We call Cleveland the 216. We call Akron the 330. Like a three-letter airport code – say, CLE or CAK – the numbers of our area codes are shorthand for who we are and where we’re from. They’re emblazoned on T-shirts and grace the names of boutiques, restaurants, radio stations and businesses throughout Northeast Ohio. Just think of all those former Clevelanders who kept their first cellphone numbers. The 440 is a brand in its own right, representing Cleveland suburbs. It was created in August 1997 as a breakaway from the 216 area code. And now new lines in that region will be getting a brand-new area code. Welcome to the 436. — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
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The 440 area code is close to being "exhausted." And so, say hello to 436. (Courtesy of the North American Numbering Plan Administrator) |
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440: Starting March 1, new phone lines that in the past would have received a 440 area code will now receive a phone number that starts with 436, Sean McDonnell reports. Crypto scam: Prosecutors report two Cleveland brothers posed as members of the United Arab Emirates royal family while conning investors out of millions of dollars in a variety of schemes, Adam Ferrise reports. Zubair Mehmet Abdur Razzaq Al Zubair and Muzzammil Muhammad Al Zubair even touted what became a $9 million cryptocurrency scheme that used Nela Park as the backdrop during a 2021 meeting with East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King. Today in Ohio: A state task force has come up with more than two dozen ways to improve school bus safety, including safety features like external cameras that can be added onto the vehicles. But many of the recommendations are vague. We’re talking about what else schools could do to keep students safe on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Senate campaign: State Sen. Matt Dolan has more campaign money at his disposal than his two Republican opponents combined heading into the final stretch of Ohio’s primary election for U.S. Senate, reports Andrew Tobias. The Dolan campaign and an affiliated political action committee reported having $6.9 million in cash. Energy shortfall: Grid operators are warning of a looming regional energy shortage by about 2030, spurred by what they describe as an accelerating loss of fossil-fuel powered generation that they project will far outpace the development of alternatives, Jake Zuckerman reports. Consumer advocates dispute the conclusions drawn by PJM, but the regional transmission organization says higher energy demand from data centers and “electrification,” coupled with the slower supply, is going to lead Ohio and other states into a shortage. Supreme Court: New reports showing 2023 fundraising for Ohio Supreme Court candidates found that Republicans are leagues ahead of their Democratic competitors, with one Democrat raising just $145, Laura Hancock reports. East Palestine: The state of Ohio has awarded nearly $3.5 million in zero-interest, forgivable loans to East Palestine businesses hurt financially by last year’s train derailment. Gov. Mike DeWine announced that two new businesses have been approved for Emergency Support Program loans totaling more than $150,000, Jeremy Pelzer reports. Tax deal: The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday signed off on a tax deal that would ensure residents of East Palestine don’t have to pay taxes on disaster relief payments and would increase the child tax credit for low-income families. Sabrina Eaton reports all Ohio Congress members supported it except for Miami County Republican Rep. Warren Davidson, who objected to multiple aspects of the bill, including the fact that it couldn’t be amended on the floor. |
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Police budget: Mayor Justin Bibb intends to eliminate more unfilled police jobs in order to pay for big raises he hopes will eventually grow Cleveland’s shrinking Division of Police. Courtney Astolfi reports the budget reduction is the second year in a row that Bibb is seeking to employ a budgeting strategy that reduces the money set aside for police jobs the city doesn’t expect to be able to fill, so it can make way for better pay for existing officers, and, ideally, boost recruitment long-term. Nonprofits: Aside from medical doctors, 31 Northeast Ohio nonprofit employees in a range of business sectors each made over $500,000, reports Zachary Smith in his examination of nonprofit tax documents. These jobs were at 16 places, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Playhouse Square Foundation, the Cleveland Foundation, and the Mid-American Athletic Conference, topping out at $1.1 million. Tax bills: Cuyahoga County is extending its office hours for those who want to pay their tax bills in person, reports Lucas Daprile. The county treasurer’s office, at 2079 E. Ninth St., will be open on Feb. 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and until 6 p.m. on Feb. 15, the day tax payments are due. Holiday weddings: If wedding bells are in your future, Akron Municipal Court has several upcoming off-site options in February and March to consider. Megan Becka reports appointments are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and must be scheduled and paid for before the date of the ceremony. Black History Month: Talise Campbell, founding executive artistic director of the Djapo Cultural Arts Institute in Cleveland, feels that a lack of a sense of communal belonging and apathy toward one another are among the top challenges facing Cleveland’s Black community. Julie Washington profiles Campbell as one of 10 outstanding Northeast Ohio leaders as part of Black History Month. Cleveland State: From Malcolm X to the Hough Riots, the election of Carl B. Stokes and more, Cleveland State University kicked off Black History Month off with the unveiling of a new exhibit honoring some important school and local history, Megan Sims reports. Sunny days: The upcoming forecast for the weekend shows the light of clear blue mornings, afternoons and evenings - the first time in more than a month for such sunny days, according to the National Weather Service. Zachary Smith reports there wasn’t a single instance in January when cloud coverage was below 50% at sunset. |
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Ganley growth: Ken Ganley Automotive Group announced Thursday that it had purchased Cleveland Motorsports, which owns Aston Martin Cleveland, Bentley Cleveland, Maserati of Cleveland and Rolls-Royce Motorcars Cleveland. Sean McDonnell reports Ken Ganley Automotive Group now has dealerships in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Florida. Layoffs: A company known for its work with NASA and the International Space Station will lay off 122 workers this year. Sean McDonnell reports ZIN Technologies, which is headquartered on Engle Road south of Sheldon Road in Middleburg Heights, sent a layoff notice to the state on Wednesday. Casino revenue: Ohio’s casinos and racinos have, again, broken their yearly record for revenue, doing so for the 10th time in 11 years. Sean McDonnell reports the state’s 11 casinos and racinos brought in a combined $2.38 billion in 2023, up from $2.33 billion in 2022. COVID numbers: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio dipped slightly this week, moving from 7,719 last week to 7,468. Julie Washington reports this was the fourth weekly decrease in a row. |
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Basketball ruling: A judge has ruled that Richmond Heights High School basketball star T.J. Crumble is ineligible for the rest of the season, Cory Shaffer reports. The judge ruled the 6-foot-8 power forward’s family failed to prove that its move from Moreland Hills to Richmond Heights at the start of this school year necessitated his transfer from Lutheran East High School. BCI images: The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office shared new digital images of an unknown man whose remains were found in an abandoned house in 2016. Megan Becka reports the agencies are asking the public to look at the new images to see if they recognize the man. Defamation suit: The former principal conductor of the Cleveland Institute of Music sued the school late Wednesday, seeking $25 million and alleging defamation from a sexual harassment investigation that later cleared him of wrongdoing. Adam Ferrise reports Carlos Kalmar, a world-renowned conductor, accused the school of ruining his reputation after it put him on leave last year amid the Title IX investigation. |
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Ask Yadi: If you’re in a new relationship and you both happen to sleep on the right side of the bed, who gets to decide who sleeps where? Yadi Rodriguez writes that depending on whose house/bed you are in, that person has the right to pick a side. Classic CLE: Polish Boys are not for the faint of heart(burn) but offer a whirlwind of flavor, texture and sensation. Iconic. Beloved. Not at all graceful to eat. Peter Chakerian describes the sausage piled with creamy cole slaw, French fries and a smoky-sweet barbecue sauce. Groundhog Day: Why is the city called Punxsutawney? And who are the guys wearing top hats around Phil? Molly Walsh is traveling to Pennsylvania for Groundhog Day and she explains fun facts about the holiday. Black-owned restaurants: Join the hosts of “DineDrinkCle: The Podcast,” Josh Duke and Alex Darus, as they kick off Black History Month by discussing their favorite Black-owned restaurants in Northeast Ohio. Eclipse fun: Spire Academy will host a family-friendly eclipse festival on April 8. Marc Bona reports the fest, which is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will allow open play on the soccer field and basketball court and include shows by Jungle Terry, a lunch buffet, beer and wine garden, bouncy houses, live music, free-throw competition, big-screen movie, vendor market and merchandise. Lake View: Deborah Abbott, past president of the African American Genealogical Society, will talk at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland about exceptional Black pioneers, civic leaders, inventors, and performers who broke down barriers, and overcame challenges when confronted with discrimination, reports Paris Wolfe. Women of rock: Seventy-six women have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. That’s just over 8 percent of the total inductees. Gary Graff lists 30 of the biggest snubs. Things to do: Whether you want to see a show or enjoy the outdoors, Joey Morona has 16 ways to occupy your time this weekend, from the I-X Center to Playhouse Square. |
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Woman receives life sentence for 2012 slaying in Summit County Read more Man wanted for murder in Georgia arrested in Euclid by U.S. marshals Read more Twice as wrong: Akron man arrested in second break-in at same auto shop, police say Read more Olmsted Falls councilman in need of a heart transplant Read more |
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