12/16/10 HEADLINE NEWS …
Cleveland Indians pitching legend Bob Feller has died at age 92 after a brief bought with leukemia. Feller was named the greatest pitcher of his time by Sporting News, amassing 266 wins over 18 seasons in a career interrupted by four years the Navy. Feller volunteered one day after Pearl Harbor – the first major league player to enlist during WWII. Indians announcer Tom Hamilton says Feller’s devotion to baseball and especially to the Indians is something the sports world likely will never see again.
Feller was an early advocate of free-agency for players. But he also grew impatient with what he saw as a coddling of today’s players. Feller remained active with the Indians into his 90s, even throwing out the first pitch at last season’s opening game.
Former Cuyahoga County auditor Frank Russo could get out of prison early after unexpectedly striking a deal with prosecutors during his sentencing Wednesday. Russo was sentenced to 22 years in on dozens of charges that he took more than $1 million in bribes. Russo has agreed to testify against the top target in the county corruption probe, County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora. Dimora has pleaded not guilty to dozens of bribery charges and is set to stand trial next September.
A hiring freeze is in effect at one of Northeast Ohio’s largest employers. Kent State University President Lestor Lefton announced the budge move Wednesday. Newly elected Chairwoman Jaqueline Woods opened her first meeting as head of the board by noting the coming change of the administration in Columbus, and the reality that cuts in state funding are likely. Earlier in the day KSU President Lester Lefton described what he called preemptive plans, including a freeze on most, but not all, hiring to start now. Lefton said other jobs vital to running the school would be replaced too, a case by case.
But he also told his vice presidents to make contingency plans for cuts in state funds of up to twenty percent for the budget starting this coming July. Eighty-five percent of the university’s spending is on personnel, and it employs more than 5,600 people in Northeast Ohio.
Ohio’s attorney general Richard Cordray has a new job with the federal government.
Governor elect John Kasich says he will step in to take control of the Cleveland public school system if the district’s sweeping transformation plan fails. The Plain Dealer reports Kasich favors putting a "special master" in control of school districts like Cleveland with chronically low graduation rates and test scores. The Plain Dealer reports Cleveland has a 54 percent graduation rate. Earlier this week, Cleveland schools CEO Eugene Sanders announced his retirement effective in February. It comes as the district is implementing his transformation plan.
Ohio State University says hackers accessed a computer server containing personal information on more than 700,000 current and former faculty, staff, students and others. The university says there's no indication information was taken. The server includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates and addresses. The university is offering those affected free credit protection services and has hired a data security firm.
Retiring Sen. George Voinovich tells his colleagues they must tackle a fiscal situation that's "on life support" and that the country is "on thin ice" and needs the help of its allies. Voinovich made the comments yesterday in a farewell address in Washington.
The government has received another $2.1 billion in repayments from General Motors. The Treasury Department says it received that amount when GM repurchased preferred stock it had given to the government as part of the bailout agreement. GM's initial public stock offering last month brought the government $13.5 billion.
Southwest Airlines is getting 20 new, larger planes that could pave the way for the all-domestic airline to offer international flights. Southwest plans to add international service when it completes the purchase of AirTran Airways. AirTran is the largest carrier out of Akron Canton Airport and Southwest flies out of Cleveland Hopkins.
The University of Akron is making more room for students to live on campus. Trustees finalized contracts Wednesday to build a $40 million dorm to house more than 500 students. Akron has built four new dorms in the past six years and a record 3,300 students now live on campus.
Three weeks before his final day as governor, Ted Strickland on Wednesday gave what was billed as his last speech as Ohio’s chief executive. More than 200 people listened at a luncheon session of the Columbus Metropolitan Club. Strickland said Ohio’s foundation is stronger now than the day he took office. He gave examples that sounded like part of his campaign speeches, citing increases in the number of Ohio college students, solar and wind energy projects and high-tech jobs.
Inspector General Tom Charles will take over the Department of Public Safety in the John Kasich administration – less than a year after investigating that agency for an aborted sting involving contraband being delivered to an inmate working at the Governor’s Residence. State Senator Tim Grendell led hearings into that scandal, and says Charles is an excellent choice to lead and clean up that agency.
But Charles has a longtime critic in Ohio Democratic Party chairman Chris Redfern. “He uses his office in a bullying way to advance his own personal agenda,” Redfern says.
In his investigation, Charles was critical of State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. David Dicken, who has resigned from that post. This clears the way for Kasich and Charles to appoint a new superintendent.
Civil rights groups say black riders on a Cleveland bus line are unfairly feeling the brunt of an effort against people who don't pay the fare. The Plain Dealer reports the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP have complained to transit officials that nine out of 10 people ticketed on the HealthLine during one month were black. Agency general manager Joe Calabrese says the percentage of blacks ticketed for nonpayment reflects the population in neighborhoods served by the line. He says the agency does not discriminate.
The Cavs have now lost nine games in a row. They were in Miami last night to take on the Heat and LeBron James losing 101-95. It was the Heat’s 10th straight win.
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Ohio Attorney General sues Cleveland car dealer for failing to provide titles
