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Barons Hockey
includes Bush and Kerry
George W. Bush and John Kerry will take time out of
their busy election night schedules to take in a hockey
game together. It won't be the presidential candidates
making the appearance, but two men with the same names
as part of an Election Night promotion by the minor
league Cleveland Barons hockey team. Bush is an engineer
at the Timken Company and Kerry is an electrical
designer at Nordson. Bush and Kerry will drop the puck
before the Barons' game against Hamilton at Gund Arena.
Euclid
Corridor Project Underway
The Euclid Corridor project in downtown Cleveland is
officially underway, after groundbreaking ceremonies
Tuesday in Playhouse Square. Nearly $200-million will be
spent over the next four years to improve Euclid Avenue,
including installation of the Silver Line bus system
between Public Square and University Circle. Greater
Cleveland RTA officials say dedicated bus lanes will get
people between the city's largest employment centers in
ten minutes, instead of the current 20-minute drive.
Revamped storefronts are also part of the project, to
spark business redevelopment of Euclid Avenue.
Missing
Statue Found After Six Years
Cleveland police say it was luck that led them to find a
Helen Keller statue that had been missing from the
city's Rockefeller Park Greenhouse for six years. The
manager of the greenhouse saw the statue at the home of
an art collector in August and called police who
identified the missing statue. The man who had the
sculpture says he did not know it was stolen, having
bought it from an antique shop. The search is on for the
seller and the statue thieves
I-77 Public Meeting Scheduled For October 20th
An additional lane through a busy stretch of
Interstate 77 in Cuyahoga County is the topic of a
public meeting tonight in Independence. The Ohio
Department of Transportation says the lane would be
constructed on I-77 between State Route 82 and I-480.
The presentation of plans for the project will be made
at 7 p.m. at the Independence Civic Center
East Cleveland Looks For Solutions
East Cleveland
residents are angry about city officials' plans to cut
nine police officers. They packed last night's city
council meeting to demand explanations on how city
finances became so bad, their safety is now at risk. The
nearly five-hour meeting ended with East Cleveland City
Council shooting down plans to increase the cost of some
city services to pay for police protection
Investigation Into Voter Fraud
The investigation is underway into alleged voter
registration fraud that may have its root with a member
of the NAACP. Twenty-two-year-old Chad Staton (stay-TON)
was arrested in Defiance on charges of sending dozens of
phony registration forms to the Cuyahoga County Board of
Elections. Staton claims a member of the NAACP National
Voter Fund paid him off with crack cocaine. NAACP
officials in Cleveland say the voter fund is not
affiliated with their organization.
VP Debate at
Case
One of the most
contentious presidential elections in U.S. history—with
the state of Ohio serving as a crucial bellwether
state—comes to Case Western Reserve University on
Tuesday, October 5, with the candidates for vice
president squaring off on campus in a nationally
televised debate. Prior to the debate, the university
will hold several debate-related forums, symposia and
other events involving national, state and local policy
makers, as well as Case students, faculty and staff.
Stars Visit
Cleveland to Get Out the Vote
Big name performers could be seen in and around
northeast Ohio this past weekend campaigning for the
Democratic presidential ticket. A long list of
entertainers including Kevin Bacon, Julianna Marguelies,
Steve Buscemi (Boo-Shay-Mee), Hillary Swank and others
visited Cleveland and Akron to encourage voters. Among
the spots they visited were Cleveland's West Side
Market, and the Callis Tower apartments in Akron.
Bruce Springsteen, John Fogerty and others performed in
Cleveland and Toledo.
Absentee
Ballots Way Up
Elections officials in Cuyahoga County and across the
state are noticing a dramatic increase in the number of
absentee ballot requests this year. Part of that
increase is linked to interest in the presidential race,
as well as efforts by advocacy groups and the political
parties themselves. Cuyahoga County expects as many as
110-thousand requests, which is 45-percent above the
number from four years ago. Absentee voters tend to vote
in higher numbers, with 93-percent of absentee ballots
being returned in Cuyahoga County in the last two
presidential races.
Officer
Dragged By Car in Lakewood
It started as a routine Sunday traffic stop at West
117th and Berea Road in Lakewood. Witnesses say a police
officer was speaking to the motorist when the driver
reportedly hit the gas pedal, dragging the officer for
about 80 feet. Other cruisers responded immediately, and
while the suspect was able to escape, they have a
description of the car and driver. Police are looking
for a gray 1992 Buick LeSabre, with license number D-F-C
5-3-2-1. The officer suffered extensive cuts and scrapes
to the leg, and was rushed to Lakewood Hospital.
Former Brown
Hall of Famer Hospitalized
Former Browns great Dante Lavelli is recovering at his
Westlake home after spending two days at the EMH
Regional Medical Center. The 81-year-old Pro Football
Hall of Famer took a nasty spill at the Westfield
Shoppingtown Midway with injuries requiring stitches.
Lavelli was still able to get to the Browns game to be
honored in the "Hats Off To Heroes" program. He says the
injuries could have been a lot worse, but he was able to
break his fall thanks to his reactions learned on the
football field.
Hopkins
Flights Delayed by False Bomb Scare
Operations are said to be back to normal at Cleveland
Hopkins International Airport after a bomb scare this
past weekend. More than two dozen flights were delayed
Friday after security screeners thought they spotted a
pipe bomb in a passenger's luggage. The piece of
equipment was also tainted with residue from an
explosive. Cleveland police were able to locate the
passenger who was heading to Newark, New Jersey, and
determined there was no danger, and released him.
Flights resumed a short time later
Parma Tax
Request At Risk
The recent investigation into the Parma Police
Department could hurt chances for a $1.8 million
property tax request. That's the opinion of some City
Council members who say reports of alleged misconduct by
the retired chief and other former and present officers
have angered many residents. Council President Chuck
Germana says it could hurt chances for the tax request
even more if indictments aren't handed down against the
accused. The 18-month investigation showed some officers
double-billing the city, moonlighting while on sick
leave, and slowing down on writing tickets. The tax
request would go toward funding the police department.
Citizens
League Calls It Quits
After more than a hundred years of service, the Citizens
League of Greater Cleveland has announced it will cease
operations in the near future. The Citizens League rates
political candidates and works for political reform. But
a lack of donations and membership fees has forced it to
suspend operations. The group was working with the
Cuyahoga County Republican Party to reform county
government, replacing commissioners with a chief
executive and an eleven-member council. The county GOP
is continuing its efforts to get the issue on the fall
ballot. Citizens League Executive Director Mike Thomas
says it's hoped reform movement will continue even
without the Citizens League.
Air Show
Honors Female Pilots
The Cleveland National Air Show this weekend will
celebrate the achievements of women in aviation. That
includes present and former pilots, and is backed by the
International Women's Air and Space Museum at Burke
Lakefront Airport. Among those to be honored are Bessie
Coleman, one of the first black female pilots in the
1920s, and Jackie Cochran, the first woman to break the
sound barrier.
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