Modell said he understood the irony of the Browns move
Former Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell died this morning at age 87 after a lengthy illness.

Modell was born in Brooklyn, and used money he made in advertising to buy the Browns in 1961 for $4 million.  But the team hasn’t won a championship since 1964, and Modell moved the franchise to Baltimore in 1995 after a three-year fight with the city over Cleveland Municipal Stadium.  At the time, he told his new city he understood the irony of moving to a city where Colts had left for Indianapolis a decade earlier.

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“I know what you went through 11 years ago, ‘cause that’s exactly what’s happening in Cleveland right now.  And I am deeply, deeply sorry, from the bottom of my heart.”

 Cleveland sued over the move, and the NFL stepped in to negotiate a deal in which the city retained the Browns’ name and legacy.  The controversy  is widely seen as one reason Modell was nominated, but never made it into, the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

No more terrorism forms for Ohio workers. contractors
As of Monday, state employees, contractors, and grant recipients will no longer have to fill out a form that swears they have not provided “material assistance” to terrorists.  This spring, state lawmakers repealed the so-called “Declaration of Material Assistance” form that has been in place since the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.  They noted that the bill had uncovered no terrorism or led to any arrests, and described it as a bureaucratic obstacle for people who want to do routine business with the state.

Acacia greenspace vote is today
The Acacia Country Club is voting today on whether to sell the private club to a conservancy group to keep it as greenspace. The Convervation  Fund has offered $14.75 million for the property in the city of Lyndhurst in northeast Cuyahoga County.

But Lyndhurst is making a competing offer of $16 million and wants to turn the land over to private developers for commercial use.

Lyndhurst Mayor Joseph Cicero says the city needs the commercial development to bolster its dwindling revenues.  The club has said it will not consider the city’s offer until it votes on the Conservation Fund’s.

Ohio Supreme Court: Sheriff's sales need more than a web site
The Ohio Supreme Court says a sheriff cannot save money by simply posting a foreclosure notice on his or her Web site and assuming that’s enough to let all parties know what’s going on.

In a unanimous decision today, the state high court says that when sheriffs know or could easily find out mailing addresses for people with a financial stake in a property, they must send letters to their attorneys to alert them to look at the sheriff’s-sale web site.

The decision reverses an appeals court ruling in southwestern Ohio. The Clermont County sheriff has tried to eliminate the mailings to save money, but the mortgage company sued.