If you’re worried about the weather, I'd usually suggest you just take a deep breath and ride it out, because the weather changes every five minures around here. But for the last few days in Northeast Ohio, taking a deep breath might have been downright dangerous. Air quality has been categorized as very unhealthy, thanks to particles from Canadian wildfires carried here in a smokey haze.
Events, including the annual state of Cuyahoga County event which was to be outdoors at Jacob's Pavilion at Nautica, were canceled. And there's worry that holiday festivites my be scuttled, though the air does appear to be clearing now.
Abortion rights proponents say they've made a final push and are prepared to hand the Secretary of State enough petitions to get an abortion rights amendement on the November ballot. The deadline to turn in signatures is Wednesday. Opponents are busy, too, drumming up votes.
Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, convicted in the largest corruption case in Ohio history, was sentenced Thursday to the maximum 20 years in prison. The judge in the case said the once powerful politician wasn't serving the public, he was serving himself.
And the Akron school board, looking to improve safety in schools, has moved to expand a program in which student cellphones are locked in a pouch during the school day. More teachers, too, will get a wearable device that allows them to send a distress call in times of crisis.
We'll cover those stories and more this week on the Reporters Roundtable.
Guests:
-Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio
-Gabriel Kramer, Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
-Conor Morris, Education Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
