Regional Features: Archive by Date

March 2000

The Sam Sheppard Trial 2000: The Prosecution Introduces Coroner’s Inquest
Posted Friday, March 31
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.

The Sam Sheppard Trial 2000: The Quest of Sam Reese Sheppard: Holding the System Accountable
Posted Friday, March 31
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. The Sheppard murder, for almost 50 years, has been the subject of three trials, a Supreme Court decision, several books, documentaries, a 1960's television series, and a movie based on the events surrounding Marilyn Sheppard's death. Sam Reese Sheppard was seven years old and asleep when his mother Marilyn was bludgeoned to death in her room nearby. Even though Dr. Sheppard was later acquitted of the crime in 1966, Sam Reese says no one has been held accountable for his mother's murder. The events of his killing, his father's imprisonment, and early death, and suicides on both sides of the family have left an indelible effect on Sam Reese, and his life's work. Over the last 10 years, he's been on a quest, gathering evidence and information surrounding his mother's death. In 1995, Sam Reese Sheppard filed a suit against the state of Ohio for the wrongful imprisonment of his father. It was listed as a civil action a year later. 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 has been covering the Sheppard trial for 90.3 WCPN; and 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.

The Terminal Condition of Cleveland Hospitals
Posted Wednesday, March 29
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.

The Sam Sheppard Trial 2000: The Sheppard Trial Transcript Testimony
Posted Friday, March 24
Today marks the end of week seven in the Sam Sheppard wrongful imprisonment trial. This week, jurors got a chance to go back in time-to 1954-when Dr. Sheppard took the stand in his own defense in what was labeled "the trial of the century." 90.3's Yolanda Perdomo brings us up to date on this week's events.

Slowing the Spread of Gypsy Moths
Posted Thursday, March 23
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.

When I’m 64: Aging in America: Seminole Seniors Cling to Traditions
Posted Tuesday, March 21
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.

The Sam Sheppard Trial 2000: The Sheppard Trial Update
Posted Friday, March 17
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.

Medicare Drug Benefit
Posted Thursday, March 16
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.

Okefenoke Swamp Living Exhibit: “Land of the Trembling Earth”
Posted Thursday, March 16
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.

Sandy Ridge: Wetlands Mitigation
Posted Wednesday, March 15
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.

When I’m 64: Aging in America: Ohio Retirees Find New Challenges
Posted Monday, March 13
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.

When I’m 64: Aging in America: 90.3 WCPN, 90.3 FM Cleveland Public Radio is holding a Meeting
Posted Thursday, March 9
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.

Neighborhood Preservation: Waging War against a Giant
Posted Thursday, March 9
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.

Farmland Preservation Issue Fails
Posted Wednesday, March 8
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.

The Sam Sheppard Trial 2000: The Sheppard Trial Testimony
Posted Wednesday, March 8
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.

Farmland Preservation
Posted Monday, March 6
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.

Argument Without End
Posted Friday, March 3
Robert Strange McNamara served as Secretary of Defense in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, during some of the most tense periods of the Cold War, from the Bay of Pigs invasion to the escalation of U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. In 1995, he published a memoir of the Vietnam War years, "In Retrospect". The book indicted U.S. involvement as being "wrong. Totally wrong", and touched off a firestorm of debate about the war - as one reviewer put it - "re-opening the wounds of Vietnam". But even before the book was finished, McNamara says he was beginning to think about going one step further. He says he began pondering the following premise: the Vietnam war might have been totally avoidable, totally unnecessary.

City Club, The Candidates’ Debate
Posted Wednesday, March 1
The following candidates took part in the City Club's debate on March 1, 2000. * Ted Celeste * Richard Cordray * Marvin McMickle * Daniel I. Radakovich

Rating the Mayors
Posted Wednesday, March 1
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.

The Changing Face of Welfare: Final Wrap-Up Report
Posted Wednesday, March 1
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.