Stroke’s Role as a Killer Ailment

Roundtable:  Denise Polverine, Editor-in-Chief, Cleveland.com; Stan Bullard, senior reporter, Crain’s Cleveland Business; Laura Johnston, reporter, The Plain Dealer.

Overpaid and Overstaffed?—Cuyahoga County officials are studying pay and staffing levels in county departments, a process that could result in pay cuts for some. The job classification system was willy-nilly under the former county government.  Independently-elected department heads established their own hiring processes.  The study is aimed at standardizing job categories government-wide. 

Fare Jumpers Beware—Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority will hand out $25 tickets to riders who fail to pay fares.  They’ll have three days to pay or face a criminal penalty.  Previous policies addressing fare-jumping drew fire from civil rights groups that claimed they came down too hard to black riders. 

What’s Up with the Old Arcade?—one of Cleveland’s older and most historic buildings failed to attract a bid when it was put up for auction this month.  The 120-year old building was renovated ten years ago and is home to a Hyatt Hotel and a smattering of retail stores; but it has lost money during the recent recession and is in foreclosure. 

Turnpike Tow Woes—you might say tow truck operators on the Ohio Turnpike have a sweetheart deal.  They get exclusive operating rights and a stipend of a few thousand dollars-a-month from the Turnpike Commission.  Turnpike officials are thinking about changes, including lowering the stipends and allowing operators to charge drivers higher rates. 

Special Guest:  “Surviving Stroke.” Dr. Fadi Khoury, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cleveland Clinic—ideastream kicks off a week of coverage about stroke, a significant national health problem.  We’ll see a clip from an upcoming WVIZ program on stroke and Mr. Feagler will talk with Dr. Khoury about an increasing threat to women during and soon after pregnancy.