Regional News Stories Archive: September 2003

Finding the Causes of Blackout 2003
Originally aired Tuesday, September 2, 2003
This week a congressional committee in Washington will hear from Governor Taft and FirstEnergy Chairman Peter Burg as it seeks information on what caused last month's massive blackout. Akron-based FirstEnergy remains at the center of a joint U.S.-Canadian investigation into what went wrong. While the probe continues, industry analysts and other experts can't help but speculate about why 50 million people in 8 states lost power on August 14th. ideastream's Janet Babin reports.

Microcystis Blooms
Originally aired Monday, September 8, 2003
A mysterious bloom of algae in Lake Erie is puzzling scientists and threatening a Great Lakes fishery. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

Interview with Ralph Nader
Originally aired Tuesday, September 9, 2003
FirstEnergy's Davis-Besse nuclear power plant has reached a milestone. Last week it surpassed an in-house record for days spent idle. Davis-Besse been shut down for 19 months, since corrosion damage was discovered in a cap on the plant's reactor lid. The company is planning to restart the plant, which generates a significant portion of FirstEnergy's total power output. But one of the country's best known critics of corporate culture thinks the restart is a bad idea. Ralph Nader will visit Bowling Green State University on Wednesday, September 10th, to call for a permanent shutdown at Davis Besse. He spoke to ideastream's April Baer about his trip.

Keeping Tabs on Cleveland Schools Project
Originally aired Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Cleveland's school overhaul project is for the most part on time and on target. That's according to the Bond Accountability Commission, the group charged with keeping tabs on the one-and-a-half billion dollar rebuilding effort. The full commission met last night for the first time since two new co-chairs took over this past summer. As ideastream's Bill Rice reports, the new leadership is still getting the feel of their new responsibilities.

ideastream Focus on Housing: Bridging the Gap
Originally aired Thursday, September 11, 2003
A study released this week found that it's harder than ever for low-income families to afford a place to live. According to data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, an employee earning minimum wage has to work 92 hours per week in order to afford a basic two-bedroom apartment in Cuyahoga County. As we continue our Focus on Affordable Housing, ideastream's Janet Babin reports one organization on Cleveland's West Side is helping to bridge the increasing gap between low-income residents and places to call home.

Closer Scrutiny Hard For Immigrants
Originally aired Thursday, September 11, 2003
On this second anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the legacy of the tragedy seems much more clear than it did even a year ago. With passage of the Homeland Security Act and the Patriot Act we've seen stepped up enforcement and modification of immigration laws and closer scrutiny of many people living within U.S. borders. Some say that's had dire consequences for immigrants - especially those with ties to the Middle East. ideastream's Bill Rice reports.

The Past, Present, & Future of the Innerbelt
Originally aired Friday, September 12, 2003
The Cleveland innerbelt bridge recently turned 44 years old. The birthday was a happy occasion for some. But for others, it brought back hard feelings. The anniversary passed quietly and will be one of the last for the dying roadway. Engineers say it needs to be torn down. Generations of road salt, freezing winters and baking summers are causing its cement and steel to fall apart. A three-year innerbelt study will soon be completed. It will contain recommendations on how to replace the bridge and improve connecting freeways. ideastream's Mike West takes us on a visit to the innerbelt bridge and looks at its uncertain future.

Budget Shortfall in City of Cleveland
Originally aired Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Lay-offs and shortened work weeks are on the table as the City of Cleveland faces a $63 million budget shortfall. ideastream's Renita Jablonski has more.

Handling the Fiscal Crunch
Originally aired Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Cleveland workers are digesting the possibility of four-day work weeks or job losses. The city's money crisis isn't unique to other communities in northeast Ohio and it could even compound financial stresses already being felt in neighboring cities. As ideastream's Renita Jablonski reports, the way this fiscal crunch is handled could be a defining factor for the Campbell administration.

Making Change: Doing it her way: Women Entrepreneurs
Originally aired Wednesday, September 17, 2003
The facts do seem gloomy these days-a weak economy, high unemployment rates and few new jobs available. But that's only looking at half the picture. Over the past 30 years, a new wave of entrepreneurs is finally surfacing with enough influence to boost an otherwise slumping economy. As part of Making Change: Reinventing our Economy, ideastream's Shula Neuman reports.

Neighbor vs. Neighbor: Lakewood’s West End Development
Originally aired Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Voters in Lakewood are preparing for a contentious day at the polls in November. Among the ballot issues attracting the most attention is the city's controversial West End Development. Citizens have been asked to decide if the best way to increase the town's revenue base is to knock down homes and replace them with condos and a shopping center. As ideastream's Renita Jablonski reports, it's a vote pitting neighbor against neighbor.

Interview with Barbara Byrd-Bennett
Originally aired Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Web Exclusive - Cleveland Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett discusses school facilities, school choice, teachers' contracts and more with ideastream's Bill Rice.

Jay Hotel At Its End?
Originally aired Wednesday, September 24, 2003
A long chapter in the storied past of the Jay Hotel on Cleveland's west side may be coming to an end. The Jay is one of the city's last low income, pay-by-the week hotels. A deal on the table could turn the rooming house into a upscale condominium complex. But whether the agreement, valid till November, will happen, is still negotiable. ideastream's Janet Babin has the story.

Charter Schools, Part 2
Originally aired Friday, September 26, 2003
It's been about half a decade since the first charter schools opened in Ohio. These quasi-public institutions have made an impression - on the education establishment as a thorn in their budgetary sides; on the state legislature and some parents as a viable alternative to traditional public schools. The General Assembly last spring opened the door wider to those wishing to start new charter schools. At the same time recent school report cards have given public school advocates new ammunition to denounce them. In the 2nd of a two part series, ideastream's Bill Rice reports.

Charter Schools, Part 1
Originally aired Friday, September 26, 2003
Less than a decade in existence in Ohio, charter schools - or community schools, as they are known here - have sprung up throughout the state, mostly in urban areas. They offer themselves as an alternative to traditional public schools. They're privately run, but operate with public dollars. In the first of a two part series, ideastream's Bill Rice reports public school districts are feeling the heat from community schools as they compete for students, legitimacy - and money.

Tech Transfer at NASA Glenn
Originally aired Friday, September 26, 2003
Even before the Challenger accident, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was in the process of re-inventing itself. Cost overruns on the International Space Station and flagging financial support from Congress led to an overhaul of NASA's programs under new Administrator Sean O'Keefe. NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland - one of just ten such facilities in the country - was included in the restructuring. Next week, the leadership at Glenn will change. But what will new NASA priorities mean for Glenn's promise as an economic engine for Northeast Ohio? ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports on a new plan to transfer research and technology to the local community.

Manufacturing Czar Could Provide Much-Needed Help
Originally aired Monday, September 29, 2003
Northeast Ohio factory workers are in trouble. For generations they've depended on their jobs to buy homes, cars and raise families. But the number of manufacturing companies and jobs in northeast Ohio are disappearing. Since 1978, six million U.S. manufacturing jobs have been lost. There is no indication the trend will reverse itself. But help could be on the way. Your Uncle Sam is creating a new government position to advocate for the troubled industry. An assistant secretary of manufacturing is expected to be named tomorrow. ideastream's Mike West has the story.

Interview with George Voinovich
Originally aired Monday, September 29, 2003
Web Exclusive - Ohio Senator George Voinovich says he suggested the creation of a Manufacturing Czar to the president last summer. ideastream's Mike West spoke in-depth with the senator about exactly what he expects from the new government manufacturing advocate.