Former Sheffield Lawyer Pleads Guilty to Charges of Hypnotizing Six Female Clients For Sexual Gratification
Update: *** (Updated 9/13/16): The disgusting behavior of former attorney Michael Fine will finally land him behind bars. The sad saga began a couple years ago when a client reported that she couldn’t account for all of the time spent with the attorney and reported her bra being disheveled and her vaginal area wet after…
Judge Rejects Lawsuit Brought by Group of Caucasian Cleveland Police Officers Against the City for Discrimination
Update: A judge on Tuesday rejected the lawsuit, according to Cleveland.com. Via courts reporter Eric Heisig: U.S. District Judge James Gwin concluded that the officers produced “no evidence” to support their claims. Gwin wrote that what the group described as evidence were just “short excerpts from dated testimony in unrelated cases that consist of individuals…
A Changing of the Guard at Urban Farmer. Top Chef Moves On; New Chef Signs On
Urban Farmer (1325 E. 6th St., 216-771-7707, urbanfarmercleveland.com) has been open for just six months, but already the executive chef has left the building. Opening chef Brad Cecchi, who relocated from Sacramento to Cleveland for the job, has accepted a new position back home. He will be the chef de cuisine at the Michelin-starred restaurant…
Following High-Profile Exonerations, a Look at the County’s Conviction Integrity Unit
In April, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty announced the formation of the Convition Integrity Unit over at his office. Led by Assistant County Prosecutor Jose Torres, the unit was set up to process convicted offenders’ claims of innocence — claims based on new and credible evidence. With Ricky Jackson and Wiley Bridgeman free after nearly…
Hugo Boss Plant in Brooklyn Will Close, According to Internal Announcement (Updated With Company Statement)
Scene received the following statement from a Hugo Boss spokesperson: “HUGO BOSS is a global company, focused on growing its business while ensuring it is best positioned to meet future needs. Following a review of the company’s operations to ensure that its global manufacturing footprint is aligned with its global strategy, HUGO BOSS determined that…
Here’s the Word Ohioans Use Most Frequently in Online Dating
Earlier this year, Nerd Wallet ranked Cleveland one of the best cities in the U.S. for singles, which likely means there are a heck of a lot of folks in Northeast Ohio and beyond using online dating sites to snag a Saturday night companion or “friend” to take to that second cousin’s fiance’s sister’s wedding…
Black Pig Opens in New Home This Week, Spots Still Available for Tonight’s Sneak Peek
It’s almost all-systems-go at the Black Pig (2801 Bridge Ave., 216-862-7551, theblackpigcleveland.com), which recently relocated from its two-year-old home on W. 25th Street to the former Light Bistro (and Parker’s) property at the corner of Bridge Avenue and W. 28th Street. The restaurant is holding reservation-only soft-open dinners tonight and tomorrow night before opening up…
Two Little Changes Coming to the Browns’ Helmets in 2015 Uniform Redesign
We’ve known for awhile now that Nike and the Browns will be unveiling a redesigned uniform for the team for the 2015 season. We’ve also known for awhile now that as a condition of selling the team to Jimmy Haslam, one of Randy Lerner’s three requirements was that the team never have a logo on…
Facelift for CSU’s Main Classroom Building, Mandel Honors College
Spotted this morning on Euclid Ave: Crews have been working on a renovation of Cleveland State University’s Main Classroom Building. And folks, the initial lettering is now in place! (What is that, Arial? Arial Bold?) The exterior face lift comes as part of a $3.6 million gift from the Jack, Joseph & Morton Mandel Foundation,…
Demands Set Forth by New Abolitionist Association on Steps of City Hall Last Night
Amid cold winds, several groups of active protesters converged on the steps of City Hall last night. Prior to the City Council meeting, the New Abolitionist Association of Ohio laid out four demands: “Immediate dismissal” of Public Safety Director Michael McGrath and the indictment of Officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback, as well as indictment…
16 of the Best Vegan Desserts in Greater Cleveland
Earlier this year, Adam Rosen talked Best Vegan Eats for us, and now he’s back for round two. Even though National Vegan Month was in November, who cares! Dig in to these local desserts now. Find more delicious vegan eats at Hold the Pigskin: A Vegan Tailgate Blog and on Twitter @holdthepigskin.
East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton Will Brief Community on Economic Situation Wednesday
With news that State Auditor David Yost isn’t so sure East Cleveland could handle a loan right now, city leaders are scrambling to the next plan for their collective economic woes. Finance Director Jack Johnson has already floated the idea of filing for bankruptcy, which City Council President Barbara Thomas told the East Cleveland Narrator she’d…
Scene Podcast: Movers and Makers with Rick Pollack of MakerGear
In this episode of the Movers and Makers podcast, Scene creative director James Krouse talks with Rick Pollack of MakerGear about what it takes to be a 3D Printer Manufacturer. His Cleveland area based company started building these machines for a niche market in 2009. Today, the company ships them all over the world. But…
Canned-Beer Collaboration from Platform and CLE Clothing to Hit Shelves in Time for New Year’s
Much of the credit for Cleveland’s undeniable urban revival can be attributed to collaborative efforts amongst a whole new wave of creative, industrious makers. A perfect illustration of those tactics can be found in Ohio City, where brewers big and small are working as one to boost the standing of the entire region as one…
Lineup Announced for Rock on the Range 2015
Rock on the Range has become one of the biggest festivals in the country and the lineup for next year’s event has just been announced. Linkin Park, Slipknot and Judas Priest (pictured) will headline the annual heavy metal festival that comes to Columbus Crew Stadium on May 15, 16 and 17. The roster of heavy…
Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel Now Fully Restored and Open for Rides at the WRHS
You might not have noticed in the long holiday weekend shuffle, but the day before Thanksgiving, the Western Reserve Historical Society officially opened the restored and full functional Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel to the public. Admission to the museum entitles you to two free rides, so you know. Here’s what the old beauty looked…
Here are a Handful of Cleveland Businesses Celebrating Cyber Monday Today
Instead of shopping at big box retailers today, we’re nodding at you Amazon, brush off your social responsibility cap and spread some cyber cheer where it really counts: in your own community. Shop local today at these, or any number of other Cleveland-centric shops, and give a gift that keeps on giving. OKPants: Score 20…
Ohio’s Electricity Providers Seeking State ‘Bailout’
The three largest electricity providers in Ohio — FirstEnergy (the Northeast Ohio-based company we’ll focus on here), AEP, and Duke — are hoping the state will approve individual plans to keep their older power plants operating. The proposals — “bailouts,” essentially, as critics put it — would lock in fixed-rate contracts for customers, regardless of fluctuating…
Supreme Court Case Hearing Today Has Ties to Quicken Loans’ Ex-Employee Lawsuits
When the U.S. Supreme Court convenes a hearing today on a lawsuit related to the mortgage industry, it centers on an issue so mind-numbingly dry, it makes us sleepy just saying it aloud: Whether or not a federal agency must gather public comment before it issues an interpretation of a law. It’s a procedural issue.…
Go Hiking on these Ohio Trails this Winter
For the love of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, don’t while away the winter on the couch this year. Get up and do something, like hiking. TrekOhio, a husband/wife team from Central Ohio, has compiled a list of state-wide winter hikes for the months of January and February, as well as a handy guide for folks…
Last Remaining Sushi Rock Closes its Doors
And then there were none. In mid-November, the last remaining location of Sushi Rock – once the zenith of fashionable dining – closed its doors. Located at the La Place shopping center (2101 Richmond Rd.) since it opened in 2005, the restaurant officially “closed for remodeling” on November 17. Those exact words were used to…
Cleveland Heights Offers Free Parking Every Weekend in December
Need another reason to visit Cleveland Heights this holiday season? How about free parking? That’s right, every weekend from now until the end of December, folks can score free parking on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at all meters, lots, garages, and on the streets. “Business owners and residents have been very supportive of this idea,”…
UPDATE: Body of Ohio State Football Player Found in Columbus
Columbus police announced Sunday evening that the body of OSU football player Kosta Karageorge had been discovered in a dumpster behind his residence. Preliminary investigation results declare that Karageorge died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and that the handgun was found in the dumpster. *** Originally published Nov. 29: While the Buckeyes and Wolverines are…
18 Minutes of Focus Enough for Cavs to Topple Pacers
For the second game in a row, the Cavaliers put on a half-quarter display of excellence for the annals, en route to a 109-97 defeat of the Indiana Pacers in a game that was never really that close. Two nights after an 18-2 run at the midway point in the first put away the Wizards…
Get this “A Christmas Story” Poster for that Die Hard Fan in Your Family
It’s Christmastime, which means some folks are watching A Christmas Story on repeat. Everyday. Until Christmas. And sometimes even after the holidays are over. If you’ve got a friend or family member who’s obsessed with the Christmas classic but isn’t about to shell out a few thousand dollars to actually spend the holiday in the…
Fresh Brewed Tees Opens Boutique at Cleveland Hopkins Airport
Fresh Brewed Tees, one of Cleveland’s only mobile fashion boutiques and online stores, has opened up its first brick and mortar outlet. The location? Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Concourse C, near Gate C2. Fresh Brewed Tees “is a fun new concept that adds even more local flair and flavor to our concessions program,” Airport…
Here’s How Cleveland Police Handled a BB Gun Incident in May
On May 21 of this year, Patrolman Aaron Reese responded to reports of a man pointing a rifle at cars on Superior Avenue near 86th Street, according to a news story published today. When he arrived and apprehended the suspect, he realized he was dealing with a child and that the weapon was just a…
State Auditor David Yost Takes Loan Off Table for East Cleveland
State Auditor David Yost attended East Cleveland’s November Financial Planning and Supervision Commission earlier this week. While neither Mayor Gary Norton nor Finance Director Jack Johnson were in attendance (due to previously announced prior commitments), Yost’s message was clearly delivered: Generate more money and spend less money. Still, the idea of East Cleveland floating a state…
City Officials “Could Care Less” about NEOMG Lawyers; Chris Quinn’s Ex Post Facto Rationalizing Leaves a Sour-ass Taste
On Thanksgiving Day, NEOMG Editorial VP Chris Quinn emerged from his cave or chamber, as he seldom does (save for WCPN’s Friday morning Reporters’ Roundtable) to explain, and thereby vindicate, what many in Northeast Ohio considered a “despicable” editorial decision: Crime reporter Brandon Blackwell, with the assist from Sun News’ Strongsville ace Bob Sandrick, and…
Buffalo Rallies Around Former Bills Linebacker — And Cleveland Native — Darryl Talley
At 54, former Buffalo Bills linebacker Darryl Talley “suspects collisions from playing linebacker for 14 NFL seasons, a dozen with the Buffalo Bills, have damaged his brain. He’s often depressed beyond the point of tears.” Such is the image painted by Buffalo News writer Tim Graham yesterday, whose portrait of the Super Bowl-era Bills player describes…
8 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, NOV. 28 Mean Jeans Members of the Portland, Ore.-based band are rather irreverent about their approach. “Mean Jeans are the band Wayne and Garth would have started if they had dropped out of Nuke ‘Em High to take on the Ramones,” says singer-guitarist Billy Jean. “Since that never happened, we’ve brewed up our own…
Cavaliers Carve Wizards to Bone in 113-87 Victory
Basketball’s a game of spurts that often break into five or six-minute half-quarters. All you have to do is destroy somebody in one of these half quarters to win the game. The Cavaliers are so explosive offensively that nearly every game they’re capable of the type of 18-2 runs that turned their matchup with the…
Thanksgiving Food Fantasy Draft, Because It’s Almost Dinner Time
As you set your sights and stomach on the Thanksgiving feast scheduled for this afternoon, this evening, or both (if you’re lucky and/or the child of divorce and/or plan on eating leftovers before slipping into a coma this evening, like a true American) we have a suggestion to see you through. Now, you can eat…
Internal Backlash After Cleveland.com’s Coverage of Tamir Rice’s Father’s Criminal Record
Yesterday morning, just hours before video of the police shooting of Tamir Rice was released to the public and media along with the officers’ names, the Northeast Ohio Media Group published an article headlined, “Tamir Rice’s father has history of domestic violence.” Response to the article was quick and harsh: this was victim blaming —…
10 Things You Might Not Know About Thanksgiving
Sure, we all know that Thanksgiving- the blessed holiday we’re celebrating today – is an annual excuse to eat ourselves into oblivion, watch football, argue with the fam, and drink a boatload of beer. But there are also a handful of things you might not know about Thanksgiving, like that groups of Native Americans actually…
Mahall’s to Host ’90s Dance Party
The ’90s were a great time for music and fashion. Grunge was popular (Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is the decade’s unofficial anthem) and as a result so were flannel shirts. Of course, by decade’s end, boy bands had become hugely popular and ruined everything. In order to pay homage to the ’90s, locally based Cattitude…
Police Release Video of Officer Shooting Tamir Rice
In an unusual move for a department in the throes of investigation, Cleveland police leaders today released the video of Tamir Rice being shot at Cudell Rec Center. Police Chief Calvin Williams said the department decided to do this after cooperating with the family’s wishes over the last few days. The release came at the request…
Oak Barrel’s Demetrios Atheneos to Open New Lakewood Restaurant
As early as next week, chef and restaurant owner Demetrios Atheneos will unveil his latest project, Forage Public House (14600 Detroit Ave., 216-226-2000), which will take the place of Pacers in Lakewood. That popular tavern has been in operation for about 25 years. Atheneos, the opening chef at Deagan’s and current chef-owner of the Oak…
Neither Cops Nor Protesters Had Any Idea Where Tuesday’s Tamir Rice Protest Would Lead
Violence never broke out during Tuesday’s downtown protests and Shoreway blockade in response to the police shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice and the non-indictment of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. But for awhile, it seemed like it might. Local news noted that while in other cities, protesters threw rocks at police officers, looted businesses, and…
13 Thanksgiving Movies to Stream Right Now
Thanksgiving is an opportunity to feast on some prime holiday films, ranging from family dramas to black comedies to horror and suspense flicks. We’ve gathered our favorite turkey-day movies that are available to stream on Netflix or Amazon, so that you have options this week when you escape the dinner table.
Ohio Holds the Record for the Largest Pumpkin Pie Ever Baked
Here’s a fun fact to usher you in to your holiday weekend: Ohio currently holds the Guinness World Record for largest pumpkin pie ever made. The record-placing dessert was made in 2010 by a team of giant pumpkin growers in New Bremen, OH (about an hour north of Dayton), who constructed a 3,699 pound, 20-foot…
13 Things Going on in Cleveland Over Thanksgiving Weekend
In-between stuffing your face with turkey and Christmas Ale over the next four days, make time to enjoy the bounty of seasonal festivities sweeping through the city, including the 33rd annual Turkey Trot on Thursday, Winter Fest on Saturday, as well as the handful of plays, concerts, and comedians (speaking of comedians, have you checked…
The Greatest Performance of My Life or That Time in High School I Dressed Up as an Old Man and Bought Beer
Being from Ohio and living in Los Angeles there’s a ritual you go through when people ask, “Where are you from?” In reality, I happen to be from Warren — that delightful salmagundi of decaying steel mills and farm country. But to people in Los Angeles, I am from Ohio, outside of Cleveland, from the…
How Not Quitting My Day Job Helped Get Me on Louie
When you do comedy, a drunk relative or someone who doesn’t find you funny might say, “Don’t quit your day job!” Meaning: Your dream of making a real living pursuing this passion is a terrible idea. Nobody’s ever said that to me, which is probably a good sign because it’s generally meant as an insult.…
The Akronpedia: A Devilstrip Dictionary of Akrony Things People in Cleveland Probably Ought to Know
What’ll it be, the Galley Boy or a Skyhigh? You’re confused, huh? Yeah, I thought so. Oh, Cleveland, you’re so uninformed about your neighbors. Borderline oblivious, really. I wouldn’t be totally shocked to hear someone on your block held human prisoners in his basement for a decade without anyone knowing. Oh, right, sorry. Culture-wise, Interstate…
SNL and the Gentle Crushing of Previously Undreamed Dreams
I definitely wanted to be on SNL. My friend Susanna and I would copy all of the sketches, and we were basically, like, the Super Fans,” says Cecily Strong, and every other comedian I’ve ever met. I wanted to be on Double Dare. I’m not trying to pretend I was too good for such dreams. I…
The Pitfalls of Dating a Comedian
When I first started standup, I’d ask other comedians for advice, and the No. 1 piece of advice I was given (besides don’t be like Dane Cook) was: Don’t date another comedian. I thought misery loved company? I mean, at the time, it made sense. I got some attention from the male comics and that…
I Survive in L.A. Because of Cleveland, And You Can Too
Hello. My name is Colleen Doyle and I recently moved to L.A. (that’s what everyone calls it out here; Los Angeles takes too long to say when you’re moving and shaking and new media-ing and making a vision board out of parking tickets and maps to the homes of the stars). I moved to L.A.…
Genghis Con Returns Bigger and Better than Ever in Year Six
Over the past five years, Genghis Con has established itself as a premier comics convention for small press and independent print media, drawing exhibitors and fans from Chicago and Pittsburgh to Columbus and beyond. For the sixth year, organizers have some major changes planned to make it bigger and better than ever. First of all,…
The 2014 Comedy Issue
Buoyed by the response to last year’s inaugural Comedy Issue, which mainly fell into the category of, “Not among the worst things I’ve seen in the paper as I search for the nudie ads in the back,” we decided to forge ahead with Year 2. So if you like laughs, you’ve come to a place. …
What It’s Really Like to Perform at Comedy Bathroom
Some dude at Scene Magazine e-mailed me after seeing video of me performing stand up comedy in a bathtub to a bunch of delighted weirdoes. How he got ahold of that video is anyone’s guess. Maybe one of the transsexual escorts in the back pages is a fan. The only guideline he gave me for…
Zachariah’s Handy Holiday Tips!
Ho ho ho! That’s the disconcerting sound Santa makes when he laughs! And what’s so funny? Why, you! You are very far behind on being ready for Christmas! You haven’t even started thinking about it, have you? You had better start getting ready now, or come Dec. 25, you’ll be empty-handed, and all your loved…
Hungry Bee Serves Up Comfort Food at New Chagrin Falls Retail and Takeaway Shop
Next to the antique green couch where Kim McCune reclines, an oversized photo capturing a colony of bees in magnified detail takes up the better half of the wall. It’s the first thing you’ll likely notice in the newly minted Chagrin Falls shop, the aptly named Hungry Bee (8326 East Washington St., 216-925-2515, hungrybeecatering.com), and…
A West 25th Street New Business Guide
You’ve all seen the news. Cleveland is back, baby! New Cleveland! Young people are moving INTO the city! On purpose! Downtown looks less like that Viggo Mortensen movie The Road! We all wear T-shirts with our city’s name on them now, to remind each other that we live here and we’re fine with it! The…
Brunch is Always a Bad Idea, But… Here’s Where To Go If You Must
We’ve all done it — and quickly regretted it. It’s Saturday night and you’re out with the mates, drinking that last round of beers, wishing the night didn’t have to end. “Let’s do brunch,” you say. And before anybody has a moment to consider the repercussions, the group responds with a resounding, “Yes, let’s continue…
What’s Next?
Comedy is abundant in Cleveland. This means there is an ever-expanding base of people trying it, improving and progressing through the never-ending quest for consistency. There’s no way to practice comedy aside from doing it. Here’s a run down of the places and spaces I’d like to see your faces. You won’t be sorry. MONDAY Garfield…
Review of the Week: Horrible Bosses 2
The umbrage you take at Horrible Bosses 2 (if you take any at all) is likely a variation on the umbrage you may have taken at The Hangover Pt. II, 22 Jump Street, or even, say, Shanghai Knights. As a rule, sequels created and cut from whole cloth after an initial film’s success are doomed to…
Rhymin’ Through the Ruins: Playwright Mark O’Rowe Rhymes While Spiraling Through Horror and Decay in Terminus
Now that most poets aren’t using rhyme anymore, it makes sense that a playwright should pick up that cherished old literary device. And Mark O’Rowe does exactly that in Terminus, now being produced by convergence-continuum. But these ain’t no “moon/June” rhyme schemes. O’Rowe piles internal rhymes one on top of the other, creating ever-cresting waves…
Job Training, Cleveland Style: Why Everyone Should Work in the Forest City, Even If Just Briefly, and Preferably as a Writer
My first story source flashed me her boob. We were sitting at a bar in downtown Cleveland and, after laying out the basics of the information she had to give, the spirit of Axl Rose touched her and she ripped open one half of her blouse and screamed. “Nipple pierced,” I wrote fastidiously in my…
Cleveland’s Newest Comedy Room Is One You Probably Don’t Know About. Please Read On, and Be Sure to Flush
Although simple in concept, Comedy Bathroom is an idea that was years in the making, before I had even performed any stand-up comedy at all. I had big dreams from the start, if you couldn’t tell. Five years ago, I was a shy, directionless kid who happened to latch onto the soft, beer-soaked underbelly of…
Film Spotlight: The Theory of Everything
Physicist Stephen Hawking and his former wife Jane Wilde, a student he fell in love with while he was studying at college and training to become one of the world’s top physicists, had a complex relationship. When the two first met, Hawking had yet to be diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and was completely…
Shady XV: Fifteen Years After Shady Records Launched, Marshall Mathers and Crew Talk Hip-Hop and Lessons Learned
Marshall Mathers III is arguably the greatest American wordsmith of the 20th century. He’s easily the greatest of the first 15 years of the new millennium. He bends words to rhyme with each other when they shouldn’t. He takes truths that are horrifying, and with his uniquely Michigan sense of humor, finds the funny in…
He Likes It Loud: Attila Frontman Talks About the Band’s Heavy New Album
It’s a little over a week into the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour and Chris “Fronz” Fronzak, frontman for the metalcore band Attila is having a blast. “We don’t feel any pressure to deliver after the other acts have played,” he says. “We’re just doing what comes naturally. We’re here to destroy.” The band’s new album,…
Graphic Noir: Robert Puzzitiello Brings Cleveland Police History to Life in New Graphic Novel Series
After diving into family history and local journalism from the early- to mid-20th century, Robert Puzzitiello began writing a series of graphic novels about his great-grandfather, detective Martin P. Cooney, a long-standing member of the Cleveland Division of Police and a notable gang-buster under Eliot Ness. His name decorated the newspapers for years, though this…
Band of the Week: The Mean Jeans
Meet the Band: Billy Jeans (guitar, vocals), Jeans Wilder (drums, vocals), Junior Jeans (bass) Dumb Punk: Members of the Portland, Ore.-based band are rather irreverent about their approach. “Mean Jeans are the band Wayne and Garth would have started if they had dropped out of Nuke ‘Em High to take on the Ramones,” says singer-guitarist…
Scene Magazine Presents SantaCon
SATURDAY, DEC 20 – 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. – W. 25TH STREET Get your tickets right now, right here. Scene Magazine and Future Friends and Associates are teaming up to spread holiday cheer throughout Ohio City! Santacon is an international phenomenon that absurdly simple but incredibly fun. Dress as Santa and come out and…
