(UPDATED) Montville Officer Charged with Animal Cruelty After K9 Partner Dies in Car Without Air Conditioning
Sgt. Brett Harrison is charged with two counts of companion animal cruelty (second-degree misdemeanors, per Ohio’s archaic Revised Code). The maximum penalty per charge is 90 days in jail and a $750 fine. His arraignment is set for Oct. 29 at Medina Municipal Court. *** Originally published Oct. 8 Sgt. Brett Harrison of the Montville Police…
What We’re Reading Today: Rolling Stone’s Political Dispatch from Lima, Ohio
In trying to get a grip on how conservative policy-making has both flung itself to the far right in recent years and altered the social landscape of many corners of the U.S., Janet Reitman traveled to Lima, Ohio, to learn how the Chaffins family is getting along and how an economically depressed town survives in this…
Our Favorite Cleveland Browns and Phish Tour Reviewer Breaks Down the Win Over the Steelers
For those who dwell in that most joyous Venn diagram of interests — Browns football and Phish — Ohio’s own FZappa20 is a treasured correspondent. But even if you’re just looking for input on all things Brownies, well, he’s certainly got you covered. FZappa20 aka #PFish is a Youtube phenom, delivering the goods in ways…
Lakewood 911 Audio: “I’ve Been Hard for Five Days”
Lakewood police dispatchers have to deal with a lot of nonsensical calls — like from this guy who thought a street sign was a drug dealer — and this one is right up there with the best of them. We just got some 911 audio of a call the LPD received this weekend from a…
E11leven 2 Celebrates Halloween With ‘Snapped’ This Friday
As part of October’s Third Friday open house at 78th Street Studios, E11even 2 is hosting a Halloween-themed reception for its latest exhibition, Snapped. “Snapped is an exhibition that caters to all the senses, not just the visuals,” explains E11even 2 co-founder Rich Cihlar. “Christina Sadowski curated the exhibition, and has more than fifteen artists…
Jimmy Dimora’s House Will Hit Market in Six Months
Jimmy Dimora’s Independence home will hit the market in six months, according to a deal cut with the federal government. In that time, Jimmy will continue trying to appeal his case (likely to no avail, given precedence here) and his wife will continue to live there. If an appeal does succeed, the sale will be…
Mason’s Creamery Now Open in Ohio City
Earlier this year, we announced that Jesse Mason and Helen Qin had signed a lease to move into the old home of Ohio City Ice Cream and, before that, Dari Delite, which had operated as a seasonal ice cream shop for the past 60 years. We also relayed the ice cream-preneurs’ plans to open their…
Photos: Cleveland Welcomes Steelers Fans
Presented here mostly without comment, save for hat tips to reddit’s Robby_Digital and Twitter’s @Branmancanjam, here are a couple of pics that have been making since Sunday of Steelers fans receiving a good old fashioned Cleveland welcome.
Video: Browns Tailgate Features Headless, Limbless Female Mannequin Beer Bong
Browns tailgate parties and beer bongs go hand-in-hand, but some Browns fans have taken their beer drinking to a new — and pretty creepy — level. This video, from Instragram user amberguig, shows a beer bong that goes through the headless and limbless torso of a female mannequin wearing a Browns bikini. The beer is…
Cleveland Museum of Art Debuts ‘Forbidden Games’ Photo Exhibition This Weekend
Debuting this Sunday (Oct. 19), the Cleveland Museum of Art presents Forbidden Games: Surrealist and Modernist Photography. This free exhibition showcases the collection of art collector and filmmaker David Raymond. The Raymond Collection was acquired by the CMA in 2007 and features 167 photographs and illustrated books focused on Surrealist and Modernist Photography from the…
Happy Birthday Brian Hoyer
No better way to celebrate a birthday for Cleveland’s own Brian Hoyer than a Victory Monday after shitcanning the Steelers up and down the field yesterday. How should you celebrate? Probably by listening to the Ballad of Brian Hoyer again.
World’s Largest Pierogi was Crafted Last Week
Here’s a piece ‘o news that might interest locals: The world’s biggest pierogi was built last week, clocking in at a massive 123 pounds. Chefs at Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino created the beast which had to be cooked in a custom 27-by-36-inch stainless-steel contraption. “This is the largest thing I’ve ever made, period,” executive chef Richard Marmion told…
Bob Dyer’s Reporting Reveals Covered-Up Claims of Sexual Abuse at Ernest Angley’s Church in Cuyahoga Falls
First off, Bob Dyer’s “Falling from Grace” series is quickly unfolding as a touchstone of Northeast Ohio journalism. His two-month investigation has pried open a sense of secrecy surrounding Ernest Angley’s Grace Cathedral in Cuyahoga Falls. Today’s installment features allegations of sexual abuse brought forth by former parishioners — claims that Angley dismisses curtly in…
Columbus Day Parade Kicks Off at Noon in Cleveland’s Little Italy
The annual Columbus Day parade launches from the corner of Murray Hill and Cornell Rd. at noon today in Cleveland’s Little Italy as part of the final day of Harvest Festival. If you don’t have to jet back to work, stick around for the barefoot Grape Stomping Contest immediately following the parade – It’s $10 to enter…
Chardon Road Bridge Crumbles Over I-271, ODOT Responds After Concrete Crashes into Family’s Windshield
WKYC is running the story of a local family who found themselves on the wrong end of a crumbling I-271 overpass last week. Melanda Davis and her daughter were driving when a big chunk of concrete fell off the US-6/Chardon Rd. bridge and through their windshield, injuring Melanda and certainly provoking a bit of trauma. (Can…
Good Goat Gallery in Lakewood Reopens This Weekend After a Year of Renovations
After nearly a year of renovations, Lakewood’s Good Goat gallery (17012 Madison Ave.) is celebrating its grand reopening this weekend. The expansion will more than double the gallery’s exhibition space and on Saturday Oct. 18, doors will open at noon with an opening reception for Touch Me: The Art of Interactive Art from 4 to…
Country Singer Eric Church Flaunts his Rock Roots at Quicken Loans Arena Concert
Country singer-guitarist Eric Church has said he explicitly designed the 360-degree stage (microphone stands are positioned on all sides and the drum kit rotates as Church moves from side to side) he’s using on his current tour so that he could feel close to the audience. He has said he looks back fondly on the…
ARTneo Celebrates 30th Anniversary at 78th Street Studios Next Friday
Next Friday evening, the various studios and galleries of 78th Street Studios open their doors to the public for October’s Third Friday open house. These monthly events seem to get bigger and better every month. A number of galleries will host opening receptions for their latest exhibitions. The Cornerstone of the evening, however, will be…
Scene Podcast: CavsZine, Browns vs. Steelers, Parody Twitter Accounts,
This week, host Craig Lyndall is joined by Will Burge, as happens most Fridays, and Jack Sanders and Alex Raffalli from CavsZine, which just finished raising $7,500 or so on Kickstarter to publish 5,000 copies of CavsZine 5. They talked about parody Twitter accounts, CavsZine, Cavs fandom, Browns vs. Steelers, and more. #BookIt As always,…
10 Cleveland Clambakes to Hit this Season
Clambake season in Northeast Ohio is a culinary right of passage. It just so happens we are right smack in the middle of this unofficial edible Cleveland tradition. Here’s a list of ten of the yummiest clambakes.
8 Concerts to Catch This Weekend
FRIDAY, OCT. 10 O’Death Gothic country, you ask? Sure, O’Death’s sound is unusual, but it actually kind of works. Their latest, Out of Hands We Go, takes elements of folk and bluegrass and adds in twists of dark Americana. Banjos and ukuleles punctuate the landscape of Greg Jamie’s country singing and rich guitar strumming. The…
Here’s a Lord of the Rings Inspired Map of Cleveland
Local Lord of the Rings junkies may enjoy this Tolkien-inspired map of Cleveland that we just discovered on Etsy. It’s pretty cleverly crafted, and an 18 x 24 inch print can be yours for $23.00 (a smaller version is available for $10.) Take a look for yourself here.
Carol & John’s Comics and Scribble Nerds Collaborate to Support National Bullying Prevention Month
October is National Bullying Prevention Month and Marvel Comics is celebrating by releasing a number of variant covers of its most popular titles – including Avengers, Captain America, Hulk, Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket Racoon and more. Cleveland’s own Carol and John’s Comic Book Shop is seizing the opportunity to use comics to make a…
Brian Hoyer Watched Kids Shows Instead of ESPN After Sunday’s Win
Need another reason to love Brian Hoyer? Of course not, but here’s another one anyway from a Bleacher Report profile of Cleveland’s leader of the new Kardiac Kids detailing the days after Sunday’s record-setting comeback win against the Titans. Did he soak in the love? Sure, he danced in the locker room. But he refused…
Ohio Prisons Will Use Drones as Security Measure
Lebanon and Warren Correctional Institutions in Southwest Ohio will begin a six-month pilot program next month when officials send a blimp-like drone into the sky to watch over prisoners. This past week, prisoners likely caught their first gander of the unmanned balloons, as advance testing took place from Oct. 1 – 7. The blimp thing…
Celebrate Lebron’s Return In Style With A New Outfit From Ebay
Triggering what will should be the most lucrative bidding war since a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO went for $31.6 million, two eBay sellers just put up for auction some must-have clothing for any Cleveland sports fan. Any person with with pride in their appearance, really. The LeBron James-inspired shirt and pants were posted by two…
Midnight Syndicate Makes Live Debut at Cedar Point’s HalloWeekends
The local Goth/electronic group Midnight Syndicate has been releasing albums for years now. But the group, which relies heavily on intricate orchestral music that’s created in the studio, hasn’t been able to put together a live show. Until now. The duo — Edward Douglas (pictured) and Gavin Goszka — has created a multimedia horror concert…
21 Photos of Cleveland’s Lost Grand Hotels
Michael DeAloia’s Lost Grand Hotels of Cleveland is hot off the press and offers folks a glimpse into Cleveland’s rich hospitality history with anecdotes, lessons, and, of course, photographs. He’s offered to share a selection of his images— many pulled from the Cleveland Press Archives and Cleveland Public Library— with us. Enjoy.
After Crashing Car, Sandusky Man Found to Have Surreally High .505 Blood Alcohol Level
Today’s entry in “Not quite local, but certainly regional and outrageous”: A Sandusky man driving with his children on Sunday crashed his pickup truck into a ditch, the Sandusky Register reports, and, as though that weren’t already horrendous enough, he was found to have a .505 blood alcohol level. Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth told…
Cleveland Chef Takes Top Honors in Ballpark-Themed ‘Chopped’ on Food Network
Cleveland native James D. Major took top honors in a ballpark-themed “Chopped” competition titled “Big Hitters” that aired last night on the Food Network. Major, currently executive chef at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, was one of four executive chefs from American and National League ballparks. He competed against chefs from the St. Louis…
10 Things Going on this Weekend in Cleveland (October 10 – 12)
Cleveland Beer Week turns six this year, and plans to celebrate appropriately. Expect a boatload of beer-related events to consume Cleveland over the next 10 days, with the big kickoff happening tomorrow. Between bars, try to squeeze in a couple of the other fun and festive events this weekend, such as Breakneck Gallery’s Halloween-themed show…
Cavs Unveil New Navy Blue Alternate Uniform
Today, the Cavs showed off their new navy blue alternate uniforms and noted that the team will be donning this new look for the Oct. 30 home opener. Of note is the Cavs’ “DNA statement” — “All for one. One for all.” — which appears upside-down on the front of the jersey, so that players…
Cleveland Association of Broadcasters is Looking for a Few Good Artifacts
The Cleveland Association of Broadcasters is in the process of putting together a temporary exhibit featuring local broadcast memorabilia and artifacts (think of all that old WMMS swag with the buzzard on it). According to a press release, the organizers are looking for “programs, artifacts, documents or memorabilia that you believe would a great addition…
Reminder: Three Great New Restaurants/Bars Opened This Week
It’s the week of long-awaited openings around Cleveland. Three highly anticipated projects either already opened their doors or will open their doors today. 1. The Spotted Owl in Tremont, which is already perhaps the greatest neighborhood bar in town thanks to Will Hollingsworth. (Opened Wednesday) 2. Happy Dog East, in the former Euclid Tavern spot,…
Rock Hall Announces Nominees for Class of 2015
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has announced the nominees for the Class of 2015. The list includes the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chic, Green Day, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Kraftwerk. the Marvelettes, N.W.A., Nine Inch Nails, Lou Reed, the Smiths, the Spinners, Sting, Stevie Ray Vaughan, War and Bill Withers. Arguably the most popular pop-punk band of all time, Green Day,…
Preview of Crop Kitchen, Set to Open Next Week in University Circle
Will Steve Schimoler succeed where Scott Kim was unable to do so? We’ll find out soon enough when Crop Kitchen (11460 Euclid Ave.) opens in the former Accent space at Uptown in University Circle. The casual spinoff of the uber-popular Crop Bistro in Ohio City will open next week following a few days of closed-door…
Filmmakers Are Crowdfunding the Music Licensing for ‘The Sax Man’ To Bring It To Theaters, Netflix
When the 2014 CIFF debut of The Sax Man sold out faster than small-town gossip, everyone without tix collectively mourned. We sated ourselves with the amazing trailer and frequent trips down to Euclid for more of Maurice Reedus Jr.’s fine, fine tones. Well, the filmmakers are trying to ameliorate that pain by bringing the documentary to…
Cleveland named on CNN Money’s list of most innovative cities
Look at that, Cleveland has been named on CNN Money’s recent list of most innovative cities along with San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. Via CNN: The city gets props for its Sustainable Cleveland program — a city-wide effort to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean air and green space. Its food policies are particularly…
Scene Podcast: Two Girls With Glasses
This week Nikki and Brandi talk about Halloween costumes: where to buy them or get the supplies and inspiration to make your own. They also talk about some of the amazing Halloween themed events happening around town like Cleveland Bazaar at CWRU’s Dittrick Museum of Medical History and The Night Makers Ball. As always, do…
Line-up Announced for Sixth Annual Cleveland Metal Holiday Food Drive
The Cleveland Metal Holiday Food Drive is an annual event that gets bigger and better each year. Auburn Records, WJCU 88.7 FM and German writer and metal fan Iron Ingo Stührenberg are the sponsors for this year’s event, set to take place December 6, 2014 at the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern. Local metal acts Shok…
Horseshoe Cleveland Announces Opening of Tag Bar and Lounge
Earlier this morning, Horseshoe Cleveland welcomed local media to tour its new $4 million Tag Bar and Lounge. Located on the casino’s second floor, the 2,000 square foot bar and lounge features 40 electronic table games including blackjack, roulette and craps (be prepared to plunk down minimum bets of $3 during the week and $5…
Great Lakes Brewing Co. Will Tap Christmas Ale on Oct. 21
We’re all pretty used to it by now, but that doesn’t erode the genuine zeal the city encounters when Great Lakes Brewing Co. announces the release date for Christmas Ale. The beer’s cult following is itself a phenomenon. The backlash against the beer’s cult following has in recent years become another phenomenon. You are now…
The Sunny Side of Fresh: Jennifer and Joe Horvath of Toast Keep Chickens Out Back, Serving Up Eggs Laid Just Hours Earlier
“There’s nothing better than an egg laid that day,” promises Jennifer (formerly Plank) Horvath, the chef and newlywed who operates Toast alongside her husband Joe. So rather than trying to seek out the nearest farm-fresh egg vendor, the two took matters into their own hands, building a chicken coop to augment the restaurant’s nearby kitchen…
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Allen Toussaint Team Up for a Double Bill Steeped in History
When Allan Jaffe and his wife Sandra moved from Pennsylvania to New Orleans in the early ’60s, they didn’t initially come for the music. But they ended up staying for the music after they took over a small, dingy art gallery in the French Quarter and turned it into Preservation Hall, a 100-seat concert venue…
Beer Me, Beer You, Beer Everyone: A Guide to Some of the Best Events of Cleveland Beer Week
While many Clevelanders mourn the passing of summer, craft beer connoisseurs look forward to the falling of the leaves. After all, October signifies the imminent arrival of Cleveland Beer Week. Now in its sixth year, this countywide celebration shines a spotlight on the craft beer culture curated by Cleveland area breweries, restaurants, tap rooms and…
‘Kill the Messenger’ is a Noble Attempt to Vindicate Investigative Reporter Gary Wells
A reporter who worked at the Plain Dealer for a short time, Gary Webb had a nose for sniffing out corruption. It was something he pursued ever since he starting writing editorials for his college newspaper. That tendency would carry over to the San Jose Mercury News, where he produced a series of articles to…
Film Review: The Judge
In The Judge, out Friday at theaters areawide, high-profile Chicago defense attorney Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) must defend his father, Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall), a long-tenured district judge in Carlinville, Ind., after he’s been accused of murder in the wake of his wife’s death. Downey Jr., channeling Tony Stark, and Duvall, channeling Robert Duvall,…
Quick and Awesome: Ninja City Brings Casual Fun to University Circle
Cozy but not cramped, high-spirited and agreeable as hell, Ninja City has quickly wheedled its way into the good graces of countless 20-somethings hungry for an east-side alternative to dreary fast-food chains and pubs peddling the same old grub. This University Circle newcomer appeals to time-strapped, budget-crunched diners — many of them students at nearby…
Alternative Routes: A Late Bloomer and a Forward-Thinker Pair for Two Exhibitions at 1point618 Gallery
This Friday evening, 1point618 hosts opening receptions for two quite different exhibitions. Local self-taught painter Sid Rheuban turns 90 and celebrates with an exhibition of his latest drawings and paintings on Plexiglas. Liz Maugan’s presents Screen Plays, which is a collaborative effort with 20 local and regional writers (myself included). Sid Rheuban took a unique path…
Bass is the Place: Jazz Star Esperanza Spalding Brings Her Special Birthday Tour to Playhouse Square
The bass isn’t featured front and center in too many jazz compositions. So what drew multi-instrumentalist Esperanza Spalding to the instrument when she was a teenager? “I would say spiritually or psychologically, I’m an airy person,” she says via phone from Brooklyn where she was prepping for a short tour in celebration of her 30th…
Film Spotlight: Pride
Pride, a film based on the true story of lesbian and gay activists who support a miners’ strike in the U.K. in 1984, proves the proverb, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” The film centers on a charismatic young gay activist Mark (Ben Schnetzer), who sees an opportunity to connect with another disenfranchised…
Singer-songwriter Bruce Hornsby Continues to Color Outside the Musical Lines
Late in our conversation, singer-songwriter Bruce Hornsby wants to clear something up: “I want people to know that I have not beaten Lebron James in one-on-one; it was Allen Iverson.” The encounter has become legendary, documented in the Iverson biography Only the Strong Survive. In 1993, Iverson, then a senior at Bethel High School in…
Songs and Stories: Singer-guitarist Bryan Adams Unplugs for a Special Show at Connor Palace
When Bryan Adams released his Reckless album in 1984, he learned pretty quickly that he had finally crafted a collection of songs that would collectively act as a major game-changer for his career. There would ultimately be six singles released from the album, each of them going inside the Top 15 of the Billboard Hot…
The History of Violence: Punk Singer Turned Pundit Henry Rollins Turns his Attention to the Latest Political Blunders in the Middle East
If you happened to have seen Black Flag back in the days when the group performed with Henry Rollins as its frontman, you know just how intense the burly dude can be. Often shirtless, Rollins would scream his goddamn lungs out while madly stomping. He’d have a microphone chord wrapped around his arm like it…
Nerd Do Well: Bassnectar Brings his Uniquely ‘Immersive’ Show to the Agora Theatre
Bassnectar (Lorin Ashton) clearly remembers his first rave. It took place in what he describes as a “random warehouse” in San Francisco in 1995. He went with the guys in his band and they all wore death metal shirts because that was they were into at the time. Makes sense. Bay Area natives Metallica would’ve…
Local Country Singer Charles Hill Jr. Displays Natural Talent on ‘Shootin’ Man’
Charles Hill Jr. Shootin’ Man (Stow House Records) charleshill.com An ardent fan of old school country, local singer-songwriter Charles Hill Jr. counts country icon George Jones as one of his biggest influences — his grandfather used to play Jones’ tunes on an old guitar he had. That love of a bygone era permeates Hill’s new…
A Souper Time: Big-Time Ideas Get Small-Time Startup Funds (And Some Grub) at Cleveland Soup
The premise is simple: Gather a bunch of folks together, charge them $20, serve them food, watch a handful of presentations from people with ideas they’d like to fund, have everyone vote for their favorite, give the kitty to the winner. That’s Cleveland Soup, organized locally by Marika Shioiri-Clark and her partner Graham Veysey, which just…
An Abstract Artist: Rapper Big K.R.I.T. Ventures Outside of His Comfort Zone
In June of 2012, it seemed as if Meridian, Miss., native Big K.R.I.T. (an acronym that stands for King Remembered In Time, born Justin Scott) was poised and ready to take over the world with his major label debut album, Live from the Underground. He was fresh off the successful release of his 4evaNaDay mixtape…
Father Under Fire: A Westlake Church Rallies Around its Pastor After Charges that He Sexually Abused His Adopted Daughter
[Editor’s note: This content includes accounts of sexual abuse and may be triggering for some readers.] Faith is a powerful thing, and the flock at Church on the Rise in Westlake has it in spades. Some beliefs, after all, cannot be shaken: faith in God, faith in their religion, or faith in their pastor, no matter…
Band of the Week: Telamon
Meet the Band: Daniel Kearsey (vocals, guitar), Paul Newton (guitar), Domenic Altieri (bass) and Massimo Altieri (drums). Dynamic Duo: Kearsey, who was into the early ’90s grunge scene (think Our Lady Peace) and Massimo were playing together in another group before the band formed earlier this year. “We just added players as we got into…
Here They Go Again: Indie Rockers OK Go Keep Kicking Out the Jams
Even before they jumped on the treadmill for the music video for “Here it Goes Again” and garnered some 22 million views on YouTube, the guys in the indie rock troupe OK Go — singer-guitarist Damian Kulash, bassist Tim Nordwind, drummer Dan Konopka and guitarist-keyboardist Andy Ross — put a unique stamp on everything they…
A Compact and Compelling Les Mis: Thanks to an Outstanding Jean Valjean, this Great Lakes Theater Production (Mostly) Soars
If one song can make an entire musical a success, then that is the magic that happens when Stephen Mitchell Brown, as Jean Valjean, sings “Bring Him Home” in Les Miserables, now at Great Lakes Theater. His performance of that lovely Act 2 tune is so delicate, so intricate, that one feels transported. Much as…
‘The Notebook’ is a Stereotypical War Movie
In his review of The Notebook, a Hungarian period piece that opens today at the Cedar Lee Theatre, critic Godfrey Cheshire noted that had the film not been based on a famous French novel by the same name, it probably wouldn’t have been green-lit for development. He makes a good case for his argument, citing…
