As Kevin Kelley Attempts to Rehab His Image for a Mayoral Run, His Campaign War Chest Reveals More Than His Words
Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley’s City Club appearance late last month was widely (and properly) viewed as a pretext. During the frenzied weeks when residents have been focused, to the exclusion of other stories, on the coronavirus, the April 29th virtual forum was a chance for Kelley to butt in and begin publicly laying…
Cleveland Could Have Received Ohio EPA Money to Reduce Trash in Recycling, but It Never Applied
In March of 2019, right around the time the global recycling market was imploding, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency teamed up with statewide material recovery facilities (MRFs) and a national nonprofit to award grants across the state to help cities tackle the issue of non-recyclable trash in their recycling streams. The grants were designed to invest…
Cleveland Restaurants May Learn Their Fate as Early as This Week
Governor DeWine recently assembled a group of restaurant owners and operators, among many others, to help plan for and guide the gradual reopening of restaurants in Ohio. According to many observers, those guidelines could be coming as soon as this week. Rick Doody of NCR Ventures, which operates Lindey’s Lake House and Cedar Creek Grille…
Genital Street Signs Are Overtaking Tremont
Genital streets signs have been taking over Tremont for the past several weeks. Though wind and/or God-fearing concerned citizens have removed some of the handiest of this local prankster’s handiwork, “College and Dong” is an intersection that still exists, as of Tuesday evening. Dong signage has appeared elsewhere in Tremont in recent days, which indicates that…
‘Cleveland Documenters’ Launches to Keep Tabs on Cleveland, Cuyahoga County Public Meetings
Cleveland Documenters, a newly launched pilot program, seeks to remedy a very basic but critical problem: Decisions large and small are made by local governments at public meetings that very few members of the public or media, if any, attend. Created in partnership with City Bureau, a nonprofit journalism lab based in Chicago, and with…
Local Rockers MOSSOM Team Up with Rapper Floco Torres on New Single
The local rock band MOSSOM and rapper Floco Torres have teamed up to record “Keep Calm,” a single that speaks to our troubled times. The song takes its inspiration from a Keep Calm and Carry On motivational poster produced by the British government in 1939 in preparation for World War II. The poster was intended…
For Cleveland’s Asia Town, Statewide Orders, Barriers to Resources and Coronavirus Stigmas Have Proved a Devastating Combination
When it comes to quintessential Cleveland restaurants, AsiaTown’s Li Wah tops the list. Since 1991, the family-run establishment has provided Northeast Ohio with the best dim sum in the region. Longtime neighborhood residents, dedicated foodies and families from satellite suburbs regularly flock to the corner of Payne and East 30th for its signature Chinese cuisine.…
Airbnb Will Ban Clevelanders Who Throw Parties That Violate State Orders, Get the Cops On Your Ass
An Ohio City party at an Airbnb property that drew 100 people in late April also drew the Cleveland police and a second-degree misdemeanor charge for the host. A Willoughby bash in late March got busted after reports of shots fired drew cops to the rental property. While those might be the only two local…
Documentary About Clevelander Who Designed the First Pair of Ski Outriggers to Premiere on May 17 at the Vail Film Festival
A couple of years ago, locally based filmmaker Katie Leimkuehler wrote a screenplay about her late grandfather Paul Leimkuehler’s quest to create ski outriggers so that disabled people could ski. The man has an undeniably remarkable story. A World War II veteran who lost his leg during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II…
New York Times Deconstructs Dr. Amy Acton’s Celebrity, Effectiveness
The New York Times published a video Tuesday morning deconstructing the efficacy of Ohio’s Health Director, Dr. Amy Acton. After watching seven weeks of the state’s daily press briefings, the Times team was able to identify patterns in Acton’s style and syntax that have inspired Ohioans to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic. While she is…
Death Counts In Ohio May Not Tell Whole Coronavirus Story
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — A new analysis of the death counts from unknown causes indicates COVID-19 death numbers may be incomplete – which has implications for the process of reopening the state. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control indicate Ohio’s overall death rates are flat. Not so in New York, which has seen them…
Walnut Wednesday on Hold Until June at the Earliest, Says Downtown Cleveland Alliance
The first full week of May traditionally marks the official start of food truck season in Cleveland thanks to the annual launch of Walnut Wednesday. Each week, one of the largest local gatherings of truck assembles at Perk Plaza at Chester Commons downtown, drawing huge crowds come lunchtime. This year, not surprisingly, the start date has…
Frank Jackson Announces $18 Million in Local CARES Act Spending, $10 Million for Small Businesses
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson announced Monday afternoon plans to disburse millions of both federal and local dollars to stanch the economic bleeding caused by the coronavirus. Framed as “RestartCLE,” a “strategic initiative” to re-open Cleveland’s economy, the announcement Monday was mostly a delineation of how funds will be spent, both from the region’s allotment of…
Sen. Sherrod Brown Introducing Bill Seeking $100 Billion for Renters Impacted by COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, more and more workers across the country are finding themselves unemployed and without steady income. That’s caused a litany of problems — including challenges for millions of tenants struggling to make rent and utility payments without sufficient income. Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown today announced he is introducing a bill…
Three Deer Enjoyed a Mostly Empty Downtown Cleveland This Weekend
Nature is reclaiming space all over the world as humans stay inside and cars stay off the roads. Downtown Cleveland was graced over the weekend by this trio that was seen gallivanting down Superior Ave., and breaking some jaywalking ordinances in the process, before taking a break to enjoy Fort Huntington Park. “I assume they…
Islamic Center of Cleveland’s Free Clinic in Parma Offering Telemedicine Appointments to All Patients in Need
Cleveland Ibn Sina Clinic (6055 West 130th St., Parma) last week announced their new telemedicine program that will allow patients to work with their physicians from the comfort of their home. The Clinic opened in 2019 and is supported by the Islamic Center of Cleveland. “Through a virtual set-up, patients can maintain communication with their physicians, obtain…
Record Store Day Postponed to Three Separate Dates, With the First in Late August
Bowing to the inevitable, Record Store Day 2020 as one big, mass gathering of vinyl junkies packed into record stores all around the country is not happening. However, you can still support your favorite mom-and-pop record emporiums and the bands offering RSD-exclusive releases, just in a socially distanced kinda way, as there will now be…
Gov. Mike DeWine Discovers Empathy. Republicans Hold an Intervention.
Scene: Republican dignitaries gather in a conference room at the statehouse, Columbus, Ohio. Governor Mike DeWine enters with a look of surprise. DeWine: “Geepers, what are you guys doing here?” Chamber of Commerce President: “Mike, a few of us were talking and… well… we’re worried about you.” DeWine: [with quizzical look] “Geepers, whatever for?” Chamber…
Arts Cleveland Puts the ‘Unity’ in Community as the Pandemic Continues to Stifle Artists and Organizations
Arts Cleveland (formally the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, or CPAC) is offering weekly virtual forums to help the Cleveland arts and cultural community tackle some of the perplexing issues they face in the wake of COVID-19. “Both weekly calls (one for artists, one for galleries/museums) really exist as safe, no judgement virtual spaces…
Sidelined by the Pandemic? AmeriCorps Could Use Your Help
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohioans sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic have an opportunity to help contribute to the solution. The AmeriCorps VISTA program is looking for associates to assist with the summer meal program for children, as well as its year-long service program. The Ohio Association of Foodbanks runs the program, and its director of community…
Judge Grants New Trial for Cleveland Man Who’s Maintained Innocence in 1974 Murder of His Wife After Undisclosed Police Reports Surface
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Robert McClelland ruled in favor of Isiah Andrews today in his motion for a new trial in connection with the 1974 murder of his wife, Regina Andrews, after undisclosed evidence surfaced that was never provided to the defense. Andrews, now 82 and serving a life sentence, has maintained his innocence…
Madeline Finn’s New Single References Moving From Cleveland to Nashville
A Top 70 American Idol finalist in 2018, singer Madeline Finn played in a number of local bands before going solo and then moving to Nashville. Leaving Northeast Ohio wasn’t easy, and she documents her anxiety about the change in scenery in her new alt-rock song, “Timing Is Everything.” She released the track earlier today.…
Jim Brickman’s the Magic of Christmas Tour Coming to Canton Palace Theatre in December
For singer-pianist Jim Brickman, the holidays tend to be a busy time of the year. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he has said he was “a little bit of a black sheep,” Brickman released his first Christmas album some 20 years ago and has celebrated the holiday with a national tour…
Ray Flanagan and Brent Kirby Address the COVID-19 Shutdown on Their New EP
Last month, local musicians Ray Flanagan and Brent Kirby remotely collaborated on two new songs for an Applause Performance segment. Today, they’ve released Down Time, the EP that includes the tracks. Flanagan wrote “Lay Down” about the realization of gigs lost due to the shutdown and the importance of social distancing. “I was lying in…
Two Local Musicians Release a Song About the Importance of Social Distancing
When the library where local musician Adam Rich holds down a day job began instituting stricter cleaning measures, Rich started thinking about writing a song about social distancing. “It just popped into my head along with punk chords,” says Rich via email. He and fellow local musician Mike Taffi have just released the punk-y track…
Ohio State Rep. Nino Vitale Calls Dr. Amy Acton, Who is Jewish, a Globalist
Ohio State Representative Nino Vitale took to Facebook this morning to call Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton a “globalist.” The comments were in response to Dr. Acton, who is Jewish, extending the Ohio Stay-at-home order to May 29th. “Globalist” has long been an anti-Semitic slur. “Your basic human rights of life, liberty and the…
At Long Last, Thai Thai Will Open the Doors to its New Home in Lakewood on Saturday, May 2
Few restaurants have made as big of a splash as Thai Thai, the tiny Lakewood eatery beloved for its flavorful, fiery Bangkok-style street foods. From the day it opened in 2016, this pared-down eatery excelled by focusing on a handful of Thai classics and knocking each and every one of them out of the park. The…
Singer-Songwriter James McKeivier Teams Up With a Backing Band For the First Time on His New Album
Local singer-songwriter James McKeivier, who grew up in the Canton area, has always loved writing songs, but he says he only started taking the craft seriously about ten years ago. It was also at about that time, he started recording and playing solo. He’s released two albums as a solo act; just today, he dropped…
Stuff We Remember (And More Stuff) — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
Andre and Zac are back with a discussion about the sports waiting game, old baseball cards, memorable games of the past and more. Subscribe to A to Z here or stream below.
Ohio’s Extended Stay-at-Home Order In Effect Through May 29
While Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has issued dates for some businesses and sectors to reopen in the state — health care on May 1; manufacturing, construction, distribution and general offices on May 4; and consumer and retail services on May 12 — as long as they follow outlined health and safety protocol, he and Ohio…
Proof Craft Bar-BQ to Make its Meaty Debut in Tremont on May 6
There are countless stories of restaurant openings put on hold in the eleventh hour because of the pandemic, but few were as heartbreaking to follow as the saga of Proof. On and off for the past three years, Mike Griffin has been working to convert the lower level of the former Komorowski Funeral Home building…
Budget Cuts Render University of Akron’s Football Program Increasingly Indefensible
The University of Akron’s maintenance of a Division I FBS football program was hard enough to justify even before last week’s announcement of another round of budget cuts calling for a 20% reduction of all non-academic administrative expenses at the debt-ridden institution. Last November, the Beacon Journal published a column by Bob Dyer taking stock…
Bela Tarr’s Seven-Hour Epic Sátántangó Available for Streaming in Cinematheque “Virtual Multiplex”
Tarrheads assemble! The Hungarian master filmmaker Bela Tarr’s 438-minute epic, Sátántangó, has arrived at the Cleveland Institute of Art’s “virtual cinema.” Local cinephiles can support the region’s only true arthouse theatre by streaming this opus from 1994. Set in a squalid Hungarian village after the fall of Communism, Sátántangó tells the story of a farming collective whose residents…
To End Social Distancing, the U.S. Must Dramatically Ramp Up Contact Tracing
Right now, many countries are fighting the spread of COVID-19 with the bluntest tool possible: widespread social distancing. To deny the virus the opportunity to hop between people, most of us are staying in, regardless of whether we’ve come into contact with the virus. But social distancing, which has saved lives and eased the burden…
Top CBD Gummies On The Market Today
CBD gummies and the best CBD oil have become one of the most popular cannabis products across all 50 states. With the legalization of CBD from the 2018 Farm Bill, CBD gummies quickly became a prominent choice for traditional cannabis fans and newcomers alike. Citing that it’s the most intuitive compared to smoking for those…
Machine Gun Kelly to Buy Lunch for Locals at Select Cleveland Restaurants
In an effort to give back to the city where his career essentially began, rapper and actor Machine Gun Kelly will purchase lunch at 12 select Cleveland restaurants today. From noon to 1 p.m., he’ll provide one complimentary meal per person at B&M BBQ, Black Box Fix, Jewellz Fine Dining, Primoz Pizza (two locations), the…
Remembering Nick Amster: A Rock ’n’ Roll Spirit Who Led a Legendary Life
I didn’t know Nick Amster well, but every time I met the man, I was struck by just how warm and sincere he was. “Do you like the Velvet Underground. No, do you really like the Velvet Underground?” he asked me once at the Rock Hall where we had gathered for a donation of a…
Report: SIx of 10 Most Common Jobs in Ohio Didn’t Pay a Living Wage Before Pandemic Hit
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The COVID-19 pandemic has undermined the livelihoods of many Ohioans. However new data reveals a significant number of Ohio workers were already were scrapping to get by. A new report shows that six of Ohio’s 10 most common jobs in 2019 paid near-poverty wages. Researcher Michael Shields with Policy Matters Ohio explains…
You Better Believe There is Now a Bobblehead for Ohio Sign-Language Interpreter Marla Berkowitz
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame & Museum was pleased to announce, Friday, a new bobblehead immortalizing Ohio sign-language interpreter Marla Berkowitz. Berkowitz is often the star of the daily state press briefings with Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Health Director Dr. Amy Acton. As a certified deaf interpreter, Berkowitz conveys the…
Allegations of Sexism, Racism and Intimidation Lodged at Akron Art Museum
The Akron Art Museum may have used the coronavirus pandemic as a convenient excuse to purge its staff of those who had complained about mismanagement and called for the removal of a CEO known for racist language. A scorching story published Thursday by Art News disclosed allegations of racism, sexism and intimidation against museum leadership.…
Cleveland Bagel Hopes to Reopen West-Side Shop Around the Middle of May With East-Side Location to Follow
Dan Herbst and Geoff Hardman knew right away that they were not going to be able to continue making bagels at the east- and west-side locations of Cleveland Bagel. The week leading up to Governor DeWine’s restaurant shutdown order grew tenser by the day, culminating with a decision to stop production that coincided with DeWine’s.…
Springtime for Cleveland and Cum Trees
Perhaps you haven’t noticed because you’ve been obeying Ohio’s stay-at-home order, but springtime in Cleveland is coming and the surest way to confirm that news is to walk by any local Bradford pear tree, which is, and has been for the last ten days or so, enthusiastically indicating this truth. Their pungent, distinctively semen-y wafts…
Rock Hall Van to Bring Music to Neighborhoods and Food Distributions
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame temporarily shuttered last month to help stop the spread of coronavirus, but it’s still promoting the importance of rock ‘n’ roll. Beginning today, it’s sending Joy Ride, a branded Rock Hall van, to neighborhoods, food distributions and “celebratory activities” where social distancing protocols are in place. The van…
Falafel Café Set to Reopen on May 4th at Uptown in University Circle
After 18 great years as one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants on Cleveland’s East Side, Falafel Café closed its doors on October 31, 2018, after losing its lease at its original location at 11365 Euclid Ave. The plan was to relocate to a larger space, but those plans were delayed following the death of founder Hani Elassal.…
Belmont Could Be The Next “Hot Spot” Ohio Prison, Full Unit Likely Infected with COVID-19
The most recent numbers provided by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction show the continued spread of COVID-19 in Ohio prisons. Twenty-nine inmates and two officers have now died from the virus, and more than 3,600 have tested positive across the state’s 27 facilities. The vast majority of confirmed cases, and all but two…
Cuyahoga County Reminds Residents All Communities Besides Cleveland Still Actually Recycling
On the heels of a frank admission by the mayor of Cleveland that the city, while sending separate trucks to pick up residents’ curbside recycling, is actually dumping those cans, bottles and cardboard directly in the landfill alongside regular garbage, the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District wanted to remind county residents who live anywhere but…
Lakewood Truck Park Still on Track to Open this Summer
Before the coronavirus slammed the brakes on the local food and drinks scene, Dan Deagan and partner Justin Costanzo were inching ever closer to opening day for the ambitious and unique Lakewood Truck Park. Located at the corner of Detroit and Edwards, the 19,000-square-foot lot was to be home to a year-round courtyard coupled with…
Three 6 Mafia and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Engage in a Live Rap Battle on Instagram
Earlier this week, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, the hip-hop group that has deep ties to Cleveland, and Three 6 Mafia announced that they’d engage in a rap battle that’ll take place live in Instagram. Since neither act can tour at the moment due to COVID-19 concerns, it seems like a decent way to keep fans engaged and interested. Swizz…
Mayor Frank Jackson Confirms: All Cleveland Recyclables are Going to a Landfill
Mayor Frank Jackson admitted Tuesday that all the recyclable material gathered each week as part of the city’s curbside waste collection program is going to a landfill, right alongside residents’ trash. Jackson said that the market had “fallen out of” recycling and that despite multiple attempts to secure a new contract, the city received only…
Ohio City Mainstay Soho Eyes Early Summer Reopening with New Menu and Format
Much to the chagrin of countless diners, SoHo Chicken + Whiskey (1899 W. 25th St., 216-298-9090) has been shut tight since March 15, when the Governor ordered all restaurants to close their doors to dine-in customers. Unlike countless other eateries, this one did not pivot to carry-out and delivery business because doing so did not…
Rewind: 47 Years Ago This Week, Scene Interviewed Steve Miller
This July, Cleveland Scene will turn 50 years old, and in advance of the occasion, we’ve decided to dig into the archives on a weekly basis to republish something that appeared in the paper on that date (or thereabouts) during Scene’s first decade. This interview with singer-guitarist Steve Miller by Derek Van Pelt appeared in the issue…
Ohio State Rep. Who Blamed Dayton Mass Shooting on Same-Sex Marriage, Introduced Abortion Bills, Loses GOP Primary for State Senate Seat
One of the most controversial figures in Ohio’s General Assembly won’t be back next term after a sound defeat in a Republican primary contest for a state Senate seat. Two-term State Rep. Candice Keller of Middletown lost to challenger State Rep. George Lang in a three-way primary race, according to unofficial results from the Butler…
