Plain Press

  • Transit advocates want to decriminalize fare evasion on RTA buses and trains

    Transit advocates want to decriminalize fare evasion on RTA buses and trains by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, April 2022)         In 2017, two transit police officers boarded a Regional Transit Authority (RTA) HealthLine bus and demanded passengers show proof of payment. When Ronnie Williams could not produce a fare card, he was removed from the bus and…

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  • Legal Aid can help with debt, car repossession, and identity theft

    by Tonya Sams (Plain Press, March 2022)      Unpaid debt can be a huge burden that creates a constant cycle of worry and fear.       Do you know what to do if you are sued by a debt collector, if your car is repossessed, or if you are a victim of identity theft? Legal Aid has answers. Car…

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  • ADAMHS Board CEO Issues Statement Regarding Mayor Bibb’s Decision to Change City of Cleveland’s Diversion Center Policy

    (Plain Press, February 2022)  “I’d like to thank Mayor Bibb for his swift action to eliminate the requirement for a Cleveland police officer to call a city prosecutor before taking a person to the Cuyahoga County Diversion Center,” said Scott S. Osiecki, Chief Executive Officer of the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board…

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  • Twenty groups protest anti-protest efforts that are happening locally and statewide

    Twenty groups protest anti-protest efforts that are happening locally and statewide (Plain Press, January 2022)           Defending Democracy and Dissent, along with 20 other organizations, held a protest on Saturday, December 4th, that began on Public Square and ended in front of the Justice Center. The protest highlighted recent efforts to criminalize peaceful protesting in Cuyahoga County…

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  • Domestic violence is more than physical abuse; help is available 

    Domestic violence is more than physical abuse; help is available  by Tonya Sams (Plain Press, January 2022)           Many people think the label “domestic violence” applies only to violent acts against a lover, but it is much more than that.     Domestic violence describes regular, consistent acts of physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse. It not only occurs…

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  • Southern Christian Leadership Conference President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Charles Steele denounces Sherwin-Williams

    Southern Christian Leadership Conference President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Charles Steele denounces Sherwin-Williams by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, December 2021)                 Dr. Charles Steele, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO0 of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), co-founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., traveled to Cleveland last month to meet with the CEO of Sherwin-Williams. …

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  • Help for youth aging-out of foster care

    Help for youth aging-out of foster care by Tonya Sams (Plain Press, December 2021)                 Aging out of the foster care system can be a very challenging time for youth who are also navigating the transition from childhood to adulthood. Without a birth certificate, social security card, or other identifying documentation, it can be extremely difficult to…

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  • Coalition of community groups rally to “Stop Evictions Now!”

    Coalition of community groups rally to “Stop Evictions Now!” by Chuck Hoven (Plain Press, November 2021)                 A coalition of groups of community activists from throughout Northeast Ohio converged on Public Square on October 20th for a “Stop Evictions Now!” rally as part of a coordinated national effort to speed the distribution of already allocated federal dollars designed…

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  • Muddy waters: Issue 24 raises heated debate about police accountability

    Muddy waters: Issue 24 raises heated debate about police accountability by Michael Indriolo (Plain Press, November 2021)   LaTonya Goldsby was a teenager when the story of Rodney King’s brutal beating at the hands of LAPD broke. Again, she watched her TV with burning eyes when George Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon Martin in 2012. Then, Mike Brown was…

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  • Legal Aid partners with local organizations and resident groups to promote business growth, home ownership 

    Legal Aid partners with local organizations and resident groups to promote business growth, home ownership  by Tonya Sams (Plain Press, November 2021)                 As Managing Attorney for Community Engagement at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Anne Sweeney knows how important it is for neighborhood residents’ voices to be heard.      “It’s important to build local power,” she…

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