neighborhood and i have no choice. >> reporter: among the rate hikes rta is proposing the current fare would rise to 2.50. another fare up to 2.25 and some rise to 3.50 a ride. >> joe says cuts in state funding are making rate hikes necessary. >> funding at the state level or national level and for us to keep providing service people want and need, we have to raise the rate to better afford it. >> city councilman ron jackson says he has to pay more to ride but the problem isn't with rta, it is state lawmakers. rta says they get 63 cents per person for transportation and neighboring states like pennsylvania provide an average of $57.71 per person for public transit. on some people with the fare increases and still, i think the best deal in town. >> there will be 12 more meetings to discuss the rate hikes. the board will vote at the end of april if the rates do go up. they won't go into effect until august. meantime, this trolley, funded by local businesses, that will remain free. >> in cleveland denise zarrella cleveland 19. >> romona: do you have a question why rta is facing a $7 million shortfall? we have some answers. there hasn't been a rate increase in 7 years. rta says the state reduced its investment in public transportation from $42 million in 2002, to $7.3 million in 2015. they claim ohio has the lowest per capita investment in mass transportation of any state of equal or larger size. you can check out this comparison to nearby states download our app or head to proposed cuts and fare increases. >> you will also find the schedule of public meetings. the next is tomorrow night at the cuyahoga county public library in maple heights, mark. >> mark: we saw sunshine earlier. >> jeff: yes. we have to get the temperature. that's the thing. it is spring after all. come o. today's high 42. it is a mostly cloudy sky and a hint or two of sun out there. 40 is the current temperature downtown. look at mansfield with more sun today. 46 degrees on the cleveland 19 first alert weather app indicating temperatures in the low to mid-30s downtown here. i think we will go up as the night wears on. we will see an increase in cloud cover. i will keep it dry. the winds of change starting tomorrow. a big warm up on the way compared to today and the best easter sunday. forecast details at 6:18. mark? >> mark: jeff, thanks. it was a family tragedy in summit county mather's found dead in their home after an explosion and now their old home is no more. the mom and two daughters died before the fire started. dad, jeff, committed suicide. dani carlson returned to the township center as crews demolished the house. >> where we are standing from the mather home is actually a school bus stop. that's one of the many reasons people in this neighborhood are happy to see the home come down. but there are many here that wish it had yielded more answers. >> the home took years for the mather family to build took 17 minutes for it to come crashing down. >> it will take sometime. this is a good start for it to have this reminder gone. memorial to the tragedy that happened here. a difficult one for this community. a fire and explosion with the bodies of the four members of the mather family found inside. since the january night, the medical examiner determined 43-year-old jeff mather set the house on fire and killed himself. >> two girls 12 and 8-year-old murdered and suffocated to death and cindy mather died from prozac overdose and they couldn't determine if she committed suicide or murdered and can't say which parent killed the girls. it is those questions that remain and a woman told us off camera she is sad to see the house torn down and with it is likely any chance anyone will know exactly what happened here that freezing january night. >> we are happy this grim reminder of this tragedy is finally going to come to an end. having to see this every single day. >> we are told everything at the home and basement walls and driveway will be torn up and removed. >> in northfield center township dani carlson cleveland 19. >> mark: okay, dani. thank you. a huntington bank owns the property and paid for the demolition. there are no plans what will happen with the property in the future. >> romona: a former auditor dropped the lawsuit against metro health and even apologized. simpson huggins iii at one time claimed the hospital c.e.o. took personal trips overseas paid for by taxpayers and that some employees got free botox injections. huggins wrote a letter saying i sincerely apologize to the metro health system and dr. beauty rose c.e.o. of metro health for bringing the lawsuit against the hospital. the allegation of wrongdoing by metro health and executives are following the apology, metro health agreed not to pursue defamation claims. >> mark: a condo fire in westlake on westchester condo complex. at least one unit was heavily damaged. smoke damage in three others and a firefighter hurt his ankle fighting the fire. >> romona: let's go to starke county. we know more about the victim of the accident at timkensteel. kenny ray, a technician died sunday and ray was a police officer and emt firefighter with uniontown. investigators believe he died from exposure to nitrogen. he was there checking fire extinguishers. >> mark: there are big cuts planned for cleveland heights university heights school district. 52 jobs are being eliminated now. the district says enrollment declined by 900 students since 2007 and expects the trend to projected to decline another 800 in the next 10 years. >> you lock at the number of special ed teachers we are losing it seems like a lot of special ed teachers because they don't have a maximum load. special ed is one of the few areas we shine in. >> the only impact it would have special ed teachers caseloads would be larger and they would still be under the state minimum. >> class size wills jump from an average of 14 to 22 students and that's below the state average. the decision is expected to save the district $3.5 million. >> president obama and cuban president raul castro met in havana today. both say while the road will not be easy, it is possible for both countries to work together. the two leaders talked about issues from agriculture to human rights and of course the end it the u.s. trade embargo. the two promised to continue today sia nyorkor talked to a local cuban artist to see how he feels about the historic visit. >> reporter: he says the cuba he left in the late 90s is different than today and believes president obama's visit will open an entire world. >> augusta says his artistry brought him from northeast ohio to cuba 17 years ago. he left for other reasons. >> it is political entrenchment. it happened for generations and generations and generations. >> reporter: but now he is encouraged to see president obama having relations with cuba and says many thought it would never happen. >> the president arrived in cuba sunday night. he is the first american president to visit the island in almost 90 years. >> my family is there and everybody is so excited and this will be even larger than when the pope went to cuba. understands why some don't support the the efforts but it is time to stop punishing cubans. >> you have a relationship. you went to work and you have a relationship with china, with russia. why us? a tiny little island. it doesn't make any sense. >> reporter: his parents still live there and augusta is raising his family in northeast ohio and his daughter visits cuba often. >> my daughter is 12-years-old and she has been going to cuba since 2 and goes once or twice a year. >> he hopes this generation will help foster change. >> people have to stop fantasizing about the change they want to see in cuba. cuba is cuba and it will change by cubans in the island at the rhythm and pace they want change to happen. >> augusta says the president's visit is historic in more ways than one. he plans to visit his family united airlines submitted its procedural filing to the u.s. department of transportation looking for authority to begin commercial air service to cuba. up next: the deadline is today for bars that want to stay open until 4 a.m. during the national republican convention. but is that a good idea? >> romona: this week twin live from cleveland's newscenter driven by don joseph toyota in kent, this is cleveland 19 news. >> mark: so the deadline is national convention for bars that want to serve liquor until booming. harry boomer explains not permit. >> it was very simple. filled out the forms and sent in the information. the state was great about it. >> mike manages the alleys in greater cleveland and thrilled to have major event waiver permit allowing bars to extend service until 4 a.m. until:30. ago when it first came out. really, the decision was, we were getting out of the events and late night sessions and it is good to have a place to unwiped and have a drink. >> some restaurants on east 4th street are hopping with activity when the rnc is in town and some doing private parties and others around the city are all in. >> and we have a liquor license until 4:00 a.m. we got it approved. >> and at the chocolate bar he is glad to be in the mix offering the extended hours. >> i think it will be pretty nice on east 4th and heart of downtown and all the traffic comes through here and chocolate bar is hoping to be really busy. >> even the following counties cuyahoga, geauga, lake, mama diana port schedule summit. they can sell licker and beer during the time rnc is in cleveland july 17th through >> no changer by the state and no brainer as far as giving it a try. >> reporter: harry boomer, cleveland 19. >> romona: we reached out to mothers against drunk driving to get their response and they sent this comment m.a.d.d.'s position has always been to do not drink and drive. we hope everyone will plan ahead if they know they will be drinking to have a designated driver. doing that has become so much easier with more choices such as uber. going to take live pictures right now. you are looking at a rally about to start at city hall supposed to get underway at 6:15. demonstrators there have concerns about the police department buying riot gear for the republican national convention. the executive director of the a.c.l.u. says past conventions employed inappropriate, often dangerous military-type of equipment. scott taylor was there as well. at 9:00 and 11:00. so not only does cleveland 19 go to the ends of the earth to get the news, we also travel into space. today dan deroos has more on twin comets coming our way. >> dan: is it an armageddon situation and need bruce willis to tell us what's going on. nasa gave a model to give you an idea. here is the earth. here is moon and comet and another comet and pretty interesting they are calling twin comets both here within a day. let me make sure i get this lined up. this one zipped by at 8:14 this morning. the one on the other side comment 2016, ba14 that goes by tomorrow morning at 10:30. to see this you would have to have an extremely high powered commercial grade telescope. are we in any kind of danger? >> 3.3 million miles away. this one passed by this morning. tomorrow, wait a second. a little closer at 2.2 million miles away. >> i think we are okay when we get down to it. bruce willis can stand down for the time being. >> interesting stuff. thanks, dan. mostly cloudy sky in place look at the snow showers we had mainly east of cleveland earlier this afternoon. we will be dry tonight and a big story coming up. the warm up. so will you start to notice that tomorrow. the wind will pick up out of the south tomorrow. high and mid-level clouds spreading in and temperatures west of us 60 st. louis and 62 des moines, iowa and there you go hitting 42 for the high. with mostly cloudy sky and wind goes light. we will not deal with a wind chill out there. 36 out there in the akron-canton area and then tomorrow i went with 60 degrees south to southwest wind gusting over 30. and we could see just a little bit of late daylight rain and better opportunity of that would be east of cleveland. watch the warm up now. 60 tomorrow, 1 wednesday and that's where the cloudy sky and light rain. the biggest risk will be here on thursday. this is the next cold front and wind driven rain. that will be the best opportunity to get some rain on thursday and then friday, we have a temperature change there. but the next alert day wednesday. this is the light rain with less than .1? >> a: and thursday is when the cold front comes through. enjoy 60 tomorrow and mixed sky 51 wednesday. 63 thursday, rain likely and windy and there you go. 41 only on friday. we get pretty chilly for one day and then saturday it is back up to 65 and 45 saturday night and easter sunday we are forecasting rain and only around 50. we'll see if that changes. >> tony at the q. >> tony: all right thanks, tan. people concerned about cavaliers headed down to the this customer is running to get her deposit in today. too late. branch is already closed. but she could make the atm. still won't beat the cutoff time. really? at huntington, with atm and mobile deposits, you have up till midnight. we call it all day deposit. midnight? what are you, a bank or a convenience store? i've got to make a deposit! you go, girl! she's got no chance. deposit hours that make sense for you, not the bank. welcome to huntington, . now, this is the serpentini chevrolet sports report chevrolet sports report on cleveland 19 news. way down hill. >> cavaliers won 49 out of 69 and losses stand out when they look like they did in miami on saturday night. tony zarrella live at the q. listen, you want to be tough on cavaliers you can't possibly keep this up headed down the stretch. you have 13 games left. if you want a break they have been playing a lot of games and in miami it was the 5th in 7 nights and they know they have to pick it up. and he said he would at the number one seed. richard jefferson with his take this morning. >> not playing as well as he like and everything goes into the equation and you get things banged up and things immensely fatigued and some tired and there are a lot of things that go into the equation. we acknowledge it and not pleased with our record as it is and we want to continue improving throughout the regular season. >> cavaliers and nuggets. 40 minutes away catch it on fox sick and game time decision. the browns in boca raton at the owner's meetings slammed the door on the colin kaepernick talk and robert griffin iii is a different story. talks went very well. they are impressed and now jason of cbs sports says this could happen by the end of the week. >> i don't know how you celebrated your high school graduation. he is going to rio to the olympics. the 18-year-old cleveland middle heights returned to a hero's welcome this morning. >> i knew i would go home with the goal and i had a strategy in the game plan and followed the game plan. and i did what i went to accomplish. >> tony: much more with charles and his family tonight on sports extra. cavaliers looking to bounce back. nuggets are the team to do it against. will have highlights and post >> jeff: all right. look at that change. just like that sneaking up close to 60 tomorrow afternoon and windy and mixed sky and light thursday how about 63. rain likely. that will be the cold front that comes through. friday much cooler back up to 65 saturday and perhaps rain easter sunday. let's hope that changes. >> romona: all right a nice week. >> mark: thanks for joining us. cbs evening news is next. >> romona: we will see you back here at 11:00. real-time closed captioning provided by u.s. captioning >> this is a new day. un nuevo dia . >> pelley: and an historic day, a first meeting between u.s. and cuban presidents in havana in nearly 90 years. also tonight, new electronic gear shifts are blamed for more than 100 accidents. the little-known law that is taking this six-year-old away from the only family she's ever known. >> with very heavy hearts we