education officials are condemning an Ohio couple accused of running a neo-Nazi home-schooling group on social media with 2,600 followers. Antifascist researchers known as the Anonymous Comrades Collective first identified the couple, who participated in a neo-Nazi podcast under the names Mr. and Mrs. Saxon, as Logan and Katja Lawrence of Upper Sandusky in Wyandot County, Laura Hancock reports.

Northeast Ohio News

Say Yes: Cleveland City Council is likely to approve COVID-19 stimulus dollars for a program that helps local schoolchildren and their families access government benefits and social support programs. Lucas Daprile reports legislation allocating $600,000 of American Rescue Plan Act dollars to Say Yes Cleveland passed the Finance, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee on Monday.

Minority contractors: Cleveland City Council is likely to approve a piece of legislation setting aside $10 million to help prepare local residents for certain workforce programs. Lucas Daprile reports that if approved, the legislation would set aside $10 million of American Rescue Plan Act money for Ohio Means Jobs Cleveland —Cuyahoga County, a group that helps businesses find qualified employees and helps workers find jobs.

Lead poisoning: Two years into the city of Cleveland’s efforts to proactively fight child lead-poisoning, roughly 80% of rental units haven’t been certified as lead-safe, reports Courtney Astolfi. The city has begun testing its landmark 2019 lead law in housing court, issuing a handful of citations to negligent property owners in hopes of finding the right approach to enforcement.

311 system: Cleveland City Council could approve legislation Monday that would allocate $4 million in COVID-19 relief money toward fixing the city’s ailing 311 system, Lucas Daprile reports. The city’s 311 system allows residents to call 311 to file non-emergency complaints (such as reporting potholes and code violations) and request information on public services.

Public defender: Individuals who are accused of a crime in Lakewood Municipal Court but deemed indigent will now be able to receive representation from a Cuyahoga County assistant public defender. Kaitlin Durbin reports a new Memorandum of Understanding, approved by Monday the county’s Board of Control, will allow the court to staff an attorney at the court full-time to help represent low-income or no-income defendants through their various hearings.

Outdoor drinking: Cleveland’s bustling East Fourth Street corridor may be getting a bit of a makeover. Ari Maron, the owner and developer of the area, announced he is working on plans to move the valet area and alter the rest of the street to make way for Cleveland’s first designated outdoor refreshment area, or DORA, that could include swings and a canopy to make the area more inviting, Megan Sims reports.

Volunteer work: During the coronavirus pandemic’s peak, 2.3 million Ohioans aged 16 and older volunteered 165.9 million hours of service through organizations, worth an economic value of $4.5 billion, reports Zachary Smith. Additionally, 41.75% of residents donated $25 or more to charity during this time, and 54.8% of residents informally helped others by exchanging favors with neighbors between September 2020 and September 2021.

Lake death: A man visiting from Saudi Arabia died in Lake Erie on Monday, reports Olivia Mitchell. Abdulrahman Alanazi, 30, was found about 12 a.m. in the water at 900 E. Ninth St., according to police. No foul play is suspected.

Business and Healthcare

New jobs: A Canadian casket manufacturer will open a new plant in Cleveland, potentially creating 100 new jobs. Victoriaville & Co. has plans to open a 67,000-square-foot factory in Cleveland, reports Sean McDonnell. The company is the third-largest hardwood casket manufacturer in North America and a large distributor of supplies for funerals.

Charging stations: TravelCenters of America is teaming up with Electrify America to install more than 1,000 charging stalls for electric vehicles at more than 200 locations. Peter Krouse reports the stations will be at 50-mile intervals along major U.S. highways.

Landlord responsibility: Safety can be a bit of a gray area when it comes to landlord liability, reports Megan Sims. The Ohio Supreme Court has determined a landlord must make “reasonable measures” for security, especially when they are notified of criminal activity in the building.

Heck’s Café: The third Heck’s Cafe opens Thursday in Beachwood. The latest iteration of the well-loved restaurant occupies the space that formerly housed fine-dining restaurants Moxie and Red at 3355 Richmond Road, reports Paris Wolfe.

Crime and Courts

Employment scam: An organization listing a Cleveland address is being accused of running an employment scam where employees went unpaid and were charged hundreds of dollars to use company-owned equipment. Sean McDonnell reports that Thrive LGBT, a nonprofit created in February 2022, is being investigated by the Cleveland Better Business Bureau after a complaint was made by “an employee” that was scammed.

13-year-old shot: Police say a 13-year-old boy was killed and a 15-year-old was injured in a shooting Sunday night in Bedford, reports Molly Walsh. About 6:50 p.m. Sunday, officers found two boys, a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old, who were later transported to MetroHealth Medical Center.

Embezzlement: A former top official for a well-known construction and real-estate company admitted Monday to embezzling $1 million from the business. Michael Harman, a certified public accountant and the former controller of Geis Cos., pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns, reports Adam Ferrise.

Sweepstakes scam: A Euclid man pleaded guilty Monday to carrying out a scheme to steal from elderly residents by telling them that they had won a lottery or a sweepstakes. Adam Ferrise reports that he told them in order to claim the prize, they would first have to pay an upfront fee or tax on the winnings.

Prison guard: A state prison guard is accused of smuggling crystal methamphetamine and other drugs into the prison on behalf of an inmate, reports Adam Ferrise. Authorities on Monday arrested Daryl Gus, 35, of Parma, on a federal charge of conspiring to distribute drugs.

Arts and Entertainment

Rock Hall inductees: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum announced Monday that it will reveal its 2023 nominees at 8 a.m. Wednesday on Sirius XM radio. The inductees will be announced in May, along with the location of the 2023 Induction Ceremony, reports Malcolm X Abram.

Black History Month: Hale Farm & Village is hosting a celebration of Black culture from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, highlighting Black narratives through living history, music, and art, reports Paris Wolfe.

Rock Off: The annual Tri-C High School Rock Off is underway and the finalists from the first round of the annual competition are set and ready for the “Final Exam” to be held on Feb. 25 at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Malcolm X Abram reports.

Ice Fest: Downtown Cleveland Alliance’s Ice Fest at North Coast Harbor is set to return next month. The free family-friendly fest is 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 11 at Voinovich Bicentennial Park, Marc Bona reports.

RV Rocking: Jeff and Patti Kinzbach have learned if there’s one thing that helps being on the road, it’s the ability to change on a moment’s notice. The couple rolled into Yuma, Arizona, but the site was tight. So they packed up earlier than planned.

Kelce brothers: Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Eagles center Jason Kelce will be the first set of brothers in NFL history to play against each other in the Super Bowl. Both Kelce brothers, who are Cleveland Heights natives, already have Super Bowl rings, reports Tim Bielik.

You’re all caught up

Thanks for joining us this week in our redesigned Wake Up format. We appreciate the feedback you provided about our new look. Don’t forget, you can always find the latest Cleveland news by visiting cleveland.com. If you value the hard work of Cleveland journalists, consider becoming an cleveland.com subscriber.

— Curated by Laura Johnston with contributions by Cliff Pinckard

Other Top Stories

Garfield Heights man fatally shot in Cleveland’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood Read more

Man armed with handgun robs Family Dollar in Akron Read more

Lorain Correctional prison guard arrested, accused of smuggling drugs into prison for inmate, feds say Read more

Cleveland Heights delivers resolution on concerns about local postal woes Read more

Strongsville to pay planner more than $200,000 for Whitney Road covered bridge reconstruction Read more