Urban News

(CINCINNATI) -- Although Cincinnati's part in the official celebration of the bicentennial of Ohio may be two years in the future, a major part of that celebration has been announced this week. The Queen City of the Ohio will play host to a flotilla of old-time steamboats in what will be called the Big Stacks Celebration.

The Inquirer is reporting that nearly two dozen boats, from practically every inland river town in the country capable of sponsoring a vessel, will take part in a parade on the Ohio river during the celebration -- to be held in mid-October, 2003.

The state's bicentennial commission says that the event is "a natural," considering the vital importance of the river to the development of Cincinnati.

Additionally, a festival honoring Orville and Wilbur Wright will be held in their native Dayton, during the bicentennial. 2003 will also be the 100th anniversary year of the first successful controlled flight at Kitty Hawk.

(SEATTLE) -- Advocates of a plan to add an additional runway to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport say that the Sept. 11 terror attacks have had no impact on the need for airport improvements.

Although the airline industry has been put into limbo by the attacks, Greg Eisen -- an aviation expert and long-time proponent of adding a third runway to SEA -- tells the Post-Intelligencer that the main reason a new runway is needed is the continual bad weather in the area.

Eisen says that the need for improvements is a long-range one. He claims that the bad weather in the Seattle area was there before Sept. 11 and it's there now and the terror attacks should not play a role in discussions about a new runway.

By the way, the cost of adding a new runway to SEA has been estimated at about three-quarters of a billion dollars.

(CHICAGO) -- Another fatal case of meningitis has been registered, this time in the Chicago area. Health officials tell the Tribune that a 17-year-old coed at a high school in suburban Arlington Heights died of the often-misdiagnosed disease.

Officials at Hersey High School are counseling students in the wake of the announcement that popular senior Lisa Gresens had died. She was on the honor role, played badminton and was a member of the drama club. One teacher described her as a "typically healthy, active, involved young woman."

Hersey officials sent letters home with students telling parents about the death and describing symptoms and health precautions.

(ATLANTA) -- The unemployment rate in Atlanta will soon rise by about 4,000 with the announcement that Sprint is eliminating that many jobs in Georgia's capital city. According to the Journal and Constitution, Sprint -- the nation's third-largest long distance phone provider -- is trying to save an estimated $1 billion this year.

There were hopes that Sprint could buck the trend of other telecommunications giants, which have axed more than a quarter-of-a-million jobs this year.

In addition to the Georgia layoffs (Atlanta will be hit the hardest), Sprint is eliminating 2,000 jobs in other cities. This week's announced layoffs amount to seven percent of the company's total payroll.