Regional Features: Archive by Date

April 2001

Domestic Violence Homicides on Rise
Posted Monday, April 30
Numbers released in a new study paint a startling picture of domestic violence in Cuyahoga County. A report shows that homicides related to domestic violence increased by nearly 50% over the last three years. But some domestic violence experts say the statistics are only a small part of a much bigger picture. 90.3's Renita Jablonski reports.

Airport Expansion Runs Amuck - Again
Posted Friday, April 27
Cleveland's long wait for regulatory approval to expand Cleveland Hopkins International Airport may finally be coming to an end. An Army Corps of Engineers Biologist has been in Cleveland these past few days looking at the proposed expansion site. City officials say they'll break ground on the new runway right after the Corps approves the project. But environmentalists and other groups are doing everything they can to stop the city from moving forward with its plan. 90.3's Janet Babin reports.

The Politics of Clean Air
Posted Thursday, April 26
Environmentalists say Americans are more concerned than ever about the quality of the air we breathe. A sharp rise in asthma and worries about smog and lingering industrial pollution have drawn the attention of many people in Cleveland to the health risks associated with air pollution. But this heightened awareness comes at a time when many environmentalists accuse the new administration in Washington of dragging its feet on issues like global warming and CO2 emissions. Republicans like Ohio Senator George Voinovich say their new proposals will help us move ahead on cleaning up the environment, but others aren't so sure. 90.3's Karen Schaefer has this report on the shifting politics of clean air.

Teen Foster Care Improvement
Posted Wednesday, April 25
This week a 2-year-old boy died of head injuries while in the custody of a foster parent. The foster parents have been charged with murder and the biological parents live with grief. Stories of abuse and violence shock communities. And for some people the images of abuse make foster children appear to be damaged -- or too needy to be a part of a "normal" family. That image plagues teens in foster care more than other kids. The older you are the baggage you might bring. So two years ago the federal government intervened to help teens without families make it on their own. And as 90.3's Tarice Sims reports, advocates in Cuyahoga County are pushing for more financial support to better the lives of teens in foster care.

BCCNS-Afflicted Gather at First-Ever Retreat
Posted Tuesday, April 24
It's a condition that can have more than 100 different manifestations in a patient's body, from dozens of cancerous skin lesions to mental retardation. Basal Cell Carcinoma Nevus Syndrome affects one in 64,000 people in the world. This weekend BCCNS sufferers and their families found comfort in knowing they're not alone. 90.3's Renita Jablonski spent time at the nation's first-ever BCCNS Support Network spring retreat -- right here in northeast Ohio.

The Study of Prehistoric Man: Interviews with Dr. Donald Johanson
Posted Monday, April 23
The discoverer of "Lucy" was in Cleveland last week to talk about his latest work on human origins. Dr. Donald Johanson is America's most famous paleoanthropologist. In 1974 he discovered the 3.2 million-year-old hominid skeleton in Ethiopia -- popularly known as Lucy -- that radically changed the scientific understanding of early human evolution. 90.3's Karen Schaefer talked to Dr. Johanson about his work. Aired April 23, 2001.

Steel Mill Clean-Up Issues
Posted Friday, April 20
Yesterday we heard about what happens to the economy - and to people's lives - when a steel mill shuts down. What we didn't hear was how the closure of a major industrial site affects the physical environment. Who will oversee clean up after LTV's west side mill closes? And how can that site be turned into land that attracts new businesses? 90.3's Karen Schaefer has this report on what happened in another community - and what could happen here.

Saving the Steel Industry
Posted Thursday, April 19
The steel industry is in trouble. For at least the last three years industry leaders have warned of the current crisis. The situation has now exploded, leaving factory shut-downs and lost jobs in its wake. The list of reasons for the trouble are as long as the unemployment lines many steel workers are now facing. Today some experts doubt that American steel can or should survive. Mike West looks at what's being done to save an industry with deep roots in Cleveland.

Latest School Funding Plan Unveiled
Posted Wednesday, April 18
State leaders continue to negotiate a plan for funding Ohio's public schools. The government has until June 15th to come up with a funding proposal that will satisfy a state Supreme Court mandate to provide an adequate education to all school children. The latest in a string of proposals was unveiled last week in Columbus. Some say that, just as others before it, this plan leaves unanswered questions -- like how to pay for it and will more money solve the problem. 90.3's Tarice Sims reports.

Stressful Days May Be Linked to Office Noise
Posted Monday, April 16
When was the last time you were able to quietly work at your office desk, without overhearing phones, printers and colleagues? If it's been a while, chances are you could be harming your health. Researchers have known for years that loud noises like airports negatively impact some human activities, but 90.3's Janet Babin reports on a recent study that draws a correlation between low-level office noise and stress.

A New Beginning: Sudanese Refugees Make Home in Cleveland
Posted Monday, April 16
It's a journey that started in 1983 when 25,000 children had to run from the civil war taking over their homes in the Sudan. The children, mostly boys, walked thousands of miles before finally finding safety at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. By that time the trip, covering an area half the size of Western Europe, had killed more than 20,000. Now the survivors face a different challenge -- to begin a new life in the United States. Nearly 3,800 Sudanese refugees are being resettled in the U.S. and 40 will make a home in Cleveland. 90.3's Renita Jablonski introduces us to this special group.

Environmental Education: Wolf Creek Center
Posted Thursday, April 12
Every April for the past three decades Americans have celebrated their concern for the environment with Earth Day. Some of the most important components of the day are activities for children that teach them about our relationship to the natural world. But environmental education goes on all year long in classrooms, laboratories, and -- most especially -- on field trips where kids get hands-on experience experts say is vital to their understanding. At a new nature preserve in Medina County, that learning will continue long after school lets out. 90.3's Karen Schaefer reports.

Predatory Lending in Cleveland: Sub-Prime Lending Creates Huge Debts
Posted Wednesday, April 11
Hide your valuables -- there's a predator on the loose in Cleveland. According to the latest data compiled by the Metropolitan Strategy group, Cleveland ranks #1 in the nation for predatory loan applications in minority neighborhoods. It's a form of sub-prime lending which, 10 years ago, opened the door for people with less than perfect credit to qualify for a mortgage or re-financing. These loans have been blamed for creating large debts for homeowners and dramatically decreasing property values. But the laws that were put in place to monitor this form of lending have loopholes that allow some mortgage brokers to manipulate consumers. 90.3's Tarice Sims reports on how this recent problem has grown and what state and local government plans to do about it.

Alternative Teacher Licensing: Filling the Teaching Gaps Across the State
Posted Tuesday, April 10
Ohio is beefing up its teaching standards to meet rising demands for higher quality education in public schools. At the same time, though, a growing shortage of teachers has some working to loosen standards to attract more to the field. Some states, including Ohio, have devised ways around rigorous teaching prerequisites for those with special expertise needed in classrooms. There's disagreement on whether such provisions are a good thing, and whether they really attract any good teachers. 90.3's Bill Rice reports.

The Diversity of Cleveland Heights
Posted Monday, April 9
During a report on the 2000 Census, we told you that the city of Cleveland Heights lost residents over the past decade, and the city's disputing that. But the census figures released last month also shed light on the ethnic makeup of the city. 90.3's Janet Babin reports.

A New Life For Erie County’s Edison Woods
Posted Thursday, April 5
A year and a half ago, we first visited a unique habitat in northern Ohio that was up for sale. Today, that property is a brand-new nature preserve. Edison Woods in Erie County near Sandusky is the 1,400 acre remnant of a vast wetland forest that once covered much of the southern shores of Lake Erie. When the property was offered for purchase, Erie Metroparks was eager to buy it. A November ballot issue to pay for the park failed to pass. But through a new program of the Ohio EPA, Edison Woods is now the latest jewel in the Erie Metroparks' crown. 90.3's Karen Schaefer reports.

Cleveland Heights Census Shows Population Drop: Danger of Losing Funding
Posted Wednesday, April 4
According to the latest census figures, Cleveland Heights is few dozen people short of 50,000. The number is important, because the federal government uses it as a cutoff point to dole out funding. The inner ring city is fighting back, hoping to prove that the numbers are wrong. 90.3's Janet Babin reports.

Employee Ownership Gives Confidence to Workers
Posted Tuesday, April 3
How things change in just a few months. Not long ago companies were expanding, many of them faster than their resources would dictate. But today's economy is volatile, and business people are getting back to bottom line basics. Layoffs and downsizing are becoming more frequent. Not so, though, at one Berea company, and the employees at Fastener Industries are confident in the company's future. But these aren't just typical employees. They own the place. 90.3's Bill Rice explains.