Regional News Stories Archive: May 2008

Violin Virtuoso Arrives to Head the Cleveland Institute of Music
Originally aired Thursday, May 1, 2008
A highly regarded violin master and educator has been appointed president of the Cleveland Institute of Music. Joel Smirnoff, who chairs the violin department at The Julliard School and leads the Julliard String Quartet, replaces long-standing leader David Cerone. ideastream®'s David C. Barnett reports the new president got a warm Cleveland welcome yesterday.

Busy Year for Area Guidance Counselors
Originally aired Thursday, May 1, 2008
Today is decision day for thousands of high school seniors across the country. It's the deadline for students to tell colleges whether they plant to attend in the fall. This is supposedly the most competitive year ever for high school students applying to college.

Oberlin Marketing Leads to Fearless Objections
Originally aired Thursday, May 1, 2008
Oberlin is a well-regarded college known for its music conservatory and progressive politics. And, to highlight that, for about 9 years, the school used the tagline: "Think one person can change the world? So do we." Well, after a good run, the college decided it was time for something a little more bold and provocative. They hired an outside consultant for a few hundred grand and came up with this new slogan: “We are Oberlin. Fearless.” And, as ideastream's Dan Bobkoff reports, it didn’t go as well as planned.

McCain Pushes Health Plan at Clinic
Originally aired Thursday, May 1, 2008
While the democratic presidential candidates still dominate the headlines these days, John McCain is forging ahead with his “Call to Action Tour”. During a stop in Cleveland today , the senator promoted his healthcare plan at a town hall-style event at the Cleveland Clinic. ideastream’s Dan Bobkoff was there.

Cleveland Schools Launch Family Academy Program
Originally aired Friday, May 2, 2008
Cleveland Metropolitan School District officials recognize that families play an important role in education. That was the focus of Thursday’s grand opening of its new Family Academy. The program targets third graders, and emphasizes the role of their families and community in their lives. ideastream’s Tasha Flournoy has more.

Another Player in Solon Mortgage Fraud Faces Sentencing
Originally aired Monday, May 5, 2008
A mortgage broker faces sentencing in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court today for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme in Solon. Solon police have been investigating nearly 4 dozen property transactions for fraud. Ideastream's Mhari Saito reports.

Ohio Exports To China On Upswing
Originally aired Monday, May 5, 2008
A new report indicates Northeast Ohio is seeing a boom in the export business - to a relatively new trading partner of China. ideastream's Rick Jackson reports.

Cuyahoga County Mortgage Fraud Task Force Lands 8 Guilty Pleas
Originally aired Tuesday, May 6, 2008
An investigation by the Cuyahoga County Mortgage Fraud-Predatory Lending Task Force has landed eight guilty pleas. The eight are among 10 defendants involved in a $560 thousand dollar mortgage fraud case in the city of Cleveland. ideastream's Mhari Saito reports.

Plusquellic meets with Bridgestone Executives
Originally aired Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Akron mayor Don Plusquellic traveled to Tokyo Thursday (last week) to meet with Bridgestone-Firestone executives. The city has been working on a $68 million dollar deal to convince the tiremaker to keep its technical center in Akron. ideastream's Kymberli Hagelberg has this report.

Dann Out, CWRU Law Finds New Speaker
Originally aired Tuesday, May 6, 2008
One side note in the fallout from the Marc Dann scandal: Case Western Reserve University’s law school had to scramble to get a new commencement speaker. ideastream’s Dan Bobkoff has that story.

Callers speak out on Dann
Originally aired Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann is under increasing pressure to resign since an investigation uncovered a multitude of sins - including sexual harassment in his office, and his own affair with a subordinate. Eight top democrats, including Governor Strickland and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, have threatened impeachment if Dann doesn't step down. It's got people talking… about whether Dann should resign, and just what charge he would be impeached on if he doesn't. It was all part of a spirited discussion on 90.3's morning talk show The Sound of Ideas Tuesday. ideastream's Rick Jackson has more.

Turning the Rust Belt into an Artist Belt
Originally aired Wednesday, May 7, 2008
One of the legacies of Northeast Ohio's rust belt economy is dozens of empty factory and warehouse buildings. But, in recent years, a different sort of workforce has been quietly moving into these abandoned structures --- artists --- with the potential to revitalize neighborhoods once left for dead. A conference in Cleveland, next week, will explore the idea of turning the rust belt into an artist belt. ideastream®'s David C. Barnett has more on a call-in discussion that took place yesterday on 90.3's Around Noon.

Pension Payback Due to Federal Blunder
Originally aired Thursday, May 8, 2008
Over a thousand retired workers in Lorain County will be getting a cut in their pension checks because of an accounting blunder by the federal agency handling benefits for the region's bankrupt steel plants. Ideastream®'s David C. Barnett explains.

Burying Air Pollution
Originally aired Thursday, May 8, 2008
Ohio power plants pump over a hundred million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, according to federal estimates. With the approach of tighter restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions, a multi-million-dollar research project is looking to take the CO2 out of the air and bury it in the ground. ideastream®'s David C. Barnett has more.

Supreme Court To Consider Home Rule
Originally aired Thursday, May 8, 2008
The Ohio Supreme Court says it will consider the matter of residency rules across Ohio, after several lower courts previously ruled on the issue. ideastream's Rick Jackson reports.

Farmland Generates More Revenue than Residential
Originally aired Thursday, May 8, 2008
Since the flight of residents from urban centers began nearly half a century ago, towns and cities around Northeast Ohio have viewed their farmland as prime real estate. Leaders in cities like Avon, Brunswick, Strongsville, and Westlake, to name a few, encouraged extensive residential growth on former pastures and cropland, and many still do today. But local advocates for rural preservation say residential growth, unchecked, works against cities, and point to new study to prove their point. ideastream’s Dan Bobkoff reports:

Senator Brown Introduces Energy Bill
Originally aired Friday, May 9, 2008
With gas at $3.75 a gallon, congress is considering a possible windfall profits tax on U.S. oil companies. And Senator Sherrod Brown is one of the co-sponsors of the measure introduced this week. He's also introduced an energy bill with the hopes of bringing so called "green collar" jobs to Ohio. He spoke with ideastream®'s Eric Wellman.

Local Arts Visionary Lost
Originally aired Friday, May 9, 2008
Last week, Northeast Ohio lost one of its most important and distinguished leaders in the field of contemporary art -- Marjorie Talalay. Forty years ago this December, Talalay co-founded The New Gallery in University Circle, which would later become the Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, and more recently, MOCA Cleveland. During her tenure as the gallery's director, Marjorie introduced Northeast Ohio to then emerging artists such as Jasper Johns, Christo, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jim Dine. The 87-year-old visual arts visionary died in New York City, from injuries suffered in an automobile accident. Marjorie Talalay is remembered through a distinguished lecture series created in her name, and MOCA is also planning a special memorial to be held in June. Last year, Marjorie Talalay joined ideastream's Dee Perry inside the Idea Center, prior to a ceremony honoring her influential career.

Federal Bill Aims to Help Cities With High Foreclosures
Originally aired Friday, May 9, 2008
A sweeping housing bill just passed by Congress contains an aid package that local politicians say could help areas hard hit by the foreclosure crisis. Ideastream's Mhari Saito reports.

Mother’s Day Race Raises Money for Breast Cancer Research
Originally aired Monday, May 12, 2008
How did YOU --or the mother in your life -- celebrate Mother’s Day this year? Breakfast in bed? Flowers? Chocolate? Yesterday a number of Cleveland area kids celebrated their moms by running a 1-mile race to support local breast cancer research. ideastream’s Gretchen Cuda has more.

Navigating the Office Visit
Originally aired Monday, May 12, 2008
Doctor Charles Emerman, Associate Chief of Staff at MetroHealth Medical Center speaks with ideastream®'s Eric Wellman about choosing a doctor and getting the most out of the appointment.

Second Church Theft Trial Starts
Originally aired Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Opening statements are due this week in a legal case that has brought the accounting practices of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese under scrutiny. ideastream®'s David C. Barnett has more on the trial of former Chief Financial Officer Joseph Smith.

Finding the Art and Technology Fit
Originally aired Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Preparations are being made this week for a red cloud full of video cameras that is due to float over downtown Cleveland, this summer. No, it's not the latest scheme to catch speeding motorists, but rather a high-flying art installation involving 100 weather balloons. It's one of many exhibits on display at this year's Ingenuity Fest --- an annual event that may finally be finding its feet. ideastream®'s David C. Barnett has more.

New Ship has Balance Without Ballast
Originally aired Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The U-S and Canada are trying to figure out how to keep new invasive species out of the Great Lakes. Nearly 200 have already sneaked in, costing the region billions a year. Many hitchhiked in the ballast tanks of foreign cargo ships. Both countries want the public to know they're doing something about the problem. So they've invited journalists to the port of Montreal to see how ballast tanks are tested for invasive species. David Sommerstein reports.

Americans View Rebates With Mixed Emotions
Originally aired Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Survey after survey finds most Americans say they will save their government tax rebate, or use it to pay down debt. Only a minority of Americans say they plan to go out and spend it on non-essentials, like a flat screen TV. One noted psychologist has been watching with curiosity how people are handling this money. ideastream®'s Eric Wellman spoke with Kent State University President Lester Lefton about rebate psychology.

Vacant Homes Targetted by Arsonists
Originally aired Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The foreclosure crisis has left Cleveland littered with vacant homes, vulnerable to vandalism and theft. And, increasingly, those homes are going up in flames. ideastream’s Dan Bobkoff reports.

Rebuilding Cleveland By Taking It Apart
Originally aired Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The blight of abandoned houses due to the mortgage crisis has prompted lawmakers to speed-up the foreclosure process so the vacant properties can be condemned and torn down. But, a new group of Clevelanders wants to save some of these homes from the wrecking ball and re-cycle them. ideastream®'s David C. Barnett has more on a new project that aims to help rebuild Cleveland by taking it apart, piece by piece.

Trumbull County Leaders To Discuss Cooperation
Originally aired Thursday, May 15, 2008
The foundation of a potentially stronger economic future for Trumbull County is up for discussion tonight (Thursday), at a special meeting of civic and government leaders. Ideastream's Rick Jackson reports.

Attorney General Resigns; Governor Considers Replacements
Originally aired Thursday, May 15, 2008
Ohio's embattled Attorney General Marc Dann has resigned on the first day of an investigation into his conduct in that office. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports from Columbus.

County Recorder O’Malley to Plead Guilty, Resign
Originally aired Thursday, May 15, 2008
Federal Court officials confirmed today that Cuyahoga County Recorder Patrick J. O'Malley is expected to plead guilty this afternoon to one count of obscenity.

Metrohealth, Facing Shortfall, Cuts Jobs
Originally aired Thursday, May 15, 2008
Cleveland's Metrohealth System has announced it will eliminate jobs and tighten expenditures after an 8 million-dollar loss in the first quarter of this year. Ideastream’s Bill Rice reports.

The Parallel Paths and Singular Quest of Barbara and Julian Stanczak
Originally aired Friday, May 16, 2008
Tomorrow night, the Cleveland Artists Foundation will pay tribute to a beloved Northeast Ohio couple who have been widely celebrated for their explorations of light, color and form. ideastream®'s David C. Barnett examines the parallel paths and singular quest of Barbara and Julian Stanczak.

Cleveland Clinic Opens New Autism School
Originally aired Friday, May 16, 2008
The Center for Autism at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital has a brand new school. It opened its doors yesterday at a public dedication ceremony. Ideastream’s Gretchen Cuda was there.

O’Malley Resigns Post and Pleads Guilty to Obscenity Charge
Originally aired Friday, May 16, 2008
Another prominent democrat is leaving office amidst scandal. Cuyahoga County recorder Patrick O’Malley resigned and pleaded guilty to an obscenity charge yesterday. Ideastream’s Gretchen Cuda reports.

Boomertown, USA
Originally aired Friday, May 16, 2008
On Fridays we typically turn our attention to the regional economy. Today we begin broadening this segment to bring you a diverse set of conversations with local business executives, financial analysts and developers, among others. Ideastream Executive Editor David Molpus kicks off our discussions with Morton Smith, a semi-retired Cleveland businessman who has an idea about how to attract new residents to the region.