Regional News Stories Archive: March 2005

Kids, Food, and Learning: Connecting the Dots Between Nutrition and Academics
Originally aired Wednesday, March 2, 2005
Research has shown that poorly nourished kids perform worse in school than their well-nourished classmates. Such findings have some area schools taking steps to improve their students' diet - cutting fat, sugar, & salt from the meals they offer, and serving up more fresh fruits & vegetables. ideastream's Cindi Deutschman-Ruiz reports. See Also: Kids, Food, and Learning: Physical Fitness Critical (Web Exclusive)

Kids, Food, and Learning: Physical Fitness Critical
Originally aired Wednesday, March 2, 2005
Web Exclusive - Poor nutrition has long been understood by researchers and educators to be a barrier to academic achievement. More recently, researchers have found that physical fitness is also critical for school success. Action for Healthy Kids Executive Director Alicia Moag-Stahlberg says it may turn out that getting kids moving more will give the same kind of boost to test scores as improving their diet. See Also: Kids, Food, and Learning: Connecting the Dots Between Nutrition and Academics (Feature Story)

Survival on the Stages of Cleveland - Part 1
Originally aired Tuesday, March 8, 2005
Part 1: Greater Cleveland has long enjoyed a national reputation for theater, but a slow slide at the box office in recent years has created a financial crunch for a number of companies. In the first of a two-part story, ideastream's David C. Barnett examines a local theatrical legacy, and how that legacy has been shaken.

NASA Glenn Coverage: Dreams of Mars Whittle Reality of Economics
Originally aired Tuesday, March 8, 2005
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is one of a handful of federal agencies targeted for a slight increase in the President's proposed 2006 budget. But dreams of Mars are whittling away at the first "A" in NASA. At research labs around the country, aeronautics budgets are slated to be slashed by a third over the next two years. But in states where the biggest cuts are planned, local Congressional delegations are fighting back. From member station WCPN in Cleveland, Karen Schaefer reports.

Survival on the Stages of Cleveland - Part 2
Originally aired Wednesday, March 9, 2005
Part 2: In tough economic times, some local theater companies are learning some different steps as they dance to a new tune. ideastream's David C. Barnett concludes his two-part examination of survival on the stages of Greater Cleveland.

White-Collar Jobs Leaving Northeast Ohio
Originally aired Friday, March 11, 2005
Outsourcing woes were once limited solely to manufacturing workers - indeed, thousands of Ohioans have lost their factory jobs because of it. But increasingly, Northeast Ohio's white-collar jobs are heading overseas. ideastream's Janet Babin reports.

NASA Glenn Coverage: Contractors in Jeopardy
Originally aired Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Under the President's proposed 2006 budget, the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland could lose up to 700 civil servants. But the potential job losses don't stop there. Contractors provide highly-skilled services ranging from making aerospace hardware to running giant wind tunnels that test the viability of new designs. One estimate puts more than 400 contractors on the chopping block, with a loss to tax revenues in the millions of dollars. And some fear the effect of brain drain on the region could be equally devastating. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

90.3 at 9: Business Tax Reforms
Originally aired Thursday, March 17, 2005
The legislature continues debate in committee on Governor Taft's proposed business tax reforms. We'll review those proposals with an organization that favors them and one that doesn't.

Making Change: Vocational Education Funding in Jeopardy
Originally aired Wednesday, March 23, 2005
President Bush has proposed eliminating all federal funding for career and technical - also called vocational education. Such a move would have a devastating effect on the regional economy. But vocational education enjoys broad bipartisan support in Congress. As part of Making Change: Reinventing Our Economy, Cindi Deutschman-Ruiz reports on why vocational education inspires loyalty among Democrats and Republicans.

A Message of Hope from Byrd Bennett
Originally aired Thursday, March 24, 2005
During her annual assessment of Cleveland Schools, District CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett offered a message of hope for future student successes. But her State of the Schools Address was also filled with an urgent request that the community take responsibility for the city's youngest inhabitants. ideastream's Janet Babin reports.

Mental Health & Substance Abuse - Part 1
Originally aired Wednesday, March 30, 2005
This morning, ideastream begins an in-depth examination of Mental Health issues that can isolate you from family and friends. Producer David C. Barnett begins our focus with a story about how a mental health disorder can be disguised by substance abuse.

A Broken Man Becomes a Fixer
Originally aired Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Web Exclusive - Throughout his professional career, Bill Denihan has gained a reputation as a "fixer" - someone who comes in to manage a troubled organization and turn it around. Among his many jobs, Denihan has been the Ohio Highway Safety Director, the Cleveland Safety Director, the Director of Cuyahoga County's Department of Child and Family Services, and most recently, the head of the County's Mental Health Board. But, perhaps his biggest challenge was to fix his own life. The son of alcoholic parents, Bill Denihan was forced to face some personal demons after a drinking binge nearly 30 years ago in the Flat Iron Cafe in the Flats. Recently, Denihan and ideastream's David C. Barnett paid a visit to the Flat Iron to bring back some old memories.

Mental Health & Substance Abuse - Part 2
Originally aired Thursday, March 31, 2005
This morning, ideastream continues an in-depth examination of Mental Health issues that can isolate you from family and friends. In the United States today, nearly half of those who abuse alcohol or other drugs also have at least one serious mental illness. But, until recently, the treatment of substance abuse and mental disorders has remained separate. In the second of a two-part story, producer David C. Barnett reports on Ohio efforts to integrate treatment.