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CLEVELAND -- Usually a meeting called by your local congressperson only draws a few loyal constituents, but on Wednesday, Rep. Marcia Fudge became the latest Democrat to face friends and foes over President Barack Obama's health care reform plan. Hoping there would be strength in numbers, Democrats packed the Ford Auditorium at Case Western Reserve University to show their support for Fudge and the president's plan. But opponents made their presence known during a meeting that was billed as a state of the district address. "We have been trying to fix health care for more than 60 years. And we...

About a year ago, Barbara Samson could teach her class without too much excitement. But ever since Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, was named as John McCain's running mate, she's been getting a lot of looks. From the first week of school, her students recognized the similarity, said Samson, a Mentor High School teacher. Click to enlarge Maribeth Joeright/MJoeright@News-Herald.com Sarah Palin look-alikes Gina Aliberti, left, and Barbara Samson of Mentor dance while waiting for the results of the Palin look-alike contest Thursday at Rick�s Studio 13 Grille & Bar in Mentor. "I got a lot of double takes," Samson said....

A Mentor man is being charged with theft and forgery for using fake credit cards from his fictitious Nigerian girlfriend, police said. William Morgan, 43, met Ellen Aklindee from Lagos, Nigeria, via Yahoo Instant Messenger in October, Painesville Det. John Levicky said. According to Levicky, this is how Morgan became roped into an international fraud: Morgan and Aklindee chatted, he became smitten and, soon, Aklindee began asking for favors. Aklindee would send fake credit cards to him that she claimed were on her uncle’s account. Morgan would use the credit cards to make cash withdrawals from banks. “At first, he...

LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Lakewood residents could be charged up to $400 if they don't recycle. A new law makes recycling mandatory starting July 1 for people who get municipal trash collection, NewsChannel5 reported. If people do not separate recyclable materials, the city can charge a fee. For the first violation, it's a minimum of $50, $100 for the second offense and up to $400. The new law authorizes the city to either charge residents a fee for city employees to separate recyclable materials or to stop trash collection to a home altogether. An educational handbook will be sent out to...

BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- A man who wore press credentials and took photographs from a platform interrupted Barack Obama's town-hall meeting Tuesday by shouting complaints that the Democratic presidential candidate had not called for the audience to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Obama invited the heckler to lead the audience in the pledge, and he did.

Candidate indicted in Stark Democrat John Johnson accused of sex crimes CANTON - Associated Press A candidate for state representative has been charged with sexual battery and two counts of sexual imposition in a secret indictment. John Johnson, 41, of Perry Township, is the Democratic candidate for the 50th District. His opponent is state Rep. John Hagan, R-Marlboro. Johnson was indicted and arrested Thursday on charges that he engaged in sexual conduct with a minor female between Jan. 1 and July 1, Stark County Prosecutor John Ferrero said Monday. Johnson was being held in Stark County Jail on $250,000 bond....

Disqualified Applicants Say They Were Misled (10/15/04 - Painesville, Ohio) — Lake County officials say more than half of 111 applicants disqualified from casting absentee ballots in the upcoming election say they were misled by the volunteers who registered them. Lake Prosecutor Charles Coulson says some applicants say they were told by canvassers that they were agreeing to put a political sign in their yard or just getting permission to vote from home. But records show forms signed by the applicants were each labeled "Application for Absent Voter's Ballot" in bold print at the top. The Lake County elections board...

'Fahrenheit 9/11' To Be Shown At Polling Site 4 minutes ago A hot-button film believed by some to be anti-Bush is getting multiple viewings at a local polling place the week before the election, NewsChannel5 reported. Some say the West River branch library should not be playing politics. Library user Jim Pengov is seeing red. "Initially, I was floored," said Pengov, an Elyria resident. The library is a polling place on Nov. 2 and the controversial movie critical of President George W. Bush (news - web sites) is set to air three times the weekend before the election. "They just...

Clinton in OR for Heart Surgery Monday Monday, September 06, 2004 NEW YORK — Former President Bill Clinton (search) was moved to an operating room early Monday and doctors began preparing him for a heart bypass operation, a hospital source told The Associated Press. Preparations began at about 6:45 a.m. in an operating room at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia (search) in upper Manhattan, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The operation was expected to last until noon or early afternoon.

Stop will be second in Lake County in the last five weeks President Bush will roll into Lake County at noon Saturday for a campaign stop termed Victory 2004 Rally. Lake County is slated for one of Bush's first appearances after the Republican National Convention in New York City, which concludes Thursday night. Prior to the Lake County stop, Bush is scheduled to appear in Cleveland at 9 a.m., according to the Bush-Cheney campaign. Then the president will travel to Erie, Pa., for a planned 3:20 p.m. appearance. Exact locations for the three appearances have not been released. A Bush-Cheney...

By Seth Robson / S&S Camels are a driving hazard for 2nd ID soldiers training at Udairi Range in Kuwait. CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait — At first glance, the desert that surrounds Camp Buehring and Udairi Range appears to be a desolate, hellish training environment.Soldiers who live there, including those from the 2nd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, known as the Strikeforce, have discovered there is more to this scorched landscape than meets the eye.A close inspection of the ground reveals a few sickly plants struggling to make a home in the sand. And a few miles from Camp Buehring...

Army recruit falls to death from hotel window The Associated Press 7/9/2004, 1:45 a.m. ET CLEVELAND (AP) — An Army recruit about to leave for basic training fell nine stories to his death from the window of a downtown hotel. John Castillo, 18, of Fremont, was with five other military recruits at the Embassy Suites when he fell from the window Wednesday night, police said. According to witnesses, Castillo said, "Look out" to the others and ran toward the window. But when he tried to stop, he slipped and fell out, police said. Castillo suffered injuries to his head, chest...

Gun Found In Airport Bathroom Fri Apr 9, 7:11 AM ET Add Local - NewsNet5 to My Yahoo! A gun was found in a bathroom at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Thursday night, reported NewsChannel5. City officials say the gun belonged to a federal air marshal. They do not know which terminal it was found in, or whether it was a men's or women's restroom. A passenger found the gun, and promptly turned it into authorities. NewsChannel5 spoke with the mayor's press secretary, Celeste Glasgow, who said that this kind of carelessness is "unacceptable". " We'll take every course of action...

Just before noon a TSA worker detected an explosive device in a bathroom. Robot checking area now...details to follow

Attempted Murder Suspect May Have Terrorist Ties Tue Mar 30, 2:38 PM ET Add Local - NewsNet5 to My Yahoo! An accused attempted murderer was found hiding out in northeast Ohio over the weekend. Now the Terrorism Task Force of the Cleveland FBI (news - web sites) said there may be more to this man's story. They suspect Adel Yazidi may have been funneling money to terrorist groups, NewsChannel5 reported. Yazidi is a native of Yemen and was wanted by Indiana State Police on three attempted murder warrants. Investigators said they tracked him down at a female friend's trailer in...

Justice Center evacuated over bomb threat Reported by Dave Summers POSTED: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 9:58:59 AM UPDATED: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 11:19:05 AM CLEVELAND -- A bomb threat at the Justice Center has hundreds of employees stranded in the rain and downtown traffic in the area at a standstill. Video: Justice Center evacuated over bomb threat About 2,000 workers and visitors are outside of the courthouse and traffic is being rerouted from Lakeside, Ontario and West 3rd street. Motorists should find an alternate route around the center. Prison inmates are still in the jail and the sheriff's department has...

Car Stolen With 4-Month-Old Inside 6 minutes ago Add Local - NewsNet5 to My Yahoo! A woman's car was stolen Tuesday with her 4-month-old baby boy inside. It happened just before noon on Cleveland's west side on Daisy Avenue. Police are looking for a tan or silver 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier four door with Ohio license plate CHM 6950. The car was last seen driving northbound on 32nd Street off Daisy. The baby was in a car seat in the back of the car when mom went to help her grandfather down the steps because she was taking him to a...

<p>A new street sign in honor of the 101st Airborne Division hangs over a major road in Mosul, Iraq. Though it appears that something was lost in the translation, the spirit and intent of the people of Mosul is obvious and sincere.</p>

I just got this in reply to my email I sent to the Spanish Consulate yesterday The Spanish Consulate is organizing a silent demonstration to take place today at 1pm at the Cervantes Institute, located at Amster Yard, 211-215 East 49th Street, New York City. We hope you will convey your solidarity and support to the victims and their families in this demonstration. Sincerely, Consulate General of Spain in New York.