Governor John Kasich Signs Medical Marijuana Bill
Governor John Kasich yesterday signed the medical marijuana bill that state legislators had passed last month. Ninety days after the bill officially gets filed with the secretary of state, the bill goes into effect. That puts us right around September. Ohio becomes the 25th state to pass some sort of medical marijuana legislation, and it’s…
Eleven Bands to See at the Inaugural LaureLive Music Festival
Branded as Northeast Ohio’s first and only multi-day, multi-stage and multi-act contemporary music festival, LaureLive kicks off its inaugural year with two days full of music, art, food and fun at Laurel School, an all-girls (K-12) independent school in Shaker Heights, on June 11 to 12. The festival will take place on Laurel’s 140-acre Butler…
Historic (And Maybe Haunted) House of Wills Funeral Home in Cleveland Now Available on Airbnb
Staying in an Airbnb rental can be scary enough sometimes, but a new listing here in Cleveland might actually be the scariest. The House of Wills recently offered up the old, haunted funeral home on the site. $200 a night gets you total access to the funeral home—34 rooms, a large auditorium and multiple gathering…
With UHBikes Coming to Town, Only Five Zagster Racks Remain
As you may have seen announced earlier this month, as many as 125 new bikes will hit Cleveland’s streets in time for the RNC as part of a new bike share program that aims to have 700 total bikes at 70 stations across the city by 2020. The program will be called “UHBikes,” named for…
Video: More Cars Being Launched from Parking Garages During ‘Fast & Furious’ Filming
Drifting luxury cars, explosions and crashes. That’s what’s been happening around downtown Cleveland as filming for Fast & Furious 8 continues. Can’t get enough of cars flying out of parking garages and explosions on the streets? Check out the video below: (Video courtesy of Kasey Crabtree)
‘The Daily Show’ Correspondent Roy Wood Jr. to Perform at Hilarities
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Roy Wood Jr. noticed he had a knack for humor while attending Florida A&M University. Students would laugh at his presentations in speech class. He subsequently started doing standup and made his network television debut in 2006 on The Late Show with David Letterman. Wood, who finished third in the…
Cleveland Mail Carriers Indicted for Delivering Shipments of Marijuana
Five U.S. Postal workers were indicted after they helped arrange shipments of marijuana sent via U.S. mail and gave them to another drug dealer, according to Carole S. Rendon, Acting U.S. States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. Named in the 11-count indictment are Aaron L. Kelly, 28, Dartagnan B. Mitchell, 28, Tamika S.…
University of Akron President Scott Scarborough Resigns After Tumultuous Two Years
The president of the University of Akron has announced his resignation after two years on the job. President Scott Scarborough and the board of trustees mutually decided he should step down after a bizarre two years of changes at the university. The news came this morning after an emergency meeting of the trustees — a…
Clashing Views on the Future of Public Square Operations
[image-1]A brand new butterfly-shaped Public Square is on the cusp of completion — it’s slated to open in June — and the city is abuzz with excitement over the long-awaited revamping of one of Cleveland’s most robust and iconic public spaces. In an editorial over Memorial Day weekend, Crain’s Cleveland Business said that once the…
Don’t Miss the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Public Centennial Birthday Party Next Tuesday
The Cleveland Museum of Art’s centennial birthday celebration officially begins with a community birthday party next Tuesday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. CMA director William Griswold will deliver remarks at 2 p.m. “Our actual birthday is on June the 6th, that’s a Monday when we’re usually closed to the public,” Griswold explained…
This Gigantic Beer Can Pyramid Was Probably the Best Thing to Happen at Progressive Field Over the Weekend
Memorial Day weekend was shaping up to be a big one for the Tribe. The Indians had climbed within earshot of first place in the AL Central and welcomed Baltimore to the Jake for a three-game set (Friday through Sunday) before playing the Rangers on Memorial Day proper. Sadly, Saturday proved to be the only…
Video: “The Fixers” Project Tackles Cleveland Public Transit Ahead of RNC
The second installment of “The Fixers” video project is now out. The series aims to give a glimpse into the life in Cleveland outside of downtown, outside of the area that is booming and building, outside of the area visitors for the RNC will see and enjoy. The project’s organizers are a group of artists…
Cleveland Rapper Vice Souletric Releases Spoken Word Video as Tribute to Tamir Rice
Formerly of the local hip-hop outfit Play Havoc, politically minded local rapper Vice Souletric recently worked with the likes of heavy hitters such as Talib Kweli, N.O.R.E. and KRS-ONE. Earlier this year, he released the single, “Return of the Black Man,” a collaboration with Kweli that speaks to what it’s like to be a black…
Medical Marijuana Ballot Campaign Suspended: Update
Update: On Friday evening, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana suspended its campaign. Considering the recent passage of the state’s medical marijuana bill, organizers are planning on advocating for the legislation and its effective implementation. (See original story describing the campaign below.) From the group: “…the reality is that raising funds for medical marijuana policy changes is…
Cavs Return to Land Time Forgot for Raptor Sushi
It felt like grad night at the Air Canada Center last night after the Cleveland took the Eastern Conference crown by beating the Toronto Raptors 113-87 to win the series four games to two. In the hall outside the locker room smartphones snapped selfies with the trophy, and later, J.R. Smith took possession of it.…
Tri-C Will Soon Be Completely Smoke Free
[image-1]At a meeting Thursday, the Cuyahoga Community College board of trustees voted to adopt a policy whereby Tri-C’s multiple campuses would become 100 percent tobacco free. “Our new tobacco-free policy will ensure that students and faculty at Tri-C have fresh air and a healthy learning environment,” said Alex Johnson, president of the College, in a…
Kenny Chesney Spread the Love to Cleveland with Exciting Performance at Blossom
Many people come to Blossom Music Center during the summer for amazing concerts and a good time with their friends. Last night was no exception, as rowdy crowds gathered long before singer-songwriter Kenny Chesney’s concert began. Kenny Chesney became a country music legend in 2000 and he is adored by millions of fans worldwide for…
That Lake Erie Wind Farm is Finally Going to Happen
[image-1]With a cool $40 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, the long-in-the-works LEEDCo wind turbine project is coming to Lake Erie. “Project Icebreaker” will be the first offshore wind farm in the Great Lakes — and one of the first in the country. The news follows a string of funding developments over the past…
Two Years In, Jukebox Continues to Expand its Food Offerings
In the two years since Jukebox (1404 W. 29th St., 216-206-7699) opened up in the Hingetown neighborhood of Ohio City, the bar has continued to add to its arsenal of attractions. In addition to an expanded and improved back courtyard (which happens to have a large screen perfect watching b-ball games), the bar recently added a…
Here’s a Time Lapse Video of Quicken Loans Arena Being Set Up For Basketball, Then Hockey, Then Basketball, Then Hockey Again
It takes a lot of muscle to win the Eastern Conference finals (fingers crossed on that tonight). And it takes a lot of muscle to make it to the Calder Cup (note for non hockey fans: that’s the Stanley Cup of the AHL, and the Lake Erie Monsters punched their ticket last night). It also…
‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ Suffers From Weak Storyline
With its emphasis on trippy visuals and strange creatures (a grinning cat that can turn invisible, a blue caterpillar that smokes a hookah, a “Jabberwocky”), Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland lends itself to the world of cinema. Today’s 3-D technology certainly aids in creating that bizarre alternate universe that Carroll imagined for Alice Kingsleigh. Despite…
Cavs Look to Close Out, Indians Get Hot, and Baylor’s Mess — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
The Cavaliers got back to their blowout ways against the Raptors in Cleveland. The Cleveland Indians are getting hot. There’s a whole lot of change happening at Baylor amidst controversy and wrong-doing. Subscribe to A to Z on iTunes here. Android users can find the RSS feed here. Download the episode directly here. Or stream…
You Can Now Rent Goats in Cleveland to Take Care of Unwanted Brush
Need a lawn mower? Maybe a professional lawn service to clear away some nasty overgrowth? You may want to consider renting a goat instead, and you can do that right here in Cleveland. James and Heather Kovach own Haulin’ Goats, which is just about what the name implies. They own eight goats that eat clear…
The Minor Joys of Not Totally Sucking at a Local Bar Trivia Championship
[image-1]Bar trivia is an event where adults go to their local pub on a weeknight, order beer and food they otherwise would never get on a Tuesday night, and consume it in tense silence as they are peppered with questions about European geography, the Edmonton Oilers, and the 2003 NBC Thursday night lineup. Bar trivia…
Fat Casual BBQ to Take Over Graffiti Social Kitchen Every Thursday
[image-1]Beginning next week and running every Thursday through August, Graffiti Social Kitchen will transform into Fat Casual BBQ. Barbecue savants Walter Hyde and Scott Slagle, who ran Fat Casual in Macedonia, dished up barbecue at the Tavern of Solon, and took over the beer garden at Sterle’s each weekend last summer, will take their smoked-meat…
Future Past: Hot Tuna Joins Stellar Bill for Fifth Annual Dark Star Jubilee
Festival season is upon us, and with it come a whole bunch of tropes — hula hoops! rage sticks! — as well as all-important reminders that good music is inseparable from a sense of community. The fifth annual Dark Star Jubilee takes over Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio, this weekend (about 30 minutes east of…
The TSA Might Join 21st Century with Security Line Wait-Time via App
There’s nothing quite like the maddening dullness of standing in the security line at Cleveland Hopkins (or any airport) at 6:46 a.m., wondering whether the hell you’ll make it to Gate Kill-Me-Now on time. The TSA has pledged to increase its staffing, but, still, the harrowing uncertainty remains. But not for long! The TSA is…
Cleveland APL Reduces Pet Adoption Costs Until Saturday After Reaching Critical Level
The Cleveland APL is dropping animal adoption costs after reaching critical level this past week. The kennel is currently full after receiving 33 cats and 23 dogs in the last six days from the APL’s humane investigators team. That means the facility can’t take in any more animals (outside of humane investigator cases) unless more…
Tri-C JazzFest Announces Additions to This Year’s Schedule
Earlier this year, Cuyahoga Community College announced the full lineup of headlining acts for the 37th annual Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland, which takes place from June 23 to June 25 at Playhouse Square. The event features nine ticketed concerts over three days inside Playhouse Square’s historic venues. Now, concert organizers have just announced that 18 bands…
Big Three Help Cavs Get Neolithic on Raptors
The Cavaliers came home from a tough business trip only to find a Gruber in the house, and they responded much as John McLain would by going Yippie Ki Yay all over them. They made it clear to the Raptors just who the alpha was, scaling the CGI theatrics of Demar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry…
Stipe Miocic Will Defend His Heavyweight Title in Cleveland in September
Our pals at Quicken Loans Arena found time amid tonight’s Game 5 excitement to announce that hometown hero Stipe Miocic will defend his heavyweight title Sept. 10 at the Q. He’ll be fighting No. 3-ranked contender Alistair Overeem in UFC 203. That is all. Now how ’bout them Cavs right now?
Shaker Heights High School Graduate Returning to Cleveland to Teach Masterclass and Perform at Rape Crisis Benefit
A graduate of Shaker Heights High School’s band programs, drummer Drew Schultz has performed/written with/toured with/recorded with an array of artists including the Four Tops, Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, Funk Brothers, and many others. A drum teacher at the Detroit Institute of Music Education, he manages to make his way down…
Flats East Bank Could Be Northeast Ohio’s First Open Container District
Cleveland is taking another giant leap into the 21st Century. Nope, not improved public transit or any of that noise. But you might finally be able to walk around outside with your alcoholic drink without constantly looking over your shoulder for the law. Not just anywhere, mind you. A proposal has just hit the Cleveland…
RTA’s Waterfront Line Will Take You Right to Scene’s Taste of Summer Event in the Flats This Weekend
[image-1]Leave your car at home and forget about Uber for one second, because there’s a wildly easy way to get to and from Scene’s Taste of Summer event this weekend. The RTA’s Waterfront Line, which provides the fastest trip to the Flats East Bank and which typically runs near-empty trains, will be running every 15…
Beachland Ballroom to Host Rock n’ Rummage Flea Markets This Summer
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. That’s the thinking behind flea markets and second-hand shops. In keeping with that mentality, the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern will host three flea markets this summer. Dubbed the Rock n’ Rummage Flea Markets, the events take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 18, July 16…
Federal Judge Rules Ohio Early-Voting Reduction Unconstitutional
On Tuesday, an Ohio Federal Court ruled that voters’ rights were violated when the state cut the number of early voting days from 35 to 28. According to an article in The Columbus Dispatch, Judge Michael H. Watson of the U.S. District Court in Columbus said the Republican-dominated Ohio legislature violated the federal constitution and…
Cleveland Releases RNC Protest Regulations
Cleveland officials outlined protest regulations for the RNC Wednesday morning. Two resolutions were scheduled to have been presented at a Board of Control meeting from Cleveland’s division of public safety. Those resolutions delineate the official event zone, the official parade route and the official speaker’s platform during the convention in July. Though the contours and…
There’s a Guy Walking an Alpaca on a Leash Around Downtown Cleveland
So, there have been a couple of sightings over the past couple of days of a fella walking a llama an alpaca on a leash around downtown. See, there he is. What’s he doing? (See below for a full explanation.) Some readers have gotten in touch to say the man is passing out cards that…
The Cavs Come Back to Earth and Come Back Home — The A to Z Podcast With Andre Knott and Zac Jackson
The Cleveland Cavaliers came back to earth in Toronto after starting the NBA Playoffs 10-0. They have lost two straight in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Toronto Raptors. Andre and Zac discuss that and much more. On surviving road trips, surviving the Eastern Conference Finals and sounding the alarms. Subscribe to A to…
County Council Tells RTA to Exhaust All Options Before Raising Fares, Cutting Routes
At its meeting Tuesday afternoon, Cuyahoga County Council passed a resolution urging the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) to exhaust all options before raising fares or cutting routes. The resolution also urged the State of Ohio and the U.S. Department of Transportation to make more transit funding available. The RTA’s presumed fare hikes and…
Meet the Band: Bro Dylan
MEET THE BAND: Alex Zinni (vocals/guitar), Matt Burtonshaw (bass) Mike Miller (drums) SCHOOL DAYS: The members of this local act first met when they were in third grade. “We all wanted to be in a band so I assigned roles to the guys,” says Zinni. “I learned guitar and we formed a band and played…
Pastina Marries Farm-to-Table Cuisine with Italian-American Standbys
Coming from a restaurant like Two Urban Licks in Atlanta, Michael Serdula had plenty of ideas on how to run a commercial kitchen. That boisterous and beloved big city restaurant is praised for its progressive farm-to-table approach, and Serdula had every intention of establishing a similar program at his new gig up north as opening…
Rising Star Chef: Jack Moore Chef de Cuisine at The Black Pig
Anybody who restores classic cars understands how quickly a hobby can spiral into an obsession. Jack Moore’s teenage years spent fixing up muscle cars transitioned into a career when he became a mechanic. That is, until he picked up a job in a scratch pizza shop and discovered the same fascination for working in a kitchen.…
Bring Your Own Popcorn: A Guide to the Abundant (and Free) Outdoor Movie Screenings Around Northeast Ohio This Summer
The cineplexes will undoubtedly beckon repeatedly this summer, with blockbusters like X-Men: Apocalypse, out this week, and Suicide Squad, out in August. But seeing a film indoors, cooped up in a darkened chamber with hordes of sweating, texting teenagers, is hardly an optimal way to be entertained, especially given the lovely breeze and picnic-able lawns…
Best of the Fests: Our Roundup of Summertime Festivals Should Help Your Calendar
Summer can be more accurately called “festival season” around Northeast Ohio. We like our fests, and we lather up the calendar with a wide-ranging host of fun, multi-day events. There’s something for everybody out there, but, we know, it can get a bit overwhelming as you’re trying to plan out the months ahead. Here’s a…
10 Things to Do This Summer That You Couldn’t Do Just a Year Ago
It seems everywhere you turn these days, something’s popping up around Northeast Ohio. You can thank the RNC for a lot of that. Long-simmering projects got a kick in the ass to be completed by the time the Trump Train arrives in Cleveland in July. The RNC notwithstanding, though, the economy has bounced back and…
Day Trippin’: 6 Ohio Day Trips to Make This Summer
The Buckeye State’s new tourism slogan was unveiled recently — Find It Here. While it came with a clunky logo that looks like it was designed by your niece on MS Paint, the slogan and gist of the campaign itself is very good. There are plenty of weekends coming up this summer when you’ll probably…
Summer’s Here. And There’s Never Been a Better Time to Embrace the Waterfront
There was a telling moment during a March 23 City Club forum, when Tamara Door, president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership Inc., outlined to us Clevelanders how important our waterfront is to the city. “I will say that it is a huge asset to the city,” Door said. “And I think if you…
Film Spotlight: X-Men: Apocalypse
More than one critic has noted that the good guys have gone up against each other in a number of recent superhero movies. Batman battled Superman in Zack Snyder’s sloppy Batman V Superman; the Avengers engaged in a veritable civil war in Captain America: Civil War. Now, the X-Men get into the mix with X-Men:…
Savage Love: Identity Cards
Dear Dan, I am a 40-year-old woman; I came out when I was 16. When I was 17, I met M and we dated for eight years. M was a horrible human being—emotionally and occasionally physically abusive. M still sends me the occasional (creepy) e-mail, wishing me a happy birthday or giving me updates on…
Party Hearty, 1920s-style, at The Wild Party at Blank Canvas Theatre
It always seems difficult to have a good time while you’re watching other people have a good time, as they drink, snort coke, have sex and generally misbehave. It’s like that moment at a party when, amidst the revelry, some clod says, “Wow, we’re having such a great time, aren’t we?” Invariably, silence follows and…
Praxis Fiber Workshop Celebrates First Anniversary with Bevy of Activities
It’s hard to believe it’s been a year already since Praxis Fiber Workshop officially opened its doors in Collinwood’s Waterloo Arts District. In its first year, Praxis has served as an anchor for Waterloo’s west end, helping businesses entice visitors west of E. 156th St. – which was an ongoing struggle before Praxis. To celebrate their…
