Regional News Stories Archive: December 2007

Cuyahoga Falls to Consider Limiting Payday Stores
Originally aired Monday, December 3, 2007
The city of Cuyahoga Falls is considering legislation to limit the number of payday lenders in its boundaries. If the bill passes, Cuyahoga Falls would be one of the first cities in Ohio to enact such legislation. ideastream's Mhari Saito reports.

West Side Fire/EMS Mergers Will Take Time
Originally aired Monday, December 3, 2007
City councils in seven Cuyahoga County suburbs will have to wait a while longer to see the second phase of a plan to combine their fire and emergency medical departments into a regional entity. ideastream politics reporter Kymberli Hagelberg has details.

Goodyear Deal Could Keep HQ in Akron
Originally aired Monday, December 3, 2007
A deal which could keep the headquarters of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company rooted in its home city of Akron could be completed this week. And just to the south, another major re-development deal involves some of the same players. ideastream's Rick Jackson reports.

Iraqi Refugee Tells His Story
Originally aired Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Refugees International describes the displacement of Iraqis from their home country as the world's fastest growing refugee crisis. More than 1,600 Iraqis have come to the United States in the last year, and at least 14 of them are now in Ohio. One of them told his story to Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler.

Fighting the Cycle of Poverty
Originally aired Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Fighting poverty and violence was the topic last night as the City Club of Cleveland kicked off its new speaker series In Cleveland's Hough neighborhood. Renowned Harlem Children's Zone CEO Geoffrey Canada was the inaugural speaker and he offered his thoughts on how cities like Cleveland can fight the cycle of poverty and violence in poor neighborhoods. ideastream's Dan Bobkoff reports.

Cleveland City Councilman wants Congressional Seat
Originally aired Wednesday, December 5, 2007
While Dennis Kucinich campaigns in his long-shot bid for the democratic nomination for president, a Cleveland city councilman is out to capture his congressional seat. ideastream's Kymberli Hagelberg reports.

Ohio Suing Tobacco Company Over Ad
Originally aired Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Ohio is suing a major tobacco company for allegedly violating an agreement with the government about advertising. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports.

Plan: Northeast Ohio as Viable Economic Region
Originally aired Wednesday, December 5, 2007
After five months on the job, Cleveland Regional Development Director Chris Warren has unveiled the city's plan to present Northeast Ohio as a viable economic region, with Cleveland at its core. ideastream's Rick Jackson reports.

Bay Village Mayor to Enter Commissioner Race
Originally aired Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Bay Village Mayor Debbie Sutherland is taking a shot at county-wide politics with a run for Cuyahoga County Commissioner. ideastream's Bill Rice has more.

North Olmsted Mayor seeks Kucinich Congressional Seat
Originally aired Wednesday, December 5, 2007
North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O'Grady has added his name to the growing list of Democrats looking to relieve presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich of his seat in the U.S. Congress. Ideastream Politics reporter Kymberli Hagelberg has details.

Goodyear Plans to Keep HQ in Akron
Originally aired Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Sighs of relief in Akron as Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company announces it's keeping its headquarters in Akron. Ideastream's Dan Bobkoff has the story.

Journey to Pilgrim’s Rest Cemetery
Originally aired Thursday, December 6, 2007
Author Vicki Vigil is sort of like a cemetery detective. She looks at grave markers and investigates the people behind them. Vigil has visited dozens of cemeteries across northeast Ohio and has compiled the stories of some of their permanent residents in her book Cemeteries of Northeast Ohio. She took ideastream's Eric Wellman to one of the more obscure cemeteries -- one that you wouldn't be able to find unless you knew where to look. It's called Pilgerruh, or Pilgrim's Rest. Photo by Jonathan Wayne

North Olmstead Mayor to Challenge Kucinich
Originally aired Thursday, December 6, 2007
North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O'Grady has added his name to the growing list of Democrats looking to relieve presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich of his seat in the U.S. Congress. ideastream political reporter Kymberli Hagelberg has details.

Ohio Housing Advocates: Bush Mortgage Plan Not Much Help
Originally aired Friday, December 7, 2007
Wall Street rallied yesterday on news that President George W. Bush plans to help the mortgage lending industry. The President says lenders will freeze interest rates for some subprime adjustable rate mortgages instead of resetting to higher rates. But Ohio leaders and state housing advocates say the President's plan probably won't help the Buckeye state's sky-high foreclosure rate all that much. ideastream's Mhari Saito reports.

Medical Mart on Track
Originally aired Friday, December 7, 2007
Details are still being worked out on a proposed convention center and medical mart in Cleveland, but officials say the project is still on track to becoming reality. ideastream's Bill Rice reports.

Playoffs In Sight For Browns
Originally aired Friday, December 7, 2007
After a slew of losing seasons and a miserable opening day, it is hard to believe the Browns could be going to the playoffs this season. The team's headed to New Jersey this weekend to play the Jets -- a game that has added importance, since the Browns' tough loss last week in Arizona. Cleveland has four games remaining in the regular season. To get an idea how the playoff picture is shaping up, ideastream's Eric Wellman spoke with Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw.

10th Congressional District Race Analysis
Originally aired Friday, December 7, 2007
Dennis Kucinich has relied on his status as a local icon to allow him to serve two masters, the constituents of Ohio's 10th congressional district and his personal ambition to become president. But what kind of gamble is Kucinich taking with his current job? Are any of the four fellow Democrats lined up to take his congressional seat really much of a threat? ideastream political reporter Kymberli Hagelberg offers this analysis.

Ohio’s Values Voters Look to 2008
Originally aired Monday, December 10, 2007
Religious conservatives in Ohio are credited with helping President George W. Bush swing the key voting state in 2000 and 2004. And despite setbacks in 2006, when Democrats won many key state seats, Ohio's Christian Evangelical movement is gearing up for 2008. ideastream's Mhari Saito reports.

Myers University to Close
Originally aired Tuesday, December 11, 2007
It's the end of the road for beleaguered Myers University. The business school, formerly known as Dyke College, has roots in Cleveland dating back to 1848. The school announced this afternoon/yesterday afternoon that this semester will be its last. ideastream education reporter Dan Bobkoff has more.

Tenniya’s Story: The Plight of Teen Pregnancy
Originally aired Tuesday, December 11, 2007
This week ideastream is teaming up with The Plain Dealer to explore the challenges facing one Cleveland neighborhood - Mt. Pleasant on the city's east side. One of those challenges is teen pregnancy, which usually leads to single motherhood and a host of social problems for the mother and her children. Today, over 70 percent of the children born in Mt. Pleasant were born without a father in the picture. ideastream's Tasha Flournoy profiles one Mt. Pleasant teen mom who's struggling to transform her life.

Father Dan Recalls Neighborhood Changes
Originally aired Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Father Dan Begin is the pastor at two churches in Mount Pleasant -- St. Cecelia and Epiphany. ideastream's Eric Wellman spoke with him in the offices of St. Cecelia on the corner of 152nd and Kinsman. Father Dan has gray hair, a closely trimmed beard, and speaks with mixed emotion about how the neighborhood he's called home for the past 25 years has changed.

Keepers of Community
Originally aired Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The shooting of a Cleveland teenager by an adult in self-defense, this past Spring, thrust the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood into the spotlight. This week, the Plain Dealer and ideastream have teamed up to go beyond the headlines and take a closer look at a community that certainly has had its share of violence and poverty. But, Mount Pleasant is also a place where people are working to turn those challenges around. ideastream's David C. Barnett has more.

Plan for School Funding Fix
Originally aired Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Governor Strickland promised to fix school funding in his campaign for Governor. He admits he hasn't done that yet. But now a Republican state senator says he has a plan that will. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports.

Recall Vote for Councilman Approaches
Originally aired Wednesday, December 12, 2007
As the vote on whether to oust a Cleveland councilman approaches, absentee voters have just a few days to get their ballot applications in. ideastream's Kymberli Hagelberg reports.

Voting Machine Problems Persist
Originally aired Thursday, December 13, 2007
Testing of Cuyahoga County's trouble-prone electronic voting system continues this week in the wake of a delayed November vote count. Ideastream Politics Reporter Kymberli Hagelberg has details.

Port Recommends Eastside Relocation
Originally aired Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Cleveland Cuyahoga County Port Authority is a step closer to selecting a new home. If approved it will be a two-decade long process that requires city, county, and federal approval. ideastream's Tasha Flournoy has more.

Movement to Keep Cell Phone 911 Fee In Place
Originally aired Thursday, December 13, 2007
Cell phone users in Ohio currently pay 32 cents a month on each line they own for emergency 911 service. That charge was approved by lawmakers years ago when counties were trying to create wireless emergency service in the state. But the fee was not meant to be permanent -- it's set to expire at the end of 2008. But there's now a move underway to keep that fee in place, as Jo Ingles reports from Columbus.

Preaching A New Message
Originally aired Friday, December 14, 2007
The spate of violence involving young people has been the subject of numerous sermons in individual houses of worship across Northeast Ohio. But, it took a recent high school shooting to prompt the creation of an interfaith alliance, aimed at using the voices of the church, the temple, and the mosque to preach a new message. ideastream's David C. Barnett has more.

Paul Byrd Among Mitchell’s List
Originally aired Friday, December 14, 2007
Only one active Cleveland Indians player was named when the results of former Senator George Mitchell's 20-month investigation into steroid use in baseball were made public Thursday. ideastream's Bill Rice reports.

Cimperman Talks Up Accomplishments at City Club
Originally aired Friday, December 14, 2007
Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman wants to be the next Congressman from Ohio's 10th district. But on Friday at the City Club he didn't campaign for the job -- at least not directly. Ideastream Politics reporter Kymberli Hagelberg has details.

State Recommends Changes in Cuyahoga County Voting System
Originally aired Monday, December 17, 2007
Ohio's elections chief is calling for a change in Cuyahoga County's voting system. But, county elections officials want to hear from Cuyahoga County voters. Later today, the public will have a chance to voice their opinion. ideastream's Tasha Flournoy has more.

Are Teacher Pensions Affecting the Quality of Education?
Originally aired Monday, December 17, 2007
When you think about the quality of education kids are getting, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not teacher pensions. But some economists think Ohio's teacher pensions can affect the quality of teachers in the classroom. ideastream education reporter Dan Bobkoff explains.

Strickland’s First Year: A Conversation with the Governor
Originally aired Monday, December 17, 2007
The weather was bad and the climate was wary when Ted Strickland was sworn as governor in January. At the end of his first year, he's being lauded for by some for a spirit of bipartisanship, and criticized by others for being too compromising. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler sat down with the governor to talk about his first year, and to preview the next one.

Recall Vote for Santiago Tomorrow
Originally aired Monday, December 17, 2007
Tomorrow, Cleveland Ward 14 voters will decide whether to keep first-term councilman Joe Santiago. It's the first attempt to remove a ward council member that has gone all the way to a vote since the Cleveland charter was written. ideastream politics reporter Kymberli Hagelberg has details.

Housing Activists Ask for Freeze on Evictions
Originally aired Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Housing advocates are asking for a break on auctions of foreclosed homes and evictions of the homeowners for the holiday season. ideastream's Mhari Saito reports.

Getting Ohio Connected
Originally aired Tuesday, December 18, 2007
In some rural and Appalachian areas of Ohio, there are not enough high-tech lines installed to let people access the internet quickly. That will change, though, under a plan between Governor Strickland, cable providers, and phone companies. They're setting up a new public-private partnership to get all of Ohio connected. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports.

Learning Chinese Gaining Popularity in Schools
Originally aired Tuesday, December 18, 2007
If you think back to when you were in high school chances are Chinese was not among the language offerings. French, Spanish and Latin were certainly the big three. And for the most part they still are today. But these days a growing number of school districts are offering Chinese as early as middle school. There are about a dozen districts in Greater Cleveland that are offering it, including Beachwood. It's in the process of fazing Chinese in and fazing French out. Now in its third year, there are about 70 students in the program. Phil Wagner is assistant superintendent of the Beachwood Schools and oversees the curriculum. ideastream's Eric Wellman spoke with him about the change.

Akron Council President Wants Police Chief’s Resignation
Originally aired Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Akron City Council President Marco Sommerville used the bully pulpit of his unanimous reelection to call for the resignation of the city's police chief. ideastream politics reporter Kymberli Hagelberg has more.

Voter Advocates Criticize Ohio Plan
Originally aired Wednesday, December 19, 2007
A group of voting rights advocates released a report Tuesday that criticizes Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's plan to fix the state's voting problems. ideastream politics reporter Kymberli Hagelberg reports.

A Look Back at 2007 State Government
Originally aired Wednesday, December 19, 2007
2007 was the year that two dozen strippers came to the statehouse to lobby Ohio legislators against proposed limits on x-rated businesses. The unusual scene symbolized some of the hot-button issues that lawmakers dealt with during the year. This week, statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen has been reviewing the year in state government. Today, a look back at that and other bills that lawmakers approved.

Ford Making Gains
Originally aired Wednesday, December 19, 2007
There was some interesting news this year in Consumer Reports' issue on automobiles. Toyota -- which has long won top awards for reliability -- slipped a bit. And Ford -- which has struggled with reliability in past surveys -- made some sizable gains. Out of 44 models, Ford scored average or better on all but three. To try to get an idea how things have changed at Ford's factories in Northeast Ohio and around the world, ideastream's Eric Wellman spoke with Gary Johnson, Ford's global quality director for manufacturing.

Santiago Survives Recall
Originally aired Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The first recall of a city councilman to make it all the way to a vote since the Cleveland City Charter was adopted came down to 251 votes. That means Ward 14's Joe Santiago will serve the rest of his term. ideastream's Kymberli Hagelberg has more.

Rock Hall Inductions Coming to Cleveland in ‘09
Originally aired Wednesday, December 19, 2007
It's been a frustration for Clevelanders for years. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has held its inductions in New York and other cities since the museum's founding. Well, that's about to change. ideastream's Dan Bobkoff has the story.

Board of Elections Deciding Fate of Touchscreens
Originally aired Thursday, December 20, 2007
The four-member Cuyahoga County Board of Elections is meeting again today to consider the fate of touch screen voting. ideastream's Dan Bobkoff has a preview.

State’s Judges Test Mediation in Foreclosure Suits
Originally aired Thursday, December 20, 2007
Ohio's judges are looking at ways to help county courts deal with rapidly growing dockets of foreclosure cases. Judges are urging lenders and borrowers in trouble to hammer out solutions before foreclosure suits are settled in court. Ideastream's Mhari Saito reports.

Remembering J-Shawn
Originally aired Thursday, December 20, 2007
Several hundred people gathered last night in Glenville, last night, to memorialize the death of another Cleveland teenager. Ideastream's David C. Barnett has this report on an emotional service held for J-Shawn Richardson, an aspiring artist who was gunned down in a robbery attempt, last Saturday.

State Government: Unfinished Business of 2007
Originally aired Thursday, December 20, 2007
Electric bills, payday loans, and cocaine are among the issues that Ohio legislators wrestled with this year but didn't take final action on. As part of our look back at 2007, statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports on some of the "unfinished business" that lawmakers hope to wrap up next year.

Age Discrimination Examination
Originally aired Thursday, December 20, 2007
Tens of thousands of age-discrimination suits are filed every year in the United States and complaints tend to rise in a faltering economy. No surprise then that Ohio has had its fair share of age discrimination cases given all the job losses here in recent years. One of the largest settlements in the state involved an Aurora life insurance executive. He was awarded $16 million in damages but the case is on appeal. One recent study by researchers at Ohio State University showed that there is a spike in lawsuits involving workers in their 60s. That's due in part, the researchers found, to employer efforts to reduce pension and health-insurance costs by targeting older workers during layoffs. Ellen Simon, a plaintiffs attorney in Cleveland, has been in the forefront of some of the biggest cases in the state. She says discrimination often also occurs at a slightly younger age.

Last Day for Eastside Catholic Center and Shelter
Originally aired Friday, December 21, 2007
Today is the last day of business for The Eastside Catholic Center and Shelter. The 22-year-old agency provided shelter for homeless women and children as well as drug treatment programs. ideastream's Mhari Saito reports.

Secretary of State will Break Tie on Cuyahoga’s Voting Machines
Originally aired Friday, December 21, 2007
Cuyahoga County elections board members were evenly divided yesterday on whether to scrap the county's touch-screen voting system and switch to optical scan machines. Now the decision will likely be made by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who supports adopting an optical scan system before the March 4 presidential primary.

Cleveland Heights Officials Propose Income Tax Hike
Originally aired Friday, December 21, 2007
For the first time in nearly 30 years, Cleveland Heights workers and residents may end up paying higher income taxes. City officials say the city is cash-strapped and plan to put the issue on the March 2008 ballot. ideastream's Tasha Flournoy has more.

Toledo Science Museum Closing
Originally aired Friday, December 21, 2007
Toledo's science museum, unable to muster more support from voters, has announced it will close at the end of the year. More than 3 million people have visited the museum in its nearly 11 years of operation. But, museum officials say they can't afford to stay open. ideastream's Tasha Flournoy has this report.

Steelyard Commons Now
Originally aired Monday, December 24, 2007
Many Clevelanders are scrambling to finish up last-minute shopping today. This year - for the first time - city residents who favor the shopping center experience can find it in their backyard. Steelyard Commons, the city's first big-box retail center, just recently opened. Some controversy surrounded the complex when it was in the planning stages, mostly surrounding its anchor tenant, Wal-Mart Supercenter, and competition to existing businesses. Now that it's built and open for business, it appears to be attracting shoppers from near and far. ideastream's reporter Tasha Flournoy has more.

Northeast Ohio Remembers Benazir Bhutto
Originally aired Friday, December 28, 2007
Northeast Ohio Pakistanis are closely watching the chaotic events in their native country following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Thursday. Ideastream's David C. Barnett has more.

ACLU Calls For Changes In Cuyahoga County Elections
Originally aired Friday, December 28, 2007
Voting rights advocates are warning Cuyahoga County elections officials that if they move forward with a plan to switch to a new voting system, they may be violating state law. ideastream's Tasha Flournoy has this report.

A Year of Living Dangerously
Originally aired Monday, December 31, 2007
The lives and deaths of Cleveland teenagers were a major focus of news stories this past year -- a teenage robber shot to death by his intended victim; a 15 year old girl stabbed to death with a steak knife; an enraged ex-boyfriend shoots an 18-year-old girl in the face. These reports seemed to come once a month, each adding to the sense of dismay around Cleveland over escalating conflict and violence among urban teens. ideastream®'s David C. Barnett recalls some of the more high profile cases, the fallout, and residents' response to a violent year in the city.