Barberton Says No To Bath Salts
Bath salt fiend in the act. A new product has elbowed itself a place at the table of legal items stealing peaceful sleep from moms everywhere. Is little Johnny taking paint thinner? Smoking synthetic marijuana? Imbibing canisters of Four Loko? No Ma’am, this time Johnny is stuffing bath salts up his nose. Bath salts —…
Chardon Schools Investigating Urine on Baseball Diamond
Chardon has given us what will undoubtedly be the oddest headline we’ll write all day. Chardon baseball coach, Greg Fronk, has a leak, it appears. An anonymous call placed to the superintendent of Chardon schools streamed out news that Fronk continued a bizarre tradition among Hilltopper baseball players: he had his team urinate into a…
Seven Hills Councilman Builds a Better Sippy Cup
Seven Hills Councilman Pete Draganic’s campaign last year for a seat on Cuyahoga’s new county council didn’t go so well: The Republican was trounced by Parma Democrat Chuck Germana. But Draganic has found a higher calling than county government reform: eradicating toddler messes. He’s invented and patented the Reflo Smart Cup, a variation on the…
Cuyahoga County Corruption Cheat Sheet
Hoping to keep tabs on our ongoing corruption circus, but not interested in working too hard for it? A self-styled citizens’ watchdog group is making it easy: The Citizens Reform Association of Cuyahoga County has issued a report titled “Who’s Who in the County Crisis.” It’s described as “a compilation of local government entities, agencies,…
Pic of the Day: That’s One Way to Fight Traffic Cameras
No date specified in the shot, but that’s W. 150th and I-90, if you’re wondering. (Via Reddit)
The Quality of Cleveland Life Report
Your guide to thriving in fabulous Cleveland. Texas Toast : Governor Kasich declares the Dallas Mavericks “honorary Ohioans” for a day after the Mavs beat LeBron and the Heat. Also orders Mavs’ team bus to pass E-Check before closing time. Reporter’s Best Friend: Police union boss Steve Loomis says Plain Dealer reporters “just get on…
Everything You Never Needed to Know About the Anthony Sowell Trial
Last week marked the tip-off of suspected serial killer Anthony Sowell’s trial, complete with a 21st-century media frenzy. Evidently in the name of journalism, Cleveland print and TV outlets have deposited reporters throughout the courthouse, live tweeting the proceedings so that the rest of us might stay on top of the painful play-by-play. And by…
Concert Review: Foster the People at the Grog Shop
A band with teeth Technically, indie-pop band Foster the People is from Los Angeles. But singer Mark Foster is a Cleveland native who headed west nearly nine years ago. Last night, Foster’s homecoming performance was greeted by sold-out audience at the Grog Shop. By the time the band hit the stage shortly after 11 p.m.,…
Kasich Shakes Down Casino Developers
Not sure who this applies to now. The schoolyard brawl between Governor John Kasich and casino developers Rock Gaming and Penn National could be over soon. For the last few months, construction on Ohio’s four casino projects has stalled due to headlock. The state wanted to see more money from the industry, and the industry…
John Kasich Declares Dallas Mavericks “Honorary Ohioans”
Ohio Governor John Kasich decreed the Dallas Mavericks as “Honorary Citizens” for tomorrow. What that exactly means, we’re not sure. The Mavs, friends, family, and organization will get to enjoy all the “privileges and honors” of being Ohioans for a day, and we’re not sure what that means either. Are they granted one-day residency? Do…
Dan Gilbert Jabs at LeBron on Twitter Again
Whenever there’s a landmark event with LeBron James’ life, you need not wait long until Dan Gilbert editorializes about it on Twitter. Last night’s Heat loss to the Dallas Mavericks was no different, as Captain Comic Sans chirped in with this: Among Joe Publics, Dan Gilbert might remain a folk hero, the owner who thinks…
Andy Strizak Exits as Chef of Symon’s Lolita
After three years with Lolita (900 Literary Rd., 216-771-5652), the last two as executive chef, Andy Strizak has left the restaurant. His last day was Sunday. He will be going to work alongside Ben Bebenroth at Spice of Life Catering. Taking his place is James Mowcomber, former sous chef at Lola and recent chef at…
Pic of the Day: Terrelle Pryor’s Car Towed in Columbus
Via Deadspin, here’s an image of what looks to be Terrelle Pryor’s fancy Nissan 350z being towed from a Wendy’s parking lot over the weekend. The ride-of-the-month for #2, which caught everyone’s attention as rumors of improper benefits, including cars, popped up around OSU’s former star quarterback in the last month, is hard to miss…
English Beat Cooks Up Something Good at the Rock Hall
Imagine these deep-fried and you’ll have a pretty good idea why we’re showing you this rather than a picture of the English Beat Last night’s second annual Chef Jam at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum was an unqualified success and a fine example of Cleveland’s ability to be fancy and approachable…
Ralph Mowery, Unhappy at Sub Shop, Throws Teeth
I hope he washed them off before putting them back in. The great headlines just keep rolling off the presses. This one has a certain Lynchian-zing to it, equal parts peaceful Mayberry and disembodied body parts. Courtesy of the Chronicle-Telegram: “Police say angry man threw teeth, threatened to beat up everyone at sub shop.” Sure,…
Goodyear Blimp Crashes in Germany; Pilot Dead
Sad news today: A blimp caught fire and crashed in Germany. Unfortunately, the pilot died in the accident. Goodyear leased the blimp from Lightship Europe Limited. Here’s a statement from Goodyear, via spokesman Keith Price. An airship owned and operated by Lightship Europe Limited caught fire at Reichelsheim Airfield in Germany on Sunday evening. One…
Cleveland, Get Your Miami Heat Championship Gear Here
We’re not gloating here — basking in the warm sweet sweet glow of a certain franchise’s fadeout (never) — but this is pretty hilarious. According to sources from the interwebs, this ad ran this morning in the Miami Herald. Bit premature, no? The ad is for Macy’s, we hear. Not only is there some serious…
LeBron Says He’s Still Rich, You’re Still Poor
During the postgame press conference last night after the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat to win the NBA Finals, LeBron James was asked whether he let it bother him that so many people wanted to see him fail. Naturally, King James — the man who is humbled by everything: his talents, his life, his…
AMP 150 Hires High-Profile Cleveland Chef
Jeff Jarrett will be the new executive chef of Cleveland Airport Marriott and AMP 150 (4277 W. 150 St., 216-252-5333), replacing outgoing chef Ellis Cooley. His first day is Saturday June 18. Palate (12214 Pearl Rd., 440-238-8500), the Strongsville restaurant Jarrett opened this past winter, may or may not continue in his absence. “This opportunity…
Concert Review: Neon Indian at the Grog Shop
A Neon Indian in his natural habitat Neon Indian’s Alan Palomo is kind of nerdy. Fans at the Grog Shop Saturday learned of his nostalgic obsession with Terminator novelties, which he had shopped earlier at the Big Fun toy store around the corner. He apologized, strangely, that the T-1000 figure he was hoping to perch…
John Kasich, John Boehner to Golf With President Obama and Joe Biden
“Name your dream foursome,” is something uttered by many amateur golfers to other amateur golfers. It’s also daily breakfast conversation at Charlie Sheen’s house, but mainly it’s a topic among golfers. Maybe it’s Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Charles Barkley. Maybe it’s Michael Jordan, Phil Mickelson, and John Daly. We’re guessing if you asked President…
Carnegie Avenue Ramp Closing, People Freaking Out
While Cleveland waits for and endures through construction for the new Inner Belt Bridge, there are bound to be headaches. That’s the cost of redoing the main artery through downtown. Just is. There will be closures, detours, backups, and more than a few near-collisions. ODOT announced one of the first: the Carnegie Avenue exit on…
Escaped Monkey Finally Caught
Rest easy, citizens of Ohio — that pet monkey that escaped and scratched a couple of kids has been caught. The Grivet monkey, which 19 Action News says is about the size of a raccoon, threw free the chains of domesticated life earlier this week, absconding from its owners home. On its spirited run toward…
Pop-Up Event to Offer Fleeting Resto Experience (and Noodlecat Sneak Peek)
Pop-up restaurants, while still a novelty around these parts, have become a necessary device elsewhere, where talented chefs outnumber brick-and-mortar restaurants. Just because you don’t have a professional kitchen, the notion goes, doesn’t mean you can’t host a happy bash. That will be the case June 22 through 25, when two kitchen-less chefs set up…
Dad Threatens to Burn, Cut Head Off Family Snake
We’re scared of snakes, so here are some really cute cats. Today’s installment of Good Parenting comes from the Sandusky Register, who reports that husband and father Frank Erkman got all animal-abuse-y with the family snake. An unspecified argument occurred at the Erkman household this week, but pops took the vanilla family disagreement to a…
Geauga Man Explains Why UFOs Visited Ohio in the 1950s, Local News Reporter Tells You What to Do if You See a UFO
A new observatory is opening in Geauga County and there’s no better place than a public meeting about looking into space for UFO believers to come out and share their stories. In this case, it was Glenn Frohring, who witnessed a UFO hovering over the area… in the 1950s. “It just hovered there and all…
Friday Morning Swag Giveaway
We’ve got an awesome prize package featuring a bunch of Arctic Monkeys stuff to give away. It includes a copy of the UK indie rockers’ new CD, the excellently titled Suck It and See, a patch for your jeans or jacket, a seven-inch vinyl copy their new single, and a bunch of stickers that say…
Phone Home
J.J. Abrams’ nostalgic monster movie Super 8 sticks close to producer Steven Spielberg’s playbook: kids vs. skeptical adults, shady military personnel, a young protagonist raised by a single parent, and a deliberate build-up to the big reveal. In 1979, a group of kids from suburban Ohio are making a zombie movie when they witness a…
Total Bummer
Judy Moody (Jordana Beatty) is a restless redheaded third-grader determined to have the best summer ever. But when her best friends go on vacation, she has to find new ways to keep busy. Enter Aunt Opal (Heather Graham), a self-described “guerrilla artist” who watches over Judy and her bratty brother Stink. Together, the trio sets…
“The Akron Song (We’re a City Too)”
Another musical creation from Alan Cox and crew, the same folks who brought you”Parma State of Mind.” No, this is no “Parma,” but some pretty funny lyrics in here, even if the video itself is lacking. Enjoy. This is for you, Akron.
Old Woman in Nightgown Arrested in Murder-for-Hire Plot
When an arrest is made in a murder-for-hire plot, you never really expect the suspect to be an old woman, but you’re especially thankful when the police arrest her at night when she’s in her nightgown and take the mugshot that way. (Details on the plot over at The Morning Journal.)
Steve Popovich, Cleveland Music Legend, Dies at the Age of 68
Former Cleveland music executive Steve Popovich, who died Wednesday in Nashville at age 68, wasn’t like most people in the music business. Even while working with major labels, he retained a passion for music that was genuine and sincere, no matter how offbeat, obscure, or unpopular. He demonstrated what sheer belief and tenacity in the…
President Barack Obama: The Scene Interview
Hardball, Scene style. This week, Channel 5 anchor Leon Bibb flew off to Washington D.C. for an interview with President Obama, the second local news personality to score facetime with POTUS in the last six weeks. Since other Cleveland media outlets are landing interviews with the president, we officially submitted our own request for a…
Mentor Schools Rent Out Flag Pole for Cell Tower (Updated)
The Stars and Stripes, improving cell coverage since 1776. Update: After hemming, hawing, complaining, and grand-standing, the American flag atop T-Mobile’s tower at a Mentor school will come down permanently. A resident sniped that the flag wasn’t lit properly, a slap in the face of flag etiquette, and though T-Mobile remedied the issue, Mentor decided…
Things Will Be Getting All Green and Geeky Around Here for the Next Few Days
Fanboys have been geeking out over the new Green Lantern movie for about a year now. For the next few days, everyone else will have to deal with it too. Leading up to the movie’s opening next Friday, a handful of cities around the country, including Cleveland, will be blasting the superhero’s symbol onto a…
Dominic Holt-Reid, Man Who Tried to Force Girlfriend to Have an Abortion, Charged With Attempted Murder (Updated)
Not father of the year. Update II: Holt-Reid was sentenced to 13 years in prison. (AP)Update: Dominic Holt-Reid will be sentenced today by a judge after pleading guilty to “attempted murder, weapons, and abduction counts,” according to the AP. He faces 20 years in prison. (AP)*** A Columbus man has been arrested for some one-of-a-kind…
Steve Loomis Displeased With Plain Dealer Coverage of Cops; Mike Trivisonno Doesn’t Know Where PD’s Offices Are
Steve Loomis, President of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, called into Mike Trivisonno’s show on WTAM yesterday to talk about police layoffs, violence downtown, and, of course, the Plain Dealer’s recent coverage of the use of force by officers. That series of articles by Henry Gomez and Gabriel Baird dug deep into the department and…
And Now, Baby Swans Preparing for a Nap
It’s 90+ degrees outside, it’s only Wednesday, and the Tribe lost again. The only solution to the lingering doldrums of this long afternoon seems to be watching the new baby swans at the Cleveland zoo snuggle and prepare for a nap. Aww.
Elizabeth Jones, Elyria Roofer, Hides Stolen Rings in Her . . . Errr
That look is actually of relief. It’s one thing to have your wedding ring stolen, a completely different dish if that valuable and memory-packed piece of bling gets secreted away by the perp in their special parts. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what 19-year-old Elizabeth Jones did when she stole from Wakeman resident Michele Halliwell. According to…
Residents Utterly Reasonable When It Comes to Outdoor Basketball Hoops
The long contentious tale of outdoor hoops in Northeast Ohio has been well documented by many outlets, including this rag. Gone are the wholesome days when kids gathered for healthy pick-up games and a spot of cardio. This ain’t rural Indiana, with pristine backboards and eager youngsters learning the three-man weave and proper free-throw techniques.…
Cleveland Ranked 7th Nationally for Job Openings
Whether or not Cleveland is in the midst of an economic recovery or simply wallowing in the middle-ground of simple financial survival depends on what you’re reading, what numbers you’re looking at, and whether you can still afford that fifth of Kamchatka every week. It’s all about perspective. We lean toward specious internet rankings for…
Shawn Hawkins, Death Row Inmate, Granted Clemency
Shawn Hawkins John Kasich has used his magical Governor’s wand to spring one inmate from Ohio’s death row, the Republican’s first use of clemency since taking office in January. From then to now, the state has executed four inmates. Shawn Hawkins of Cincinnati was scheduled to be executed next week for a 1989 murder involving…
Drunk ‘Wolfman’ Arrested in Sheffield Township
Grrrrrrr. In between run-of-the-mill traffic stops, the usual shitheads, drug dealers, drunk drivers, domestic abusers, and violent criminals, it must be nice for cops to every once in awhile come upon a drunk man claiming to be a wolfman. Just to break up the monotony, ya know. According to Fox 8, cops in Sheffield Township…
Pic of the Day: 71 “NORHT”
ODOT had some explaining to do after this sign on Route 82 in Strongsville went up. I-71 “NORHT”? Multiple reports today say that the contractor was the one at fault for the misspelling, and until ODOT gets a corrected sign, they’ve simply covered up the mistake with a temporary, correctly spelled fix.
Shut the Folk Up
Remember how you felt about grunge right around the time your mom and dad started dropping Nirvana and Pearl Jam into conversations? That’s pretty much the place where bearded indie-folk guys reside right now. Your parents may not be able to sing a Bon Iver song, but they’re probably aware that there’s a bunch of…
Flour Power
To watch Paul Minnillo work the room at Flour is to witness precisely what was missing from Baricelli Inn. Drifting from table to table, glass of wine in hand, the veteran chef and owner gladly assumes the role of Salesman in Chief. That’s the beauty of an open, modern restaurant with a proper bar and…
Too Many Cooks
Who is Elizabeth Cook? Depends who you ask. She may be a quirky radio host on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country channel. Or she may be a traditional country singer-songwriter who’s made hundreds of appearances at the Grand Ole Opry over the past decade. Or maybe she’s a feisty Americana songstress who dishes up lines like “it…
Street Cred
Rare is the menu that is truly unique — if not in the world, then at least in Cleveland. Apart from the usual twists and tweaks, most menu items simply riff on an existing body of work. Imagine our surprise then when we stumbled into Barroco Grill, a small and snazzy start-up in Lakewood specializing…
Concert Calendar
The Flatliners A lot of bands pick horrible names. Some are too long, some too confusing, and some are just plain terrible. In the case of Ontario punks the Flatliners, their moniker is bad simply because it’s so ridiculously inappropriate. There’s nothing lifeless about the group’s gruff, smack-some-sense-into-you attack and rabid energy. Their sound is…
CD Review: Battles
New York rhythmic marauders Battles soldier on without missing a beat after losing a key member last year. Their second album is loaded with corrugated, busy-bee guitar riffs and squirrelly electronic tweaks (“Wall Street”), along with plenty of beat-heavy excursions ranging from jazzy Tropicália (“Inchworm”) to deep-grooved post-punk (“Sweetie & Shag”). But Gloss Drop is…
Get Out!
Thursday | 09 Family Fun Aliens at the Observatory At about 11:20 p.m. on November 7, 1957, Huntsburg resident Olden Moore was returning home when he saw a saucer-shaped object approaching him from above the road, bright and shiny as a star. “In a matter of seconds it was over a large field. While it…
At the Arthouse
Boom! The Cinematheque pays tribute to Elizabeth Taylor with one of the campiest movies she ever made, a 1968 bomb based on Tennessee Williams’ The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore (he also wrote the screenplay). Richard Burton and Noel Coward co-star in this tale of a poor poet and a super-rich lady, who lives…
Stay In!
TOP PICK – VIDEO GAME L.A. Noire (Rockstar) One of the year’s best games (for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) comes from the same people behind the great Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. This one zeroes in on a detective working in crime-ridden 1947 Los Angeles. You’ve got partners, and you’ve got…
CD Review: Cults
This boy-girl duo from New York has been building buzz since last year, when a handful of their songs trickled online. And like a lot of their Brooklyn-based peers, Cults are a modern indie-rock band that looks to the past for inspiration. On their self-titled debut, they run through the first part of the ’60s…
Overflowing Mugs
Countless mug shots are snapped every day, but few of them ever leave the hands of Johnny Law. Action news teams beam out a select bunch: the sensational, those tied to newsworthy stories — and, in the case of this respected news source, the really godawfully strange-looking ones. The rest languish unseen, the public records…
Home Movies
Sanctum (Universal) — When James Cameron isn’t technically revolutionizing movies with instant classics like Avatar, he’s serving as executive producer on empty eye candy like this boring thriller set in the claustrophobic world of underwater caves. An expedition team dives deep into the abyss, and it isn’t long before they’re being knocked off one by…
Exit, Stage Left
Cleveland is bad at goodbyes. There was John D. Rockefeller, driven from town by zealous county officials who wanted to double tax him. That’s why he built the University of Chicago there instead of here. There was George Steinbrenner, who left after a drunken frozen-food baron reneged on his offer to sell the Cleveland Indians.…
We Get Mail
Chased From Tremont I lived in Tremont for 11 years because it was centralized and affordable [“Open Season,” May 11, 2011]. But Tremont failed to steward me from hand-to-mouth renter into tax-paying property owner. The focus of Tremont leadership is aimed at businesses and transient visitors at the expense of residents. I understand it is…
What the Boy Saw
[Editor’s note: In November 2014, the Ohio Innocence Project secured the release of this story’s subjects, including Ricky Jackson, who had been in prison for 39 years, and Wiley Bridgeman, who had been in prison nearly as long. The case was based on reporting first included in this story.] The street corner that changed Ronnie…
Film Capsules
Midnight in Paris(PG-13) It seems appropriate for Woody Allen to make a movie about nostalgia at this point in his career. Here, he returns to the rain-soaked blue notes and nervous, bourgeois babble found in his best films. Owen Wilson plays Woody stand-in Gil, who’s on a pre-wedding trip to Paris with his high-maintenance fiancée…
CD Review: Fucked Up
Who could have guessed that a band named Fucked Up would have the ambition, let alone the stamina, for a 78-minute concept album? On their follow-up to 2008’s breakthrough The Chemistry of Common Life, the Toronto sextet create a four-act punk opera with more scope than Green Day’s chart-toppers. The story, like most concept albums,…
A Tree With Roots
Terrence Malick has always had a troubled history with movies. Going back to his first feature, 1973’s Badlands, detail, imagery, and ruminative storytelling have coexisted — sometimes peacefully, other times not so much. There’s an existential pull between Malick and his movies, one that he’s never quite got a full grasp on, not even in…
Local Band in Focus
Meet the Band: Butch “Butchie B” Buchanan (vocals and keyboards), Chopper (bass, guitars, and vocals), Gino Long (guitars, bass, and vocals), Eddie Mars (keyboards and vocals), and Rod Reisman (drums) The Plot: Fifteen years after they formed, Outlaws I & I have gradually evolved into a sort of reggae supergroup, with four former members of…
No Laughing Matter
Before the Internet, lovelorn folks were consigned to placing personal ads in print publications. But since they had to pay by the word, those compressed pleas for connection often tended to sound bland and generic (i.e., the infamous “I like long walks on the beach” line). Cyberspace has changed those dynamics, with people now able…
Broadway on Euclid
Next to Normal, the critically acclaimed musical about mental illness, comes to the Palace Theatre this week for 16 performances through June 19. Written by Tom Kitt (music) and Brian Yorkey (book and lyrics), the story focuses on a suburban mom (played by Alice Ripley, reprising her Tony Award-winning Broadway performance) with increasingly severe bipolar…
On Stage This Week
Endgame: Samuel Beckett’s sad and funny fable of the human condition serves as the finale to the Cleveland Museum of Art’s 2010-2011 Viva! & Gala Performing Arts series, continuing through June 11 at the Brooks Theatre at the Cleveland Play House. Tickets are $29 at 888-CMA-0033, and are also available online at clevelandart.org or at…
Jazz Hands
Even though his father was a jazz accordion and piano player, Bobby Selvaggio wasn’t interested in following his dad’s footsteps growing up in Twinsburg. He wanted to play baseball instead. But in 1988 he started studying saxophone at Kent State University, eventually earning a performance degree. He released three CDs on his own before being…
Your Anti-LeBron T-Shirt Roundup
Where applicable, clicking the image takes you to the shop where you can purchase these fine wares. I won’t be buying any. Not because some of these aren’t funny or well-designed or they don’t capture the mood of the moment in the Forest City, it’s just not me. It could be for you though, so…
