In Columbus, Tom Knox noted Ohio Stadium and the Schottenstein Center will "get their first public Wi-Fi systems next year" at a cost of $9.5M for Ohio State. The school this month will "start accepting bids to implement the wireless Internet access," pending BOT approval this week, with construction "targeted to start in February." Construction accounts for $4.5M of the $9.5M Wi-Fi price tag, and the technology itself is projected at $4.4M. Professional services "takes up the rest of the budget" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 6/5).
SEND IT TO THE HIGH COURT: In Cleveland, Robert Higgs in a front-page piece reports the city will "ask the Ohio Supreme Court to sort out the legal issues over whether a referendum on use of city tax money for improvements at Quicken Loan Arena can proceed." Mayor Frank Jackson and City Council President Kevin Kelley yesterday said that the city's law director would "file an action with the state's high court" asking it to "rule on whether the city must accept the petition and begin the process toward verifying the signatures they contain." The city "refused to accept the petitions last month, saying that an attempted referendum would unconstitutionally interfere with a contract the city already had entered into over The Q agreement with Cuyahoga County" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 6/6).
TWO-SPORT STAR: In L.A., Sam Farmer notes a commemorative statue honoring Baseball HOFer Jackie Robinson will be "installed this fall outside the main gate" of the Rose Bowl. The statue, a "gift from the Tull Family Foundation, will depict Robinson in a football uniform" (L.A. TIMES, 6/6). Robinson "played football at the Rose Bowl for Pasadena City College" from '37-38. He then "continued his football career at UCLA" (DAILYNEWS.com, 6/6).
