Regional News Stories Archive: April 2006

Concerns Over Double-Dipping in Lorain
Originally aired Monday, April 3, 2006
Four Judges in Lorain County have announced they plan to retire, collect their pensions, and then seek re-election to the same post they just left - allowing them to collect what amounts to a second salary. This practice for all public servants has been legal for six years. While it's not illegal, many consider is a form of double-dipping. Now a number of citizens in Lorain County are upset with the judges' plans, prompting a man to challenge one judge in November's election. ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton reports.

Great Lakes Funding
Originally aired Thursday, April 6, 2006
Legislation to fund a budget-conscious plan for restoring the Great Lakes was introduced Wednesday in Congress. Conservationists are optimistic about the bill's passage, despite the lack of White House support for new Great Lakes funding. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

Cozad-Bates House Saved
Originally aired Thursday, April 6, 2006
On Thursday, the last remaining pre-Civil War house in University Circle with strong ties to the Underground Railroad got a new lease on life. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

Children’s Health: Yoga for the Special Child
Originally aired Friday, April 7, 2006
Disabilities like Multiple Sclerosis leave patients in debilitating pain. Cerebral Palsy often leaves the body contracted and contorted. But a woman in Lakewood hopes to relieve families from diseases such as these through the ancient practice of yoga. In private and group classes, Yoga For the Special Child incorporates deep breathing and stretching techniques, tailor made for children with disabilities. ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton reports.

Children’s Health: Identifying Houses with Lead Risk
Originally aired Monday, April 10, 2006
Cuyahoga County health officials say Cleveland has the third-highest rate of childhood lead poisoning in the nation, despite recent dramatic decreases in the number of children affected. Now they're working to identify households where lead could be a problem before kids are hurt. As part of our coverage of children's health issues, ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

At the Crossroads of Pharmaceuticals and Engineering
Originally aired Tuesday, April 11, 2006
The worlds of pharmaceuticals and engineering are often at different ends of the scientific spectrum. But this week at Case Western Reserve University, those worlds are merging in an effort to accelerate the world's preparations for handling a global pandemic. Scientists from 44 universities and seven countries are sharing their ideas to speed up vaccine production and government responses once a pandemic hits. ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton reports.

McCain Shows Support for Blackwell in Local Fundraiser
Originally aired Wednesday, April 12, 2006
In the past John McCain has often been at war with members of his own party, including President Bush. But lately, he's been more supportive of his party and one of President Bush's most stalwart defenders of the war in Iraq. And now, he's crisscrossing the country planting seeds of support for himself and other Republicans running for office. His latest stop was in Cleveland. There he reiterated his endorsement of Secretary of State Ken Blackwell in his race to the Republican nomination for Ohio governor. ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton filed this report.

Making Change: Trading Suburban Lawns for City Streets
Originally aired Thursday, April 13, 2006
The empty storefronts that run along lower Euclid Avenue in Cleveland stand in contrast to the pedestrian bustle that kept cash registers ringing up and down the street forty years ago. In more recent times, the major activity in these buildings is taking place above street level as dozens of former offices are being turned into living spaces. As part of Making Change: Building the Region's Future, ideastream's David C. Barnett reports that a similar transformation is taking place in other pockets around the city as developers place their bets on suburbanites who see downtown as a place to call home.

Making Change: Viability of City Living - Interview with CSU’s Thomas Bier
Originally aired Thursday, April 13, 2006
For years, Thomas Bier has tracked housing trends in Northeast Ohio as a faculty member of Cleveland State University's Levin College of Urban Affairs. Recently he spoke with ideastream's David C. Barnett about the viability of people living in the central city. Bier says downtown living is an established tradition all over the world.

RTA Mulls Rate Hike
Originally aired Tuesday, April 18, 2006
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority is proposing increasing bus and train fares across the board this summer for the first time in 13 years. But one group is already gearing up to fight the rate hike. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

Democrats Prepare for Square-Off at City Club
Originally aired Wednesday, April 19, 2006
All polls in the Democratic race for Governor show U.S. Congressman Ted Strickland and his running mate Lee Fisher, far ahead of former Ohio Legislator Brian Flannery and running mate Frank Stams. But some uncertainty remains. The number of undecided voters varies, up to almost 50%. Today (April 19), the two candidates will face off in a debate at the City Club of Cleveland. ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton has a look at what we can expect.

Democrat Governor Debate Wrap
Originally aired Thursday, April 20, 2006
Both Candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for Governor faced each other at the City Club of Cleveland Wednesday, each attempting to clarify his case to the voters - especially the high number of those who remain undecided about this race. ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton reports.

Inner Belt Rehab:  Moving to the Next Phase?
Originally aired Friday, April 21, 2006
It could be the end of the road for the struggle to convince the Ohio Department of Transportation to modify its plans for the I-90 inner belt. The self-imposed 60-day "cooling off" period ended today (Apr. 21) and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson wants to move on to the next design phase. ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton reports.

Interview with Attorney General Candidate Marc Dann
Originally aired Monday, April 24, 2006
There are four candidates for Attorney General, but unless you've recently been to a forum or actively been seeking out information on them in the blogosphere, you may not know much about them. ideastream's Dan Moulthrop is interviewing all of them. Today, we hear from Marc Dann.

Interview with Attorney General Candidate Subodh Chandra
Originally aired Tuesday, April 25, 2006
The May 2nd primary is just a week away, and we're taking time this week to find out more about the candidates for Ohio's Attorney General. Two men are vying for the Democratic party's nomination. Yesterday, we heard from State Senator Marc Dann. Today, we hear from Cleveland's former law director, Subodh Chandra. If he wins next Tuesday, he'll face either current State Auditor Betty Montgomery or Chesterland's State Senator Tim Grendell, who are vying for the Republican nomination. We'll be interviewing them later this week.

Close Eye on District 13
Originally aired Wednesday, April 26, 2006
One of the more closely-watched congressional races in Ohio this year involves the 13th District. With incumbent Sherrod Brown running for the U.S. Senate, the race is wide open in a district that covers parts of Summit, Cuyahoga, Medina and Lorain counties. Seven Democratic hopefuls gathered at the Cleveland City Club Wednesday and that wasn't even all of them. ideastream's Mark Urycki reports.

Interview with Attorney General Candidate Tim Grendell
Originally aired Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Our "Get to know an Attorney General candidate" series continues today with Republican State Senator Tim Grendell. He currently represents Lake and Geauga counties, and part of Cuyahoga County. He says in his years at the statehouse he's been trying, to no avail, to fix the current school funding problems.

Another ‘Missing Link’ Found
Originally aired Thursday, April 27, 2006
This month, the scientific world was rocked by the news that researchers working in Ethiopia have found one of the 'missing links' in the chain of human evolution. The 4.2-million-year-old fossil helps explain how human ancestors made the giant leap from one species to another. That's because this newest fossil was found in the same region where other human-like species spanning nearly six million years have been discovered. ideastream's Karen Schaefer spoke with Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selassie, curator of physical anthropology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and one of the co-authors of the recent report on the find in the journal Nature.

Inner Belt Rehab: Historic Status of Building in Bridge’s Path
Originally aired Thursday, April 27, 2006
A historic building in the path of a new inner belt bridge is on its way to becoming a Cleveland Landmark, and possibly placed on the National Register of Historic Places. That could hinder the Ohio Department of Transportation's bridge plans. ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton reports.

Interview with Attorney General Candidate Betty Montgomery
Originally aired Thursday, April 27, 2006
Today, we bring you the final installment in our series of interviews with Ohio's Attorney General candidates. Now, we hear from Betty Montgomery. She's currently state auditor, and she's the only candidate who's held the A.G.'s post before. ideastream's Dan Moulthrop spoke to her yesterday by phone from her office in Columbus.

Fuel of the Future: Hydrogen
Originally aired Thursday, April 27, 2006
Last Saturday President Bush marked Earth Day by touting the environmental benefits of hydrogen-powered vehicles. The president called it the "fuel of the future" and earmarked $1.2 billion for hydrogen research. Some of that money is coming to Akron for a new testing and manufacturing facility. ideastream's Mark Urycki has the details.

Anatomy of a Crash: Spider-Man 3 Films in Cleveland
Originally aired Thursday, April 27, 2006
Web Exclusive - Earlier this week, Columbia Pictures brought its production of Spider-Man 3 to Cleveland - specifically, Euclid Avenue right outside the Idea Center. One of the action scenes was brought to life on the asphalt in front of Playhouse Square as the movie team crashed a truck. Below you'll find some photos from that day's shoot.

Children’s Health: Teens and Tans: A Future Health Problem?
Originally aired Friday, April 28, 2006
The American Academy of Dermatology warns that there is a growing epidemic of skin cancer in the United States and teenagers are particularly at risk. That's because of their fixation on being tan. As part of our coverage of children's health, ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton reports.