Newsmaker: John Mangels, former science reporter, The Plain Dealer
He is one of approximately 50 journalists and newsroom staffers let go this week as Ohio’s biggest daily newspaper streamlines its operation and prepares for fewer days of home delivery. Plain Dealer leaders hope readers will warm to the paper’s evolving digital edition and thicker print editions on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. But with this week’s downsizing, the editorial staff will be a third smaller.
Roundtable: Leila Atassi, reporter, The Plain Dealer; Mansfield Frazier, columnist, Cool Cleveland; Jay Miller, reporter, Crain’s Cleveland Business
The Plain Dealer
Mr. Feagler and panel continue discussion about the newspaper’s downsizing.
Ariel Castro’s Sentence
The admitted kidnapper, captor and rapist of three young Cleveland women learned his fate on Thursday after a lengthy sentencing hearing at the Justice Center. Castro earlier pleaded guilty to more than 900 counts of his criminal indictment and expressed the desire in court Thursday to apologize to the women for his actions. His sentence is likely to ensure that he’ll never be paroled.
Rape Kit Tests Bring Criminal Charges
For years hundreds of rape kits gathered dust in evidence rooms at the Cleveland police department. The kits were used to gather and preserve physical evidence from rape victims to be used when charges were brought against the perpetrators. But many were never tested until the Anthony Sowell serial murder case brought renewed attention to them. Evidence that emerged from the testing has resulted in charges against several men, one of whom is on death row for killing a Cleveland police officer.