Plenty of news to get to on this week Reporter's Roundtable. We begin with the news that the I-X Center is shutting its doors after 35 years of hosting many of Cleveland's biggest events, its managing company, Park Corporation, announced Wednesday afternoon. The massive events center brought Northeast Ohioans together for boat shows and trade conventions, home and garden expositions and the indoor amusement park with its iconic Ferris wheel and unforgettable TV jingle.
Also grabbing headlines this week was news that Cleveland's health department has been reorganized to better focus on addressing issues such as racism, crime and violence as public health crises, Mayor Frank Jackson said Thursday. This comes after the department was investigated for complaints of racial discrimination, mistreatment by management and poor morale,
Our newsmaker interview for the week is with the Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, Maureen O'Connor, who offered a sharp rebuke earlier this week to the state Republican party, of which she is a member of.
Judge Richard Frye of Franklin County Common Pleas Court, a Democrat, ruled Tuesday against Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose's rule limiting ballot drop boxes to one per county. The judge called it "arbitrary and unreasonable." It was a case brought by the Ohio Democratic Party. The Ohio Republican Party issued a statement criticizing the ruling as party politics saying quote: "After the corruption and deceit we have seen from Ohio Democrats, it comes as no surprise to discover they have colluded with a Democrat Common Pleas Court Judge."
The following day, Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor called her party's allegation against Judge Frye "irresponsible". We'll ask her about the events.
Ohio Statehouse News Bureau Chief Karen Kasler, ideastream host and producer Glenn Forbes, and ideastream health reporter Anna Huntsman join us for the Roundtable.
Karen Kasler, Bureau Chief, Ohio Public Radio Statehouse News Bureau
Glenn Forbes, Host and Producer, ideastream
Anna Huntsman, Health Reporter, ideastream
Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, Ohio Supreme Court
