For First Time Ever, Cleveland’s Arts Scene Will Have Representation at City Hall
You can find it in Detroit. It exists in Nashville, along with Austin, Texas, Asheville, N.C., and definitely in New Orleans. And pretty soon, just like in these music and arts meccas, you’ll have it in Cleveland. Maybe. This month, the Mayor’s Office and City Council have finalized plans to create a new position and…
Months After Surviving Lawsuit, Backyard Pizza Oven in Cleveland Heights Welcomes Friends and Family, With No Fire Trucks Called
On Saturday afternoon, there were no reported panic attacks or pollution of the olfactory. There were no calls to the Cleveland Heights Fire Department, or to any nearby dispatch or patrol car. There were no voyeuristic photos or videos recorded of unaware neighbors, or routine log-making of grill usage, or angry demands for dispositions from…
Cleveland’s Brian Alan Hager Releases First Segment of New ‘Rock and Soul’ Album
Local singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brian Alan Hager began playing guitar and keyboards at the age of 7, shortly after his mom passed away from diabetes and heart disease. “My dad bought an organ, and I played that,” says Brian Alan Hager via phone. The veteran musician just released his new EP, Rock and Soul (Side A),…
DEA Says Deadly Animal Sedative Increasingly Found Mixed With Fentanyl in Ohio
A drug only approved by the FDA for use on animals has been found in fentanyl in 48 states, including Ohio. Xylazine, a non-opioid sedative, sometimes referred to as “Tranq” or “the zombie drug,” is a veterinary drug used to sedate, anaesthetize or induce vomiting in animals. It’s being used to cut fentanyl — and…
15+ Things to Do in Cleveland This Weekend (April 20-23)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 04/20 Bruce-O-Rama B-movie actor Bruce Campbell brings his traveling show featuring Evil Dead 2 to the Agora tonight at 7. The first part of the show will find Campbell hosting an interactive game, and…
Mounting Child Welfare Caseworker Shortages Put More Ohio Kids at Risk
All of Ohio’s 88 counties are struggling to find and retain child-welfare caseworkers. Between 2016 and 2017, around 1 in 4 caseworkers in Ohio left their positions, and the pandemic has worsened those numbers. Sarah Fortner, deputy director of Fairfield County Protective Services, said the job requires long hours, and often takes a physical and…
Ohio River Named America’s Second-Most Endangered River
The Ohio River is now America’s second-most endangered, according to the American Rivers nonprofit. A new report from the national nonprofit American Rivers cited industrial, municipal, and agricultural pollution from the Ohio River’s watershed, which is the source of drinking water for more than five million people. The second-place designation comes in the wake of…
Former Ohio Township Fiscal Officer Stole $310,000 in Public Funds to Buy Wildebeest, Snow Owls, Hot Tubs, Golf Carts, Netflix Subscription, More
The office of Ohio Auditor Keith Faber today released the results of a special audit into the finances of Vinton Township and former Vinton fiscal officer Cy Vierstra, who in late 2022 pleaded guilty to a string of charges stemming from $310,000 in public funds he stole or misappropriated for an absolutely wild variety of personal uses.…
Ready Set! Coffee Roasters to Open ‘Outpost’ Café in Duck Island
Two years ago, Chris Allen and his partners relocated the roasting operations for Ready Set! Coffee from a warehouse in Fairview Park to an attractive roastery and café in Detroit Shoreway (7306 Detroit Ave., 216-736-8601). Soon, they will add an “outpost” café in Duck Island. Allen says that coffee lovers can expect the same quality…
Greta Van Fleet Coming to the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Michigan rock band Greta Van Fleet will once again return to Cleveland with a newly announced show at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sept. 23. The show is part of Greta Van Fleet’s 2023 world tour in support of its forthcoming third studio album Starcatcher, out on July 21. Tickets go on sale at 10…
Majority of GOP Lawmakers Want to Make It Harder to Amend the Ohio Constitution. Far Fewer Think the Public Actually Wants That
A majority of Ohio’s Republican lawmakers want to make it harder for voters to amend the state Constitution. But significantly fewer think it’s something Ohioans would support at the polls, according to a Gongwer-Werth poll published on Friday. Some Ohio House Republicans — and Secretary of State Frank LaRose — are reviving a measure that…
A Westside Airbnb Party House Has Drawn the Ire of Neighbors, and Inaction From the City of Cleveland
After the recent shootings of two teenagers outside a Tremont Airbnb, calls have renewed for stricter regulations of the short-term rental market in Cleveland. While there are proposed legislative actions on the table, some neighbors of a house on the near west side have said they can’t come fast enough, and that the city hasn’t…
Walnut Wednesday Returns to Perk Plaza for the Season on May 3rd
Downtown Cleveland’s largest weekly food truck roundup returns for the season on Wednesday, May 3rd. Presented by Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Walnut Wednesday kicks off its 10th year at 11:30 a.m. at Perk Plaza at Chester Commons. The weekly events run until 1:30 p.m. In addition to a rotating selection of food trucks, the alfresco gatherings…
Life-Giving but Lethal: The Culprit Behind Dead Zones and the Threat to Our Water Supply
Originally published by ProPublica, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. As bright green plumes of toxic algae spread over Lake Erie in the summer of 2014, suffocating one of the largest lakes on earth, reporter Dan Egan was there. He…
Guerrilla Sign Campaign Tells Cleveland Drivers to ‘Slow The F*ck Down’ as Pedestrian/Cyclist Accidents Climb
After some 20 years of riding his bike daily, a Cleveland cyclist was hit by a driver in a car. It was the middle of October, and he was heading home from work, traveling south on Fulton Rd. As he crossed Lorain Ave., a car sailed eastward at 25 MPH through a red light, clipping…
Yes, Lyndhurst Police Will Knock on Your Door in the Middle of the Night to Collect Overdue Parking Fines
A recent post on NextDoor, near the end of March, had most people assuming the original poster was the victim of a scam. It’s 2:30 in the morning, the person wrote. Lyndhurst police knock on her door and ask her boyfriend to pay off old parking tickets. She asks for proof; the police say it’s…
Ask Alli: Shaping Better Futures Through Early Intervention
By Alli Frazier, CEO of Frazier Behavioral Health and Autism Mom Featuring Lauren Jeunnette, Speech-Language Pathologist at Frazier Behavioral Health There are a multitude of services that play an important role in a child’s early intervention. Understanding how early intervention can positively impact your child’s future is essential. That is why for this Q&A style…
What Does a Misoprostol-Only Abortion Look Like?
Abortion providers in Ohio are still going to offer abortion medication to patients despite a recent national ban on one of the key drugs used in the process, Planned Parenthood announced April 11. Just before Easter weekend, a conservative federal judge in Texas, Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, released a decision to pause the Food and…
Cloud Nothings and Wavves Bring Co-Headlining Tour to Cleveland on June 11
Cleveland’s own Cloud Nothings and Wavves this week announced the dates of their co-headlining tour that will include a hometown stop for Dylan Baldi and crew on June 11 at the Beachland. The tour launches in Minneapolis on June 8 and finds the bands, which have collaborated before on the LP No Life For Me…
Ohio Makes Strides in Number of Children Adopted from Foster Care
Over the past decade, more than 1,500 Ohio children who waited in foster care now have permanent homes, thanks to a pilot program focused on placing older kids, ages 12 to 15, who typically have a more difficult path to a permanent home. Ohio Department of Job and Family Services director Matt Damschroder said the…
Ohio Abortion Rights Groups React to Mifepristone Court Ruling Limiting Drug to First Seven Weeks of Pregnancy
A key abortion drug is now only approved for use up to seven weeks of pregnancy — a reduction from the original ten weeks — and can no longer be sent through the mail. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit made a decision late Wednesday that paused the ruling that would have…
‘Weird’ Chain Pizza Cat is Opening a South Euclid Location
With a promise to “keep pizza weird,” the Pizza Cat chain has offbeat toppings like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Grippos potato chips — pies seemingly tailored for stoners with a serious case of the munchies — as well as vegan, veg, and gluten-free options. The company will bring all that to a new location in…
Doug Petkovic to Open Heritage Steak and Whiskey in Former Fleming’s Steakhouse at Eton Chagrin
For the past year, Doug Petkovic has been quietly working to transform the former Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse (28869 Chagrin Blvd.) at Eton Chagrin in Woodmere, which closed in 2019 after 15 years, into Heritage Steak and Whiskey. This is a solo project for Petkovic, who is a partner in Michael Symon Restaurants. “We’re shooting for…
None Too Fragile’s Production of ‘Faith Healer’ Features One of the Most Stirring Performances You’ll Ever See
There are many plays that plunge you into the immediate moment, with characters whose passions spill over as they try to negotiate the lives in which they’ve found themselves. Then there are plays such as Faith Healer, the magnificent Irish play by Brian Friel now at None Too Fragile theater in Akron, where all the…
After End of Covid-Era Benefits, 70,000 Older Ohioans Struggle With Hunger
After Congress ended pandemic food assistance in February, 70,000 older Ohioans have seen food benefits slashed to $23 a month, in some cases down from $280. That has many making excruciating choices between food, medicine and utilities like electricity and gas, Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, said Wednesday. And while…
Cleveland Browns Announce Early End of FirstEnergy Stadium Naming Rights Deal
In a joint announcement on Thursday, the Cleveland Browns and FirstEnergy announced the two sides reached an “amicable decision” to end the energy giant’s naming rights deal for the football stadium. The stadium will revert to its original name, Cleveland Browns Stadium, though the Haslams are likely to begin the pursuit for a new sponsorship…
Literary Cleveland Moves Into New Larchmere Storefront as Membership Booms
During the pandemic, it seemed for a while that things could have gone either way for Literary Cleveland. Its 14 paid programs, which often saw more than 2,000 attendees a year, were basically impossible to host. Matt Weinkam, the nonprofit’s executive director, segued quickly to Zoom courses, a lifesaver that helped it survive where others…
Samia Enjoys the Communal Aspect of Live Concerts
The entertainment industry was the status quo for indie-pop singer-songwriter Samia while growing up in Los Angeles. Her parents, Kathy Najimy and Dan Finnerty, are successful actors, and her father is also a musician. Surrounded by the duo and their industry friends, she saw the highs and lows from a young age. In a recent…
The Cleveland Orchestra Presents ‘Ellis Island: The Dream of America’ and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
This week’s picks visit a wide variety of musical styles. – On Thursday, April 13 at 7:30 pm, The Cleveland Orchestra welcomes back two distinguished guests — conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and pianist Leif Ove Andsnes — for Debussy’s Jeux (Games) and Fantasie for piano & orchestra, & Mahler’s First Symphony. This program will be…
Menards to Pay Former Avon Employee $342,000 After Failing to Take Action Against Serial Harasser
An arbitrator has awarded a former Avon Menards employee more than $342,000 for lost pay, emotional distress and punitive damages in her lawsuit alleging the home improvement store ignored escalating sexual harassment from a customer that forced her to leave her job. The employee, who started as a part-time cashier at a Menards in Avon…
Guanaquitas Restaurante to Open in Former Big Egg Space in Detroit Shoreway
Blanca Hernandez, owner of the four-year-old Pupuseria y Antojitos Guanaquitas (2998 W. 25th St., 216-862-1082) restaurant in Clark-Fulton, will open her second restaurant in the former Big Egg space at 5107 Detroit Ave. Unlike Pupuseria y Antojitos Guanaquitas, which serves strictly Salvadoran foods like tortas, tacos, pupusas and carne asada, this latest restaurant — called simply Guanaquitas — will offer a blend of…
Ohioans Can Still Use Abortion Drug for Now, But That Could Change
An abortion drug remains legal in Ohio at the moment, but the legality of mifepristone hangs in the balance after a Texas federal judge suspended the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone last week. Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk stopped the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, the first in a two-drug regimen of mifepristone…
With New State Law in Effect, Cleveland Will Pursue Expungement of 4,000 Low-Level Marijuana Convictions
Nearly a year after Mayor Bibb walked into the Justice Center intent on enacting local marijuana reform, his actions have helped residents not only in Cleveland but statewide have the chance to get low-level marijuana convictions off their records. Ohio Senate Bill 288, the 500-page criminal justice reform behemoth that Bibb helped lobby for, went…
8 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Weekend
THU 04/13 Selwyn BirchwoodOften sounding like multiple guitarists working at once, Selwyn Birchwood has carved out a nice name for himself on the blues circuit these past few years. With 2021’s Living in a Burning House, Birchwood shows off a flair for tight riffs and flashy lead work. It’s clear that Birchwood has a knack for…
Cleveland Offering $100 Rebates to Cuyahoga County Residents Who Switch to Electric Lawn Mowers
Cuyahoga County residents and businesses looking to get a new lawn mower, now is the time. While supplies last (about 500), the City of Cleveland’s Air Quality Division is giving out $100 rebate gift cards to those who recently bought or buy new, battery-operated electric lawn mowers to replace gasoline-powered versions. Electric mowers, which can…
Latest Effort from the War & Treaty Strikes Emotional Chord
With its Tina Turner-like rockers such as the title track and “Dumb Luck,” the latest album from the soul/rock/country/blues duo the War and Treaty hits a strong emotional chord as powerhouse singers (and married couple) Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, exchange spirited refrains. The group has recently started to gain traction too. Last year,…
Ohio AG Dave Yost Joins Effort to Stop Billions in Student Loan Debt From Being Forgiven
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is trying to prevent billions of dollars of student loan debt from being forgiven. Yost filed an amicus brief recently with the U.S. Supreme Court — along with 19 other states — arguing U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel A. Cardona’s plan to wipe away an estimated $6 billion in student…
Ohio Distracted Driving Deaths Up; Family Members Raise Awareness
April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and in Ohio, fatal accidents caused by distracted drivers are on the rise. Deaths in 2021 reached their highest point in nearly two decades, topping 1,300, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Stefanie Easley, a resident of Fairfield, started the Erica Easley Foundation in 2022 to raise…
Police Chases Have Dramatically Decreased Since East Cleveland’s New Police Chief Took Office
Brian Gerhard officially took over as the police chief of the embattled and beleaguered East Cleveland force in October. He’s now in charge of a department where nearly one-third of his officers have been indicted in Cuyahoga County for a range of offenses including bribery, civil rights violations, and assault. While change is slow to…
Irie Jamaican Kitchen Will Open its Shaker Heights Location June 1
Last spring, Omar McKay announced his plans to open a fourth Irie Jamaican Kitchen. McKay had claimed a spot on Chagrin Boulevard in Shaker Heights, across the street from Heinen’s in the strip mall at Chagrin and Lee. His new restaurant was going in next door to Upper Crust. Early in the process, the Upper Crust…
Porco Lounge to Offer First Legal Pours of Malört in Ohio This Wednesday
Stefan Was has been on a quest to share his fondness for Malört for years. The curious wormwood-based spirit began life in Chicago during the Prohibition but went legit in 1933, when creator Carl Jeppson began marketing and selling his Swedish-style bitter liqueur to a wider audience. The Porco Lounge owner’s efforts to bring Malört into the state have…
As Maternal Mortality Rises, Ohio Policymakers Urge Action
With a recent CDC report showing a significant increase in maternal mortality, Ohio health advocates say the state needs more prevention strategies, particularly when it comes to minority health. The CDC’s report showed a 40% increase in maternal mortality in 2021, the most recent data released by the National Vital Statistics System. The report showed…
Cleveland Play House Production of ‘Becoming Dr. Ruth’ Can’t Overcome a Rushed Story
If you ask most sex experts about the best advice they would have to insure a pleasurable bump-uglies encounter, they’d probably say something along the lines of “take your time, slow down and explore.” So it’s odd that the play Becoming Dr. Ruth, about the renowned media sex maven Dr. Ruth Westheimer, seems so rushed…
Ideastream’s Rick Jackson, Prominent Voice in Cleveland Media for 20 Years, Will Retire in June
In Rick Jackson’s 45 odd years in TV and broadcast journalism, his voice — buttery lilt reminiscent of Brokaw-era broadcasters — has brought news both local and national to listeners. Jackson has helped contextualize gubernatorial debates and led City Club talks. He’s provided updates on murder trials in Mississippi and interviewed a half dozen Presidents. He’s covered…
Environmental Groups Call on Ohio Regulator to Audit Coal Subsidies in Corrupt Utility Bailout
Ohio’s utility regulator played a central role in a historic bribery and money laundering scandal. Now environmental groups are calling on it to perform legally mandated audits of hundreds of millions in coal subsidies that were part of the corrupt 2019 legislation. The regulator, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, is required to evaluate whether…
Ohio Supreme Court Hears Case on Transgender Birth Certificates
Justices on the Ohio Supreme Court heard the argument of a woman who was denied the ability to change her birth certificate to match her gender identity. Clark County resident Hailey Emmeline Adelaide applied for a change to the sex marker on her birth certificate in October of 2021, but the county’s probate court decided…
Recycling Contamination Down to 15% in Cleveland After Program Overhaul
When the city of Cleveland relaunched residential recycling last summer, it did so with a revamp that included an opt-in to participate and a heavy dose of education to keep the program from avoiding the pitfalls that torpedoed earlier efforts. For two years, the city had abandoned curbside collection after the global market for recyclables…
Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan Issues Sweeping Information Requests to Universities Researching Disinformation
Originally published by ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. House Republicans have sent letters to at least three universities and a think tank requesting a broad range of documents related to what it says are the institutions’ contributions…
University Hospitals Lake West Medical Center in Willoughby Latest Ohio Hospital to End Maternity Services
An Ohio hospital recently ended their maternity services and another hospital is ending their labor and delivery services later this month. OhioHealth’s Shelby Hospital stopped providing maternity services after Feb. 28, and University Hospitals Lake West Medical Center in Willoughby is ending labor and delivery services April 15. “When an obstetric unit closes there are…
Millennia Says Construction on Centennial Project Could Begin This Fall, Adjusts Total of Workforce Apartments
For the past 18 months or so, the Union Trust building has, from the outside, sat still and dark, save for activity in the Huntington Bank outpost, which takes up 0.3 percent of its 1.4 million square feet. Tom Mignogna, vice president of Millennia, said Thursday evening that inside, however, demolition work has been ongoing…
Student Hunger Remains a Pervasive Issue in Ohio
Student hunger looks different in every school district in Ohio, but legislative intervention could resolve the issues, from the funding gap to the stigma attached to meal support, advocates say. Districts across the state have held fundraisers to pay down unpaid meal accounts, and alternatives to hot meals are available, often in the form of…
In Ohio Cities Like Toledo, Dollar Stores Leave Trail of Neighborhood Disinvestment
New research found more communities are rejecting the expansion of so-called “dollar stores” into their areas, and even enacting local laws to limit them. In Ohio, Toledo residents said it is a battle they have fought for a nearly a decade, over concerns about what these discount stores can do to mom-and-pop retailers. Rev. Donald…
No Exit New Music Offers Free World Premieres and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Weekend
This week’s picks suggest a wide variety of musical styles. Thursday, April 6 – At 7:30 pm, Rafael Payare will conduct pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and The Cleveland Orchestra in Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2 (“The Age of Anxiety”) and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. Severance Music Center, Cleveland. Repeated on Friday at 7:30 and Saturday at…
Study: Ohioans Freaking Love Festivals
With spring and summer fast approaching, a new study confirms what we already know: Ohioans love nothing more than a festival. In fact, it was the second “most festival-obsessed” state in the union, trailing only Wisconsin, according to Google search trends analyzed by UK-based fast fashion giant Boohoo. Whether it’s bacon, pickles, corn, garlic, art,…
Bar Mleczny’s, a Pop-Up From Chef Brandon Chrostowski, to Take Flight at Polish American Cultural Center in Slavic Village
With the aim of shoring up support for the Polish American Cultural Center in Slavic Village, an organization dedicated to the promotion of Polish culture, the center will team up with chef Brandon Chrostowski on a creative pop-up project. Together, they will operate Bar Mleczny’s, which will dish up inspired Polish fare on a weekly…
With Bipartisan Support, It’s Time to Stop Ohio From Executing People
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost appears to have used a normally factual state report on the death penalty to make his case for resuming executions. Going back to when it was first issued by AG Betty Montgomery, the Ohio Capital Crimes Report provided a valuable record of all executions and death penalty cases in Ohio.…
Daisy’s in Slavic Village Will Reopen This Summer
Daisy’s in Slavic Village has endured its share of ups and downs over the past few years. After owners Ray and Daisy Pudelski rolled down the shutters on their 40-year-old ice cream shop on Fleet Avenue, the neighborhood attraction sat idle for three years. In 2018, chef Walter Hyde revived the shop, giving it the…
Ohio’s Childcare Providers Struggling to Keep Doors Open
Ohio’s child care providers said they are struggling to stay in business due to drops in attendance with no help in sight from the state or federal government. A report published earlier this year by Ready Nation found Ohio’s economy loses nearly $4 billion per year due to child care issues. Tarrezz Thompson, a child…
Hecks Delivers Packed Seats and Reliably Good Food in Beachwood With Eastside Return
The Beachwood parking lot adjacent to Hecks was completely full, compelling every diner in our party to maneuver to the distant rear lot in search of refuge. I assumed that the prime spots were gobbled up by the usual mix of diners, shoppers and gym-goers that frequent the shopping center. That is, until I crossed…
Livewire: 15 Concerts to Catch in Cleveland Through April 16th
WED 04/05 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street BandBruce Springsteen and his E Street Band return to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse as part of a 2023 tour in the wake of the release of the Boss’s new album, Only the Strong Survive, a collection of covers of soul and R&B tunes from the ’60s and ’70s.…
