Regional Features: Archive by Date

September 2006

Education Series: Public School Funding Still an Issue
Posted Wednesday, September 20
It's been four years since the Ohio Supreme Court last ruled the state's public school funding system unconstitutional, saying it relies too heavily on local property taxes. Since that time, the legislature has taken no action to change that, even as inequities in school quality continue to persist. As part of our focus this month on the obstacles Ohio faces to better public education, we get a read on where the issue of public school funding stands as the November election approaches.

Second Ohio Gubernatorial Debate 2006
Posted Wednesday, September 20
90.3 WCPN presents the second Ohio Gubernatorial Debate, between Republican Ken Blackwell and Democrat Ted Strickland. The debate took place earlier today in Cleveland.

National League of Women Voters Head in Town
Posted Tuesday, September 19
The head of the National League of Women Voters is in Cleveland today, talking to local league chapters about how to better ensure that all eligible voters get the chance to cast their ballots. Mary Wilson took over as National President last may. She's visiting five states between now and the November election. Wilson says the Help America Vote Act of 2002 has been beneficial, but some voters still face problems at the polls.

Arts Groups Promoting Issue 18
Posted Tuesday, September 19
Local orchestras, art museums and theater troupes are gearing up to promote a new tax on cigarettes. The groups are suddenly interested in tobacco because a proposed piggyback tax of thirty cents per pack will mean millions of dollars for them. It's called Issue 18 and voters in Cuyahoga County will decide it seven weeks from today. ideastream's Mark Urycki filed this report.

Teacher Training Doesn’t Prepare for Reality
Posted Tuesday, September 19
A new report, released by the non-partisan, Education Schools Project, finds the schools training America's teachers are not adequately preparing them for realities found in the nation's classrooms. ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton reports.

Big Changes at Ford
Posted Monday, September 18
The beginning of the work week today takes on a completely different feel for Ohioans who work for Ford. On Thursday, the company announced it was hoping to cut its workforce in half through layoffs and buyouts. On Friday, Ford said it would close its plants in Windsor, Ontario, and Maumee, Ohio. Ohio Senator George Voinovich will speak with company officials today. ideastream's Mark Urycki reports.

Ohio Democrats Poised for Big Wins
Posted Monday, September 18
Less than two months before election day, Democrats say they've never been in a better position to win major state offices. ideastream's Karen Schaefer brings us this check on the pulse of Ohio Democrats' mood, money and message.

Education Series: Charter Schools
Posted Monday, September 18
State report cards show test scores for Ohio's more than 300 charter schools improving. But controversy over Ohio's charter school efforts continues. Critics cite concerns over spotty performance and weak accountability as tax dollars leave the traditional public school system. Over the next two weeks, 90.3 will focus on educational obstacles and opportunities in Ohio. ideastream's Mhari Saito starts with this report on Charter Schools.

Making Change: Voices & Tough Choices
Posted Monday, September 18
Hundreds of people from across Northeast Ohio spent the better part of a sunny Saturday indoors, plotting a new economic course for the region. It's the latest step in a planning process aimed at giving citizens more say in public policy. As a part of Making Change: Building Our Region's Future, ideastream's David C. Barnett reports the 18-month Voices & Choices has reached a pivotal stage.

Absentee Ballots Encouraged
Posted Friday, September 15
The Cuyahoga County Commissioners are hoping many voters won't show up at the polls in November. The three democrats want voters to, instead, file absentee ballots. ideastream's Mark Urycki reports.

Group Backs Bill to Limit Greenhouse Gas
Posted Friday, September 15
While states like Arizona and California are making their own plans to fight global warming, an Ohio environmental group is urging state lawmakers to back a federal bill that would roll-back emissions of greenhouse gases. ideastream's Karen Schaefer reports.

Balancing Heritages: Joe Eszterhas Interview
Posted Friday, September 15
Web Exclusive: Screenwriter and former Plain Dealer reporter Joe Eszterhas spent his Cleveland childhood trying to balance his Hungarian heritage and his American upbringing. ideastream's David C. Barnett produced this 1996 profile of a boy drifting between the old world and the new.

Clevelanders Recall the Hungarian Revolution
Posted Friday, September 15
After years of living in fear under Soviet domination, Hungarian rebels staged a spontaneous revolution in October of 1956 that resulted in a heady week of freedom that ended up crushed under Russian tank treads. As we approach the 50th anniversary of those momentous days, Northeast Ohioans of Hungarian descent are remembering an event that shook history and changed their lives.

Signing Up for Boutique Medicine
Posted Thursday, September 14
Imagine sitting in a satin robe, sipping purified water, as relaxation music plays in the background. No, you're not at a spa. You're getting a strep test and you are the only patient in the waiting room. Sound a little more luxurious than your last throat culture? This V.I.P. patient treatment is part of a new trend called "boutique" medicine. Four boutique practices have recently arrived in our area. They offer comfort, and availability whenever you need - but all the perks do come with a price tag. ideastream's Elaine Falk met with some patients who have signed up.

Strong Labor Image Harmful to Cleveland?
Posted Thursday, September 14
Labor unions in Northeast Ohio, as elsewhere around the country, are able to flex considerably less muscle today than they have in the past. Cleveland is long recognized as a big union town, and some have argued that new companies - or existing ones looking to relocate - cast a wary eye on the city because of its strong labor image. Are they right? George Buckingham is a professor of business at Cleveland State University, and a former deputy director for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in Washington. We put the question to him.

Non-Profit Hospitals Being Investigated
Posted Thursday, September 14
In Washington, the Senate Finance Committee is investigating whether non-profit hospitals deserve their tax-exempt status. At a hearing yesterday, senators questioned such practices as extensive, high-cost foreign travel at, among other places, the Cleveland Clinic. ideastream's Karen Schaefer has more.

Keeping Hopkins Competitive
Posted Thursday, September 14
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson wants to keep Hopkins Airport competitive with regional airports and yesterday he rolled out his plans to move in that direction. The mayor's also considering the future of the Burke Lakefront airfield. ideastream's David C. Barnett has more.

Ohio Supreme Court Halts Subpoenas
Posted Wednesday, September 13
The Ohio Supreme Court has agreed to halt subpoenas for evidence in a case where the Ohio Democratic Party is challenging Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. ideastream's Mark Urycki reports.

New Wireless Network Unveiled
Posted Wednesday, September 13
Much has been made of the OneCommunity Network in Cleveland as a milestone in communications infrastructure. It's a system currently geared to education and non-profit institutions that uses the city's fiber-optic lines for all kinds of data communication. Today, OneCommunity, formerly OneCleveland, will roll out the latest in communications technology to take root in Cleveland. It's called a wireless mesh, and it's designed to give residents, through data transmitters scattered across neighborhoods, a much wider umbrella for wireless access to the network - and the internet. Lev Gonick is vice president of Information Technology Services at Case Western Reserve University, which is a major partner in the project. He's also president of the board of OneCleveland. Gonick says the wireless mesh could actually shake up the status quo of internet service.

Inner Belt Rehab: Bridge Options Narrowed to Three
Posted Wednesday, September 13
The options for a new I-90 inner belt bridge have been narrowed from eight down to three. As ideastream's Lisa Ann Pinkerton reports, Northeast Ohio residents and planners have less than 30 days to share their opinions with the Ohio Department of Transportation.

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