Here are some of the stories in this week's Reporters Roundtable.
Cleveland is looking to use some of its money from the American Rescue Plan Act to help save historic Shaker Square from being sold at a sheriff's auction. Non-profits, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and its subsidiary, New Village Corporation along with Burten Bell Carr Development have an agreement in principle to purchase the landmark property. The proposal would keep Shaker Square under local ownership.
Shaker Square is the oldest planned shopping district in Ohio and the second oldest in the nation. It sits on 10-acres on the east side of the city in the Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood.
Cuyahoga County Council moved the Progressive Field lease extension and renovation deal forward this week despite concerns raised by some council members. The $435 million dollar deal, which would extend the Cleveland Guardians lease 15 years to 2036, will derive the bulk of its funding from the city, county and state. The Guardians will pour in about a third of the cost. Council members expressed concerns about the county's obligations over the course of the lease if revenue streams underperform or if capital improvements break the budget down the road.
Friday (October 22) is the deadline for Clevelanders to opt-in to the city's revamped recycling program. But the city isn't aiming for a majority of residents to opt in. The city's Chief of Sustainability, Jason Wood, says about 15,000 have signed up so far and that a small group of motivated recyclers will help to build a broader program. He said Tuesday on The Sound of Ideas that people can still sign up after the deadline, but recycling service for those who opt-in after today may be delayed.
Some of the most hotly contested races in this year's General Election will be for local school board seats. The Ohio School Boards Association says more than 2,600 candidates are on ballots this year—a 50-percent increase from four years ago. Many of those people on the ballot are political newcomers and they're being motivated by what some are referring to as culture wars.
The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles ought to stick with cars and trucks. Planes aren't their thing. The new Sunrise Ohio license plate includes the iconic Wright Brothers plane at the top of the plate except, as social media quickly pointed out, the Wright design was facing the wrong way. The BMV acknowledged the mistake and said a few hours later that it had been fixed. The colorful plate features a sunrise over rolling hills and fields alongside a river with a city skyline in the background. The governor says it represents the many aspects of Ohio. It is the first new standard plate design since 2013 and should be available by the end of the year.
Jenny Hamel, Education Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
Gabriel Kramer. Multiple-Media Producer, Ideastream Public Media
Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio/TV
