Politician Calls For Safety Funding For East Cleveland

EAST CLEVELAND, OH — In the week after Terra Nolden was hit and killed by a car in East Cleveland, a group of politicians toured the city and urged state lawmakers to increase focus and funding for safety initiatives.

Nolden was killed on Dec. 30, while walking to a hospital to check on her daughter. She was crossing Euclid Avenue and Stanwood Road when she was hit by a car and killed. The intersection where Nolden was hit has not had a working traffic signal since November 2019.

Nolden was 36 and a mother of seven children. Her death led to vigils, rallies and a visit from a group of politicians including Governor Mike DeWine, State Rep. Kent Smith, State Sen. Kenny Yuko and East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King.

After DeWine's visit, the governor instructed the Ohio Department of Transportation to replace the traffic signal in East Cleveland and in other communities throughout Ohio.

Smith then issued a statement urging his peers at the Ohio Statehouse to take action to fund safety initiatives throughout the state.

"East Cleveland is in Fiscal Emergency, and was unable to replace the malfunctioning traffic signal because they lacked the funds necessary to repair it," he said. He then mentioned legislation he previously introduced to help bring funding to East Cleveland and 20 other communities in Ohio. That money was instead put into the state's "rainy day" fund.

"As I’ve said before, it’s raining in 21 Ohio hometowns. The flood waters are rising and our fellow Ohioans need help. Their first name may be East Cleveland, but their last name is Ohio and they deserve better representation at the Statehouse," Smith said.