News

A new report released Thursday from RealtyTrac finds Ohio fourth on the list among owners who had vacated 167,680 foreclosure properties nationwide. Vacant foreclosures represent 20 percent of all U.S. properties in the foreclosure process.

Florida was first with 55,503, or 33%. Illinois posted the second highest total (17,672), followed by California (9,802), Ohio (9,723), and New York (9,173).  The tenth largest metro area for vacant foreclosures was the Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor area.

Mayor Mark Mallory used some parliamentary wrangling at Wednesday's Cincinnati Council meeting to successfully knock down an attempt to repeal the city's controversial parking lease agreement.

Council member P.G. Sittenfeld, a Democrat, came into the council meeting believing he had five votes to scuttle the agreement, which city manager Milton Dohoney signed Monday.

Funeral services are this weekend for Thomas "High Pocket" Turner of Georgetown, Ohio, a star of Negro League baseball in the 1940's.  Turner died Monday at the age of 97. 

He played baseball for the Cincinnati Stars in 1936.  He played for his Army team and after that played professionally in Mexico.  In 1947, he played for the Chicago American Giants of the Negro League. 

Construction could start as soon as next summer on a plan to build an interchange with Interstate 71 and Martin Luther King Drive in Cincinnati.  

The Ohio Department of Transportation is fast-tracking the project and could select a consultant and contractor by the end of the year.  

But Cincinnati officials are still working to find a $20 million match for the construction.

City Transportation and Engineering Director Michael Moore explained that Tuesday during a Major Transportation and Infrastructure Projects Subcommittee meeting.