Here are your morning headlines for Thursday, September 26:
- Northeast Ohio poverty rates climb;
- Akron receives $2M grant for sexual assault cases;
- Cleveland Hopkins named second-worst airport;
- Mistrial declared in Cuyahoga County corrections officer's assault case;
- Tri-C to help train individuals for high-demand fields;
- NASA Glenn names temporary director;
- Peak fall colors delayed;
Northeast Ohio poverty rates climb
A third of Cleveland's residents are living in poverty. Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau Thursday shows poverty rates for Cuyahoga County and the Greater Cleveland area are still higher than they were before the 2008 recession and have increased compared to last year's data. The poverty threshold for a single parent without children is an income of less than $13,000. For a single parent with two kids, it's $20,000. Summit County's poverty level has remained steady over the last few years, but economic racial disparities remain an issue — Akron white household income climbed 15%, while black families only saw a 7% increase.
Akron receives $2M grant for sexual assault cases
Akron police's cold-case sexual assault unit has been awarded a nearly $2 million from the U.S. Department of Justice. The funding will be used for detectives' overtime pay, victim advocates, trauma training and therapists as part of the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. It was launched in 2011 amid a statewide push to test rape kits. Case Western Reserve University will receive $425,000 to research how law enforcement can improve its response to sexual assault and analyze trends in different cases.
Cleveland Hopkins named second-worst airport
Cleveland Hopkins Airport is the second-worst medium-sized airport in North America, according to a survey from the marketing firm J.D. Power. The survey received responses from more than 32,000 U.S. and Canadian citizens, and assesed airport accessibility, baggage check and immigration and customs. Cleveland Hopkins' score is lower than the national average for its category and is down from last year's survey. Indianapolis scored the best for medium-sized airports. Cleveland Hopkins was once named the "most improved" airport in North American in 2017.
Mistrial in Cuyahoga County corrections officer's assault case
A judge has declared a partial mistrial in the case of a Cuyahoga County Jail corrections officer accusing of assaulting an inmate. Cleveland.com reports jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict on felonious assault and civil rights charges against officer John Wilson. Court documents say Wilson and another corrections officer Jason Jozwiak allegedly beat up an inmate last February, which led to facial reconstruction surgery. Wilson then allegedly refused to permit a nurse to care for the inmate. The Ohio Attorney General's Office plans to retry Wilson on the charges. A date hasn't been set. Five additional corrections officers and an associate warden were indicted in April for seperate attacks on inmates.
Tri-C to help train individuals for high-demand fields
Cuyahoga Community College will help coordinate training for health care workers as part of county executive Armond Budish's workforce initiative. Workforce Connect is a public-private partnership launched last year that aims to train under-skilled workers to help fill thousands of available jobs in manufacturing, health care and technology. Tri-C will be the second go-between organization for the partnership that will help coordinate training for potential employees in high-demand fields. Workforce Connect has previously worked with Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and MetroHealth System. The three-year program uses up to $1 million in county funds and nearly $1.5 million from Cleveland and local nonprofits.
NASA Glenn announces temporary director
The Cleveland-area NASA Glenn Research Center has named its new acting director. Cleveland.com reports deputy director Marla Perez-Davis will take over next week. She's worked at NASA Glenn for more than 30 years with titles including chief of electronchemistry and director of aeronautics research. A timetable has not been announced for the search for a permanent director to replace Janet Kavandi. She's retiring after joining NASA Glenn in 2015.
Peak fall colors delayed
Fall officially arrived this week, but the leaves are going to be a little bit behind this year. Cleveland.com reports we won't see peak fall colors in northern Ohio until late next month. The delay is due to warm temperatures and below-average rainfall. Temperatures are expected to be five to six degrees above normal through November. Central Ohio will most likely not see peak fall colors for another two months.
