No One Has Spread Dangerous Coronavirus Misinformation in Cleveland Like Mike Trivisonno
On Feb. 27th, Gov. Mike DeWine appeared with Dr. Amy Acton at a press conference at MetroHealth in Cleveland to address how Ohio was preparing for the arrival of coronavirus in the state. At that point, there were not yet any confirmed cases in Ohio, but seven patients were awaiting test results and some 212…
Plain Dealer Editor Tim Warsinskey is a Liar and Advance Publications Doesn’t Give a Shit About Cleveland
Like others in Northeast Ohio and roughly 3.5 million people around the world, I am a digital subscriber to the New York Times. The Times has long been what’s referred to as the “paper of record,” meaning that, according to a certain first-world sensibility, something doesn’t count as having happened on planet Earth unless it’s…
Op-Ed: Against Public Worship in the Age of Coronavirus
I have taken full advantage of Governor Mike DeWine’s shelter at home order. The last few weeks provided me an opportunity to get much-needed rest, to catch up on paperwork, and to ponder our previously unimaginable circumstances posed by the coronavirus. As a clergywoman without a pulpit, I have relished in not having Sunday duties.…
The Mike DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton Version of the Laverne and Shirley Sitcom Intro We Probably Needed
“The strong leadership he and his team have provided since early on in the crisis has earned international attention and acclaim and looks to have benefited Ohio with lower case numbers and more tempered strain on the medical system than expected,” wrote Stofka Creative to introduce its Dewine & Amy version of Laverne & Shirley,…
DeWine Recommends Release of 160 More State Prison Inmates Due to Coronavirus
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced today that he is recommending the release of another group of inmates in Ohio’s prisons as COVID-19 spreads throughout the state. Prisons in New York and other hard-hit states have seen the virus spread quickly among inmates and employees. Inmate advocates in Ohio have asked the state to move quickly…
RTA Won’t Waive Fares Due to COVID-19, Encourages Use for Only Essential Trips
After Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley announced yesterday that the city’s Metro buses would re-instate fares by the end of the week after a temporary suspension, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) CEO India Birdsong said that the Northeast Ohio agency would refrain from suspending them. “I understand that many public transit systems across the country…
At Elkton Federal Prison in Ohio, 37 Inmates Hospitalized Due to COVID-19, 3 Dead, 71 in Isolation
The deteriorating situation at the Elkton federal prison in Lisbon, OH, has progressed in the exact horrifying fashion advocates had feared last week when inmates in the facility first began showing symptoms of COVID-19. Gov. DeWine yesterday ordered the National Guard to assist healthcare personnel at the low-security facility, which currently holds some 2,040 inmates…
Federal Court: Abortions in Ohio Can Continue During Coronavirus Crisis
Women’s clinics in Ohio will be able to continue providing abortions during the COVID-19 crisis despite an order from the State of Ohio, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday. However, they will need to determine if an abortion can be safely delayed before viability to preserve necessary medical equipment during the pandemic. Three judges on…
Groups Urge Ohio Officials to Help Small Farms Survive Pandemic
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Concern over the survival of family farms during the COVID-19 crisis has spurred food policy and farm groups in the state to urge lawmakers to pass policies that would help small and mid-size farmers. Amalie Lipstreu, policy director at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, said one policy move would be…
Plain Dealer Put Out to Pasture. In Final Death Blow, Remaining Reporters Given Impossible Choice
On the first workday after a brutal and debilitating round of layoffs at The Plain Dealer, Editor Tim Warsinskey delivered what will be the paper’s final and cruelest blow. He told the 14 remaining newsroom staffers that they would henceforth be forbidden from covering stories in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and Summit County and could no…
Ohio Stores Restrict Number of Shoppers to Comply with Gov. DeWine’s Social Distancing Update
Last week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that Ohio’s Stay at Home order will be extended until 11:59 p.m. May 1, with some specific updates that will go into effect at 11:59 p.m. April 6. One of those updates is that the essential businesses who are allowed to remain open must determine and enforce the…
Four Ohio Prisons Now on Total Quarantine, Two Inmates Test Positive for COVID-19
Nearly 6,000 prisoners at four Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) facilities are now quarantined after multiple staff members and inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. All inmates at the Franklin Medical Center (494), Marion Correctional Institution (2,531), Pickaway Correctional Institution (2,038), and Toledo Correctional Institution (938) are quarantined, meaning, according to ODRC, that…
COVID-19 Spreading at Cuyahoga County Jail, Now 9 Confirmed Cases, Two Suspected
There are now nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the Cuyahoga County Jail, with two additional “suspected” cases, a spokesperson confirmed for Scene Monday. All 11 remain quarantined within the downtown Cleveland facility. Friday, the county announced that six inmates had tested positive. Thursday, the jail’s warden, Gregory Croucher resigned after the publication of an…
Fact Check: Does Jesus’s Blood Prevent Someone From Contracting COVID-19?
No. Anyway, here’s CNN’s interview with some church-going Ohioans.
At Ohio’s Elkton Federal Prison “Fucking Everybody Just Fucking Dying” From COVID-19
A 20-minute video recorded on a contraband phone and posted to Facebook Live Friday purports to show the hellish conditions at Elkton federal prison in Lisbon, Ohio. The man in the video has been identified by Vice News as 31-year-old inmate Aaron DeShawn Campbell. He pleads with viewers to get the word out about the…
Re-Live and Get New Insight Into the 2016 NBA Finals With New Podcast Series Featuring Guest Stars
If the reception to last week’s re-airing of games 5 and 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals on ESPN was any indication, the appetite for Cavs Championship Content has barely dwindled since they raised the trophy. Luckily, we’ll soon get even more insight into that memorable and magical series as the popular Cavs’ podcast The Chase…
How a Canceled 2020 Season Could Impact the Cleveland Indians for Five Years
In the confinement of one’s home, with not a sporting event to consume, it is difficult to contemplate a baseball season which is not even a certainty. Indeed, so much of the personal struggle for sanity in isolation is identifying things that provide hope for our future joy. Yet, without a certainty of baseball in…
Cleveland Orchestra Now Airing Archived Performances at Noon Every Weekday
The Cleveland Orchestra, which, along with the rest of the arts and culture world, is on indefinite hiatus during the coronavirus shutdowns, will begin streaming archived hour-long performances every weekday from noon to 1 p.m. on WCLV 104.9 Ideastream beginning today. The program will include past recordings of concerts and recent interviews with Cleveland Orchestra Music Director,…
Spending Your Stimulus Dollars Locally Instead of Saving Them is the Right Thing to Do for Those That Can
In a few weeks, most American taxpayers will receive a one-time check from the federal government for $1,200, plus $500 per dependent child, as part of a relief package intended to help them weather the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The payments are for people earning below $75,000 a year, like my wife and…
Dr. Amy Acton’s Checklist for Cloth Masks, Which Ohio and the CDC Now Recommend Wearing in Public to Help Stem Coronavirus Spread
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its prevention protocol regarding the spread of COVID-19 to recommend the public start wearing cloth face masks in situations where social distancing is difficult, like in grocery stores or pharmacies, and areas that have high numbers of community-based transmission of the virus. The CDC says this…
Another Record Month for Lake Erie Water Levels
TOLEDO, Ohio — The old saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, certain didn’t apply to Lake Erie this year. Record high water levels in February and early March did not back down, and the month ended with Lake Erie roughly 573-feet above sea level. That’s about two…
22 Plain Dealer Newsroom Staffers Laid off in Advance Union Purge
Columnist Mike McIntyre, TV Critic Mark Dawidziak, Senior Staff Photographer Marvin Fong and Health Reporter Brie Zeltner are among the 22 Plain Dealer newsroom staffers laid off Friday in the latest union purge by Advance Publications. The cuts were announced last month by newly christened editor Tim Warsinskey, a local newspaper vet who’d been installed…
We’re Drinking More During Coronavirus, A Lot More — But Our Immune Systems Are Paying the Price
We totally get it. Times are bleak. Life is grim. Weeks into the statewide stay-at-home order and we’re are already feeling like Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas or, like, Nicolas Cage in real life singing post-divorce Prince karaoke — and they’re drinking like him, too. With liquor stores deemed essential businesses (hell yeah!) and…
Ohio Officials Close Hocking Hills State Park in an Effort to Slow the Spread of Coronavirus
One of Ohio’s most popular nature destinations will close at sunset today, April 3, to try and prevent spread of the pandemic coronavirus that causes COVID-19, Ohio officials say. It’s the first state park to close due to the COVID-19 crisis. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says that Hocking Hills State Park’s popularity and…
DeWine Recommends Release of 38 Ohio Prison Inmates Due to Coronavirus; Advocates Want Many More Released
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine today announced that his administration is recommending the release of a small proportion of Ohio’s 48,991 prison inmates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The move comes after recent revelations that three guards at Ohio’s Marion Correctional Institution have tested positive for COVID-19. That prison is minimum security and inmates there gather…
Cleveland’s 2021 FRONT Triennial Will Be Postponed to 2022 Due to Expected Ramifications of Coronavirus Pandemic
According to emails going around in the arts and culture sectors of Cleveland, and which have ended up in Scene’s inbox, the 2021 FRONT International Cleveland Triennial is being pushed back until 2022 because of the expected long-term recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. FRONT is expected to make the announcement official on Monday. “The arts…
Ohio Bought a Record 437,507 Gallons of Liquor the Week Gov. DeWine Ordered Bars and Restaurants Closed Due to Coronavirus
On the afternoon of Sunday, March 15, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that all bars and restaurants in the state would have to close by 9 p.m. that evening. It was among the first in a string of stunning orders given to help slow the spread of coronavirus that have altered daily life. But daily…
LJ Shanghai Has Reopened for Takeout, Thank the Soup Dumpling Gods
Some welcome news as we head into the weekend: LJ Shanghai (3142 Superior Ave., 216-400-6936), which had been closed since March 16, has reopened for takeout. SOUP DUMPLINGS ALERT. Unsure of what else to get? Check out our review from last year. LJ is open from 12 to 7 p.m. and joins the list of AsiaTown…
COVID-19 Cases in Cuyahoga County by Zip Code
The Cuyahoga County Board of Health has for the second week released a map of COVID-19 cases across the county broken down by zip code. It began the semi-detailed breakdown last week after pressure to be more transparent about the geographic breakdown of infections facing the region.
Cleveland COVID-19 Surge Plan Creates 10,000 New Beds, but Won’t use Convention or IX Centers
Doctors from the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals announced at a City of Cleveland press conference Friday morning that the local COVID-19 surge plan includes an increase of roughly 10,000 hospital beds. The Cleveland Clinic is increasing its capacity from 3,000 to 8,000 beds, (including 1,000 beds at its Health Education Campus); University Hospitals is…
Here’s Bill Withers’ Incredible Rock Hall Induction Speech in 2015
Take 20 minutes of your Friday or weekend and listen to Bill Withers’ acceptance speech at the 2015 Rock Hall ceremony, largely considered to be one of the best speeches in Rock Hall induction history. Joyous, funny, moving, honest — it’s got everything we need today, plus Stevie Wonder performing “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Talking to…
Detroit Is Leading the Nation’s First Large-Scale Study of Hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 Treatment
After being accused of “banning” the use of a potential coronavirus drug, Michigan is now leading the nation’s largest study on whether hydroxychloroquine can be used to treat COVID-19. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was asked about the new study of the drug, announced by Henry Ford Health System on Thursday, during a coronavirus town hall with…
Six Cuyahoga County Jail Inmates Test Positive for COVID-19
Six Cuyahoga County jail inmates are presumed positive for COVID-19, the county announced this morning. Those inmates, whose ages were not released, are in quarantine. None of the six were recent entries, arriving between July 2019 and February 2020, meaning they contracted it inside the facility. All six were housed in the same pod. “There’s…
Ohio’s Stay Home Order Extended to May 1, Coronavirus Deaths Increase 25%
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday that the state’s Stay Home order — Ohio’s version of “Shelter in Place” — will be extended to May 1. It’s an action, the Governor said, that is necessary to save lives. Authorized by executive order, the extension will go into effect the moment the previous order expires on…
Cuyahoga County Jail Warden Resigns After Inspector General Report Finds He Retaliated Against Employees Who Complained About His Management
So much has changed in nearly every facet of life in the past month that it’s hard to find solid mooring no matter how hard we look. There are, these days, so very few things in whose consistency and reliability we can take solace amid the otherwise suffocating influx of hellish news. It’d be nice…
Cleveland Ticket Holders Entitled to Refunds From Stubhub For Cancelled or Postponed Events
Missing out on concerts or sporting events because of the coronavirus shutdowns may have been the first cut, but possibly being out the cost of the tickets on the secondary market may be a deeper wound. As of last week, Stubhub, which cut its staff by two thirds, reversed its refund policy. Normally, a canceled…
Samuel Adams ‘Restaurant Strong’ Fund Will Give $1,000 Grants to Ohio Service Industry Workers Affected by Shutdowns
Samuel Adams, the Boston-based brewery, is expanding its Restaurant Strong fund to 19 states across the country, including Ohio, to help restaurant workers impacted by closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic with $1,000 grants. The fund, which started in Massachusetts in March, has already given away over $500,000 to service workers in that state and…
Elkton Federal Prison, Where Jimmy Dimora is Serving Time, Overrun with COVID-19
The Elkton Federal Correctional Institution in Columbiana County appears to be overrun with the Coronavirus. 3News’ Rachel Polansky has reported that three inmates tested positive for the virus but as many as 80 are exhibiting symptoms. While prison staff have worked to place those who are ill in isolation, almost none of them will be…
Cleveland Metroparks Closes Busy Roads to Cars to Allow More Room for Pedestrians and Bicyclists to Practice Social Distancing
In order to keep up with social distancing mandates and recommendations made by the state of Ohio, the Cleveland Metroparks announced closures of some of their most popular destinations and assorted road restrictions to allow more room for pedestrians and bicyclists. DeWine had recently been asked at one of his daily press conferences about people…
Buckeye Vodka Hosting Virtual Bartending Contest with Cash Prizes for Ohio Mixologists Laid-Off Because of COVID-19
Among other establishments facing temporary closure, the country’s restaurants and bars — and their bartenders and waitstaff — have taken one of the hardest hits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No longer able to work, many people in the service industry are facing reduced hours and layoffs. Ohio-made vodka brand Buckeye Vodka is looking to…
The Classic George Forbes vs. Carl Monday Showdown is Now a Meme About Paying Rent During the Coronavirus Pandemic
One of the most important and treasured bits of Cleveland history ever caught on video has become a meme about paying rent during the coronavirus shutdowns. If you’ve never seen the classic 1984 confrontation, which pitted an intrepid and young Carl Monday against then-city council president George Forbes in a feisty discussion about an unpaid…
More Ohio Unemployment Claims Filed in Last Two Weeks Than in All of 2019
Ohio again saw a massive increase in unemployment claims last week, according to numbers released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. More than 272,000 people in the state filed for unemployment benefits for the week ending last Saturday — up from the previous week’s 187,700 filings. That number was the highest it…
Slumps, Tigers and Uncertainties — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac are back with another quarantine edition of the podcast. What are baseball’s contingency plans? Why are we so drawn to Joe Exotic? And whatever else there is to discuss. Subscribe to A to Z here or stream below.
Does Your Community Have Enough ICU Beds and Ventilators? Ohio Department of Health Doesn’t Release Numbers to Public
The Ohio Department of Health gets daily updates on the total number of beds and ventilators that could be available for COVID-19 patients at hospitals throughout the state. But so far the agency hasn’t provided any hospital-by-hospital breakdown, and the agencies that collect capacity information on the agency’s behalf have also declined to release their…
Two More Officers Test Positive for COVID-19 at Ohio’s Marion Correctional Institution
The Warden of Marion Correctional Institution, Lyneal Wainwright, informed inmates in an email Wednesday that two additional officers at the Ohio prison had tested positive for COVID-19. The news arrived in inmates’ JPay inboxes less than three days after they’d learned that one of the Lieutenants there had tested positive for the virus. It was…
Mahoning County Leads Ohio in Total COVID-19 Deaths and Per-Capita Cases
With one additional COVID-19 death in the past 24 hours, Mahoning County now has a total of 10, the most among Ohio’s 88 counties. Mahoning County is home to Youngstown and Boardman. With a steady rise in reported cases since the weekend, Mahoning now also leads the state in cases and hospitalizations per capita, with 76.6…
Mike DeWine Dispatching National Guard to Cleveland, Columbus Cincinnati to Prepare for COVID-19 Surge
Gov. Mike DeWine announced Wednesday that he has deployed the National Guard to Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati to help prepare for a surge in COVID-19 cases, expected by medical experts to hit Ohio near the end of April or beginning of May. To prepare for anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 new cases of COVID-19 per…
Hello Please Enjoy This Brilliant and Accurate Emoji Map of the State of Ohio
All hail Reddit user Xtratimesoccer, a digital-cartographer whose deep knowledge of the Buckeye state led to this — the thing we most needed in the moment — an emoji map of Ohio, which has been fine-tuned and updated with the help of fellow Redditors. The accuracy and references are just *chef’s kiss*. Enjoy.
Ohio Restaurants Lost $700 Million in Sales in March Due to Coronavirus, 10% Foresee Closing Permanently in April
The numbers are somehow even more grisly than one might expect. In just the first three weeks of March, Ohio restaurants lost $698 million in sales and laid off more than 100,000 employees, according to a report from the Ohio Restaurant Association in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association. And as the coronavirus pandemic inflicts…
ESPN’s Airing Games 5 and 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals Tonight
We all need some distraction and joy during the COVID-19 pandemic, including any and all sports we can get our hands on, whether live or not. And there’s good news on that front tonight as ESPN will be re-broadcasting games 5 and 7 from the 2016 NBA Finals that pitted the Golden State Warriors against…
Cleveland Councilman Wants to Reallocate Sherwin-Williams Incentives as Small Business Loans
In a letter to his colleagues Tuesday, Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek proposed repealing portions of the city’s incentive package for Sherwin-Williams and reallocating nearly $25 million in city dollars for zero-interest small business loans. Polensek was the lone Nay vote on the Sherwin-Williams legislation, an estimated $100 million in incentives that council greenlit as…
Cleveland APL Suspending Pet Adoptions at its Facility Until Further Notice Due to Coronavirus Mandates
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic and following the mandates of the state of Ohio, the Animal Protective League (APL) announced early Wednesday that they are temporarily suspending adoptions from their facility. The facility has been closed for a couple of weeks already, but it was still open by appointment for those wanting to…
Savage Love: Having Sex With People You Don’t Already Live With Is Canceled for the Duration of the Coronavirus Pandemic
My husband and I got married in August of 2019, and we were together for over five years before getting married. I’m very happy and love him with all my heart. I want to have his kids and support his entrepreneurial efforts as he supports mine. We don’t fight, we just have some tiffs here…
