LEADING THE WAY. THERE IS NO FOOD. WELL, THE AREA AROUND YOU SEE, CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS AREAS FOR WALKERS. THANKS A LOT FOR JOINING US HERE AT 5:00. I’M MIKE DARDIS. SO WE’VE SEEN MORE THAN 20 PODESTA AND SIT IN THAT AREA IN RECENT MONTHS. TWO OF THEM WERE KILLED. TONIGHT, A RALLY IS CALLING FOR CHANGE IN THE TRAFFIC AROUND THE UC CAMPUS AND WLWT NEWS 5 AS BRIAN HAMRICK LIVE WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING THERE. BRIAN. YEAH. MIKE WHILE THEY’RE HOLDING THIS RALLY, TRYING TO BRING ATTENTION TO THIS SITUATION AND START OVER THIS NEAR THE CENTER, A CAMPUS, A KIND OF WENT AROUND UP JEFFERSON HERE THROUGH ONE OF THE MORE DANGEROUS OFFICE INTERSECTIONS AROUND THE UNIVERSITY HERE. IT ENDS UP OVER BEHIND A STUDENT CENTER OVER THERE. THE IDEA IS TRY TO BRING TOGETHER OF THE CITY, THE UNIVERSITY AND THE COMMUNITY TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. YET THERE’S A DANGER WORKING OUT ON THE STREET. IN FACT, IT IS THE STREET WE’VE REALLY, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZE GETTING PEOPLE THROUGH FASTER, FASTER, FASTER. ACCORDING TO SOME ORGANIZATIONS THAT TRACK TRAFFIC AMONG THE MOST DANGEROUS IN THE CITY ARE THE STREETS AROUND THE UC CAMPUS. SO I THINK WE’RE ALL RECOGNIZING IT. I RECOGNIZE I THINK A LOT OF MY NEIGHBORS RECOGNIZE THAT SIMPLE THINGS LIKE WALKING, CROSSING THE STREET, JUST IN OGILVY IS ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS OF THE RALLY WHERE HE SAYS THEY’RE BRINGING TOGETHER THE CITY, THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI AND THE COMMUNITY, WHO ALL HAVE AN INTEREST IN MAKING STREETS SAFER. ALL THREE OF THOSE CONSTITUENCIES GOT TO COME TOGETHER AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE STREETS THAT WORK FOR ALL OF US. STATISTICS FROM VISION ZERO, A GROUP THAT PROMOTES SAFER STREETS, SHOWS. IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS ALONE, THERE HAVE BEEN 654 CRASHES AROUND THE CAMPUS AND 21 COLLISIONS WITH PEDESTRIANS. JUST LAST MONTH, AN MLK AND VINE PATRICK BOLTON WAS HIT AND KILLED LAST SEPTEMBER AT JEFFERSON AND UNIVERSITY, 18 YEAR OLD KAYDEN TURNER WAS HIT AND KILLED BY A DRIVER IN A STOLEN CAR WHO THEN TOOK OFF. IT’S SAD, BUT THE WAY THE ROADS ARE, IT’S NOT SUPER SURPRISING. BUT IT IS A SAD STATISTIC. UNFORTUNATELY. AARON TAN IS A U.S. STUDENT. I LIVE VERY CLOSE TO HERE, SO I WALK TO SCHOOL. I WALK TO CLASS. I’VE DEFINITELY HAD SOME CLOSE CALLS OF DRIVERS, JUST NOT PAYING ATTENTION AND HAVING TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ME. AS ORGANIZERS HOPE THE RALLY HELPS TO OPEN THE ROAD TO SAFER STREETS. I THINK WE’VE GOT A BIG OPPORTUNITY HERE LIKE AND THAT’S HOW WE SHOULD LOOK AT THIS. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNE CITY. YEAH, ORGANIZERS ARE WELL AWARE OF THE CHALLENGES THIS, BUT THEY HOPE THEY CAN COME UP WITH SOME WORKABLE SOLUTIONS AND MAYBE CALM DOWN SOME OF THIS TRAFFIC AND THEY SAY NOW IS AS GOOD AS TIME AS ANY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR THAT INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY THAT’S AVAILABLE. REPORTING LIVE BRIAN HAMRICK WLWT. NEWS 5. BRIAN, THANKS SO MUCH. FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF SPRING AND IT’S STARTING TO FEEL THAT WAY. IT WAS LIKE IN THE TWENTIES WHEN I WENT TO BED LAST NIGHT. YOU WAKE UP TODAY, IT RISES INTO THE FORTIES AND FIFTIES. I DID NOT CALL KEVIN ABOUT THIS, BUT WERE BOTH WEARING PINK. I THINK A SIGN OF THE TIMES AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEW SEASON. YES, WE’RE THINKING SPRING. WE’RE THINKING THE RETURN OF MILDER TEMPERATURES. RIGHT. IT WAS 19 THIS MORNING TO START OUT AND WE’RE ALMOST 50 NOW. SO THANKS TO THAT MARCH SUN AND WELL OF COURSE, THIS RIGHT HERE. HERE’S THE KEY. I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FLAG. THAT IS A SOUTH WIND. AND I’LL ALWAYS POINT THAT OUT, BECAUSE THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY LIKE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE IT IS JUST THAT FANTASTIC ONE DAY OUT THERE. SO COMPARED TO 24 HOURS AGO, WE ARE NOW SWINGING IN THE UPWARD DIRECTION. TEMPERATURES ARE ABOUT 13 DEGREES WARMER FOR US THAN THEY WERE YESTERDAY AT THIS TIME. YESTERDAY WAS STILL PRETTY CHILLY, EVEN THOUGH IT STARTED TO MODERATE SOME. SO HERE WE ARE, MOST OF US KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF 50 DEGREES. WE’VE GOT ANOTHER CHILLY NIGHT TONIGHT, BUT NOT NEARLY AS COLD AS IT HAS BEEN. I’LL LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH HIGHER TEMPERATURES ARE GOING IN. OF COURSE. WE’LL TALK RAIN CHANCES THAT COME LATER THIS WEEK, TOO, MIKE. ALL RIGHT. COMES ALONG WITH IT, I GUESS. KEVIN, THANK YOU. TAKING AIM AT THE TOP PERSON IN CINCINNATI PUBLIC SCHOOLS. HOW ABOUT THIS? LEADERS OF A UNION REPRESENTING CPS, PRINCIPALS ARE SAYING THE SUPERINTENDENT, RENATA RIGHT, NEEDS AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT. WLWT NEWS 5 TODD -- LIVE RIGHT NOW WITH THIS CRITICISM THAT WRIGHT IS FACING AND WHAT SHE’S SAYING IN RESPONSE. HI, TODD. HI, MIKE. YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF CINCINNATI’S SCHOOL BOARD ARE MEETING RIGHT NOW. FIRST BEHIND CLOSED DOORS BEFORE THEIR REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING GETS UNDERWAY AT 530. AND WE’RE MONITORING WHAT IS SAID. SEE WHAT IMPACT A LETTER THAT YOU’VE TALKING ABOUT THERE, MIKE, THAT’S HIGHLY CRITICAL OF CPS, THE SUPERINTENDENT. WHAT IMPACT THAT LETTER MIGHT HAVE IN AUGUST, DURING THE FIRST DAY BACK TO CLASS FOUR CINCINNATI PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I RUN AT IT RIGHT. MADE IT CLEAR SHE PLANNED TO BE VERY FORWARD FACING THE DISTRICT’S NEW SUPERINTEND IN AND SAID, QUOTE, THE MAJOR PART OF HER DAYS ARE SPENT VISITING SCHOOLS, FINDING TIME ELSEWHERE TO HANDLE HER ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES, INTERACTING WITH STUDENTS, LOOKING AT THEIR FACES, SEEING WHAT’S HAPPENING IN CLASSROOMS, BEING ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH TEACHERS, LOOK AT THE CURRICULUM THAT WE’RE DOING IN CLASSES. IT HAPPENS IN SCHOOL BUILDINGS. BEING A CHANGE AGENT IS A LABEL WRIGHT HAS LEANED INTO EVER SINCE. EVERYBODY WANTS CHANGE UNTIL A CHANGE SHOWS UP, RIGHT? WE WANT WE WANT EVERYTHING TO CHANGE OR WE WANT THINGS TO CHANGE AS LONG AS IT DOESN’T IMPACT WHAT I’M DOING. EVERY DAY. WE’RE NOW LEARNING THAT WRIGHT STYLE HAS RUBBED A UNION REPRESENTING CPS ADMINISTRATOR OWNERS LIKE PRINCIPALS THE WRONG WAY. IN A LETTER GIVEN TO BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESIDENT BEN LINDY, UNION REPRESENTATIVE SAY WRIGHT HAS EFFECTIVELY COLLABORATE, GONE OUT THE WINDOW, CHOOSING INSTEAD TO BE A MICROMANAGER WHO HAS CREATED A CULTURE OF INTIMIDATION AND FEAR AND WHO EMBARRASS HIS EMPLOYEES IN MEETINGS. THE LETTER GOES ON TO SAY THAT BECAUSE OF THE WAY WRIGHT WORKS, MANY EMPLOYEES HAVE LEFT ARE LEAVING OR LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE. IN RESPONSE, WRIGHT AND LINDY RELEASED A JOINT STATEMENT. WRIGHT SAYS SHE RESPECTS THE UNION’S CONCERNS AND WILL WORK TO ADDRESS THEM. LINDY SAYS HE’S DISMAYED ANY TIME STAFF MEMBERS FEEL THEIR CONCERNS ARE NOT HEARD. BUT HE’S CONVINCED REDS COMMITMENT TO CPS CONTINUES TO GROW EVERY DAY. NOW, IT’S NOT CLEAR AT THIS POINT WHAT UNION REPRESENTATIVES OF THAT UNION REPRESENTING ADMINISTRATORS AND PRINCIPALS, WHAT THEY THINK OF THAT JOINT STATEMENT FROM SUPERINTENDENT WRIGHT AND BOARD PRESIDENT BEN LINDY. THE UNION’S LETTER THAT WAS DATED MARCH 9TH, NINE DOES SAY THAT NOTHING IS OFF THE TABLE, INCLUDING A POSSIBLE VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE. REPORTING LIVE OUTSIDE