Power demand surges; thunderstorms may give brief respite
It’s no projected long-term relief from the heat and drought, but severe thunderstorms are expected to move into parts of Northeast Ohio later today and tonight.

Meanwhile, electric companies are firing up reserve plants as the Midwest and East Coast battle the prolonged heat wave. The wholesale price of electricity is running nearly 20 times the usual cost and, according to the Columbus Dispatch, offices and factories that have signed an agreement to reduce peak electricity demand are being asked to ratchet back.

American Electric Power, which provides power to much of Ohio and the Midwest, says it is using all its power plants including inefficient coal-powered plants that are usually mothballed.

Cleveland school board will consider levy tonight
The Cleveland Board of Education will take its first look tonight at the size of a new operating levy that voters will likely decide in November.

Through union concessions and layoffs, the district cut its projected deficit from more than $66 million to about $19 million.  But district CEO Eric Gordon says the levy is the only way to address the rest of the budget problems. The deadline for the November ballot is Aug. 8, and the levy language would have to go through legal review before then. Cleveland voters last approved a new operating levy for the school system in 1996.

Massive federal budget cuts could cost 40,000 Ohioans jobs
A defense contractor’s trade group is reporting that Ohio could lose 40,000 jobs if automatic, across-the-board spending cuts hit in January.
According to the Dayton Daily News, the cuts nationally could boost the unemployment rate by 1.5 percent.  Many of the cuts in Ohio would come in aerospace, and the jobs lost would be about evenly divided between defense and civilian jobs.  Also affected would be Homeland Security, transportation justice, energy and agriculture.

The cuts were mandated six months ago because a congressional panel could not agree on a plan to cut the nation’s budget deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years.

Accused casino cheats plead not guilty
Five of the seven men accused of cheating at Cleveland’s casino say they didn’t do it.

The five pleaded not guilty to felony charges today in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Each is accused of a trying to cheat by adding to or pulling chips from their bets in games like blackjack and roulette when it was clearer what the outcome would be.

Pete Rose's reality TV
Former Reds' manager Pete Rose is taking a swing at reality TV. Cable's TLC network says it has started production on an unscripted series chronicling the lives of baseball's all-time hitting leader and his fiancee, model Kiana Kim. Rose was banned from baseball for betting on games.