Good Morning, Cleveland! It's Monday, August 24, and here is what you need to know.
Cleveland Public Library workers go on strike
Nearly 400 union workers at the Cleveland Public Library plan to go on strike today at noon. The union rejected the library's final offer after 11 months of negotiations. Library leaders said the two biggest issues are compensation and changes to health care that will increase their out-of-pockets costs. Some library locations will close temporarily. The library will start curbside service today. Another bargaining session is scheduled this morning before the strike deadline.
CMSD students head back to school amid major district consolidation
Today, CMSD students return to school, and classrooms will look very different. The district closed 18 buildings over the summer. It also laid off more than 200 educators. The consolidation plan aims to save $30 million a year. Laid-off teachers are working as substitutes. If classroom sizes are too big, laid off teachers will be recalled to permanent jobs. The district also promises to quickly fix any shortages of textbooks or teaching materials.
Cuyahoga Valley towpath trail closes for boardwalk replacement
A popular stretch of the Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park is closed starting today for a major boardwalk replacement project. The closure stretches from the Boston Trailhead to Lock 29 in Peninsula. Crews are replacing the 35-year-old Stumpy Basin Boardwalk in a $1.6 million project that will raise the path out of the flood plain. Park officials say the old wooden path could not last any longer. The trail will remain closed until November 20. Park leaders say there are plenty of other trails open for visitors to enjoy in the meantime.
Ohio State Highway Patrol using airplanes to catch speeders
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is using airplanes to catch speeding drivers on Ohio highways. Pilots use white lines painted on the highway to calculate a car's speed, then radio troopers waiting on entrance ramps to pull the driver over. The strategy keeps officers out of dangerous high-speed situations by acting as an extra set of eyes from above. The strategy is already getting results. During a recent operation on Interstate 90, troopers issued 28 tickets to drivers going at least 21 miles per hour over the limit. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is currently looking to hire more pilots and troopers.
WATCH THE NEWSCAST BELOW
Your forecast
Visit our News 5 weather page to see today's forecast.
Traffic impact
In Mentor, crews will begin an overnight resurfacing project along Mentor Avenue between Hopkins Road and the Painesville Township line. Most work will happen at night between 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. with traffic reduced to one lane in each direction. Work should continue until late October.
Tomorrow, a resurfacing project in Bath Township will begin along Cleveland-Massilon Road between State Roue 18 to Springside Drive. The police department says work will last for one week.
View our News 5 Traffic Map to see any road closures or delays due to weather or crashes.
