Here are your morning headlines for Tuesday, June 30:
- Nursing home outdoor visits begin July 20
- Cleveland Clinic Akron General unveils efforts to address health care disparities
- Akron school board discusses fall reopening recommendations
- Cleveland councilman wants to rename Patrick Henry School
- Team NEO: Economic recovery to take at least two years
- Race relations town halls held in Stark County this week
- Akron takes out huge insurance policy for its new sewer tunnel
- City of Cleveland sued following May 30 protest
- Court rules college showed bias in sexual assault case
- Akron Children’s Hospital, city, launch summer child wellness program
Nursing home outdoor visits begin July 20
Outdoor visits will be allowed at Ohio nursing homes beginning July 20. Gov. Mike DeWine said he weighed the risk of relaxing the restriction against the importance of family visits to people’s mental well-being. It was announced even as spikes in COVID-19 cases were reported in two southwest Ohio counties, Hamilton and Montgomery. DeWine said Vice President Mike Pence shared his concern on a Monday call and has offered federal help. The National Guard is stepping up pop-up testing sites in the area. Ohio has just over 51,000 confirmed and probable virus cases and about 2,500 deaths.
Cleveland Clinic Akron General unveils efforts to address health care disparities
Cleveland Clinic Akron General is kicking off a new fundraising effort to increase health care access for those affected by health disparities in Summit County. The pandemic has underscored the disparities in access to care for minorities. The “Neighbor to Neighbor” effort will raise money for things like expanded wrap-around services for patients, and programs including the Minority Men’s Health Fair and Centering Pregnancy. It will also fund the operation of a COVID-19 testing site in downtown Akron in partnership with United Way, along with outreach to African American residents.
Akron school board discusses fall reopening recommendations
Gov. Mike DeWine says state guidelines for reopening schools in the fall should be released on Thursday. Meanwhile, districts are moving forward with their own plans. In Akron, the school board on Monday was presented with recommendations from eight committees. Students in preschool through second grade and those with significant disabilities would be able to attend school five days a week with classroom sizes split in half. Students in grades three through eight would come to school two days a week with remote learning the other three. High school students would do the majority of their lessons online, and could come to school for labs and projects in small groups. There are also social distancing and mask requirements for students and staff and 50% capacity on buses. The school board is expected to vote on final version next month.
Cleveland councilman wants to rename Patrick Henry School
A Cleveland city councilman wants to change the name of Patrick Henry School. Henry was famous for the phrase “Give me liberty, or give me death!” Councilman Kevin Conwell says Henry's name should be dropped because the founding father was a slaveholder. In a statement, The Cleveland Metropolitan School District said the concern is valid and that the board of education has begun the process of reexamining school names.
Team NEO: Economic recovery to take at least two years
A new report says it could take Northeast Ohio's economy at least two years to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic. The regional economic development group Team NEO projects the region's gross domestic product should recover by 2022, but employment won't likely return to pre-pandemic levels until 2025. The study shows manufacturing fell more than 9% and healthcare dropped 2.4%. During the pandemic Ohio and the country have seen unprecedented levels of unemployment.
Race relations town halls held in Stark County this week
The Stark County Collaborative on Race Relations is hosting two virtual town hall-style meetings on policing this week. The first meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. will focus on the Canton Police Department's practices and policies, including hiring and training, psychological evaluations of applicants and use of force policies. Thursday’s event will focus on the Stark County sheriff’s department and police departments in surrounding communities. You can find details at wksu.org.
Akron takes out huge insurance policy for its new sewer tunnel
The city of Akron is taking out a big insurance policy on its most expensive asset – its $185 million downtown sewer tunnel. The Beacon Journal reports the city will purchase $65 million in coverage with a $1 million deductible, which is considered unprecedented for any single city-owned asset. It’s a piece of the city’s nearly $1 billion EPA-mandated project to control raw sewage from flowing into the Little Cuyahoga River.
City of Cleveland sued following May 30 protest
A Cleveland man who participated in protests against police brutality on May 30 is suing the city. Cleveland.com reports 29-year-old Ryan O’Conner claims he was trying diffuse tension between a line of officers and protesters when he was struck three times from behind by Officer John Kazimer. The lawsuit named Mayor Frank Jackson and Police Chief Calvin Williams. A police spokesman, along with the attorney for the police union declined to comment. The city said it had not seen the lawsuit.
Court rules college showed bias in sexual assault case
A federal appeals court has ruled for the second time since 2018 that Oberlin College showed bias against a male student accused of sexual misconduct. A three-judge panel in Cincinnati ruled 2-1 Monday that Oberlin discriminated against a male student who was expelled in 2016. The student identified as John Doe appealed to the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals after a federal judge in Cleveland dismissed his claim last year. The 6th Circuit issued a similar bias ruling in an appeal from a male student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 2018.
Akron Children’s Hospital, city, launch summer child wellness program
The city of Akron and Akron Children’s Hospital want to make sure kids are staying active amid the pandemic this summer. A new program beginning next month will distribute free activity bags for children ages 5-12. The bags include things like Frisbees, jump ropes and beach balls. There are also items for parents, including COVID-19 health information, a face covering and a strip thermometer. The program is limited to 750 registrants.
