Casino Proposed To Help Cleveland Money Problems Top Stories

Cleveland  -- Could legalized gambling be the answer to the City of Cleveland's money woes? City officials are at least looking at the possibility. Supporters of legalizing gambling said the game of chance would only add to the attractions already in the area and bring tourists in.

I-71 Closes After Truck Empties Five Thousand Gallons Of Ammonia Onto Road

Montgomery Township -- Interstate 71 near Ashland is open after being shut down for hours when a chemical truck overturned. A tanker carrying ammonium hydroxide lost control near U.S. Route 250 in Ashland County around 12:30 yesterday afternoon and hit an abutment, ripping a hole in the tank. Nearly all of the five thousand gallons of the chemical the tanker was carrying spilled onto the roadway, causing the State Highway Patrol to shut down traffic in both directions. An ODOT spokesman says the highway has been reopened.

Registry Officially Recognizes Same Sex Partners

Cleveland Heights -- Cleveland Heights is the first city in Ohio to officially recognize the partnership of unmarried couples, gay or straight. Twenty-six couples lined up at City Hall to sign up for the registry yesterday, the first day it was available after being approved by residents in the November election. Although a domestic partner certificate has no legal authority, it could be used as a way to get partner benefits or in hospital visitation situations where only family members are allowed.

Cuyahoga Community College offers free Financial Aid Night

Cleveland - Cuyahoga Community College is offering a free one-night program to help area high school seniors and their parents figure out how to pay for a college education. Financial Aid Night, a program that explores college finance options and even helps start the paper work, will be offered on Wednesday evening, February 4th , at all three Tri-C's campuses. The program at each location will begin at 6 p.m. Tri-C will even jumpstart the process for one lucky attendee by awarding a $1 thousand scholarship to one of the participants selected by a random drawing

Plane Crashes in Lake Erie

Ontario, Canada -- The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for survivors of a plane crash in Lake Erie involving a Canadian commuter plane. Ten people are believed to have been aboard the flight jetting from Pelee Island to Windsor, Ontario, Saturday night. The crash occurred in Canadian waters, about 20 miles north of Sandusky, Ohio. The National Weather Service says weather conditions in that area included snow and freezing rain at the time of the accident. Coast Guard crews from Cleveland and Detroit were called in to assist in recovery efforts.

Parochial High Schools show a decline in enrollment

Cleveland,-- Enrollment in Cleveland's parochial high schools is showing a decline while public school enrollment has increased. The opposite trend is seen nationwide. Most of the Catholic schools that saw the greatest drop in enrollment are in urban areas. A spokesperson for the diocese schools says population shifts, rising costs and the general health of the economy are all factors for the decline

Lakewood Women to be deported

Lakewood -- A Lakewood woman has 30 days to prepare for deportation to Venezuela and decide what to do with her three U.S.-born children. Amina Silmi was given a two-week reprieve on January 2nd but was turned down for another deportation delay on Friday. Silmi has been living in the U.S. for the past 13 years and her visitor's visa has expired. Officials say she has the option of taking her kids with her or leaving them here. Her husband was deported last month due to immigration violations.

Women finds Violin

Elyria -- An 81-year-old Elyria woman has been reunited with a violin stolen 25 years ago. Authorities say the Zanotti violin, built in 1744, was returned to her after showing up in a Cleveland music store. The rare violin was stolen from the trunk of her car in 1979.

Halter Feed and Grain Burns

Massillon-- The city of Massillon is still in the process of cleaning up the remains following a blaze which destroyed a landmark Friday. Fire ripped through the Halter Feed and Grain business. There were no injuries, but the building which was built in the 1800s was destroyed. Firefighters had a tough time battling the flames because one of the surrounding hydrants was frozen. There's still no word on how it started.

Coyne charged with DUI

Rocky River -- A judge says that the drunken driving charge against Board of Elections chairman Thomas Coyne will stand. Coyne argued that Westlake police did not have a viable reason to stop him on the morning of September 12th. The arresting officer said the politician was driving erratically. Coyne refused to take a roadside breath test, thus forfeiting his driver's license for a year.

Free Admission to Museums on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Most museum in greater Cleveland will be open and have free admision on Monday January 19th to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Rock Hall offers $1 admissions on Wednesday evenings. 

Student knocked teacher out

Pepper Pike -- An Orange High School teacher is recovering after a fight involving a student. Pepper Pike police say the student got angry and began shoving people and the teacher was knocked out in the fracas. The student was arrested and charged with assault and resisting arrest.
 

Security Cameras cut crime

Cleveland -- Residents of Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood are convinced that new security cameras are responsible for slashing the crime rate. Nine months ago, 21 cameras were installed throughout the neighborhood. Since then, Cleveland's Six District headquarters has reported the average rate of incidents to be half what it was. City Councilman Mike Polensek says to expect more cameras in more neighborhoods soon.

Ron O'Neal SuperFly Dies at 66

Cleveland -- A Cleveland native who rose to Hollywood stardom as the star of a 1970s blaxploitation film is being mourned. Ron O'Neal, who played the lead role in the 1972 movie "Superfly", died Wednesday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. His career started on the stages of Cleveland when he first began acting at Glenville High School and later at Karamu House.

Cuyahoga County late in choosing Voting Machines

Cuyahoga County -- Cuyahoga is among several counties in Ohio who have yet to choose a new voting machine. The deadline for the county's selection was yesterday, but officials want a guarantee about the security of the new machines first. The state wants to upgrade from the punch card system to a more streamlined machine that will possibly dispense a receipt. The new voting system should be in place by January 2006.

Mayor Campbell wants you to "Adopt a Can"

Cleveland announces plan for businesses to adopt a trash can. This program will commit organizations to looking after and emptying trash cans through the city. Adopt-a-can is designed to save the city millions of dollars a year. The city has over 1300 trash cans.

Search for new Cleveland Clinic CEO begins

Cleveland -- The search is on for a new Cleveland Clinic CEO. Sixty-eight-year-old Dr. Floyd Loop doesn't have immediate plans to step down, but there is talk of who will take his place when the time comes. Loop has lead the clinic since 1990. A spokesman says a succession committee is in the making and it will include trustees and administrators.

Rascal House to donate to Cleveland Police

Cleveland -- With the recent layoffs of hundreds of Cleveland's firefighters and police officers, Rascal House Pizza owner Mike Frangos is saddened for the families of these brave men and women. In anticipation of the firings, Frangos developed a plan -- to give a slice of the profits of each pizza sold to families of Cleveland's laid-off safety enforcers. Since the first of January, Frangos says they put aside a half dollar for any size pizza sold to go to help families. The program will stay in place till the end of January. But Frangos doesn't want the buck to stop at Rascal House Pizza. Frangos says quote, "I would welcome other businesses and restaurants to help in whatever way they can. Together we can show support and help provide for the families of our local heroes."

Garfield Alloys being sued by neighbors because of fire

Garfield Heights -- The Garfield Heights magnesium recycling plant that went up in flames is being sued by its neighbors. Five homeowners and two companies have already filed claims against Garfield Alloys, Incorporated and a class-action suit from many more residents may soon follow. The plant is accused of not having proper safety procedures and adequately trained employees. An attorney for several of the homeowners says his clients suffered not only damage to their homes, but also from emotional distress due to fear of the chemicals in the fumes.

US Bank E-Payment available for paying taxes online

Cleveland -- U.S. Bank and the Cuyahoga County treasurer's office have partnered to provide the residents of Cuyahoga County a more convenient method for making County payments. The system allows real estate tax payments to be made via the Internet to Jim Rokakis, Cuyahoga County Treasurer. Using the U.S. Bank E-Payment Service, residents of Cuyahoga County, Ohio can pay their real estate property taxes online directly through the Cuyahoga County website at www.cuyahoga.oh.us.

Women who claimed Lottery ticket apologizes

Beachwood  -- A Cleveland woman who claimed she lost a winning Mega Millions lottery ticket says she's sorry for all the trouble she caused. In a press conference yesterday, Elecia Battle stopped just short of admitting she lied about ever buying the ticket. She may be charged with filing a false police report for telling South Euclid authorities that the lottery ticket fell out of her purse. South Euclid woman Rebecca Jemison held the winning ticket and will be awarded the $162 million jackpot in the next few weeks.

Lake County man struck by snow plow

Hambden Township-- A Lake County man is recovering after authorities say he was hit by a snowplow. The State Highway Patrol in Chardon said Michael Galayda was walking along U.S. Route 6 with a friend on Wednesday night after his car ran out of gas. They say Galayda was struck from behind by the truck and his friend quickly summoned an ambulance.

Taft to sign concealed handgun bill

Columbus -- Ohio Governor Bob Taft says it's OK for residents over age 21 to carry concealed handguns. He signed legislation to that effect yesterday. Gun owners must complete an application process, including a firearm training course and a background check, before they will be granted a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The new law also says gun dealers have to offer safety locks to their customers.

CCC begins new program for people over 55

Cleveland -- Cuyahoga Community College begins its Encore Campus program, which offers a wide variety of courses to adults over the age of 55, next Friday, January 16th. The program will be held every Friday at Tri-C's Eastern Campus in Highland Hills and the college's Western Campus in Parma. The program offers a wide variety of 50-minute courses between nine a.m. and three p.m. Call the college for more information.

Tubbs Jones Hosts Social Security meeting

Cleveland -- Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones will be hosting a hearing to address Social Security issues and the backlog situation in Cleveland and throughout the United States tomorrow. The hearing will take place at the East Mount Zion Baptist Church on Euclid Avenue beginning at one p.m. A press conference will be held at 12:30 p.m. prior to the hearing.

First Energy told to Pay for Power Grid Evaluation

Akron -- The First Energy Corporation has been told to get a complete evaluation of its power grid system. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said the Akron-based company has until April 22nd to get the assessment done, and that First Energy must pay for it. The power company has been blamed for this summer's massive blackout across eight U.S. states and parts of Canada.

Extra Brain found at Oberlin College

Oberlin, -- A head count at Oberlin College reveals an extra brain on campus. Maintenance workers found the organ floating in formaldehyde in a dorm room during a routine inspection last week. A spokesman for the school's science labs says it didn't come from his department. The student who claims ownership says he found the brain near a garbage bin on campus. The Lorain County coroner says the type of jar the organ is in hasn't been used in years, and it may date back to the 1930's.

South Euclid Store sells wining Lottery ticket

South Euclid, Ohio -- A South Euclid Ohio convenience store sold the wining Power Ball Lottery ticket and will get $100,000 plus a cruise. The winning ticket for $140 million was sold earlier this week. The holder of the winning ticket has not been made public.

Looking for lost US Mail

LaGrange, OH -- About 65 Lorain County residents are wondering if it was the rain, snow, sleet or dead of night that kept their letters from being delivered. About 200 pieces of mail from the LaGrange post office was transferred to the main processing plant in Cleveland and then disappeared. Postal officials are investigating what happened, but think the mail must have somehow been sent to the wrong place.

Cleveland Police reject plan

Cleveland, Ohio -- Cleveland police union members rejected a deal to sacrifice benefits and save jobs, leaving 252 officers without work on Monday.

Cleveland Firefighters accept cuts to save jobs

Cleveland, Ohio--  Cleveland firefighters approved concessions on Tuesday, cutting the number of firefighters to lose their jobs from 150 to 70. EMS paramedics previously agreed to concessions and saved all 21 jobs slated to be cut.