Here are your morning headlines for Monday, Aug. 22:
- Northeast Ohio schools open with loosened COVID-19 protocols
- Columbus teachers hit the picket lines
- Akron community organizers kick off a week of action for Jayland Walker
- Cleveland rolls out plan for dealing with West Side Market food waste
- Cleveland Orchestra apologizes for for turning away ticket holders from Harry Potter performance
- Longtime Browns announcer dies
- Remembering pro golfer and Massilon native Tom Weiskopf
- Your weather forecast: Showers and thunderstorms
Northeast Ohio schools open with loosened COVID-19 protocols
As schools across Northeast Ohio get back into session, many — including Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Akron Public Schools — have relaxed COVID-19 preventative measures, meaning masks and social distancing are not required. The Ohio Department of Health sent guidance to all K-12 schools earlier this month noting Ohio is in a “much better position” to protect students and staff due to stronger immunities attributed to vaccination and prior illnesses. The state health department still recommends students and staff isolate if they feel sick, and mask up while they still test positive, aligning with recent federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that were similarly loosened. [Ideastream Public Media]
Columbus teachers hit the picket lines
Columbus teachers are officially on strike for the first time in nearly five decades. The Columbus Education Association voted to strike last night after it couldn’t reach a new contract agreement with the board. The union says 94% of its members voted to strike. Sticking points include class size and a cap on the number of class periods in a day. The school year in Columbus is supposed to get underway on Wednesday. [Columbus TV 10]
Akron community organizers kick off a week of action for Jayland Walker
A group of Akron community organizers is kicking off a week of events centered on calls for justice for Jayland Walker. Freedom BLOC executive director Ray Greene said the organization holds two separate "weeks of action" each year to encourage citizens to learn about political issues and build community. He said even though the topics are serious, the events are geared around having fun. The Jayland Walker week of action includes events focused on housing and leadership, as well as tributes to Walker and others killed by police. [Ideastream Public Media]
Cleveland rolls out plan for dealing with West Side Market food waste
Cleveland has selected a team led by local composting business Rust Belt Riders to find a second life for food waste produced by the West Side Market. Vendors’ still-edible leftover food will be redistributed by the Hunger Network, according to Rust Belt Riders founders Daniel Brown and Michael Robinson. Food waste will go to Rid-All Green Partnership in the Kinsman neighborhood for composting, they said. Another partner, the Center for EcoTechnology, will help the team process data on the program and draw up a “roadmap for residential composting,” Robinson said. [Ideastream Public Media]
Cleveland Orchestra apologizes for for turning away ticket holders from Harry Potter performance
The Cleveland Orchestra has apologized and will offer exchanges or refunds to those turned away from Harry Potter in concert at Blossom Music Center Saturday night. A miscommunication between the orchestra and the Summit County Sheriff’s department led to some ticket holders being told the concert was canceled due to weather. The concert began after a delay. The orchestra says it had to evacuate the lawn area due to the threat of lightning. Ticket holders who arrived after 6:30 p.m. were turned away. [WJW-TV]
Longtime Browns announcer dies
Longtime Cleveland Browns broadcaster and public address announcer Jim Mueller has died. Mueller was also a sports anchor for both WJW TV 8 and WKYC TV 3, serving as sports director for WKYC. Mueller served in the Browns broadcast booth from 1975 to 1995. When the Browns returned in 1999, Mueller was the public address announcer, a role he also held at Michigan International Speedway for NASCAR races for 33 years before retiring in 2017. You may also remember him from his commercials for Ed Mullinax Ford. [WKYC-TV]
Remembering pro golfer and Massilon native Tom Weiskopf
Major champion, golf course architect and Massillon native Tom Weiskopf has died of pancreatic cancer. Weiskopf's contributions to golf go far beyond his 16 PGA Tour wins and his British Open title at Troon in 1973. He was blunt and accurate when he worked as a TV analyst. And he was equally successful as a golf course architect. Weiskopf graduated from Cleveland Benedictine High School and went on to play for Ohio State University. He was 79. [Canton Repository, Associated Press]
Your weather forecast: Showers and thunderstorms. High near 77. Partly cloudy tonight with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low 64. Lake Erie's Harmful Algal Bloom unchanged from Aug. 18 with a medium concentration in Sandusky Bay and extending all along Port Clinton, Ohio. Also, some bloom around Kelley's Island. Bloom is expected to expand northeastward by the weekend. Algal Bloom is highly toxic to all humans and animals, so exercise caution and stay informed.
