Caitlin Clark is a big deal. A University of Iowa women's basketball player who’s starring in TV commercials with Jake from State Farm? The world is much-evolved and much more interested in the game than the last time Cleveland hosted the Women’s NCAA Final Four in 2007. Then, said Greater Cleveland Sports Commission President David Gilbert, it was "Tennessee is going to be here and U Conn – and other people." On the first weekend of April this year, Cleveland will be the “epicenter of women’s sports in America." The weekend, which also leads up to the Guardians home opener and the total solar eclipse, will host a bevy of events. Cleveland has lofty goals. And the economic impact is projected at $22 million. — Laura |
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Officials coordinating the NCAA Women’s Final Four basketball tournament emphasized a multitude of off-court events in conjunction with the semifinal games and championship set for Cleveland in April. The event is coming at a time when women’s basketball is riding a huge wave of popularity. (Marc Bona, cleveland.com) |
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Final Four: Multiple fan-friendly exhibitions, a concert featuring rapper Latto, red-carpet arrivals of championship-team players, scores of basketball-bouncing kids parading through downtown and multiple community initiatives are planned as part of the NCAA Women’s Final Four in April. Marc Bona reports it’s no longer practical for a city to simply sell tickets and expect visitors to come to a major event. Aisha’s Law: After Lance Mason, a former Democratic state lawmaker and former Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge, fatally stabbed his ex-wife, Aisha Fraser, lawmakers introduced sweeping legislation meant to protect future victims of domestic violence. The bill, known as Aisha’s Law, twice passed the Ohio House. But prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys opposed sections of the bill and it never passed the Ohio Senate. Instead, Laura Hancock reports, portions of the bill have moved forward, including a new law creating the crime of strangulation, making Ohio the last state to recognize strangulation as a standalone crime. Leaplings: An estimated 5 million “leaplings” – people born on Leap Day, Feb. 29 – are walking around the planet, celebrating their actual birthday every four years. Marc Bona reports that ballplayer Al Rosen, an MVP with Cleveland in 1953 and later a team executive, was a Leap Day baby, as was former Indians pitcher Steve Mingori. Believe it or not, Superman was born on Leap Day. So was rapper Ja Rule and former Cavaliers forward Chucky Brown. Today in Ohio: What if Cleveland didn’t give hundreds of millions of dollars toward a Browns Stadium renovation? As a thought exercise, what if the city spent that money to upgrade its parks and recreation facilities instead? We’re talking about how many pools, playgrounds and maybe even pickleball courts you could build with $300 million on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Householder appeal: Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder appealed his 20-year prison sentence on Monday, arguing his conviction for leading the largest bribery scandal in state history should be thrown out. Jeremy Pelzer and Jake Zuckerman report Householder filed a 97-page brief with the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, offering several reasons why the appeals court should overturn his conviction. No endorsement: The top Republican state elected official in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine, is staying on the sidelines for the presidential and U.S. Senate primary elections on March 19. DeWine indicated Tuesday that he doesn’t intend to make an endorsement in either race, Jeremy Pelzer reports. Package smuggling: U.S. Sen Sherrod Brown wants President Joe Biden to crack down on countries like China, arguing they are exploiting a package-processing loophole to smuggle illicit products like fentanyl into the United States and to avoid paying duties. Sabrina Eaton reports that Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, joined last week with U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, in a letter asking Biden to use his executive authority under the Tariff Act of 1930 to end abuses of the “de minimis” loophole, which exempts packages valued at less than $800 from U.S. duties, taxes, and fees, and lets them into the country with minimal inspections. Minimum wage: U.S. Senate candidates Matt Dolan, Frank LaRose and Bernie Moreno all say the minimum wage is not meant to be “livable.” Andrew Tobias reports that LaRose said, “All of us up here seem to agree that there shouldn’t be a rise in the minimum wage and that the market should do this.” |
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Seasonal shelter: Cuyahoga County Council is expected to vote on whether to approve funding for two groups serving the area’s unhoused people, Lucas Daprile reports. For one of those groups, Radical Hospitality, the potential for $78,000 in funding comes just days before the nonprofit was set to run out of money. City staffing: Cleveland City Council is considering ditching a key aspect of Mayor Justin Bibb’s proposed 2024 staffing plan, which was intended to grant his administrators more flexibility in how they fill city jobs. Courtney Astolfi reports the new concept proposed by Bibb in this year’s budget plan – known as a “vacancy pool” – appears to have won few fans on City Council during budget hearings. Hough apartments: New apartments could be coming to Hough. Anchor 66, a proposed apartment complex, will go before the Cleveland Planning Commission on Friday for schematic approval. The 76-unit complex would be constructed on vacant land at the corner of East 66th Street and Linwood Avenue, adjacent to Historic League Park and Fannie M. Lewis Community Park, Megan Sims reports. Trumpeter swans: Centuries ago, the trumpeter swan was a common sight in some areas of Ohio, particularly in the since-drained Great Black Swamp in the northwest part of the state. But by the early 1700s the numbers had dwindled and at some point the native bird vanished from Ohio altogether. Peter Krouse reports the trumpeter swan has made a remarkable comeback, not unlike the bald eagle. Easier gardening: How can you make growing your Northeast Ohio garden cheaper and easier? Gardeners wrote to Susan Brownstein, who dives into their ideas. |
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AI: Marketer Jeff Charney, a former top marketing executive for Progressive, Aflac and QVC, calls artificial intelligence the end of the world as we know it ... but he's fine with that. Sean McDonnell reports Charney’s MKHSTRY AI is a new tool that Charney and his collective developed to streamline the long process of generating an idea and then turning it into a marketing campaign. Stock prices: Stock prices for 12 major Ohio companies increased by at least 2.5% last week. Zachary Smith reports that was led by the composite material company Owens Corning in Toledo, which increased 5.3%, or $7.42 a share. Guns and children: Firearm-related deaths increased among children and adolescents after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with seven children per day dying by firearms in 2022, according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation report on the impact of gun violence on children and teens. Julie Washington reports the United States has the highest rate of children and teens ages 17 and below dying from firearm violence compared to similar countries. Food allergies: The FDA approved the first medication this month to reduce allergic reactions to foods after accidental exposures from multiple foods. Omalizumab, also known by its brand name Xolair, is an injection that can be given to adults and children 1 year or older to prevent serious symptoms of an allergic reaction from developing after an exposure to a food allergen, including the risk of anaphylaxis, Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports. Coffee shop: Emilie’s Coffee House and soon-to-be wine bar is the cozy “third place” that Avon Lake needed, reports Alex Darus. The new cafe at 457 Avon Belden Road opened at the end of 2023, right after Christmas. The mother-daughter duo of Erin and Emilie Stack started the business on a whim only for it to quickly become one of the buzziest spots in town. |
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Police crash: A Cleveland Heights police officer crashed a cruiser during the chase of a stolen car Monday, reports Molly Walsh. The Cleveland Heights officer and the K9 officer in the cruiser were not injured. Police are still searching for the driver of the stolen vehicle. Ken Johnson: Disgraced former Cleveland City Councilman Kenneth Johnson will not get his sentence cut under new guidelines aimed at reducing federal prison sentences for some convicts. Adam Ferrise reports U.S. District Judge John Adams on Tuesday denied Johnson’s request, made after a November change to federal sentences aimed at right-sizing prison terms under new laws or precedent-setting cases in recent years. Priest sentenced: A 77-year-old former Catholic priest is headed to prison for molesting a 15-year-old girl during a blessing before her upcoming cancer treatment, reports Cory Shaffer. Luis Barajas was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 months in prison after he pleaded guilty earlier this month to a fourth-degree felony, gross sexual imposition, tied to the October assault at the girl’s Westlake home. Murder conviction: Jurors learned Tuesday that they will have a key piece of evidence in deciding whether to convict Tirrell Edwards of murder for shooting his girlfriend in October: a cellphone video that captured the argument and audio of the shooting, reports Cory Shaffer. Prosecutors say Edwards had a calculated plot to kill Williams after she tried to end their relationship, recording in the couple’s bedroom as Williams clutched a knife and told him to get out of her house. Collusion lawsuit: A lawsuit filed on Tuesday accuses the world’s top tire-makers of colluding to boost prices after suffering losses during the coronavirus pandemic, Adam Ferrise reports. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Akron, alleges Akron-based Goodyear Tires, Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone, Nokian and Pirelli conspired to increase tire prices some 21% since 2021. Police report: Use-of-force complaints against Cleveland police officers rose last year, as did the arrests of youths for serious crimes. Cleveland’s Department of Public Safety annual report showed trends in crime and policing across the city, from tips gained through technology to slayings solved by homicide detectives, reports Olivia Mitchell. |
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Ask Yadi: How is one supposed to respond when they are using the restroom and they hear a knock at the door? No need. Yadi Rodriguez says give people the space and time they need to take care of their business without interruption. Outlaw Festival: Freshly minted as an inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023, country music icon Willie Nelson will bring his Outlaw Music Festival to Blossom Music Center on Sept. 12, Peter Chakerian reports. Fellow music legends and Rock Hall inductees Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp will perform in the traveling roadshow that evening. CIFF: The Cleveland International Film Festival will celebrate the legacy of two icons of children’s television in April. “Shari & Lamb Chop,” a documentary about Shari Lewis and her faithful sock puppet, will serve as CIFF48′s Centerpiece Screening on April 9, reports Joey Morona. Shaq: Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, aka Shaq Diesel, will be returning to his (briefly) former Cleveland stomping grounds to perform a concert following the June 22 Guardians game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Guards fans with tickets to the game can remain at Progressive Field and enjoy the “What’s Up Doc (Can We Rock ?)” rapper and part-time DJ from their seats, reports Malcolm X Abram. |
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