Morning News Archives
January - March 2000

• March 2000
• February 2000
• January 2000

The Quest of Sam Reese Sheppard: Holding the System Accountable-A one-on-one interview At 52, Sam Reese Sheppard is trying to hold a system accountable for what he says is the wrongful imprisonment of his father, Dr. Sam Sheppard. Over the last 10 years, he's been on a quest, gathering evidence and information surrounding his mother's death. He now lives in Oakland California, working as a dental hygienist. Sheppard also spends much of his time as an activist crusading against the death penalty. 90.3's Yolanda Perdomo sat down with Sam Reese Sheppard for a one-on-one interview, where he talked about reliving the experience of his mother's death and discussions of a settlement which were brought up during this trial. Aired March 31, 2000 (Continuing coverage of Sheppard Trial 2000)

The Prosecution Introduces Coroner's Inquest: The events surrounding the 1954 murder of Marilyn Sheppard are a big part of what the jury is listening to this week, as part of the wrongful imprisonment suit brought against the state of Ohio. The estate of the late Dr. Sam Sheppard says he spent 10 years in prison, unnecessarily for his wife's murder. Sheppard was acquitted of the crime in a 1966 retrial. 90.'3's Yolanda Perdomo reports the Cuyahoga county prosecutor's office is presenting its side of the story, and might wrap up its case as early as next week. Aired March 31, 2000 (Continuing coverage of Sheppard Trial 2000)

The Terminal Condition of Cleveland Hospitals: Almost overnight, there's been a rash of hospital closings in Cleveland. It's left many in the community trying to figure out exactly what's happening to institutions that have served neighborhoods for generations. Meanwhile, temperatures are rising as the mayor, city council, community leaders, and others argue over how to keep the hospitals open. But the diagnosis could be fatal because of a lack of cash in their diets. Mike West probes the changing hospital industry. (Aired March 29, 2000)

Straw Bale Construction: A House of Straw: Despite our multi-cultural heritage, America is remarkably homogeneous in its architecture. Recent concerns about urban sprawl, efficient use of energy, and the aesthetics of so-called cookie-cutter design have sparked new interest in alternative forms of building. As 90.3's/INFOHIO's Karen Schaefer reports, one of these is straw bale construction, a method of building proponents say is not only weather-proof and wolf-proof, but offers lessons about the environment, local heritage, and creating a sense of community. (Aired March 29, 2000)

Sheppard Trial Transcript Testimony: This morning, opening statements are scheduled for the third trial involving the late Dr. Sam Sheppard....the inspiration for "The Fugitive" TV series who was convicted but later acquitted of killing his wife in 1954. Yolanda Perdomo reports. (Aired March 24, 2000) (Continuing coverage of Sheppard Trial 2000)

Slowing the Spread of Gypsy Moths: In 1869, a Frenchman investigating silkworms accidentally unleashed what has since become one of North America's most destructive pests. Until recently, the spread of the European gypsy moth was limited to New England. Now it's showing up in Northeast Ohio and local residents and park managers are worried that the moths could defoliate whole forests in their search for food. The Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area is currently considering a suppression program that could help reduce the gypsy moth population, but could also kill other members of the lepidoptera - moth and butterfly - family. 90.3's Karen Schaefer has this report on slowing the spread of the gypsy moth in Cuyahoga County. Aired March 23, 2000

Seminole Seniors Cling to Traditions: A common criticism of U.S. society is that we have lost respect for our elders. Asian and Native American cultures are often pointed to as examples where older people are revered for their life experiences. As a part of 90.3's series examining Aging in America, David C. Barnett recently visited a Seminole reservation in southern Florida, where cultural traditions are losing a struggle with modern realities. Aired March 21, 2000

The Sheppard Trial Update: The state of Ohio continues their side of the case in the wrongful imprisonment trial of Dr. Sam Sheppard. His estate brought on the suit, and rested its case earlier this month. INFOHIO's/OHIO PUBLIC RADIO's Yolanda Perdomo reports on the state's defense thus far. And how a mistrial was almost called....for the second time in this civil case. Aired March 17, 2000 (Continuing coverage of Sheppard Trial 2000)

Okefenoke Swamp Living Exhibit: "Land of the Trembling Earth" Spanish moss dripping from live oaks -- cypress knees crouched in inky-black water - wild alligators lying in wait for unwary prey. Welcome to the land of Pogo, the famous comic strip character who poled his flat-bottomed boat through the swamps of southern Georgia. This month, residents of Northeast Ohio can take a trip through the famous Okefenoke [okee-fen-okee] Swamp without their own backyard. But as INFOHIO's/90.3's Karen Schaefer reports, this isn't your usual natural history diorama, but a living, breathing ecosystem that puts you right in the action. Aired March 16, 2000

Medicare Drug Benefit: The country's top political leaders converged on Northeast Ohio this past Monday and they were all talking about expanding Medicare to address the high cost of prescription drugs. Those leaders included President Bill Clinton, House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, and House Speaker Denny Hastert. They weren't all gathered at the same place. Hastert spoke to a senior center in Mentor while Gephardt was with the President in Cleveland when he spoke at the downtown library. Aired March 16, 2000

Sandy Ridge: Wetlands Mitigation: Over the last two hundred years, Ohio has lost ninety percent of its wetlands, the worst record in the nation. Today there's a growing recognition of the value of wetlands as a resource for protecting the quality of our water, reducing flooding and erosion, preserving bio-diversity, and providing a habitat for wildlife. But wetlands protection has been a controversial issue. Environmentalists are sharply critical of the federal policy of wetland mitigation - impacting one wetland in exchange for protecting another. INFOHIO's/90.3's Karen Schaefer explores the issue of mitigation as she takes us to a wetland mitigation project in Lorain County where results have vastly exceeded expectations. Aired March 15, 2000

Ohio Retirees Find New Challenges Under the Florida Sun: Florida is the fabled retirement paradise. And a large contingent of Ohioans has migrated to the western coast of the sunshine state in search of the good life, far away from northern winters. 90.3's David C. Barnett reports that some have found surprises waiting under the sun. Aired March 13, 2000

Neighborhood Preservation: Waging War against a Giant: The look and feel of many neighborhoods are changing in the Cleveland area. Not everyone likes the trend. Shoppers are finding new names on their favorite grocery stores and drug stores seem to be popping up everywhere. One Cleveland community is determined to fight what some consider progress. Infohio's Mike West has this report. Aired March 9, 2000

90.3 WCPN®'s Town Hall Meeting on Family Care-Giving
Come and Join us at 90.3 WCPN®'s Town Hall Meeting on Family Care-Giving and meet Assistant Secretary for Aging, Dr. Jeanette Takamura, Thursday, March 9, 2000. Click here for all the details! Part of When I'm 64: Aging In America series.

The Sheppard Trial Testimony: Lawyers representing the estate of Dr. Sam Sheppard plan to rest their case today. Once that is done, it will be the state's turn to present their side. 90.3's Yolanda Perdomo brings us up to date. (Aired March 8, 2000) Continuing coverage of Sheppard Trial 2000

Farmland Preservation Fails: Despite a lack of organized opposition, Ohio's first effort to fund farmland preservation at the county level was defeated yesterday by voters in Medina County. Supporters of the measure say poor ballot language, a short campaign, and lack of strong political support may have been the cause. But experts believe this won't be the last effort to establish funding for farmland preservation in the Buckeye State. 90.3's/INFOHIO's Karen Schaefer has this report. Aired March 8, 2000

The Changing Face of Welfare: Final Wrap-Up Report: Since federal welfare reform was passed in 1997, a whole new attitude toward public assistance has developed. Today, welfare recipients must earn cash benefits by going to work - and in Ohio there is a three-year lifetime cap on those benefits. That's a far cry from the days when some families lived their entire lives on the welfare system. But while the number of people on the welfare rolls has dropped dramatically in the last two and a half years, many still remain dependent on welfare benefits. And some experts worry that welfare reforms may create a new underclass of poverty. Has welfare reform really worked? As we conclude our year-long look at the Changing Face of Welfare, Karen Schaefer brings us this report on what's been accomplished - and what still remains to be done. Aired March 1, 2000

Farmland Preservation: On Super Tuesday, Medina County voters rejected a proposal for a one quarter percent sales tax issue to pay for farmland preservation. While Medina County missed the opportunity to become Ohio's first county with a dedicated revenue source for saving farmland -and supporters say there is no plan to revive the issue in Medina County - others may follow. Interested planners in adjoining Lorain County and other Northeast Ohio regions threatened by urban sprawl are still looking into the pros and cons of preserving farmland. As Karen Schaefer reports, supporters say it will ultimately save taxpayers money, while opponents call such measures an unfair subsidy for farmers. Aired March 6, 2000

Argument Without End: April Baer interviews Robert McNamara - former Secretary of Defense, during which he talks about pondering the following stunning premise: the Vietnam war might have been totally avoidable, totally unnecessary. Aired March 3, 2000

Rating the Mayor: Melvin Holli is Professor of History at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He's just written a book called The American Mayor: the Best and the Worst Big City Leaders. 90.3's April Baer spoke with him about some of Cleveland's luminaries. Go to our community bulletin board and let us know what you think! Aired March 1, 2000

City Club, The Candidates' Debate: For more information about the March 1st City Club panelists. Aired March 1, 2000

Is RTA Going in Circles?: The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with plans to redraw the public transportation map. But some critics think RTA is heading in the wrong direction. 90.3's David C. Barnett examines the transit system's track record and where new leadership may take it. Aired February 29, 2000

Dramatic Week in the Sheppard Trial t's been a dramatic week in the wrongful imprisonment trial of Dr. Sam Sheppard. On Tuesday Sam Reece Sheppard, son of the late physician, took the witness stand. As testimony unfolds, the legal strategies of both sides are becoming apparent. 90.3's Ley Garnett reports. (Aired February 25, 2000) Continuing coverage of Sheppard Trial 2000

Trouble at River Valley High

Part One: This week families in Marion, Ohio are hoping to get some answers. In this small town of about forty thousand, graduates of the River Valley School district have been contracting leukemia at an alarming rate. For years, state officials have been looking into a possible cause. In the first of two reports, 90.3's April Baer has some background on the mystery surrounding River Valley. Aired February 21, 2000

Part Two: New information is due out this week about environmental problems in Marion, Ohio. State and military teams are investigating what appears to be an unusually high rate of leukemia and other cancers among graduates of River Valley Schools. The district is demanding the government step in to help. But the situation at River Valley is complicated. 90.3's April Baer has the second of two reports on the contamination of this former military depot, and who might be responsible for it. Aired February 22, 2000

Remedial Study Update: The Army Corps of Engineers presented yesterday a long-awaited report on contamination at the River Valley School District in Marion county. This Remedial Investigation is the latest step in ongoing efforts to pinpoint the trouble at River Valley. This morning, 90.3's April Baer spoke to Don Millard, a concerned parent and graduate of River Valley High School. Millard's 24 year old daughter is a graduate of the school, and has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Aired February 25, 2000

What Boomers Will Demand: Projections are that by the year 2035, seventy million Baby Boomers will be age 65 or older. What will older Boomers demand of government, of the marketplace - and of their children? As we continue our series, "When I'm Sixty-Four: Aging in America," 90.3's Karen Schaefer brings us this report. (Aired February 24, 2000)

Mega-Farms So called "mega-farms" have come under fire for odors, clouds of flies and other problems related to having millions of chickens on a single farm. The Ohio Attorney General has threatened to take Buckeye Egg operators to court over environmental violations. Now the federal government is involved in the issue. The feds say Ohio isn't doing enough to protect the environment and may withhold money to punish the state. 90.3' Mike West reports. Aired February 23, 2000

CourtTV Reporter Clara Tuma Talks with 90.3's Yolanda Perdomo about Media Restrictions and the Sheppard Trial: Clara Tuma is a reporter for Court TV who's been specializing in legal journalism for 14 years. She's covered some of the highest profile trials in the nation, including the trials of former au pair Louise Woodward, Long Island Railroad gunman Colin Ferguson, South Carolina's Susan Smith, and Texas cadet killers David Graham and Diane Zamora. She also covered the War Crimes Tribunal from the Hague. Prior to joining Court TV, Ms. Tuma was a reporter at Texas Lawyer, a newspaper covering the Texas legal system, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and the now defunct Houston Post. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Texas. 90.3's Yolanda Perdomo spoke to Clara Tuma about the Sam Sheppard trial and the media coverage that has surrounded this historic case. Continuing coverage of Sheppard Trial 2000

Fuel Cell Technology Could Revolutionize the World For years, the development of alternative energy technologies that promise environmental benefits - technologies like wind and solar power - has remained largely outside the mainstream of American big business. But now that's changing, due in part to new environmental leadership in northeast Ohio. Recent advances in technology, combined with growing concerns about the environmental consequences of burning fossil fuels, are turning some industry leaders toward green research. The most promising of these new energy sources is fuel cell technology. As 90.3's Karen Schaefer reports, some experts predict fuel cells could revolutionize the world as we know it. (Aired February 18, 2000)

Finding the Starting Point from Welfare to Work: The crush of people moving from welfare-to-work is weighing heavily on day care providers in Cuyahoga County. A state deadline to get people off public assistance and into the workforce has put many parents into a double bind. They must search for a job and for daycare at the same time. 90.3's David C. Barnett reports on new program that aims to solve both problems. Aired February 15, 2000

Opening Statements This morning, opening statements are scheduled for the third trial involving the late Dr. Sam Sheppard....the inspiration for "The Fugitive" TV series who was convicted but later acquitted of killing his wife in 1954. Yolanda Perdomo reports. (Aired February 14, 2000) Continuing coverage of Sheppard Trial 2000

The Future of Race Relations: At the dawn of the new millennium, people of color in America are still faced with the persistence of racial prejudice. Many whites say they don't understand why Blacks and other minorities are dismayed by the dismantling of affirmative action and other programs designed to level the playing field. But demographers predict that changes over the next thirty years will place whites in the minority and create massive shifts in the current minority populations. Are Americans ready to deal with the new diversity? 90.3's Karen Schaefer talked with three different generations in Northeast Ohio for this report on the future of race relations. Aired February 10, 2000

BIG IN JAPAN: The Governor's Trade Mission: Ohio Governor Bob Taft has just returned from a ten day trade mission to Japan, with stops in Tokyo and Osaka. His goal was to encourage Japanese companies to buy products and services from Ohio firms. This is no easy trick, since Japan's economy has been lagging over the past few quarters... Trade missions like this don't typically show immediate benefits; some times it's tough to understand how they might really help over the long run. 90.3's April Baer asked Governor Taft if the trade mission really let him do anything he couldn't accomplish from the Statehouse in Columbus....Aired February 9, 2000

The Sheppard Trial Media The public's right to know versus a person's privacy is in the spotlight again at the Sheppard trial. Judge Ronald Suster's ruling to deny access of the media during jury selection is causing concern among journalists covering this third Sheppard trial. In 1954, Dr. Sam Sheppard was convicted of killing his wife Marilyn in their Bayview home. 10 years later, an appeals court freed Sheppard after determining he received an unfair trial....and the alleged culprit was the media for excessive pre-trial publicity. 90.3's Yolanda Perdomo reports on what yesterday's ruling means and how it affect's the public's right to know. (Aired February 9, 2000) Continuing coverage of Sheppard Trial 2000

The Sheppard Jury Pretrial motions in the Sam Sheppard civil case is expected to wrap up this week. Work on selecting a jury may get underway as early as next week. Dr. Sam Sheppard was convicted and later acquitted on appeal of killing his wife Marilyn in the summer of 1954. Their son Sam Reese Sheppard wants his father declared innocent of the crime. The Cuyahoga county prosecutor's office and lawyers for Sam Reese have been arguing this week over the admissibility of evidence. As 90.3's/INFOHIO's Yolanda Perdomo reports, a ruling on the pretrial motions is expected tomorrow. (Aired February 3, 2000) Continuing coverage of Sheppard Trial 2000

The Sheppard Pretrial More pretrial motions are underway for the Sheppard trial. The Cuyahoga county prosecutor's office and lawyers for the Sheppard family are going over what evidence can or can't be brought into this new trial. Sam Reese Sheppard is trying to clear his father's name in his mother's murder back in 1954. (Aired February 2, 2000) Continuing coverage of Sheppard Trial 2000

The Sheppard Pretrial The Sam Sheppard murder trial has started another courtroom chapter. 90.3's Yolanda Perdomo tells us what went on, on day one. (Aired February 1, 2000) Continuing coverage of Sheppard Trial 2000

Continuing coverage of the Sam Sheppard Trial The third trial of the Marilyn Sheppard murder gets under way today in Cuyahoga county common pleas court. The 45 year old case began with the conviction and subsequent acquittal of Dr. Sam Sheppard. Now his son, Sam Reese Sheppard, wants to clear his father's name with new DNA evidence. This time, it's not the prosecution, but Sam Reese who has the burden of proof in convincing a jury in this civil case that his father was innocent of the brutal murder. What's new in this trial is DNA technology. But this new evidence could be questioned because of its age and possible contamination. 90.3's/INFOHIO's Yolanda Perdomo reports on the events leading up to today's Sheppard trial. (Aired January 31, 2000) Continuing coverage of Sheppard Trial 2000

Snowshoe Hare Reintroduction in Geauga County: Residents of Geauga County are getting some new neighbors this week. The State Division of Wildlife yesterday began the re-introduction of a species once native to Northeast Ohio, the snowshoe hare. The animals are very common in Canada, and can still be found in Michigan, but haven't been seen in these parts since the early 1900s. Now wildlife officials are bringing the species back as part of an effort to increase the diversity of the local environment. 90.3's April Baer reports on this winter's hare transplant. (Aired January 27, 2000)

Digital Film Making: Film making is considered by many to be an expensive profession, and even more pricey hobby. Between equipment and film stock, those wanting to make a picture would need hundreds of thousands of dollars just to get into the movie making game. But an alternative way to tell a story on the big screen is being showcased in Cleveland that could change the way we watch movies. 90.3's Yolanda Perdomo has the story. (January, 2000)

Prescriptions and Policy: 90.3's April Baer talks with the leadership of Metrohealth System (January, 2000)

Lakewood City Domestic Partnership Controversy Continues: Several cities and states have struggled with the issue of offering benefits to unmarried domestic partners of their employees. The city of Lakewood could be the first in the state of Ohio to provide those benefits. But the measure is causing a lot of controversy among its residents. (January, 2000)

The Comeback of Jimmy Bivins: In the 1940's and 50's, Cleveland's Jimmy Bivins was considered one of the best fighters of his time. Even though he didn't win any world titles, Bivins' is viewed as a champion among boxers, as Bivins trains for a new challenge -- rehabilitation -- after suffering physical and mental abuse at the hands of his daughter and son-in-law. 90.3's/INFOHIO's Yolanda Perdomo reports on the comeback of Hall of Fame boxer Jimmy Bivins. (January, 2000) Part of When I'm 64: Aging In America series.

Elder Abuse: As the senior population continues to grow, so do incidents of physical and mental abuse on the elderly. The number of investigated cases has increased 10 percent over the last 10 years...meaning that one out of every eight senior citizens is being abused. As INFOHIO's/ 90.3's Yolanda Perdomo reports, that number may be just the tip of the iceberg, because many older adults refuse to make their voices heard. (Aired January 25, 2000) Part of When I'm 64: Aging In America series.