Regional News Stories Archive: May 2005

Heading North for Prescription Drugs
Originally aired Monday, May 2, 2005
Prices of many key prescription drugs increased this past January, and many seniors in Northeast Ohio are struggling to pay for these essential drugs - like Lipitor, which increased 5%, and Mobic, which increased 7%. To help defray the costs, many continue to buy their drugs in nearby Canada. ideastream's Janet Babin reports.

Making Change: Graduation or Bust: The Economic Impact of High School Failure
Originally aired Wednesday, May 4, 2005
Graduation rates in the Cleveland city schools have gone up substantially in recent years, but have just now reached 50%. A handful of other mainly urban Ohio school districts are also struggling to graduate their students. As part of our ongoing series Making Change: Building the Region's Future, ideastream's Cindi Deutschman-Ruiz reports on what dropping out does to kids' prospects, and their community's future.

Moving On Up: Black Church Migration
Originally aired Thursday, May 12, 2005
Two of Cleveland's historic African American churches have stirred controversy in recent months over their plans to open branches in suburban locations. But the motivations for the moves are rooted in population shifts that are nothing new. ideastream's David C. Barnett reports.

Making Change: Money Matters
Originally aired Wednesday, May 18, 2005
How strong is the economy? Often, the answer to that question depends on who you ask. Macro-economists might look to unemployment, durable goods sales, or the stock market for clues as to the strength of the economy. Individuals are likely to see a strong economy in their own ability to pay their bills and save some money. According to many experts, both approaches have merit. As part of Making Change: Building the Region's Future, ideastream's Cindi Deutschman-Ruiz looks at what our individual financial behavior says about the economy.

Joan Southgate Retraces Journey
Originally aired Thursday, May 19, 2005
Three years ago a grandmother from Cleveland, Ohio embarked on a remarkable journey to raise awareness of racial issues. Joan Southgate walked 519 miles along the route of the Underground Railroad from the little town of Ripley on the Ohio River all the way to Canada. Walking in the footsteps of runaway slaves, Joan touched the lives of many adults and children along the way. Since then she's written a book about her experience. Now she's retracing her journey across Ohio for a television documentary. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

90.3 at 9: Walmart in Cleveland
Originally aired Monday, May 23, 2005
Listen to the May 23rd 90.3 at 9 program dealing with Walmart in Cleveland.

Poverty Outside the Urban Core
Originally aired Tuesday, May 24, 2005
The census figures that earned Cleveland the title as the most impoverished big city in the U.S. didn't tell the whole story. Some other recent numbers show that poverty is an issue that extends far beyond the urban core. ideastream's David C. Barnett reports.

Union Prison Camp May Fall to Developers
Originally aired Monday, May 30, 2005
One of northern Ohio's best-kept secrets is a Civil War cemetery on Johnson's Island in Sandusky Bay. It's the final resting place of captured officers from the Confederate Army who died while incarcerated there in a Union Army prison. For the last 17 years an archaeologist has been excavating the site. From artifacts and historical documents he's assembled a detailed picture of the lives of the prisoners and the hardships they faced. But now the work is threatened. Unless a preservation group can find enough money to buy the land, this once-hallowed ground could be developed for vacation homes. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.