This week Phil Trexler, Jody Miller, and Ed Esposito join Eric Mansfield.

Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander wants to keep violently mentally ill offenders out of the county jail. The panel discusses the pros and cons of this decision and who will be affected by the fallout.

Tyree Feaster, who confessed to involuntary manslaughter of ShawRica Lester in The Cage nightclub shooting, has been released on a technicality. The panel’s discussion is here on NewsNite.net.

University of Akron has commissioned a study to look into constructing an arena downtown. Is this connected to the recent hiring of Jim Tressel, or the last piece of Don Plusquellic’s legacy?

Akron Public Schools has announced a proposal to close three elementary schools at the end of the school year. Budget shortfalls, failed levies, and a declining population have stressed the school system to the point that big moves are being considered. The panel finishes the discussion here on NewsNite.net.

For our last segment, Angela Presutti, Director of Young Professionals of Akron, joins Eric to discuss ‘brain drain’ in the Akron area. The Young Professionals initiative strives to create a greater attachment to the area within their community in order to slow or reverse that drain.

An “epidemic of amnesia” by the original witnesses of the 2007 case has led to the release of Tyree Feaster in the killing of ShawRica Lester.

There’s a massive amount of pressure to pass a levy in November. Should it have been on the ballot earlier? And what other effects – outside of school closings – have been the fallout from the failure of last November’s levy?

For better than six years, Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander has been expressing his concern about the mentally ill who come to his jail. Last week, he made national news when headlines blared that he would no longer house violent mentally ill inmates.

It’s about time.

It’s been clear since the day that Mark D. McCullaugh Jr. died at the jail in 2006 that deputies are poorly equipped to handle violent and mentally ill inmates.

McCullaugh was one such inmate. The county does not need another. As well-trained as deputies are, properly restraining and treating combative mentally ill inmates calls for special treatment.

These inmates need to be treated humanely. A hospital setting offers the proper atmosphere, drugs and staff needed to bring these patients under control.

Unfortunately, there are no mental health facilities around for law enforcement to take these inmates. Even more regrettable is the fact that our local hospitals appear to be the destination for inmates rejected by the jail.

Officers and prosecutors I spoke with think the that Alexander’s policy will not be widely noticed. There are, they tell me, a group of about 75 mentally ill people who have become regulars at the jail. Law enforcement expects two or three of these people to be rejected and sent to a hospital for treatment in any given week.

While the numbers may be small, the problem is large.

These are standard hospitals that police will be taking these violent inmates. They are not mental health facilities. The burden will be great.
Perhaps Alexander should have acted sooner. But even more amazing is that no other sheriff in the country has made a similar move.

But by acting now, Alexander will force the discussioin to the forefront, sparking much-needed collaborative action.

These mentally ill people are our responsibility. And we must act together to ensure their safety as well as the safety of law enforcement, hospital workers and the general public.

All eyes will be on Ohio Nov. 6, the state once again playing a crucial role in the presidential election. The question, as former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell once put it, is whether the results will be “within the margin of litigation.” A close election could mean contested ballots, and Ohio could have plenty of them if voters are confused about the complexities of election law.

Republicans in the Ohio Senate do plan to repeal House Bill 194, which is headed for the November ballot for a referendum. A repeal might blunt Democratic turnout, the party and its allies having worked hard to put the bill on the ballot and its provisions on hold. But repeal would end the possibility of a bitter campaign that would confuse voters about what set of rules apply.

Republicans are now talking about a bipartisan compromise to enact a new elections bill that would go effect before Nov. 6. It’s hard to see any points of agreement between the two sides. And if Republicans use their majorities to pass a replacement bill, Democrats are threatening another referendum. For now, it looks like compromise will have to wait for 2013.

Many Central-Hower High School alumns were sad to see the school close.

The district announced early in its construction project that the school would be shut down and the building used for swing space for other high schools as they were renovated or rebuilt. This didn’t answer the question, though, of what ultimately would become of the building.

A potential outcome came to light this week with discussion of a bill pending in the state legislature that would allow universities to have first dibs on public school buildings that are no longer being used. (This distinction now is reserved for charter schools.)

The University of Akron would get a building it has long coveted — with its prime spot right by campus –  and Akron students would receive scholarships to UA.

As we discuss on the show today, this seems like a “win-win” for everyone. Central-Hower continues its long legacy as an important educational facility. Students get scholarships. And, the university and district have a prime spot for collaborative projects, including plans for a science, math and technology high school to continue the successful endevor at the district’s Inventor’s Hall school.

This seems like a scenario that the schools’ alumns would  approve of. Now, the question is whether the Republican-controlled legislature will get behind it. It does have a GOP sponsor — State Rep. Lynn Slaby of Akron.

Jim Tressel showed he was human. And that disappointed me.

With his ever-present vest, his human touch, his apparent honesty, Tressel portrayed himself as a saint among the not-so-saintly world of college football. We all thought he was different.

Then he sinned. And sinned. And sinned. And sinned. Four times he had a chance to come clean about the eligibility and indiscretions of several of his Ohio State players. And four times he remained silent. He denies the silence was to ensure his prized players stayed on the field. Few buy that line.

For this, Tressel lost his job. And his reputation, at least outside Ohio. The man is essentially banned from college athletics. That’s what the NCAA thinks of his conduct.

He has since found a golden parachute in the University of Akron. For $200,000 a year, UA has a terrific ambassador and lobbyist at a discounted price tag. This will especially come in handy when it comes to developing donors and bringing dollars to the campus. We’ll see more buildings, perhaps an arena.

And while the majority of folks in Akron are jumping like cheerleaders at Tressel’s move north, some within the university are stomping their feet in anger. It seems fiscal restraint only counts for some. Spending upwards of $1 million on five personnel moves the past two months is almost mind-boggling. Equally odd is the lack of outcry. No one but a few seem to care about the payouts for football coaches, a VP and a couple of PR types. It’s business as usual.

And while UA president Luis Proenza spends, tuition rates grow. Fees grow. And the graduation rate remains stagnant. Truly, we can all be impressed by the expansion of UA. But at one point is enough enough?

It’s amazing the wrath that Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic incurs whenever he touts a major development project using public money. Yet, no one says a word when UA spends $340,000 on two PR types, as they did late last year. Public dollars fund Akron. They also fund UA, either through state money or tuition. Yet, there’s a double-standard in place. While mud is tossed at Plusquellic, we all follow along, gushing like high school kids when the likes of Jim Tressel comes to Akron.

Will he succeed? Maybe. Will it result in lower tuition and better graduation rates? Fill in the blank.