Terrified, Bloody and Naked Woman Runs Around Apt Complex
Unsettling wake-ups are never fun. No one wants to have that sweaty beach dream interrupted by gunshots, fire alarms, or the repo man carting off your 1998 Saturn. You can top that list with finding a bleeding, naked woman screaming bloody murder at the door step. That was the pre-dawn scene Tuesday at housing complex…
South Euclid Gladly Trading Golf Course For Retail
When news surfaced that the venerable, dead Oakwood Country Club would be repurposed for retail space, critics were quick to lather on the outrage. One particularly vocal group pushed for the old golf course to be turned into 154 acres of parkland, which is an eco-friendly way of saying a golf course that pays no…
Governor Kasich Targets Cleveland Heights School Board Member Over Technicality
In his quest to bury all the bodies of Ohio’s past leadership, Governor John Kasich deposed state school board member Martha Harris of Cleveland Heights earlier this month, claiming that the proper paperwork had never been filed for her Senate confirmation two years ago. He replaced her with Angela Thi Bennett of East Cleveland. Harris…
Cleveland Teacher Sex Lawsuit Settled
Last month we reported on a sex scandal brewing at the Cleveland public schools involving a white high school teacher with a reputation for assaulting black teens who passed through her classroom. But before the lawsuit could shift into high gear, the parties have come to an agreement, Scene has learned. Cynthia Reiman was a…
Ohioans Stranded On Highway For Ten Hours
There are backups, and then there are backups. Travelers on I-76 Monday night were forced to sit in truly nightmarish snarled traffic after semi-trucks jackknifed and various accidents blocked lanes. The closures were complicated by the abundant snow, which made clearing the disabled vehicles more than the usual chore. Six, seven, even ten hours —…
Breaking: Semi-Truck Plunges Off Valley View Bridge (Updated)
Update II: The driver of the truck is dead. (WEWS) Update: Here’s a grainy shot from WKYC which looks like it shows the body of the truck against the protective wall and the cab clearly missing. *** NewsNet5 is reporting that the cab of a semi-truck ripped through the protective fencing on the Valley View…
Tribe’s Bob Feller Tribute Patch Stymied By Copyright Issues
The Tribe will be honoring Bob Feller with a uniform patch this season. What that final version of the patch looks like remains to be seen. In a bit of uniform-related minutia, the hangup on the design stems from a copyright issue on a photograph the Indians want to use as the basis for Feller’s…
Stepdad Sends Boy Nude Picture of Mom
Ex-lovers resort to all kinds of vindictive actions when going through a divorce. Things can get messy — words said, insults hurled, lamps thrown, lies made up. A wee bit more complicated in a non-civilized breakup is when one or more parties have compromising photos of the other. Nude pictures, once a private memento of…
Shockingly, Ohio’s No-Touch Stripper Rule Not Being Enforced
19 Action News took their cameras undercover and into four Cleveland strip clubs and discovered what you probably could have guessed: Ohio’s “no touch” law for strip clubs isn’t enforced that often. Or at all. Why Cleveland’s venerable local TV version of the National Enquirer would pursue such an un-American story is beyond us. Many…
Afternoon Brew: Donating Breast Milk, Casino Tax Money Issues, Sleeping on Train Tracks, and Woman Pitches to Indians
Good afternoon, Cleveland. Here’s some stuff to read while we wait for the weather to improve so the news stations will stop reporting on the snow and ice and go back to bringing us tales of stupid criminals. — Have excess breast milk? Donate it for moms that don’t produce enough or any. (WKYC) —…
Pic of the Day: Ice Breaker on Lake Erie
Scenic, no? We’ve always been fascinated by the ice cutters of the Coast Guard that plunge through Lake Erie in the winter, breaking up ice for commercial shipping vessels and rescuing smaller ships that have gotten stuck in the frozen waters. Here’s a view from the Neah Bay on Lake Erie courtesy of the Ashtabula…
Cleveland International Film Festival’s 2011 Lineup
Our favorite ten days or so in Cleveland are nearing: the Cleveland International Film Festival (March 24 – April 3). Their site is up and live, and with that, a list of all the fine film fare they’ll be serving you. Tickets don’t go on sale until March 11, but that doesn’t mean you can’t…
Crop Taking Over Food Duties at Whiskey Island
The best part of Whiskey Island has never been the food at Sunset Grille. That will change this summer when Steve and Jackie Schimoler, owners of Crop Bistro, take over the food operations at the popular summer destination. Kicking off at the annual Cinco de Mayo party, “Cropicana” will feature Crop’s signature creative foods, reworked…
Contest: Usher Ticket Giveaway
Usher is coming to Quicken Loans Arena on May 12. We know that puts you in a tizzy, but try to contain your unbridled excitement long enough to read the following details on how you can win free tickets to the show. We have two pairs, so you have a better shot of winning than……
Q&A With Layzie Bone
It’s all downhill from here Layzie Bone — a founding member of Cleveland’s Bone Thugs-n-Harmony — will release a pair of new albums tomorrow, The Definition and The Meaning. The latter includes “The Game Ain’t Ready,” a tongue-twisting track featuring the other members of Bones; The Definition boasts cameos from Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, and up-and-coming…
Morning Brew: Birds Dying, Heroin Killing, Josh Cribbs Ripped on Twitter, and Abe Lincoln’s DNA Tested
Good morning, Cleveland. Here’s some stuff to read while you take a break from chiseling ice off your car windows. — Thousands of duck and geese are mysteriously dying off the shores of Lake Erie. Scientists have no idea what’s causing the deaths yet, but remind us that it’s never too soon to panic. (WOIO)…
Zoo’s Fat Gorillas Are Dropping Pounds
Three years ago we found out that the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s gorillas were not only fat, but suffering from heart disease. Cool, just like the rest of us. Mokolo and Bebac needed help, like Weight Watchers or a stomach stapling or something. Animal experts came up with something a little easier — a simple change…
Afternoon Brew: Ice Flooding Is Dangerous, Kucinich Owes Thousands, Executive Catering Tied to Corruption Probe, and Harbor Master Fired
Good afternoon, Cleveland. Here’s some stuff to read while you apply for the open Harbor Master position. — Folks out east are watching rivers with eager eyes. Melting ice has several waterways at or near flood stage and everyone knows what can happen in the worst case scenario. If you don’t, here’s a reminder from…
Cleveland: 10th Most Dangerous City
Roaming the mean streets of Cleveland can be dangerous. Car theft, assaults, robberies, the sight of Jimmy Dimora’s backside — these are all problems the everyday citizen has to deal with for the privilege of living in the Paris of the Midwest. But just how dangerous is Cleveland? One of the ten most dangerous in…
Local Chef Upset With Our 25 Essential Restaurants List, Plus Praise and Criticism From Readers
I have the greatest job in the world, or so I’m told on a regular basis. And for the most part, I do. I get to write and, more importantly, be read, on a consistent basis about a compelling subject. Over the course of almost 10 years on the food beat I have met an…
Prediction: 50% of Cavs Season Ticket Holders Won’t Renew
Mired in a miserable season with the NBA’s worst record and a roster of D-Leaguers, the Cavs are still making money hand over foot. Season ticket holders had to lock in by May 2010, way before LeBron’s decision, so the Cavs still have over 10,000 season ticket holders paying for a putrid product. They also…
Investor’s Harsh Words For Scott Wolstein on Developers Diversified Realty Conference Call
Earlier this week it was announced that Scott Wolstein would be stepping down as executive chairman of Developers Diversified Realty. This after the co-founder drove the company to a screeching halt with mountains of debt. Scott Wolstein will take home $16 million in his departure — money that DDP said during a conference call with…
John Kasich Is Sorry For Calling That Cop An Idiot
Governor Kasich was caught on tape last month telling state employees that a cop who issued him a ticket back in 2008 was “an idiot.” Of course, that was news, and more than a few people were interested in the story, especially as the Governor deals with blowback from his move to take away collective…
Great Lakes 22nd Best Brewery in America
Great Lakes Brewing Company, those fine local purveyors of Christmas Ale and Dortmunder and the rest, got some props from Beer Advocate mag. GLCB was named the 22nd “Top Brewer” in the booze-lovin’ group’s latest rankings, a nice notch of recognition. Via Fresh Water Cleveland, the news has us thinking this fine Friday afternoon would…
How Clarence Clemons, E Street Saxophonist, Almost Played for the Cleveland Browns
It’s safe to say that Clarence Clemons found his life’s calling. Belting out notes on the sax for Springsteen’s crew has made for a decent job — fame, millions of dollars, and looking completely badass. But Clemons was one car accident away from a career move that might have changed the course of rock forever,…
Woman Breaks Probation to Appear on Maury Show
Having never been on probation, we’re not sure what would drive someone to violate the restrictive orders. There’s certainly a sect that, having already committed a crime, wouldn’t blink before crossing the law again. But the reason has to be really cogent, right? Money, a big heist opportunity, a super attractive mate, perhaps. Or fame.…
Lots of Weed Off Our Streets
All this in one F150 If you’re hauling close to a half-ton of marijuana up from Mexico, here are a few tips: 1. Don’t start off by loading it into a vehicle with a cracked windshield.2. Once on the road, don’t follow the car in front of you too closely.3. For crying out loud, don’t…
A Fetish Goes Awry: Really, Wayyy Awry
An average urine collector Nothing against a healthy fetish or two, but when a judge has to name a brand new charge—that of “urine collector,” for example — just for you, it might be a signal that you shouldn’t take your preoccupation to the next level, particularly if minors are involved. But a 59-year-old Dublin,…
Cleveland-area Chefs/Restaurants Fare Well in Early Beard Nominations
The James Beard Foundation has just announced its list of Semifinalists for this year’s Beard Awards, to be held in New York on May 9. As usual, Cleveland-area chefs and restaurants fareed well. The final list of nominees will be released on March 21. Michael Symon racked up multiple nominations in the categories of Outstanding…
Killing Deer Not Easy in Solon
Solon is having a hell of a time deciding how best to kill its extra deer. A previous sharpshooting project rid the city of about 600 Bambi-types in the first year but didn’t have the desired result. Vehicle-deer collisions went up from 45 to 64. Citing budget problems, city council decided to phase out the…
Cleveland State Killer Set to Die at 10 a.m. (Update)
Spisak, back in the day Yep, the bell tolled for Frank Spisak at 10:34 this morning. Last night he had spaghetti with a light tomato sauce, salad with Italian dressing, and chocolate cake. We wonder if it was German chocolate cake. ********** It appears that Frank Spisak, the neo-Nazi who shot and killed three people…
Governor Kasich Launches Anti-Idiot Initiative
Ohio’s new governor stepped up his innovative piss-everybody-off approach to leadership Wednesday, just one day after 1,000 cops, firefighters, teachers, and other public workers showed up at the Statehouse in Columbus to protest a bill that would strip them of their collective bargaining rights.
Cleveland Schools Will Scare Kids Straight With Prison Documentary
Cleveland schools are facing the problem of dropouts head on by scaring their young pupils with visions of prison rape. OK, not exactly. But the district will be screening a documentary, “InsideOut,” which will show prisoners talking about their mistakes in life, in the hopes that it scares kids off the streets and into the…
For Just $2 Billion Cleveland Can Become a Beautiful City
Cue the Billy Mays voice. For the low, low price of $2 billion Cleveland can emerge from the decaying rust-belt and into a greener, more beautiful era. Cleveland is littered abandoned and decrepit plots of land littered through the city. What to do with them? Well, there’s plenty, and a lot of it free —…
Drunk Guy Shows Up at Jail Impersonating a Lawyer
It is not advisable to show up at a jail impersonating a lawyer, no matter how desperate you are to talk to an inmate. However, if you are going to bravely march into the den of law enforcement as someone else, it’s best to have your faculties about you and to avoid anything that might…
John Boehner Cares About Jobs, Unless They Are Government Jobs
So what’s a few lost jobs to a well-fed, well-tanned congressman like John Boehner? Not much, apparently. At a press conference in Washington D.C. yesterday, the Speaker of the House claimed that President Obama has swollen the government payroll by 200,000 jobs (Democrats put it at closer to 20,000) and said, “If some of those…
Chris Rock Knows Why LeBron Left Cleveland
Chris Rock sat down for an interview with Scott Raab, Esquire scribe and native Clevelander. They talked about lots of stuff, including LeBron and Cleveland. Why did King James depart for Miami? Simple, Rock says: the fucking weather. Here’s a snippet of their discussion:
Geeky Old-Timey Movie Reel Pays Tribute to Cinematheque Director
Cinematheque director John Ewing was recently named a knight in the Order of Arts of Letters of the Republic of France for the cultural work he’s done over the years. He received his award on February 3 with a special ceremony at the Cinematheque. One of his colleagues, Dave Shaw of the Cleveland Museum of…
Man Slaps Pregnant Ex-Girlfriend While She Braids His Hair
Charles Osei just wanted his hair did. His dome, balded to a lovely crescent moon shape, was in need of some love and care. And there was only one person who knew how to properly tame those remaining locks into handsome braids: his ex-girlfriend, who happened to be pregnant with his child. No biggie. The…
Cleveland Is The Cheapest City To Own A Car
Add another feather in the cap of the Forest City. Famous for being the most affordable and awesome place on the planet, Cleveland is also the cheapest city in which to own a car. The land of reasonably priced housing and bargain gourmet dining options just keeps getting better. No wonder people can afford to…
Drink of the Week
Nothing sullies a brunch like the double whammy of a stilted atmosphere and overpriced food. Brunch is casual. Brunch is gobbling nutritious grease and sucking down bargain liquor to quell the lingering hangover. The Beachland Ballroom’s weekend brunch has it right: delicious food outside the normal fare, and all priced below $10. Then there are…
We’re a Happy Family
Concert promoter and punk aficionado Jim Lanza makes posters for Cleveland Cinemas. When he spotted Rock ‘n’ Roll High School — the 1979 cult classic starring the Ramones — on the Capitol Theatre’s schedule, he hatched Ramonesmania, a cross-promotional event revolving around the band. At first, he tried gathering tribute groups from around the globe…
Lost on Memory Lane
In the final third of Barney’s Version, a betrayal is revealed that captures everything the movie adaptation of Mordecai Richler’s 1997 novel gets right. Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti) sits on a bed next to his wife Miriam (Rosamund Pike), who knows he’s hiding something and suspects something horrible. He has to talk around it because…
Film Capsules
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (PG-13) — Martin Lawrence puts on a dress again. Brandon T. Jackson joins him. Biutiful (R) — Alejandro González Iñárritu’s latest, starring Javier Bardem as a father and petty crook who takes stock of his life after he’s diagnosed with cancer. Black Swan (R) — Nina (Natalie Portman) has…
Get Out!
Thursday | 17 John Pinette Eats Up Hilarities Plump, cherubic Boston funny man John Pinette doesn’t strike us as a guy who has missed a lot of meals. And sure enough, his shtick, including a 2007 Comedy Central special I’m Starvin’ and his hit CD Show Me the Buffet, is all about the yummies —…
Meet the DJs
Love and Light have been making music together for less than a year. But the Nevada duo have become two of the nation’s most popular glitch-hop and dubstep DJs in that short time. Matt Madonna and Ryan Anderson’s roots are in house and trance music, but a life-changing experience at the Burning Man festival a…
Stay In!
TOP PICK – VIDEO GAME Dead Space 2 (EA) This sequel to the hit action game plays a lot like the Alien movies. Monsters chase you; you chase monsters. They try to kill you, and you obliterate them with whatever cool-ass weapons you have in your extensive arsenal. There are plenty of psychological thrills in…
At the Arthouse
There’s a whole lotta Ramones going on this weekend, including tribute bands at the Happy Dog on Saturday and special theme sandwiches at both Melt Bar & Grilled locations all weekend. Best of all, there’s a screening of the band’s 1979 classic movie at midnight on Saturday. Show up at the Capitol Theatre in a…
On Stage This Week
Jerry Springer: The Opera There’ll be strippers, whore mongers, and tap-dancing KKK’ers this weekend at the Beck Center for the Arts when the regional premiere of the award-winning musical Jerry Springer: The Opera takes the stage. Director Scott Spence called the comedy “provocative” — and that was even before the protests from evangelical Christians started.…
The New Loud
Since their aptly titled 1996 major-label debut Static Prevails, Jimmy Eat World have experimented with pop music’s basic formula, adding high-voltage injections of fuzzed-out guitars to the mix. The band blasted into the mainstream with 2001’s Bleed American and the ubiquitous alt-rock anthem “The Middle,” which promoted the group’s love for speedy riffs, heavy reverb,…
CD Review: Presque Vu
(presquevumusic.com) This hip-hop group describes itself as the “Backstreet Boys performing Pretty Hate Machine, remixed by DJ Shadow, Phantogram, and Dr. Dre.” That’s not too far off the mark. 210 and a Moustache certainly pulls some sounds from Nine Inch Nails, and it is deeply influenced by hip-hop. But the gruff-voiced rapping on “Transference” and…
Local Band In Focus
Meet the Band: Garrett Komyati (vocals, piano, guitar), Matt Childers (bass, drums), Michael O’Brien (drums), and Bryan Lecky (guitar) Where They’re Coming From: Raised in East Side suburbs, this indie-pop quartet knew the blues by junior high. But they found a cure for midwestern weariness between screenings of Garden State and The Graduate. They Kinda…
Home Movies
Network (Warner) Back in 1976, Network’s themes of reality TV skirting moral and public laws, corporate meddling, and an anything-for-ratings mentality came off like a hyperbolic send-up of how not to run a TV network. How things have changed: 35 years later, Network is not only prescient; it’s downright scary how spot-on it is. After…
Concert Calendar
Rubber City Blues Festival This weekend’s eighth-annual Rubber City Blues Festival features a headliner who knows a thing or two about the blues. Shemekia Copeland was born in Harlem to blues guitarist Johnny Copeland. By the time she was 16, she was singing with her dad. By the time she was 20, she had released…
Bites: Jillian’s Closing, Match Works Opening
Fans of Jillian’s Billiard Club should say their goodbyes now or forever hold their peace. Within the next two months, the 20-year-old Cleveland Heights entertainment venue will be no more. The club is the last Jillian’s location in Ohio. By spring, building owner Kim Lisboa will convert the 10,000-square-foot space into a “New York-style tapas…
Big Change in Little Italy
Washington Place Bistro in Little Italy is a welcome change of pace, not only from its predecessor, the tired Baricelli Inn, but from the Italian joints — good, bad, and ugly — that surround it. Among the most visible differences is the decor. While little could be done about the smallish dining room sizes, every…
We Get Mail
Crooks Don’t Bash Buses I had my car broken into twice in a matter of a few weeks over by Playhouse Square. [“Get Your Break-Ins Here,” February 2, 2011]. I never reported them because they never stole anything — just busted out the rear windows. Probably the same moron twice. I now take RTA. RTAbiggestfan…
To Die For
These are heady days for Cleveland’s dining scene. Food-obsessed television shows are trampling a trail to our restaurants. Our farmer’s markets and urban farms are yielding bumper crops of national cred. The venerable West Side Market, leading up to its momentous centennial, has become one of the state’s top attractions of any kind. And of…
