Cleveland Foundation donates $8 million toward Public Square project
The plan to remake downtown Cleveland’s signature public square got a big boost from the Cleveland Foundation.

The foundation today committed $8 million toward the $30 million project.

The design by the New York-based James Corner Field Operations reconfigures the square into a public space that includes a fountain, gardens, and seating areas.

Ronn Richard, head of the Cleveland Foundation, says rebuilding Cleveland benefits the entire region.

The south side of the plaza will be renamed Cleveland Foundation Centennial Plaza.

Construction is expected to begin later this year with a 2016 completion date, just in time to welcome the Republican National Convention.

Ohio prison inmates find maggots in food
Maggots in food, staffing shortages and multiple reports of running out of food are among new complaints facing the vendor that won the contract to serve food to Ohio inmates.

The Associated Press reports that numerous problems reported since April, when the state prison system took the rare step of fining the vendor.

The records show 65 instances where employees of Aramark Correctional Services failed to provide food or ran out of it.

The records also show five cases of maggots found in food, and several days when Aramark employees failed to show up for work.

Aramark says it's the victim of an anti-privatization campaign and problems are declining.

FAA investigates drone flyby
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident in which a drone aircraft flew within a short distance of a helicopter in the skies near Cleveland.

An FAA spokesman says the pilot of a small helicopter reported on July 11 that a quadricopter got within about 50 yards of his craft.

A quadricopter is a drone with four propellers.

The FAA spokesman says agency investigators are trying to determine who owned the drone.

Mohican State Park gets $5 million in improvements
Ohio parks officials say the state will spend $5 million to build a new nature center and make improvements to Mohican State Park near Mansfield.

The state plans to renovate the campground pool and all 25 cottages at the park, add a splash pad and build new restrooms.

Judge order Ohio DOE to pay bills of troubled charter school
A southwest Ohio judge has ordered the state Department of Education to sponsor an inner-city charter school to keep it operating.

A Hamilton County Common Pleas judge ruled that the DOE made it difficult for the VLT school to find a sponsor and that closing would do "irreparable harm" to its 600 students.

The state will have to provide nearly $300,000 to make sure teachers and staff are paid in the next school year.

VLT's sponsor had declined to renew its contract, leaving the school facing closure. The judge says the Department of Education warned two potential sponsors about taking on the school. A DOE spokesman says it will make sure the school performs.