Here are your morning headlines for Wednesday, Aug. 17:
- Mayor Justin Bibb: Cleveland working 'quickly' to end seven-year-old police consent decree
- Portage County Randolph Fairgrounds locked down after shooting reported
- Cleveland loses out, Sandusky wins, in competition for federal transportation grant
- Ohio districts struggling to fill thousands of teaching positions as school year begins
- Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott gives $700K to Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio
- Wadsworth officials seeking public's opinion on master plan for parks
- University Hospitals, city of Bedford to continue to discuss future of medical center
- Guardians fall after controversial play at the plate
- Your Weather Forecast: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78
Mayor Justin Bibb: Cleveland working 'quickly' to end seven-year-old police consent decree
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said Cleveland officials are “working as quickly as we possibly can” to end federal court oversight of the city’s police force. Speaking at a news conference Tuesday on police staffing and crime statistics, Bibb said his office was looking to speed up the city’s compliance with the 2015 consent decree. Cleveland signed the agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice after a 2014 investigation found a pattern and practice of excessive force by officers. [Ideastream Public Media]
Portage County Randolph Fairgrounds locked down after shooting reported
The Portage County SWAT Team and other deputies responded to a reported shooting Tuesday afternoon on Fairgrounds Road east of the Randolph Fairgrounds in southern Portage County. A witness said his family could not get near the fairgrounds due to a lockdown and were turned around by Portage County sheriff's deputies. A 4-H event was scheduled for last night in advance of next week's annual fair. [Akron Beacon Journal]
Cleveland loses out in competition for federal transportation grant
Cleveland came up short in its bid for a $10.7 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant to redesign East 66th Street in the city’s Hough neighborhood. The project sought to add to the street a multi-purpose trail, a wider sidewalk, pedestrian crossings, benches and bike parking. The grant from the federal government’s $2.2 billion Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program would have covered most of the cost of the $15.7 million project. However, Sandusky won $24.5 million to improve a six-mile stretch of Route 6 with roundabouts on the way to Cedar Point. It will also fund an extension of the Sandusky Bay Pathway multi-purpose trail. [Ideastream Public Media]
Ohio districts struggling to fill thousands of teaching positions as school year begins
As Ohio kids go back to school, there are fewer educators in classrooms to teach them. Ohio Education Association president Scott DiMauro said student enrollment is down 2%, but staffing levels are off 6%. The state’s largest teachers’ union says people are quitting teaching or not even choosing the profession because they’re being targeted by extremist politicians and they struggle with college costs. [Statehouse News Bureau]
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott gives $700K to Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott has donated $700,000 to Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio based in Stark County’s Jackson Township. The money will allow the local JA to reach significantly more local students, teaching them how to manage their money and about career opportunities, the local chapter's president said Tuesday. The donation is among a total $38.8 million Scott has given Junior Achievement USA and 26 chapters in the U.S., according to a statement issued Tuesday by Junior Achievement North Central Ohio. It's the largest gift in the national organization's 103-year history. [The Canton Repository]
Wadsworth officials seeking public's opinion on master plan for parks
City officials will soon reach out to residents for their opinions regarding the city's master plan to improve its parks. Service Director Robert Patrick said plans to improve its more than 15 parks have been in the works for almost a year, and the last time a master plan was put in place for the parks was in 2006. Patrick said improving access to the parks’ trail system is among the projects that will be included in the master plan. [The Medina Gazette]
University Hospitals, city of Bedford to continue to discuss future of medical center
A hearing between the city of Bedford and University Hospitals over the closure of a UH medical facility has been continued to September 20th, with Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Steven Gall saying he hopes the parties can come to an amicable solution. Bedford filed for monetary damages and a temporary restraining order against UH last week, one day ahead of the scheduled closure of emergency and inpatient services. The city says UH stopped negotiating on Aug. 8 and claims the closure will create a medical desert. A complaint was also filed with federal agencies alleging “redlining, racial discrimination, and breach of the civil rights.” [WKYC-TV]
Guardians fall after controversial play at the plate
There were heated tempers in the ninth inning of the Guardians 4-3 loss to Detroit last night as both manager Terry Francona and outfielder Myles Straw were ejected arguing a third strike call. The game also featured a controversial overturned call at the plate in the first inning, leading to three runs for the Tigers. [MLB.com/guardians]
Your Weather Forecast: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78.
A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1 p.m. Partly cloudy tonight, with a low around 59. A chance of thunderstorms, mainly before 7 p.m.
