Podcast appearances and mentions of laura johnston

Want to take the headache out of onboarding and turn your practice into a seamless and efficient operation? In this episode of the Just DeW It podcast, Anne Duffy brings on Laura Johnston, the mastermind behind My Dental SOP. With her extensive experience across various roles in the industry, Laura brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. She delves into the creation of My Dental SOP, a revolutionary software aimed at simplifying employee onboarding and enabling detailed cross-training to boost practice efficiency. With warm, heartfelt anecdotes, Anne and Laura share their journey from the moment they met, underlining the value of networking and community in navigating and overcoming industry challenges. Laura provides a deep dive into how My Dental SOP can digitize and streamline standard operating procedures, ultimately transforming the daily operations of dental offices. Beyond automating efficiencies, the platform also offers white-glove services to manage and organize essential documents, making scaling operations hassle-free. Laura highlights the invaluable role consultants can play by implementing the software uniquely tailored to a practice's needs, ensuring cohesive, productive, and satisfied dental teams. Closing on an inspiring note, Anne and Laura pave the way for continuing education and community support through a forthcoming retreat, inviting you to polish your professional skills for enduring success. What You'll Learn in This Episode: How diversified industry experiences can inform innovative solutions in dental practice management. The key benefits of centralizing standard operating procedures using My Dental SOP. The critical role of community and networking in tackling the difficulties faced by dental professionals. Purposeful insights into tailoring technology for optimized dental practice efficiency and staff satisfaction. The impact of offering white-glove services in digital documentation and scaling dental operations fluidly. Tune in now to explore the game-changing potential of My Dental SOP! You Can Learn More About Laura Johnston and My Dental SOP Here: Website: https://www.mydentalsop.com/ Email: laura@mydentalsop.com Don't Forget to Sign Up for the Next DeW Retreat! 6th Annual DeW Life Retreat November 14-16, 2024 • Charlotte, NC Want to get more involved? Join our membership and community below for exclusive perks! Join the DeW Life movement by becoming a member using this link.Join the Dental Entrepreneur movement by becoming a member using this link.Read the most recent edition of DeW Life Magazine here.Just DeW It Podcast is the official podcast of Dental Entrepreneur Women (DeW), founded by Anne Duffy, RDH. The mission of DeW is to inspire, highlight, empower, and connect all women in dentistry. To join the movement or to learn more, please visit dew.life. Together, we can DeW amazing things! References: Events: CE on The Beach DeW Retreat DSI Supercharge AADOM Productive Dentist Academy People: Joe Chickerillo Dr. Bruce B. Baird Dr. Victoria Peterson Theresa Sheppard Tom Brown Tools: Google Drive StrengthFinder ChatGPT Businesses: S3 Dental Growth Partners ADMC

The average amount spent on dental staff training is about $1,500 per person per year, which is a significant expense for small to mid-sized dental practice owners.  But is all that expense really worth it when research shows that learners forget an average of 70% of the new information within 24 hours?  Today, I'm sharing a better way to manage operations and train staff within your dental practice.  I'm thrilled to introduce Laura Johnston, the innovative founder of My Dental SOP and a former consultant turned software developer. Laura has dedicated over 15 years to the dental industry, specializing in team management and dental practice SOPs. Through her cloud-based software, My Dental SOP, Laura has transformed the way dental teams access and utilize Standard Operating Procedures, tackling the common, painful issues of training, staffing, and operational inefficiencies that so many practices face. In this conversation, Laura shares everything you need to know about My Dental SOP, from what onboarding looks like to the role of its effective assessments and how it's a great tool for minimizing staff turnover. Additionally, we touch on the broader impacts of having an instantly accessible platform for SOPs — how it can enhance team management, streamline daily operations, and ensure that every team member is equipped to maximize growth opportunities. Tune in to learn more about this exciting software!  PS. If you're seriously considering adding My Dental SOP into your practice's operations, you can claim a 75% discount on the set-up fee before June ends! Find Laura's contact information below under the Additional Resources section. — Key Takeaways: Meet Laura Johnston & Her Software, My Dental SOP (00:00) Onboarding My Dental SOP & How Your Teams Can Use It (06:39) A Deeper Look Into My Dental SOP's Features (12:44) Who My Dental SOP Is Ideal For (19:04) Key Benefits, Pricing, & Set Up For My Dental SOP (21:39) Lightning Round Q&A With Laura (27:38) — Additional Resources Connect with Laura: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-g-johnston/ Email: laura@mydentalsop.com Follow My Dental SOP: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mydentalsop/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrecisioninPractice YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mydentalsop/videos Website: https://www.mydentalsop.com — Learn about the upcoming Supercharge Your Dental Practice 2-day event in September:  https://superchargeyourdentalpractice.com/ Use code RAVING to save $100 on registration. — Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at: https://www.drlentau.com This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more at: https://www.dentalintel.com/ This podcast is sponsored by The Doc Sites, the leading provider of websites and online marketing for dentists. Find out more at: https://www.docsites.com/ Raving Patients Podcast is your go-to place for the latest and best dental marketing strategies that will help you skyrocket your practice. Follow us for more!

From the heart of the forest to the waves of the ocean – wherever you wander, you should let Our Atlantic Roots supply the soundtrack! Mac and Laura Johnston join Gordon T to talk about their love of nature, and their upcoming new EP. Tracks Featured: ‘Meadow & Trenches', ‘Under The Sun', ‘Little Bird'. First Broadcast on Hope FM: 17/01/2024 Find us at hopefm.com/theartistinterview Produced by Gordon T Edited by Dan W

Episode 104 of the Marky Worthington Comedy Podcast with Laura Johnston, We chat about the Mortal Komedy Roast, Coin talk, Break up Story's and more. Visual section of this episode: https://youtu.be/sh672rpxrqA?feature=shared&t=2767 Website: https://markycomedy.com Thanks for listening. Intro and Outro music: Grand Duke - The Custodian YouTube: https://youtu.be/sh672rpxrqA

For the past several years many Yezidi refugees have been resettled in Wagga Wagga. We speak with Laura Johnston who is the Community Development Officer for STARTTS in Wagga Wagga about the services they provide to people of refugee backgrounds. STARTTS is a specialist, not-for-profit organisation that was established in 1988. It provides culturally relevant psychological treatment and support, to help people and communities heal the scars of torture and refugee trauma and rebuild their lives in Australia. - STARTTS rêxistineke ne-qezencê ye ku di sala 1988-an de hatiye damezrandin. Ew dermankirin û piştgirîya psîkolojî bi taybetî pêşkêşî penaberên ku êşkence û troma dîtine dike. Em bi Laura Johnston re ku Berpirsiyara Pêşvebirina Civakê li Wagga Wagga ye li ser xizmetên ku STARTTS pêşkêşî penaberan û bi taybetî penaberên Êzdî dike diaxafin.

Why is child care such an acute problem in this country and what can we do to solve it? If you're a new parent or planning to be soon, no doubt you've found yourself asking some form of this question. Wait lists, long drives across town to child care centers, begging and borrowing time from grandparents and neighbors to stitch together something that works. Matt & Tim interview Laura Johnston, the content director for the Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com about the Rethinking Child Care series she's spearheaded that deals with these questions and more. Plus, horror movie or real life parenting horror story - can you tell the difference? We've got a new spooky season game. And the guys have their first big on air disagreement - about poop - and the dirty details of dealing with it. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/better-off-dad-pod/message

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Thursday, August 3  A Cleveland reporter checks off a bucket list trip to the New River Gorge…What's a great place to visit all year long? West Virginia, no matter the season…and an angel investment helps boost broadband in Southern West Virginia…on today's daily304. #1 – From CLEVELAND.COM – “For much of this summer, I've had to nag my 12-year-old out of the  basement and away from his Xbox,” writes Laura Johnston. “But on a 2-mile hike through New River Gorge National Park, he talked nonstop – about camp, friends, baseball stats and lacrosse. Topics flowed as quickly as the river rapids 876 feet below.” The author writes about her recent bucket list trip to the Gorge with her son and dog. “So I packed our lifejackets and my stand-up paddleboard in the trunk of our Honda Accord, loaded our 3-year-old, 90-pound golden retriever in the backseat and woke my son to leave as the sky began to lighten on a Saturday in the height of July.” Learn more about their weekend explorations, which include shopping and dining in Fayetteville, hiking the Endless Wall Trail, and SUP boarding on Summersville Lake. Read more: https://www.cleveland.com/travel/2023/07/a-kid-a-dog-and-24-wild-wonderful-hours-in-new-river-gorge-national-park-west-virginia.html   #2 – From WV NEWS –  Gov. Jim Justice is fond of saying West Virginia has “four of the most beautiful seasons on the planet.” And now, the West Virginia Department of Tourism has shifted its focus to marketing the state as a 12-month destination, while highlighting the unique reasons to return season after season. “As of today, our tourism numbers are almost even across the four quarters,” Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby said. “We've succeeded in making us truly a four-season destination by working with our partners to offer additional activities and events throughout the year.” While Tourism officials have identified a core demographic that comes to West Virginia looking for what it calls “high adventure” — those who come for extreme sports like rafting and mountain biking — there is also a subset who look for “soft adventure,” such as hiking, waterfall hunting and dark skies tourism. “It's people who want to be outdoors, but don't necessarily come to West Virginia with all of the equipment or aren't looking to do something that's going to take a great deal of training. They're just simply looking to escape the big cities, get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather.” Read more: https://www.wvnews.com/statejournal/news/west-virginia-department-of-tourism-expands-reach-looks-to-states-dark-skies/article_673ff524-256b-11ee-b3dc-9fc1464b9380.html   #3 – From WVCRAN –  In 2020, Dan Cox had a business plan in his head. Cox worked for large telecommunications firms in Pennsylvania but longed to create his own company in an area where broadband improvements were needed. After enlisting the help of the West Virginia Hive and taking a CO-STARTERS Core training course to pressure test his strategy, he began pitching Cox Telecom as a viable enterprise to investors. Less than one year after launching his business, Cox Telecom in Southern West Virginia is employing 16 full-time employees and creating a local and regional based operation to deploy a turnkey operation of wireless services to all cellular carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, DiSH). The company is also solving the problem of recruiting out of state labor forces to complete projects in West Virginia for cellular carriers. “Dan has exceeded all expectations in revenue and job creation,” said Peni Adams, senior business advisor at the Hive who works with the company. “Cox Telecom was the first active WV Hive client to receive an investment from the Country Roads Angel Network.” Read more: https://wvcran.com/2023/03/beckleys-cox-telecom-llc-employing-16-staff-and-improving-broadband-in-southern-west-virginia-after-one-year-in-business/   Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.

On this episode, we're joined by Laura Johnston, assistant of 10+ years, and creator of The Assistant's Handbook, a blog for EAs, where she mainly writes about tech and what it means to be an assistant today. Laura joins us today to share about gathering the perspectives, skills, and tools to get what you want out of your career, untying your value from your role as an EA, as well as how assistants can explore new technology and introduce it in the workplace. Connect with Laura on LinkedIn. Resources mentioned in the episode: The Assistant's Handbook - Laura's blog The Leader Assistant by Jeremy Burrows The Founder & Force Multiplier Multipliers by Liz Wiseman  Just Work by Kim Scott

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 26, 2023 is: carouse • kuh-ROWZ ("OW" as in 'cow') • verb Carouse means "to drink alcohol, make noise, and have fun with other people." // After a long night of carousing around Puerto Vallarta, the travelers settled into their hotel room. See the entry > Examples: "While my best friend and I took in two rowdy Mardi Gras parades during our weekend trip, we didn't come just to carouse. I wanted to eat seafood po' boys and hear music and experience Cajun culture as we relished the early spring Southern greenery. We wanted to experience this singular American city." — Laura Johnston, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), 19 Feb. 2023 Did you know? Sixteenth-century English revelers toasting each other's health sometimes drank a brimming mug of booze straight to the bottom—drinking an "all-out," they called it. German tipplers did the same and used the German expression for "all out"—gar aus. The French adopted the German term as carous, using the adverb in their expression boire carous ("to drink all out"). That phrase, with its idiomatic sense of "to empty the cup," led to carrousse, a French noun meaning "a large draft of liquor." And that's where English speakers picked up carouse in the 1500s, using it first as a direct borrowing of the French noun, which later took on the sense of a general "drunken revel," and then as a verb meaning "to drink freely." The verb later developed the "rowdy partying" use familiar to us today.

Episode 83 of the Marky Worthington Comedy Podcast with Laura Johnston we chat about Swearing on stage, The Canberra Comedy Festival, RAW comedy, Musical comedy and heaps more. Thanks for listening. Intro and Outro music: Grand Duke - The Custodian YouTube: https://youtu.be/9Tk-AkiJqV8

Episode 71 of the Marky Worthington Comedy Podcast with Caleb Sheard we chat about Comedy, Music, Story Time and heaps more. The Intro of the show features Christian Elderfield, Laura Johnston and Chris Marlton. Thanks for listening. Intro and Outro music: Grand Duke - The Custodian YouTube: https://youtu.be/4G_Is-fjy9s

How does timeshare holiday ownership work and what should you find out before signing up? On Wednesday's Money Box Live Louise Cooper and guests look at the costs and considerations of timeshare holidays. We'd love to hear from you too. If you're thinking of becoming a timeshare owner send us your questions and if you've already got one please share your wisdom! e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk now. On the panel: Laura Johnston, Adviser, UK International Consumer Centre Paul Gardner Bougaard, Chief Exec, Resort Development Organisation Presenter: Louise Cooper Producer: Sally Abrahams Editor: Alex Lewis

This is Laura Johnston, Founder of High Impact Leadership. This week we are going to talk today about 4 powerful A's of intelligent leadership, those were awareness, assessment, action, and achievement. Check it out!  [00:01 – 05:23] Becoming a Leader  A brief introduction about our topic this episode Connect with me, see links below Creating leaders by knowing the 4 A's [05:23 – 06:07] Closing Segment Be a part of Emerging Leadership Jumpstart Program, check my email below  Final thoughts Tweetable Quotes: “I believe that with great leadership, things can be amazing. And we can get rid of most of the drama and just function.” - Laura Johnston  “When our team took the disk and we look at the preferences and tendencies of each member of our team, we really discovered a lot about each other and ourselves. How we like to be communicated with and how we are adapting to communicating with others.” - Laura Johnston  “Action forces us to risk being wrong and it's true that it's scary sometimes to take action but knowing the outcome you want is key to taking the right actions.” - Laura Johnston Resources Mentioned: https://www.highimpactleadership.us/ (High Impact Leadership) Connect with Laura on https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-johnston-hil/ (LinkedIn) or email her at Laura@highimpactleadership.us Connect with Travis on https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-rohrer-hil/ (LinkedIn) or email him at travis@highimpactleadership.us  Be one of the first adopters of The Success Finder when it releases! Email me at brandon@thesuccessfinder.com You can connect with me, Brandon Straza, onhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonstraza/ ( LinkedIn),https://www.instagram.com/brandonstraza/ ( Instagram), or send me an email athttps://my.captivate.fm/brandon@thesuccessfinder.com ( brandon@thesuccessfinder.com). I'd love to get in touch and talk more about personal development and how you can live past beyond your limits.

In this episode, we've got the Founder of High Impact Leadership, Laura Johnston. Laura has spent the last 20 years supporting and partnering with entrepreneurs. She is passionate about helping business leaders navigate the important steps to realize sustainable growth using proven models. While raising five children, she realized that real-life shows up in business and how prioritizing and building systems can allow business leaders to be more present in all of the things important to them! Laura is a Master Certified Coach of the Intelligent Leadership Executive Coaching Program as well as a partner with the Everything DiSC and The Five Behaviors. She is an ardent fan of the philosophies and tools available within these programs and delights in helping her clients accurately identify their leadership strengths and gaps and assist in developing a plan of action to gain rapid insight into operational health and boost value. We talk about the 4A's they work with their clients, where the 3rd one is ACTION, Laura talks about why it's important to understand your tendencies while working with other people, and Laura finishes on why you need to create a follow-up system to continue your success. Check it out! [00:01 – 02:18] Opening Segment I introduce our guest, Laura Johnston with Travis Rohrer I briefly talk about the great values that await you in this episode Connect with Laura and Travis. See links below [02:19 – 08:56] Laura's learning journey and Masterminds Laura talks about how her learning changed from her early years vs today Getting into communities with experts helped me do bigger and really change my learning and thinking  Laura talks about her mentors and the masterminds she's been in Paying to play and take you to a different level How masterminds helped Laura in resetting and getting herself unstuck [08:57 – 17:41] Self-Education and Laura's reality Laura's thoughts about the Parallels on Self-education and Traditional Education Chance for our youth to look outside of the box and find ways to jump the traditional education system What people can expect when they enter Laura's reality and High Impact Leadership The 4A's of High Impact Leadership Awareness Assessments Action Achievement Success stories from people who joined her mastermind/group/event [17:42 – 25:00] Creating Success The key ingredient when it comes to being successful Exciting things that Laura has in store for the next 12 months Surrounding ourselves with people who found success despite the 2020 crisis Creating a follow-up system that's focused more on customer engagement not just customer service  Tips/Tactics Actionable Items from Laura Johnston Having a follow-up system is a huge key If you need help with setting up a follow-up system. Connect with Laura! See links below Final Thoughts Tweetable Quotes: “I'm a mother of five, and I've always encouraged my children to have experts in their life trainers, coaches, and tutors.” - Laura Johnston “Getting into communities with experts helped me to do bigger, and really changed my learning and thinking.” - Laura Johnston “Nothing's ever going to change unless you put those things and plans into action.” - Laura Johnston Resources Mentioned: https://www.highimpactleadership.us/ (High Impact Leadership) Connect with Laura on https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-johnston-hil/ (LinkedIn) or email her at Laura@highimpactleadership.us Connect with Travis on https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-rohrer-hil/ (LinkedIn) or email him at travis@highimpactleadership.us  Be one of the first adopters of The Success Finder when it releases! Email me at brandon@thesuccessfinder.com You can connect with me, Brandon Straza, onhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonstraza/ ( LinkedIn),https://www.instagram.com/brandonstraza/ ( Instagram), or send me an email athttps://my.captivate.fm/brandon@thesuccessfinder.com ( brandon@thesuccessfinder.com). I'd love to...

Hello! This week's episode is with fellow podcaster LAURA JOHNSTON of the Just Like the Moon (we go through changes) podcast! In this episode we discuss Laura's struggles with bulimia and her recovery journey, Laura's dance project based on her mental health, isotonic drinks, podcasting, Laura's current endeavour of training to be a counsellor and much more mental health stuff!  Laura on Instagram: @ljsprojects  Laura's Website Just Like the Moon on Apple Podcasts Just Like the Moon on Spotify

Laura Johnston is the creator of The Assistant's Handbook and a Dubai-based EA. Laura is an EA cheerleader and is passionate about sharing knowledge, team culture and employee engagement. Laura's journey started just out of university when she joined an automotive consultancy supporting the Chairman. Becoming an EA wasn't originally the plan but she immediately found the role hugely rewarding and loved the fact that no two days were the same. Since then Laura has worked in both startups and corporate, and will soon be jumping into new projects. Laura created The Assistant's Handbook in April 2020 and wants to empower assistants to holistically take control of their career with actionable How Tos and tried-and-tested recommendations. We cover a lot in this episode, from the beginning of Laura's career, what she finds really rewarding in her role, how she decided to launch The Assistant's Handbook and much much more. Laura has such a great way of explaining why she loves her career and how she is evolving and sharing her knowledge. Instagram: @theassistantshandbook LinkedIn: Laura Johnston Website: www.theassistantshandbook.com We also mention Hana Grey, Founder of The Office Management Group www.theofficemanagementportal.com and Lauren Bradley, Founder of The Officials www.jointheofficials.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/assistantstogether/message

Columnist Leila Atassi fills in as co-host for vacationing Laura Johnston, and we get fired up about Leila's watchdog reporting on Cleveland Public Power. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Laura Johnston Kohl was a teen activist working to integrate public facilities in the Washington, D.C., area. She actively fought for civil rights and free speech, and against the Vietnam War throughout the 1960s. After trying to effect change single-handedly, she found she needed more hands. She joined Peoples Temple in 1970, living and working in the progressive religious movement in both California and Guyana. A fluke saved her from the mass murders and suicides on November 18, 1978, when 913 of her beloved friends died in Jonestown. Soon after this, Synanon, a residential community, helped her gradually affirm life. In 1991, she got to work, finished her studies, and became a public school teacher. On the 20th anniversary of the deaths in Jonestown, she looked up fellow survivors of the Jonestown tragedy and they have worked to put the jigsaw puzzle together that was Peoples Temple. Her perspective has evolved as new facts have cleared up mysteries and she has had time to reflect. Her mission continues to be to acknowledge, write about, and speak about why the members joined Peoples Temple, why they went to Guyana, and who they were. She lives with her family in San Diego.

Laura Johnston Kohl was a teen activist working to integrate public facilities in the Washington, D.C., area. She actively fought for civil rights and free speech, and against the Vietnam War throughout the 1960s. After trying to effect change single-handedly, she found she needed more hands. She joined Peoples Temple in 1970, living and working in the progressive religious movement in both California and Guyana. A fluke saved her from the mass murders and suicides on November 18, 1978, when 913 of her beloved friends died in Jonestown.Soon after this, Synanon, a residential community, helped her gradually affirm life. In 1991, she got to work, finished her studies, and became a public school teacher. On the 20th anniversary of the deaths in Jonestown, she looked up fellow survivors of the Jonestown tragedy and they have worked to put the jigsaw puzzle together that was Peoples Temple. Her perspective has evolved as new facts have cleared up mysteries and she has had time to reflect. Her mission continues to be to acknowledge, write about, and speak about why the members joined Peoples Temple, why they went to Guyana, and who they were. She lives with her family in San Diego.

Laura Johnston Kohl was a teen activist working to integrate public facilities in the Washington, D.C., area. She actively fought for civil rights and free speech, and against the Vietnam War throughout the 1960s. After trying to effect change single-handedly, she found she needed more hands. She joined Peoples Temple in 1970, living and working in the progressive religious movement in both California and Guyana. A fluke saved her from the mass murders and suicides on November 18, 1978, when 913 of her beloved friends died in Jonestown.Soon after this, Synanon, a residential community, helped her gradually affirm life. In 1991, she got to work, finished her studies, and became a public school teacher. On the 20th anniversary of the deaths in Jonestown, she looked up fellow survivors of the Jonestown tragedy and they have worked to put the jigsaw puzzle together that was Peoples Temple. Her perspective has evolved as new facts have cleared up mysteries and she has had time to reflect. Her mission continues to be to acknowledge, write about, and speak about why the members joined Peoples Temple, why they went to Guyana, and who they were. She lives with her family in San Diego.

Laura Johnston Kohl was a teen activist working to integrate public facilities in the Washington, D.C., area. She actively fought for civil rights and free speech, and against the Vietnam War throughout the 1960s. After trying to effect change single-handedly, she found she needed more hands. She joined Peoples Temple in 1970, living and working in the progressive religious movement in both California and Guyana. A fluke saved her from the mass murders and suicides on November 18, 1978, when 913 of her beloved friends died in Jonestown. Soon after this, Synanon, a residential community, helped her gradually affirm life. In 1991, she got to work, finished her studies, and became a public school teacher. On the 20th anniversary of the deaths in Jonestown, she looked up fellow survivors of the Jonestown tragedy and they have worked to put the jigsaw puzzle together that was Peoples Temple. Her perspective has evolved as new facts have cleared up mysteries and she has had time to reflect. Her mission continues to be to acknowledge, write about, and speak about why the members joined Peoples Temple, why they went to Guyana, and who they were. She lives with her family in San Diego.

Laura Johnston Kohl was a teen activist working to integrate public facilities in the Washington, D.C., area. She actively fought for civil rights and free speech, and against the Vietnam War throughout the 1960s. After trying to effect change single-handedly, she found she needed more hands. She joined Peoples Temple in 1970, living and working in the progressive religious movement in both California and Guyana. A fluke saved her from the mass murders and suicides on November 18, 1978, when 913 of her beloved friends died in Jonestown. Soon after this, Synanon, a residential community, helped her gradually affirm life. In 1991, she got to work, finished her studies, and became a public school teacher. On the 20th anniversary of the deaths in Jonestown, she looked up fellow survivors of the Jonestown tragedy and they have worked to put the jigsaw puzzle together that was Peoples Temple. Her perspective has evolved as new facts have cleared up mysteries and she has had time to reflect. Her mission continues to be to acknowledge, write about, and speak about why the members joined Peoples Temple, why they went to Guyana, and who they were. She lives with her family in San Diego.

Laura Johnston Kohl was a teen activist working to integrate public facilities in the Washington, D.C., area. She actively fought for civil rights and free speech, and against the Vietnam War throughout the 1960s. After trying to effect change single-handedly, she found she needed more hands. She joined Peoples Temple in 1970, living and working in the progressive religious movement in both California and Guyana. A fluke saved her from the mass murders and suicides on November 18, 1978, when 913 of her beloved friends died in Jonestown. Soon after this, Synanon, a residential community, helped her gradually affirm life. In 1991, she got to work, finished her studies, and became a public school teacher. On the 20th anniversary of the deaths in Jonestown, she looked up fellow survivors of the Jonestown tragedy and they have worked to put the jigsaw puzzle together that was Peoples Temple. Her perspective has evolved as new facts have cleared up mysteries and she has had time to reflect. Her mission continues to be to acknowledge, write about, and speak about why the members joined Peoples Temple, why they went to Guyana, and who they were. She lives with her family in San Diego.

Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish has asked the intriguing question: What if you could walk, run or ride a bike along nearly the entire lakefront in Cuyahoga County? We consider some answers to that question and analyze Budish’s bold lakefront vision on the latest episode of This Week in the CLE. Laura Johnston, my cohost, has spent two years focusing on the lake as coordinator of Rockthelake.com, making her among the most qualified to talk about the plan. I maintain that the recent interest we’ve seen in the lake is the result of Laura’s thorough coverage. Chief political reporter Seth Richardson and his editor Jane Kahoun join us to talk about the Democratic Presidential Debate that took place in Ohio. We go pretty deep on a discussion about the candidates and their stance on guns, and Seth offers his insights into which candidates stood out. Jane continues the discussion on guns with the latest on the push for voters to decide on whether Ohio should have universal background checks with gun sales. And, as we note, no conversation with Jane is complete these days without an update on the move to have voters consider that $900 million bailout for FirstEnergy Solutions’ nuclear plants. (Spoiler: Bailout opponents won a big court ruling.) City Hall reporter Bob Higgs offers his analysis of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s State of the City Address, which focused on an unusual topic for such speeches, the disparity between rich and poor in the city and those who profit from that disparity. Most people seemed to agree that it was one of Jackson’s most powerful speeches. Reporter Mary Kilpatrick keeps the poverty discussion going with thoughts on her story about what MetroHealth Systems is doing to provide job training. It’s not just about job skills. We close out the poverty thoughts with news from Bob about the planned razing of one of the most forbidding places in the city, the Woodhill Homes public housing complex. Bob also talks about Jackson’s plan to restore the city tree canopy, part of the mayor’s sustainability efforts of the past decade. And we all have something to say about the move in Cleveland Heights to replace its government structure with an elected mayor. Cleveland Heights voters will decide that issue next month. Federal Courts reporter Eric Heisig stops by for a deep dive into the opioid trial that began this week. Eric provides all of the ins and outs and maneuvering that has been going on, even as a jury is seated for hear the evidence. Former rock critic – and current life and culture editor – Mike Norman offers a whole bunch of thoughts on the latest round of nominees for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And he analyzed why so few women are on the ballot. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cuyahoga County suddenly finds itself with millions of dollars because of its lawsuits against companies that created the opioid crisis, and County Executive Armond Budish has some ideas on how best to use that money.That’s where we begin the latest episode of. This Week in the CLE. Budish and County Council President Dan Brady visited with us Thursday to talk about the plans. They want to focus the money on helping people who are addicted to the drugs.Cuyahoga County reporter Courtney Astolfi joins me and cohost Laura Johnston to dig into the proposal. Courtney also discusses the success of bail reform in Cleveland Municipal Court, Budish’s proposal to pay for bail reform in the county courts and the creation of a special docket in the county court system for men at highest risk of beating their spouses or partners.We discuss whether Budish will ask voters for a social services tax increase in 2020, and Courtney explains the need for huge contract to feed inmates at the county jail.Gov. Mike DeWine also visited with us this week, and Politics Editor Jane Kahoun joins the podcast to talk about DeWine’s proposals for keeping guns out of the hands of people barred from having them. DeWine altered his original proposals in hopes of winning passage in the Legislature, and Kahoun analyzes what DeWine had to say about that strategy. We also talk about what DeWine said during his visit about the status on executions in Ohio.Jane also discusses a threat to the health insurance of nearly 2 million people in Ohio and how a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a Louisiana case, expected next year, could make abortions all but illegal in Ohio.Cleveland City Hall reporter Bob Higgs joins us to talk about the unusual prosecution of the Cleveland fire chief on a city charter violation. He also talks about why a City Council member is comparing people who adhere to a no-snitching rule to those who commit murders. And he offers an update on many dozens of abused chihuahuas that were discovered in the house of a hoarder.We wrap up the podcast with a visit from Troy Smith, who discusses what we might see int he latest crop of rock hall nominees when they are announced in the next week or so. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The cash heading to Cuyahoga and Summit counties in opioid case settlements has topped $65 million and continues to climb, which makes us wonder whether we are getting more than we actually spent on the crisis.That’s where we start the conversation on the first October episode of This Week in the CLE, the analysis of the news by the journalists of cleveland.com. Laura Johnston and I cohost.Criminal justice editor Kris Wernowsky provides the details on the growing opioid settlements and talks about the tangible costs, like autopsies, and the less visible costs, such as helping people overcome addiction. Kris also talks about the latest attempt by the drug companies to kick the Cleveland judge off of all of the lawsuits governments have filed involving the crisis.Kris also offers insights into a multimillion dollar pyramid scheme with cheese puffs at the center and some interesting characters, including a woman who twice hosted something called the Lingerie Bowl. The scam cost a bunch of people their life savings, and two people who carried out the scheme were sentenced this week in Cuyahoga County.New information about a felon photographed with a gun and a lot of cash on Mayor Frank. Jackson’s driveway closes the Kris segment, as Kris explains how public documents identify the man in the photo as a member of a criminal gang.Reporter Pete Krouse joins the podcast to talk about the battle of South Euclid, between the City Council and the municipal court judge.Pete also talks about the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s new approach to endorsing proposed tax increases on the ballot.And Pete lays out the question that is on the minds of a lot of civic leaders these days: What does an inclusive economy mean? It’s a question that is central to several discussions taking place this year with an aim of mapping prosperity for the region The next edition of Cleveland Connects will get at that question with a panel discussion. Cleveland Connects is sponsored by PNC Bank and produced by cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer in partnership with ideastream, the public broadcasting entity that includes WVIZ/PBS Channel 25, WCPN FM/90.3 and WCLV FM/104.9.Politics editor Jane Kahoun is up next, with a perspective on the voter purge that finally took place, after years of political squabbling and court fights.Jane also talks about the intensifying skirmishes in the move to put an expensive bailout of the state’s nuclear plants before voters. Attorney General Dave Yost is threatening to charge people for interfering.Jane also talks about... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The latest blow to Cleveland by largely by southern and central legislators came this week with the Ohio Supreme Court’s death knell for the Fannie Lewis law that city leaders were using to fight poverty.It’s just the latest of the efforts by rural legislators to deprive Cleveland of the right to govern itself, and it’s where we start the discussion on this week’s edition of This Week in the CLE, the podcast analysis of the news by reporters and editors at cleveland.com.Veteran City Hall reporter Bob Higgs discusses the Fannie Lewis law with me and cohost Laura Johnston.Reporter Courtney Astolfi talks with us about the RTA’s embarrassing stranding of passengers on the little-used waterfront line following the Browns loss Sunday night.Courtney and Bob both covered news this week about the big things happening in Hingetown, the quickly developing neighborhood at the west end of the Detroit-Superior Bridge.Bob talks about what might be ahead for Cleveland’s long-standing tax abatement strategy, which has been used in neighborhoods like Cleveland for decades to spur development.Courtney explains why actor Liam Neeson fans won’t find him at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections for “Minuteman,” the movie he’s filming in Cleveland.Politics editor Jane Kahoun stops by to talk about myriad topics, none more worrisome than the terrible state of voter registrations in Ohio.Jane also talks about the dire chances for gun reform in the state, the rise of a Parma kid to become Joe Biden’s national campaign manager, proposed cuts to benefits for future state workers and changing the age for when juvenile criminal records get destroyed.Crime reporter Adam Ferrise offers the latest on four bodies discovered Saturday on the third floor of a Cleveland house that is tied to a former city councilman. The cases are homicides.Adam also talks about the delivery by drone of contraband to a local jail and

Episode Notes First we had the photo of a convicted felon with a gun and lots of cash at the top of Mayor Frank Jackson’s driveway, with a police car in the background. Then we had the revelation that a city prosecutor -- who ultimately answers to the mayor -- declined to charge the mayor’s grandson in a brutal beating. Those are the top stories for discussion on the latest episode of This Week in the CLE, the podcast discussion of the news by the reporters and editors at cleveland.com. Crime reporter Adam Ferrise joins me and co-host Laura Johnston for the Jackson discussion after Laura and I offer our rundown of the top five stories of the past week. We also talk with Adam about the latest travail for the Cuyahoga County jail, an escape by a man accused of domestic violence – an escape for which jail leaders have provided few details. In some good news for the embattled jail, Adam describes how the county is reducing the jail population by sending inmates to other jails with an aim of reducing lockdowns that have left the jail tense. County officials stopped by cleveland.com after the podcast to provide other jail updates, so look for news of that on the website. Politics editor Jane Kahoun joins the podcast to talk about how, maybe, we should not count Ohio out of the national conversation for the 2020 presidential race. The Democrats are planning their October debate here, meaning they see Ohio as having value. We also talk with Jane about the latest on the move to purge people from the Ohio voter rolls and what those purged voters might have to do to cast a vote next year. One of our favorite stories for this episode is the strategy by First Energy Solutions to stop Ohio voters from getting a chance to kill the expensive bailout of their aging nuclear plants. The strategy? Deem the fees that all ratepayers now must pay for the bailout as taxes, which cannot be undone by voters. First Energy Solutions did not call it a tax when pushing legislators to adopt the bailout. Jane fills us in on the challenges involved in re-examining 1,500 sexual assault reports filed with Ohio State University over the years. That is happening because of the failures discovered in the case of sexual abuse reports against the late Ohio State University team doctor Richard Strauss. And Jane has the details on why costs for people enrolled in Obamacare will drop for the first time in seven years. Federal Courts reporter Eric Heisig leads a robust discussion about Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s stubborn efforts to block cities and counties from suing pharmaceutical companies over the opioid crisis. Despite criticism from many corners, Yost has doubled down, and Heisig offers insights as to why. We also talk with Eric about U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman’s strong statements about white national extremists. The statements were remarkable in the age of Donald Trump, when U.S. attorneys have been less visible than in the past when it comes to extremists. Eric also discusses a little-noticed story about the longtime mayor of Highland Hills pleading guilty to stealing from the campaign fund of U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce. Columnist Leila Atassi closes out the podcast with a discussion about the rise in the number of homeless families in Northeast Ohio, the result of a national homeless policy that focuses on people who do not have children. The leaders of The City Mission stopped by cleveland.com this week to publicize the issue, and we talk with Leila about the lessons we took from the visit. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode Notes Outrage is the theme of the day for the latest episode of This Week in the CLE, with the reporting and editing team here at cleveland.com chewing on no end of stories that had our jaws dropping over the past week. This Week in the CLE is published most Thursdays on your favorite podcasting platforms. Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode. We begin with some scorn for a proposal backed by Attorney General Dave Yost to deprive local governments of their right to seek damages in court when they are wronged. Cuyahoga County, for example, has sued opioid makers to recover all the foster care and other costs the county has borne because of the drug crisis. Yost wants to take whatever money Cuyahoga has coming and have the state decide how to spend it. Politics Editor Jane Kahoun lays out the facts in a discussion with me and co-host Laura Johnston. What else is sparking outrage? How about a commercial making the rounds to scare Ohioans into thinking they are under assault from China? It’s an effort to persuade people not to sign a petition to allow Ohio voters to reject a sweet deal that legislators gave First Energy Solutions. The deal forces taxpayers to bail out the utility’s aging nuclear plants. Next on the list is a story Statehouse reporter Andrew Tobias wrote about a pro-gun group making waves because it thinks Ohio’s existing pro-gun groups are too tame. Jane has the lowdown on who is behind the group and whether its priority is gun rights or raising money. We also talk about another gun story, the creation of a “Do Something” website by Ohio Democrats. We talk with Jane about whether the Democrats have tapped into something that will resonate with their base. And we discuss a new proposal by the governor, thwarted thus far in his push for universal background checks, to unilaterally create a statewide database of warrants to be used for background checks. Another story out of Columbus: the efforts of phone companies to block robocalls. And we close the conversation with Jane with a mildly salacious divorce filing by the wife of an Ohio Supreme Court justice and son of the governor. From Columbus outrage, we move to Cleveland outrage, in a conversation Laura and I have with City Hall reporter Bob Higgs. Cleveland just learned of a little-known commission that might let the developer of a $175 million city project avoid paying any property taxes for 30 years. Cleveland city and school officials are furious. Bob also takes us through an auditor’s findings that a bunch of Cleveland City Council members have been failing to properly document their expenses. Council President Kevin Kelley, among the offenders, vows reforms. We ask Bob just how the council members could be getting things so wrong long after Council Member Ken Johnson’s expense reports became a big source of controversy. Bob also details the latest chapter in Cleveland’s electric scooter story, with the scooters finally having arrived. We get back to the outrage stories in. a discussion with courts reporter Cory Shaffer and crime reporter Adam Ferrise, who has details on a new indictment about a drug ring in the county jail. The indictment says a bunch of guards, working closely with a violent street gang, were operating the ring. Adam also talks about a guard, already charged with criminal abuse of an inmate, who now stands charged with trying to extort fellow guards into giving false testimony for him. Misbehaving guards are an offshoot of a bigger jail story, the inhumane conditions and constant lockdowns of inmates. Adam explains how he found out that dozens of inmates, having had enough of lockdowns, staged a protest inside the jail recently. Cory has the story about some other people who are fed up with what they see as ineffective law enforcement. He explains how some East Cleveland residents have taken steps to haul a number of city police officers... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode Notes The Ohio Legislature passed a budget bill that would have made the wealthy residents of Hunting Valley even wealthier if Gov. Mike DeWine did not block it, which is where we start the discussion on the latest episode of This Week in the CLE, the podcast discussion of the news by cleveland.com reporters and editors. With Northeast Ohio’s Matt Dolan leading the way in the senate, the Legislature – secretly and with no discussion – answered the call of lobbyists with a budget bill that would have capped taxes for Hunting Valley. Politics editor Jane Kahoun leads the discussion on this move, detailed by Statehouse reporter Andrew Tobias. Jane also takes us through the Trump Administration’s plan to take food stamps away from 3 million Americans, including people in Northeast Ohio who rely on the assistance to feed their families. Jane’s perspective highlights the contrast between the effort by Ohio legislators to help the rich while Washington seeks to make life more difficult for the poor. Courtney Astolfi rings in with how an invigorated Cuyahoga County Council has issued its first-ever subpoena, to Sheriff Cliff Pinkney. They want him to talk about deplorable conditions in the jail he oversees after he refused to answer questions at a recent hearing. She also explains how the council wants to strengthen the position of sheriff as a remedy to the jail situation. Federal courts reporter Eric Heisig talks about why advocates for immigrants in Northeast Ohio are on high alert of late and how they are protesting the recent detaining of people who are in the country legally. The presidential election is more than a year away, so polls don’t have much meaning yet, but Jane explains why we should take note of a poll showing former Vice President Joe Biden with a commanding lead in Ohio over Trump. Courtney gives us a primer on how not to blow it on a $300,000 contract, which Cuyahoga County government did involving computer servers. Eric has the details on why Bedford has stopped enforcing a nuisance law that critics say is unfair and is used to target African Americans. Jane give us the lowdown FirstEnergy Solution’s long-sought victory in its battle to force Ohio ratepayers to bail out its expensive and failing nuclear power plants. Eric discusses what he has learned from a massive database involving opioids and how certain pharmacies were distributing amounts of addictive e drugs that are beyond comprehension. Reporter Mary Kilpatrick and rockthelake.com coordinator Laura Johnston try to make sense of the Trump Administration’s plan to spend $2 million cleaning up trash in the Great Lakes. The idea is a great one, but the money is no where near what is needed. Jane talks about when Ohio voters might get to compel the state to conduct background checks on anyone seeking to buy a gun. Akron reporter Robin Goist makes her first podcast appearance to talk about plans for an Amazon warehouse on the site of the former Rolling Acres mall, and the panel ponders whether elected leaders might have been better off seeking an employer with highly educated workers. Criminal justice editor Kris Wernowsky explains why the new head of the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center quit after just five hours on the job and the mind-stretching letter that the chief judge wrote to her colleagues to announce the departure. Reporter Evan MacDonald discusses the acquittal of a Cleveland police supervisor charged in the infamous case of the 137 shots fired at a couple who were chased throughout the city after their car backfired and officers misinterpreted the sound as gunshots. Robin explains why Akron employees can go to college for free because the city gave some land to Stark State College. Editor Kristen Davis and reporter Yadi Rodriguez explain what goes into the ratings of 147 pasta... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode Notes Gov. Mike DeWine tried offering an explanation this week for why he allowed federal investigators access to Ohio driver license photos for facial recognition software, but what he said raises more questions than it answers. Those questions are where we begin the conversation on This Week in the CLE, the cleveland.com podcast discussion of Northeast Ohio news. Politics Editor Jane Kahoun also discusses how Attorney General Dave Yost has been mum on this driver license photos, and issue that has outraged privacy advocates including U.S. Rep Jim Jordan. Jane also looks at why Republicans set the 2020 presidential primary in Ohio for St. Patrick’s Day, a move that Democrats argue will reduce the vote in urban areas like Cleveland. St. Patrick’s Day is an unofficial holiday in Democratic Cleveland, with throngs downtown for the parade. Also out of Columbus, we discuss the continuing budget stalemate and the latest milestone in Ohio’s drive to be a center of development for self-driving vehicles. In Cuyahoga County, our discussion with reporter Courtney Astolfi centers on the County Council’s recent oversight vigor, with council members asking hard questions of the Armond Budish administration about tech contracts. Rich Exner, cleveland.com’s data reporter, analyzes how gamblers lost more than $1 billion in the state’s seven racinos in the just-closed fiscal year. He also takes a look at why the racino in Northfield accounts for such an outsized portion of that cash haul. Reporter Pete Krouse talks about our latest installment of Cleveland Connects, the civic dialogue series sponsored by PNC Bank, in which he takes a deep dive in the regionalism experience of Indianapolis. People there merged their governments 50 years ago, and Pete finds lessons for Cleveland in the Indiana experience. Reporter Emily Bamforth explains Lakewood Together, an innovative experiment in local journalism that begins next week. She will use Project Text text messages to build a community, reporting on items of interest in a vibrant and proud Cleveland suburb. Special projects coordinator Laura Johnston reviews Cleveland’s latest starring week on the national stage, its much-heralded hosting of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and all of the associated hoopla. She also previews the first visit to Cleveland of the Tall Ships since 2013. Jamie Turner, who spends his days and nights as a sports editor, is passionate about the moon landing and has prepared a series about it for the 50th anniversary, and he stops by to talk about the highlights. And columnist Mark Naymik offers his coda as he prepares for his next chapter, as a broadcast journalist at WKYC TV-3. Mark talks about some highlights from his 19 years at The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com, including his well-known revelations about former Beachwood Mayor Merle Gorden and Cleveland City Councilman Ken Johnson. Mark has been an innovator, and we wish him well as he tackles the latest big step in his evolution as a storyteller. New episodes are generally published Thursday evenings. You can get our podcasts delivered directly to your phone, and we have an Apple podcasts channel exclusively for this podcast. Subscribe here.You can also access This Week in the Cle through Pinecast, Spotify, Stitcher, RadioPublic and other platforms. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Episode Notes This week we use Independence Day as the reason for a special episode of This Week in the CLE, in which we celebrate the spirit of debate central to the founding of this nation by having a debate about a topic of big interest in Northeast Ohio -- Lake Erie wind turbines. And, with July 4th being about the founding of a new nation and government, we use the holiday as a reason to discuss what is happening in another new form of government, the one we voted into place in Cuyahoga County a decade ago. A criminal investigation of that government is more than 18 months old, and the reporters who have covered it explain how it started and where it stands. Okay, so our maybe the connection to July 4 is a bit contrived, but that doesn’t make the discussions any less entertaining or informative. The cleveland.com team brings passion to these conversations. Regular episodes of the This Week in the CLE podcast feature unique discussions about the news by the people who bring you that news, the reporters and editors at cleveland.com. We publish new episodes most Thursday evenings, so that you can listen during your Friday morning commute. Because July 4 is a Thursday, we will publish this week’s abbreviated news episode on the morning of Wednesday, July 3. For this special episode, the wind turbine debate features columnist Mark Naymik as well as reporter Pete Krouse, who has been writing about the turbine proposal for years; Laura Johnston, who has been paying attention to opposition to the turbines by recreational users of the lake in her role as coordinator of our rockthelake.com website; and Kris Wernowsky, whose expertise in wind turbines comes from covering the issue in Pennsylvania as a reporter before he joined Cleveland.com. The discussion about the Cuyahoga County investigation involves Mark and Cuyahoga County beat reporter Courtney Astolfi, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court reporter Cory Shaffer and crime reporter Adam Ferrise. They are the only reporters in Northeast Ohio who have been on this story at every turn, and no one understands the case better than they do. We’ve been publishing This Week in the CLE for a few months now and would love to know how you think we are doing and what we could do better. Do the regular news episodes give you the summary and analysis of the news that you want? Would you like to see more special episodes devoted to longer discussions of significant topics? We’re thinking about bringing in newsmakers for discussions. Does that interest you? Let us know by sending an email to special@cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bill Mason as Cuyahoga County’s chief of staff and whether Cuyahoga County should elect a sheriff are the big-thought topics that lead off the latest episode of This Week in the CLE, the podcast discussion of the news by reporters and editors at cleveland.com. Reporter Bob Higgs covered the stories for the vacationing Courtney Astolfi and explains County Executive Armond Budish’s choice of Mason. He also explains the early thinking on the move to overturn part of the county charter voters approved a decade ago, to return to an elected sheriff. Politics editor Jane Kahoun takes us though the labyrinth of the state budget, with the latest version by the state Senate restoring a tax cut for businesses. Data guru Rich Exner explains the gyrations going on in Columbus about proposed tax cuts. Jane also provides details of an effort to bring common sense regulations to gun sales and talks about how House Speaker Larry Householder is being received, six months into his latest term. Reporter Adam Ferrise helps sort through Gov. Mike DeWine’s sudden interest in the Cuyahoga County Jail controversy. Reporter Leila Atassi hails MetroHealth Systems CEO AKram Boutros City Club speech, in which he called on Greater Cleveland to embrace the Open Table mentorship model of helping people in need. Reporter Emily Bamforth covers the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s ongoing study to find Northeast Ohio’s best bet at expanding its innovation economy as well at the GCP’s stance against Cuyahoga County’s ban on plastic bags. Rich and reporter Mary Kilpatrick provide the latest information on the earthquake that had some people shaking. Bob talks about how the huge mural in the Cleveland City Hall council chamber fails to reflect modern-day Cleveland and how one council member wants to change that. He also talks about a new place to stay for family members of patients in Cleveland’s veterans hospital. Columnist Mark Naymik provides the latest in a long line of updates on the spending habits of City Councilman Ken Johnson. And Special Projects Editor – and Rockthelake.com coordinator – Laura Johnston talks with Emily about why we are celebrating the river fire that brought disgrace to Cleveland 50 years ago. New episodes are published Thursday evenings, so you can listen on your Friday morning commute. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It was not the biggest news of the week, but prominent Cleveland defense attorney Roger Synenberg’s self-destructive decision to send an anonymous letter labeling a witness in his criminal case as a snitch sure had people talking. That’s the first story we discuss on the latest episode of This Week in the CLE, the cleveland.com podcast discussion of the news in Northeast Ohio. Justice Center reporter Cory Shaffer offers his insights into why Synenberg took such a dangerous step, one that imperils his law license and his freedom. The podcast offers many other insights, such as data reporter Rich Exner’s analysis of the impact on the state budget of sales taxes collected by Amazon.com. And cleveland.com Politics Editor Jane Kahoun handicaps the chances of passage of a proposal to make it easier for Ohioans to skip vaccinations, even as measles cases across the county rise to levels not seen in decades. Kahoun also discusses Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder’s fears about drag queens and a move to ban something you likely never knew existed, artificial urine. Special projects editor and RocktheLake.com coordinator Laura Johnston explains -- with Lake Erie at an all time record level -- how long it would take to drain the surplus gallons if we could double the capacity of Niagara Falls. Columnist Mark Naymik talks about the significance of our recent special episode, a 2017 recording of a meeting with County Executive Armond Budish’s cabinet, in which nearly all of the defenses the Budish team offered for its recent actions proved to be wrong. Criminal Justice reporter Adam Ferrise explains the significance of two videos from inside the Cuyahoga County jail, videos that depict horrendous behavior by jail guards. He also discusses Samaria Rice’s efforts to make sure the man who killed her 12-year-old son on a city playground never again works as a Cleveland police officer. Cuyahoga County beat reporter Courtney Astolfi tells why Budish called a candidate for interim county auditor a “gotcha guy,” and why that’s probably not a good idea. She also talks about how the RTA’s decision to provide free wi-fi on buses and trains will be a boon to people on limited incomes. Cleveland City Hall reporter Bob Higgs details the ground-breaking legislation proposed to combat lead poisoning and what happens next. Bob also explains how new city rules will allow the rental of motorized scooters in some city neighborhoods. He also gets into why Mayor Frank Jackson is returning to a proposal to build a dirt bike track in the city and the huge challenges the mayor faces. And Naymik explains why a key figure in the last bid to build a track, who goes by the nickname Streetgod, is not around this time to help the mayor. Reporter Emily Bamforth analyzes the United Way of Greater Cleveland’s big pivot as it seeks new streams of money for fighting poverty and a new philosophy of identifying the agencies that get United Way grants. And the cleveland.com entertainment and pop culture team closes the podcast with a preview of the many events happening in connection with the Major League Baseball All-Star game in Cleveland next month, including two major free concerts by the Killers and Twenty One Pilots downtown. They also talk about the final round of the Warped Tour, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as the thriving Laurelive music festival, featuring Sheryl Crow. New episodes are published Thursday evenings, so you can listen on your Friday morning commute. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

People feel passionately about Cuyahoga County Council’s decision to ban plastic bags, making it the top story for discussion on This Week in the CLE, the cleveland.com podcast discussion of the week’s news by the people who bring you that news. Cuyahoga County beat reporter Courtney Astolfi provides the details about the bag ban and what the council is thinking. Download the podcast here or, on many devices, click on the player below to start listening. Also on the podcast, reporters and editors at cleveland.com discuss plenty more: 4:33 Crime reporter Evan MacDonald explains why opioid overdose deaths are spiking after a year in which they fell by substantial percentage. Evan attended a discussion by the U.S. Surgeon General and Cleveland Clinic doctors about the epidemic. And he talks about ways drug users can protect themselves. 12:00 Courtney talks about the departure of Cuyahoga County Sheriff Cliff Pinckney and who might replace him. She also explains the shocking news that the county treasurer has lost track of cash. And she discusses why the county needs to come up with $40 million to pay the Cavaliers for the upkeep of the arena 19:00 Reporter Mary Kilpatrick lays out the reasons for a new Parma sign meant to inspire photos like the Cleveland script signs do at various spots in the city. 21:22 Reporter Bob Higgs says the city is getting close to providing lawyers for people in poverty facing eviction. We include part of the conversation we recorded during a visit with the Housing Justice Alliance. 28:20 Bob explains why Cleveland City Council, which had appeared on the verge of conducting some much needed oversight on airport security and a collapsed building sale for a police headquarters, has again delayed trying to provide answers to the voters about those issues. 32:04 Special projects editor Laura Johnston offers insights into the test of a proposal to let boats park along the Cuyahoga River in the Flats. Laura and columnist Mark Naymik talk about the latest sewage scare on the lakefront. 36:43 Politics Editor Jane Kahoun explains why Cleveland could be the test case for the U.S. Postal Service to provide banking services, especially for people with limited means. Jane also provides an update on the Ohio gerrymandering case and the immediate results we saw when the state closed a key section of I-490. 40:44 Columnist Mark Naymik takes the crew through what he found in his visit to Maple Heights and how the mayor there is trying to revive her city. 45:40 Laura details the guides we recently published about the ideal way to spend a day on Cleveland’s East and West sides. 48:21 Life and Culture Editor Mike Norman and Marc Bona, our beer, wine and dining guru, offer highlights from the just published 50 Things to Eat and Drink in Greater Cleveland. New episodes are published Thursday evenings, so you can listen on your Friday morning commute. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Two Ohio legislators with no ties or accountability in Cleveland are working to block the will or Northeast Ohio voters. What gives? On the latest edition of This Week in the CLE, northeast Ohio’s top news team – the reporters and editors at cleveland.com – discuss how two legislators seemingly in the bag for the plastic bag industry are intent on stopping elected leaders in Cleveland from regulating the plastic bag industry. It’s a rural versus urban debate that begins at minute 4:23 with the thoughts of politics editor Jane Kahoun. The team talks about plenty more. 00:28 - Columnist Mark Naymik and reporter Mary Kilpatrick talk about Cleveland winning the NFL draft event for 2021 and the money that could inject into our economy. 9:05 – Reporter Eric Heisig dissects the final report on the late Ohio State University doctor Richard Straus, who sexually 177 students without anyone in authority doing anything to stop him. 12:12 – Kahoun explains why the Strauss case has Gov. Mike Dewine seeking to abolish the statute of limitations on rape cases. 14:14 – Heisig offers insight into why 15 former Cleveland police cadets have lost their bid to be reinstated as future police officers after they were accused of cheating. 16:58 – Kahoun and Kilpatrick look into the future for what Ohio might look like if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the Roe V. Wade decision on abortion. The discussion traces the sobering points in a story by Columbus Bureau reporter Laura Hancock. 22:26 – A cleveland.com poll identified the most gerrymandered districts in Ohio, and Kahoun talks about the latest in the battle to redraw the lines for the 2020 election. 26:24 – Reporter Leila Atassi unveils the new direction of the project we call A Greater Cleveland, in which she participates in Open Table and chronicles the path of a group of women who gather each week in support of Alondra Rivera, an 18-year-old woman battling poverty. 37:33 – Reporter Emily Bamforth talks about the week’s revelations about Sherwin Williams, which might be seeking a new headquarters, possibly not even in Cleveland. The team wonders how this might affect any effort to seek cash from the company to help abate lead paint in Cleveland, which is debilitating children. 43:32 – Special projects editor Laura Johnston talks about how Cleveland turned into the Wild West recently, with armed bounty hunters shooting their quarry in a city neighborhood. 44:59 – Johnston also updates the discussion from last week about dangerous things people do in the Cuyahoga River. Last week she talked about two guys rowing a giant, inflatable pink flamingo down the river. This week she talks about how one of those guys called her to talk about the safety precautions he used. 47:47 – Bamforth discusses the tragic death of a 22-year-old Medina woman in the Cleveland marathon. She also explains what she learned about what you can do to reduce the chances that you die when you vigorously exercise. 51:47 -- Cleveland City Hall reporter Bob Higgs makes his first appearance on the podcast to talk about a frightening security breach at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. 54:17 – Higgs and Naymik discuss the ramifications for Cleveland of Philadelphia’s tax on sugary drinks. 56:52 – Common Pleas Court reporter Cory Shaffer offers his take on Joseph McAlpin, who appears to be the first person in Cuyahoga County history to represent himself in a capital case. He was sentenced to die. 1:02:07 – The Cleveland’s Best team of Yadi Rodriguez, Brenda Cain and Kristen Davis describe all that went into choosing the best Mexican restaurant in greater Cleveland, with their thoughts on the best food and drinks. New episodes are published Thursday evenings, so you can listen on your Friday morning commute. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The crisis at the Cuyahoga County jail has kept crime reporter Adam Ferrise running for much of the past year, and on the latest episode of This Week in the CLE, he shares what he has learned about the latest controversies, another death and a drug ring run by the guards. He also talks with county reporter Courtney Astolfi about the move to get better guards by paying them more and his listing of everyone involved to date in a continuing criminal investigation of the jail and county government. Data reporter Rich Exner talks about why some people might want to earn less money to combat an income tax proposal in the Legislature. Reporter Mary Kilpatrick explains what she learned about shattering the glass ceiling from women leaders she profiled. Sports editor Dave Campbell explains why the new Cavs coach is so unusual and intriguing. Columnist Mark Naymik details why the MetroParks Rangers are no more. Reporter Emily Bamforth lays out what to expect as thousands of people hit the streets for the Cleveland Marathon. Reporter Pete Krouse talks about the local reaction to his reporting on the failed attempt to merge municipal governments in St. Louis. Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish visits to provide details of his multi-pronged sustainability plans. Rock the Lake editor Laura Johnston describes the dangerous antics of people on the Cuyahoga River. And reporters Emily Bamforth, Seth Richardson and Mike Rose dissect this season of Game of Thrones and discuss Seth’s fun comparison of the warring factions on the television show to the political factions today in America. New episodes are published Thursday evenings, so you can listen on your Friday morning commute. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the latest episode of our This Week in the CLE podcast, we discuss a tax cut for everyone, diverting more public dollars to electric companies, a ray of light for the movie industry, continuing distress at the Cuyahoga County jail, momentum for abating lead paint in Cleveland and Troy Smith’s spirited defense of his ranking of top 1980s albums. The weekly podcast is a review and analysis of the news by the people who bring you that news, the reporters and editors at cleveland.com. We also talk about the: - way President Donald Trump got ahead of himself in claiming a victory at Lordstown, - latest on the battle to redraw Ohio Congressional districts without the gerrymandering, - coming removal of Brecksville dam on the Cuyahoga County river, - former federal prosecutors in Ohio who say Trump obstructed justice, - challenge of treating Lake Erie like it’s a person, - lessons for Cleveland in St. Louis’ failure to consolidate governments, - Parma pit bull ban, - move to abolish Columbus Day in Cleveland, - effort to shrink Cleveland City Council - Lake Erie’s record water level, and - the solution to the mystery of North Olmsted. Join me as I host discussions with columnist Mark Naymik, editors Laura Johnston, Jane Kahoun, Mike Norman and Mark Vosburgh, data expert Rich Exner and reporters Courtney Astolfi, Eric Heisig, Mary Kilpatrick, Pete Krouse and Anne Nickoloff. We wrap up the discussion by visiting with pop culture writer Troy Smith, who says Purple Rain is the best 1980s album. His editor strongly disagrees. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jay talks with Laura Johnston, owner of BitterSweet Bakery, as a ruse for his real desire to get some top-quality carrot cake. He's sneaky that way!

Laura tells us about her thru hiking experience on the PCT and Appalachian trails and her work as a Trail Steward for The Pacific Crest Trail Association. Facebook Twitter Instagram   The Outdoor Biz Podcast   Support the show   Please give us a rating and review HERE   Show Notes First Exposure to the Outdoors I grew up in a family that was into traveling and into the outdoors but wasn't exactly a backpacking or camping family. So I got more into all of that as a young adult in college and then afterwards my parents had traveled with us all around. They liked to be active outside but we just weren't exactly like the camping family. So when I was in college I went to Virginia Tech University in southwest Virginia, the Blue Ridge mountains in Appalachia area. I used to get out and go with friends for day hikes down there. Parts of the mountains down there are a part of the Appalachian Trail so that's really where I got my first exposure. I also started to really enjoy hiking and then after college I just got a little bit more into it  and transitioned from a day hiker to small weekend backpacks. I really wasn't doing big trips yet. The biggest trip I did before I started the Appalachian Trail was a five day supported trip in Glacier National Park with a large group. Otherwise I would just kind of go out on my own or with small groups here in Virginia Maryland D.C. area for a weekend trip. It's kind of like a little seed got planted and started growing my hunger to do bigger hikes. Things we talked about Salazon Chocolate Pacific Crest Trail Association Leave No Trace Friends of the Inyo The Pacific Crest Trail Appalachian Trail Conservancy Advice, tips Yeah I would say just start hiking on the weekends and see if you actually like hiking. You know sometimes people they think they want to hike because it sounds exciting it sounds like a big adventure. But the main thing you have to do is figure out do I like hiking. You can't figure out if you like you're right except by striking out and go hiking. And the other thing is if you have one bad experience when you think you might still like it just get out and try again, or go out with different people, or seek out another opportunity. Don't let bad weather or bad companionship or sore feet turn you off. It's good. Another thing it is really important and I think is becoming more and more of a voice in the outdoor industry is go out there even if there's other people that don't look like you or don't sound like you. They're not the same colors as you or they're not the same ethnicity background, sexual persuasion or physical model. There are other people out there that look like you and somebody who's through hiked long trails. I feel like there still are a lot of people that look similar but there is a lot more diversity than you think. Another important thing is we can all invite other people. There's so many great organizations out there now that are trying to amplify the voice of this. I got into it because I was into it and I liked it. But there were people that influenced me. I did have friends that were more experienced or that they knew the ropes and they invited me out. And so I kind of feel like now anything I want to do I make sure that are other people that might be thinking about it. Other Outdoor Activities Hiking Running Favorite Books Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold The Nature Fix by Florence Williams Best Gear Purchase under $100 Darn Tough socks Sawyer water filter Patagonia Baggies Apps, Tools, Podcasts Sounds of the Trail podcast Connect with Laura Instagram  

Follow me: alexandradraws Follow Laura: leanimale Here is a little about Laura: California artist Laura Johnston sculpts awesome critters like red pandas and bats as cute little figurines and jewelry for her business, le animalé. Her animals are meant as totems of support and inspiration through life’s ups and downs. Outside of the animals, Laura is busy exploring personal art projects like colorful abstract scribbles and work that draws from the subconscious.

We preview our projected starting 5 for next season, Allen Iverson wishes he listened to Larry Brown, Nic and Markus get their shot with the Mavs, and Laura Johnston teaches us about all things Australian.

Laura Johnston doesn't want to work at her husband Corey's cigar bar. Corey says he needs her there. Their dilemma was resolved on the July 31st edition of the NBC hit series The Marriage Ref. They will chat about their experience on the show on our show!