MICHAEL McINTYRE'S TIPOFF

Cleveland Plain Dealer Metro Column

• Cleveland goes overboard in unveiling new recycling container in parking lot: Tipoff by Michael K. McIntyre
Amid much fanfare,

• MetroHealth CEO wants employees to keep mum about managers' salaries: Michael K. McIntyre's Tipoff
Employees at MetroHealth System were caught off guard last week when the pub lic hospital's leader asked them not to discuss information they had already seen in the pages of The Plain Dealer.

• MetroHealth Medical Center paramedic Mark Vanza helps sick toddler at Taste of Tremont: Tipoff by Michael K. McIntyre
The scene at Taste of Tremont turned sud denly frantic Sunday as a toddler stopped breathing and turned blue. A crowd gathered as several people took turns trying to dislodge the pretzel they thought the child must be choking on. One man held him upside down to whack his back. A woman held him over her knee.

• Up-standing reporter puts foot in mouth
Steven Thomma, the self-professed "knucklehead" who horned in on Plain Dealer Washington Bureau Chief Stephen Koff's question during President Obama's news conference Wednesday, has made amends with the reporter.

• Cleveland Clinic assigns two police officers to help people cross street at Euclid Avenue and East 93rd Street: Michael K. McIntyre's Tipoff
Attempting to cross Euclid Ave nue at East 93rd Street near the front door of the Cleveland Clinic has become so dangerous that the Clinic has assigned two police officers -- full-fledged cops from the hospital's own force, not security guards or Boy Scouts -- to help people cross the street 12 hours a day, five days a week.

• Ken Ehrlich, Cleveland Heights native, coordinated Michael Jackson memorial service: Michael K. McIntyre's Tipoff
Cleveland Heights native Ken Ehrlich, who has produced the Grammys for the past three decades, was the man behind the scenes for the public memorial honoring Michael Jackson last week.

• Sister Mary Assumpta, nun who loves the Cleveland Indians, is sidelined by rotator cuff injury: Michael K. McIntyre's Tipoff
Even the Cleveland Indians' biggest fan is on the injured reserve list.

• Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo sells house: Tipoff by Michael K. McIntyre
The house owned by Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo, raided by the feds last year in a corruption probe, has been sold.

• Jimmy D'Amico, Cleveland City Council Ward 14 hopeful, petitions would-be rivals for signatures: Tipoff by Michael K. McIntyre
In the crowded race for the new Cleveland City Council Ward 14, Jimmy D'Amico found himself 19 signatures short of the 200 needed to get on the ballot.

• Compelling life story told in self-penned death notice -Tipoff
The most compelling narrative in the news paper this week wasn't about public cor ruption, budget cuts or the death of a pop star. It did not make the front page.

• TV anchor-turned-Parma spokesman Jack Marschall gets union news turned around
Parma's communications director, former TV anchor Jack Marschall, recently sent out a detailed report about how the city's unions voted on a proposal for unpaid furloughs to bridge a $2.4 million budget gap.

• How to pronounce Cuyahoga' turns into a national debate: Tipoff by Michael K. McIntyre
The "tomayto-tomahto" debate over how to pronounce "Cuyahoga" went national last week thanks to the 40th anni- versary of the Cuyahoaga River fire.

• Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James shout-outs by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine crying foul: Tipoff by Michael K. McIntyre
Gov. Ted Strickland issued a rah-rah state ment after the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Shaquille O'Neal, welcoming the future Hall of Famer to Cleveland while giving the team and the city some love.

• Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James shout-outs by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine crying foul: Tipoff by Michael K. McIntyre
Gov. Ted Strickland issued a rah-rah state ment after the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Shaquille O'Neal, welcoming the future Hall of Famer to Cleveland while giving the team and the city some love.

• Driver prevails again in Berea Municipal Court: Michael K. McIntyre's Tipoff
Vincent Quinones, the man who sued Berea Municipal Court over excessive fees after his 2005 DUI conviction, has found another way to beat the system.

• Newsweek magazine snubs Aurora High School again in rankings: Michael K. McIntyre's Tipoff
Newsweek magazine's list of the nation's top 1,500 public high schools includes 11 local schools. But it should be an even dozen.

• Shaker yearbook cover contains embarrassing surprise
The cover

• Shaker yearbook cover contains embarrassing surprise
The cover

• Shaker yearbook cover contains embarrassing surprise
The cover

• Cleveland student Keisha Cassel receives gift of violin from shop owner Peter Zaret: Michael K. McIntyre's Tipoff
Keisha Cassel gazed in wonder at six finely crafted violins. One was hers for the taking.

• Cop car, like GPS, tough to locate
In daylight, in a fenced-in parking lot behind The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, a criminal recently smashed the window of a car belonging to U.S. District Court Magistrate Gregory White, the former U.S. prosecutor for northern Ohio, and stole his GPS unit. Regardless of his high-level credentials, a 9-1-1 dispatcher informed White that no police cars were available to respond to such a crime and that he should simply go to a downtown station to fill out a report.

• Eastlake North High School graduates thrown into state of confusion
The note, titled "Congatula tion Graduates," sent to seniors at North High School in Eastlake, contained the usual important advice about the commencement ceremony, which was held Sunday.

• History blooms for St. Joseph Academy graduates in Cleveland
The annual "Walk of the Roses," a tradition for grad uating seniors at St. Joseph Academy in Cleveland's West Park neighborhood, took on historic significance this week.

• Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic sounds off on recall opponents: Michael K. McIntyre's Tipoff
Akron Mayor Don Plusquel lic, trying to fend off a re call effort, visited The Plain Dealer last week to talk about his record. He said it was against the wishes of his advisers. "They say, 'Look at the numbers. We're doing really well with you keeping your mouth shut.' "

• Former WJW Channel 8 reporter Tom Merriman gets a taste of his own medicine
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• Cleveland comic Mike Polk hastily makes fun of TNT's NBA crew: Tipoff
Cleveland comic Mike Polk is now using his evil come dic powers for good.

• Cleveland comic Mike Polk hastily makes fun of TNT's NBA crew: Tipoff
Cleveland comic Mike Polk is now using his evil come dic powers for good.

• Positively Cleveland's tourism video contest drawing lots of entries
The videos for the "official" Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism video contest are rolling in to Positively Cleveland, the city's convention and visitors bureau. As you may recall, Positively Cleveland decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em after comedian Mike Polk made two funny, and devastating, Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Videos. He concentrated on all the bad parts, making many laugh and some cringe.

• Positively Cleveland's tourism video contest drawing lots of entries
The videos for the "official" Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism video contest are rolling in to Positively Cleveland, the city's convention and visitors bureau. As you may recall, Positively Cleveland decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em after comedian Mike Polk made two funny, and devastating, Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Videos. He concentrated on all the bad parts, making many laugh and some cringe.

• Memorial Day holiday is the time to watch out for police on the highways
It's Memorial Day, the day for hot coals, cold beverages and police lurking beyond the next turn.

• Memorial Day holiday is the time to watch out for police on the highways
It's Memorial Day, the day for hot coals, cold beverages and police lurking beyond the next turn.