Charles Ramsey, the man who put down his Big Mac to help rescue three women held captive in a Cleveland house, has a beef with some of the publicity coming his way.

In a statement, he says he does not endorse the Ramsey burger, offered at the restaurant where he works as a dishwasher. Nor does he approve of a low-grade online video game which features Ramsey throwing burgers at alleged kidnapper Ariel Castro.

A spokeswoman for McDonald's says that local franchisees have offered Ramsey free food at their restaurants. But he says he wants no undue publicity for freeing Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight earlier this month.  Kabir Bhatia reports

Development in downtown Cleveland has breathed life into the Greater Cleveland RTA's Waterfront Line. The rail trolley was built in the mid-90s to shuttle revelers to and from the then-booming Flats entertainment district. But those bars and restaurants closed up and the service was curtailed.  RTA spokeswoman Mary Shaffer says that will change on May 30 with new office space and apartments now open on the East Bank.  Kevin Niedermier reports

Why would a chef who already runs two successful fine-dining restaurants want to open a 1940s style diner? Doug Katz has many reasons including family considerations as we learn in today's Quick Bite.  Vivian Goodman reports

Backers of a plan that want Ohioans to vote on legalizing medical marijuana, and allow for hemp to be grown, have cleared another hurdle.  Jo Ingles reports

Voter fraud is an issue that’s talked about a lot around election time but Ohio’s top elections official says it’s not a big problem in Ohio.  Jo Ingles reports

The nomination of Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could be headed for a vote this summer.   Earlier this year President Obama re-nominated the former Ohio Attorney General as director of the watchdog agency. That was after a recess appointment expired. 

But Senate Republicans have held up Cordray’s reappointment, saying the bureau needs restructuring.  Ohio’s Rob Portman shares those concerns, but says he’s trying to broker a deal before the July vote.  Jeff St. Clair reports

As they prepare for next year's statewide campaigns for governor and other offices, Democrats continue to hammer away at Gov. Kasich's key accomplishment in office so far.  Karen Kasler reports

As mourners gather at the grave sites of fallen soldiers and other loved ones who've passed away this Memorial Day weekend, a few may not be entirely happy with the upkeep of the cemetery.  (more)

A Youngstown injection well operator run by the man accused of illegally dumping fracking wastewater into a storm sewer is asking a state panel to overturn an order revoking its operating permit. Ohio Public Radio’s Karen Kasler has this report.  Karen Kasler reports

Environmental risks and economic trade-offs are often the topics of discussion when talk turns to the Utica Shale. But risks of a more practical sort are getting attention where the potential gas & oil boom has been gearing up in rural Ohio. WKSU’s Tim Rudell reports.  Tim Rudell reports

This month thousands of people from around the world come to Ohio.  They’re not visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They head to a wildlife area on Lake Erie that you might call the Warbler Hall of Fame. Between Toledo and Sandusky lies Magee Marsh, a state wildlife area that experts call one of the best bird migration hotspots in North America.  WKSU’s Mark Urycki went to see what all the fuss is about  Mark Urycki reports

A bill to limit immigrant visas to Brazilian citizens passed the House Appropriations Committee today, backed by Youngstown Congressman Tim Ryan.

In a press release, he said he supports the bill due to Brazil’s refusal to extradite citizens that are suspected of committing crimes in the US.

Ryan cites the case of Air Force Reserve Veteran Karl Hoerig, who was found shot to death in his Newton Falls home in 2007.  The primary suspect is Hoerig’s wife, Claudia, who Ryan says fled to her native Brazil.





  Kabir Bhatia reports

A controversial bill affecting student voting might not have enough support to make it into the state's two-year budget.  Jo Ingles reports

The ongoing IRS scandal has raised the specter of political favoritism in another program overseen by the Treasury Department - the closures of hundreds of car dealerships during the auto bailout.

But WKSU’s Jeff St.Clair reports the targeting of conservative car dealers will be hard to prove.  Jeff St. Clair reports

The Cleveland Cavaliers will have the No. 1 pick in next month’s NBA draft, but it’s no guarantee they’ll use it to take a top prospect. The Cavs won the draft lottery on Tuesday for the second time in three years. In 2011, they drafted Kyrie Irving who went on to be Rookie of the Year. But league executives say this year’s draft is weak.

The projected top pick is Kentucky’s 6'11" Nerlens Noel. But he’s currently recovering from a torn ACL that will cause him to miss the start of the season. So, WKSU commentator Terry Pluto says the Cavs may pass on him.  Amanda Rabinowitz reports

City of Akron attorneys have been meeting in person with residents whose information was posted online in last week's cyber-attack. The city is trying to handle more than 5,000 class following the attack by a Turkish group that posted taxpayers' information online. 

Akron's assistant law director Shelley Goodrich met Wednesday with residents at one of six community centers around the city, and she says her main piece of advice is to be proactive.   (more)

  Jeff St. Clair reports

The Cleveland Indians and their AA affiliate Akron Aeros have long been struggling to get fans in the seats, even when the teams are winning. In fact, the Indians have had the lowest attendance in baseball the past several seasons. So, the owners have been making changes -- from a new HD score board at Canal Park to lower prices for hot dogs and beer at Progressive Field. But sometimes that fan engagement goes a bit too far, as closer Chris Perez felt this week.

Commentator Terry Pluto talks about whether fans are more engaged this season and what happens when it turns hateful.  Amanda Rabinowitz reports

Though the Ohio Republican Party has been dealing with a split among its constituents, the GOP has not forgotten its oldest enemy – the Democrats. This protest puts politics over issues.  Karen Kasler reports

Tea Party members from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana converged in Cincinnati today to protest the recent IRS scandal.  (more)

A researcher from Kent State University is heading to Oklahoma to study the damage from this week’s deadly tornado. WKSU’s Jeff St.Clair reports the research could enhance recovery efforts, and save lives in future disasters.  Jeff St. Clair reports

By July 1st the speed limit will be 70 miles per hour on “non-urbanized” stretches of Ohio’s super highway system.  The state department of transportation released a map of where roads will be affected, WKSU’s Tim Rudell reports.  Tim Rudell reports

While many economists fear that cutbacks in government spending are slowing the economic recovery, area universities have their own fears.  Budget cuts under the federal sequestration agreement mean federal dollars for bio-medical, defense and other technology research at universities will be reduced. School officials fear that important discoveries and inventions will be missed or delayed.  Mark Urycki reports

Ohio’s Treasurer Josh Mandel has highlighted his military service in recent campaigns for office. But if the Republican Mandel runs for re-election as expected, he might find himself running against a Democrat who's also a vet: State Rep. Connie Pillich of Dayton.  Jo Ingles reports

Disciplinary hearings began Monday for a dozen Cleveland police supervisors involved in last year’s massive police chase that left two suspects dead.  WKSU’s Kevin Niedermier reports.  Kevin Niedermier reports

Ohio is reportedly one of 15 states where undocumented immigrants are being sent back to their home country after seeking medical care. Ohio Public Radio’s Karen Kasler says that controversy and concerns regarding immigrants are sparking discussion about immigration reform all across the political spectrum.

The "Bibles, Badges and Business" coalition will be in Cincinnati on Tuesday.  Karen Kasler reports

The sounds of gunfire and explosions rocked downtown Cleveland this afternoon…followed by the cheers of passersby, who stood around and waited for more mayhem. For Ohio Public Radio, WCPN's Brian Bull explains, there’s no need to fear, Captain America is here. Or more accurately, his film crew.   (more)

The city of Akron released a police report today to help victims of a cyber-attack last week on the city’s website.  (more)

Cuyahoga County’s emergency management department today announced implementation of two new programs designed to speed information to residents.

The first is this summer’s county-wide deployment of a “reverse” 9-1-1 system. It calls residents land-lines and cell phones with critical emergency information on things like chemical spills or tornados. 

Emergency Management Director Walter Topp says some communities already have the system, but this will be the first time the entire county can be alerted at once.

The second announcement is that the county has earned the National Weather Service’s “Storm Ready” certification. It means the county has the technology to monitor severe weather and disseminate the information. Topp calls this very important.  Kevin Niedermier reports

  Jeff St. Clair reports

  (more)

The University of Akron still refuses to identify the police officer who killed a motorist last week, and says its investigation into Thursday’s fatal shooting is not complete. 

The university officer stopped 64-year-old James Genda for improper registration a few blocks from campus. That’s when Genda reportedly pointed a BB gun that looked like a .45 at the officer. The university will not identify the officer nor will it comment on a report by WKYC that he is Aaron Burnette, a 10-year-veteran who had been fired for allegedly using excessive force. Burnette was reinstated after an arbitrator ruled there was no evidence of excessive force. 

Family members say Genda was trying to hand over the gun, which he carried for protection after being mugged last year. 

They also acknowledge Genda had racked up dozens of traffic violations in the past 20 years and drove without a license. No dash-cam video exists of last week’s traffic stop, but surveillance video from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles parking lot has been turned over to investigators.  Kabir Bhatia reports

The Key Building has been sold. Not the tower in Cleveland, but the smaller, century-old property in downtown Akron. WKSU's Kabir Bhatia reports.  Kabir Bhatia reports

The City of Akron is still working to fix its website after a hacking attack last week fished-out thousands of city income tax records. WKSU's Kabir Bhatia reports.  Kabir Bhatia reports

Slow-but-steady improvement with positive indicators for the future. Those are the findings of the most recent economic report for Northeast Ohio from Team NEO, the region’s business attraction organization.  Kevin Niedermier reports

More than 8,000 new businesses are started each month in Ohio and a growing number are launched by young entrepreneurs.

In this week’s Exploradio, WKSU’s Jeff St.Clair visits one of the epicenters of Northeast Ohio’s entrepreneurial groundswell.  Jeff St. Clair reports