Romney, Democrats blitz Ohio
Once again, the presidential campaigns are bracketing Ohio, with a bus tour of Democrats hitting the state today, a day before Republican Mitt Romney is coming through.

Romney will begin his trip tomorrow in the tiny Ohio River town of Beallsville, before heading onto Zanesville and Chillicothe. He’s expected to focus on energy policy and coal, claiming President Obama’s clean-energy policy is devastating the coal-drilling region of southeast Ohio.

A national Democratic bus is following essentially the same path through Ohio today in what it calls the “Middle Class under the Bus” tour. Democrats argue that Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, are espousing tax and economic policies that would boost the rich and devastate the middle class.

Cleveland schools tout endorsements
As with the presidential campaign, the push for a 15-mill levy for Cleveland’s public schools is getting underway well before the traditional campaign start-date of  Labor Day.

Mayor Frank Jackson is expected to announce key endorsements today from a coalition of parents, politicians, business, union and civic leaders in the community.

Akron Children's $200 million expansion
Akron Children's Hospital is embarking on a $200 million expansion of its main campus in Akron.  The new facility is expected to break ground next year, and will have an expanded ER and neonatal intensive care unit, along with six to eight operating rooms.

The new facility is being designed with input from patient families and staff such as registered nurse Beth Strickland.

"We'll be able to see our patients better.  You'll be in pods, collaborating with another nurse and all your doctors.  Centralized workflow.  Shorter patient distances to X-ray and CT.  Better flow to your trauma rooms and things that are the most important."

With outpatient surgeries doubling since 1991, the hospital needs more operating rooms now, and also plans to add a twelfth O-R to its existing campus immediately.

Costly Ohio storms
Storms that socked Ohio from June 29th to July 2nd caused insured losses of at least $433 million. The tally by the Ohio Insurance Institute makes those storms the third costliest disaster in Ohio’s modern history. The worst was the Hurricane Ike windstorm in 1988, followed by the 1974 Xenia tornado.