Here are your morning headlines for Tuesday, Nov. 5:
- Polls open for election day;
- Ford might produce new product in Ohio;
- LeBron James' foundation to fix up apartments to house I Promise families;
- Youngstown City Schools board sues mayor;
- Cuyahoga County prosecutor expresses frustration with police department;
- Superintendent accused of sex charges pleads guilty;
- Great Lakes water levels to remain abnormally high;
Polls open for election day
Tuesday is election day with local races taking place all over Northeast Ohio. In Akron, voters are choosing whether to reelect incumbent Democrat Dan Horrigan to a second term for mayor or opt for Republican challenger Josh Sines. Every council seat is also up for election. In Summit County, voters are being asked to consider several amendments to the county charter and a renewal of the levy for the county Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Board. Portage County has a slew of council positions to vote for as well as a levy for the county's Children Services. We’ll have results this evening on Twitter (@wksu) and at wksu.org.
Ford might produce new product in Ohio
Automaker Ford is tentatively shifting production of a new product to Ohio. Crain's Cleveland reports it's the third time the company is changing plans for an underused Mustang assembly plant in south Detroit. People familiar with the matter said the new product was supposed to be built in Detroit, but is now headed for the Ford plant in Avon Lake. The company is investing $900 million for the unidentified vehicle, expected to be released in 2023. Although no deal has been finalized, the United Auto Workers outlined the plan in its tentative agreement with Ford earlier this week. The union started voting on the contract Monday.
LeBron James' foundaiton to fix up apartments to house I Promise families
The LeBron James Family Foundation is expanding the scope of the I Promise School to include the whole family. The foundation has announced plans for the I Promise Village which will provide transitional housing for students and their families dealing with challenges like homelessness or domestic violence. In a statement, the foundation said the village will be located in an apartment building, to be renovated, several blocks from the school and operated by the company Graduate Hotels. The village is expected to be operational by the start of the next school year.
Youngstown City Schools board sues mayor
The Youngstown City Schools board is suing the city's mayor to stop the appointment of a new school board. Mahoning Matters reports an Ohio bill allows Mayor Tito Brown to hire a new board if state performance markers aren't met within four school years. The district received an "F" grade in the September state school report card. The lawsuits claims the bill has only been in effect for three school years and shouldn't count. It also says the statute is still under review by the Ohio Supreme Court. The school board is seeking an injunction to stop the new appointments until next school year. If the mayor succeeds, a new board would begin work Jan.1.
Cuyahoga County prosecutor expresses frustration with police department
The Cuyahoga County prosecutor is slamming the Cleveland Police Department for understaffing its homicide unit. Michael O’Malley told Cleveland.com the 13 detectives assigned to the unit are hardworking and good, but are burnt out by the number of homicides in the city. No detectives have been added to the unit since March. A police spokeswoman told Cleveland.com three more detectives will be added but did not give a timetable. The city has the budget to have 23 detectives in the unit. There have been 106 homicides so far in Cleveland this year. O’Malley told the website, “It’s like a wildfire in this city. If you don’t put resources to put out the fire, it’s going to spread.”
Superintendent accused of sex charges pleads guilty
A Northeast Ohio school superintendent accused of sex charges involving two teenage students has pleaded guilty. Investigators said Laura Amero, 35, was accused of having sex with a 16-year-old boy in 2017 and attempting to have sexual relations with another student when he was 16 and 17. Amero pleaded guilty to sexual battery and sexual imposition charges. She had been a teacher and principal before becoming superintendent of Windham Exempted Village Schools in February. She was later placed on leave from the district, then resigned after the charges were filed. The Record-Courier reports Amero could face up to 10 years in prison.
Great Lakes water levels to remain abnormally high
A new forecast said Great Lakes levels are likely to remain unusually high and may set additional records. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in Detroit has released its outlook for the next six months. A wet October interrupted the usual fall drop-off of water levels. All five Great Lakes are expected to resume their seasonal decline. But they'll remain well above normal and will be higher in January than they were at the beginning of this record-setting year.
