9/11 remembered
Northeast Ohio is marking the 11^th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon with a wreath laying ceremony following the mid-day Mass outside of St. John Cathedral in downtown Cleveland.

And Gov. John Kasich has ordered that all flags be flown at half-staff in remembrance of those who died.

State releases money for American Greetings headquarters
The State Controlling Board has released $1.25 million to help build American Greeting’s new headquarters. The card company is moving from the old Cleveland suburb of Brooklyn to a 13-acre site in Crocker Park in Westlake. 
The deal to keep American Greetings in state was announced about 18 months ago. It includes state incentives worth up to $93.5 million over 15 years, including job-retention tax credits. American Greetings employs the full-time equivalent of about 1,700 people.
The company plans to move in 2014.

Amish hate-crimes trial moving to the defense
Federal prosecutors are wrapping up their case in the hate-crimes trial of an Amish bishop and 15 of his followers, accused of cutting the hair and beards of other Amish people who had broken away from his sect.

Defense attorneys for 66-year-old Samuel Mullet Sr. and the others are expected to pick up with their case this afternoon.

Prosecution witnesses this week included Donald Kraybill, an expert on the Amish religion, who testified that the attacks clearly violated the Amish beliefs in doing no harm and forgiveness.  Kraybill noted that hundreds of Amish bishops had overturned excommunications ordered by Mullet six years ago, angering Mullet.

 Mullet’s attorneys have argued that the case is a misapplication of the federal hate-crimes law.

Red-light cameras get a closer look
Two Northeast Ohio cities are taking another look at red-light cameras. Cleveland is considering adding more, and Canton City Council is expected to vote next week on introducing the cameras to the city.

The cameras automatically track and ticket people for speeding and running red lights. Voters in Garfield Heights have ousted the cameras, while those in East Cleveland have kept them in place.

Rove super PAC launches new attacks on Brown
A super PAC affiliated with Karl Rove is launching more than a million dollars worth of attack ads against Ohio’s Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Crossroads GPS announced today it is spending $1.14 million on broadcast and cable TV ads that accuse Brown of a failed economic record and tax increases, and that  criticize his support of the Affordable Care Act.

Legally, there can be no connection between Crossroads or other super PACS and the campaign of Brown’s Republican challenger, Josh Mandel. And Mandel insists there is none and that he’s running an 80 percent positive campaign.

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“Our opponent has run about 80 percent of his ads negative, just trying to tear me down, not saying anything about his record. And we think one of the main reasons we’ve gone from 17 points down to tied in the polls is because he’s running a completely negative campaign and we’re running a positive campaign. And people are acknowledging the fact that our positive message is something they want in Washington.”

But Crossroads, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other Mandel backers have spent a more than $16 million, primarily on negative ads against Brown aimed at helping the GOP capture the U.S. Senate.

The investigative reporting group Propublica noted last week that a former Mandel aide has worked for a lobbyist who runs one of those super PACS.

Another roughly $4 million has been spent by outside groups targeting Mandel. Together with about $26 million the campaigns have raised, the Ohio Senate race is one of the most expensive in the country.