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Tag: Corey O'Leary

  • Ohio residents come together to show support for Ukraine

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    STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — Gathering in the cold, residents came together on Saturday to reflect and pray for those in Ukraine.

    What You Need To Know

    • Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022
    • A protracted war has followed, with several Ukrainian cities currently occupied by Russian forces. 
    • Residents around Northeast Ohio came together on Saturday to rally to support Ukraine and pray for peace

    “It’s pretty tough in Ukraine right now. I think everybody is aware that not only are they, you know, the battles going on at the front line. Russia is targeting infrastructure. When I call, you know, Ukraine and talk to the doctors, I mean, they could be without electricity 18 hours out of the 24 hours,” said Dr. Taras Mahlay.

    Mahlay is the President of the Cleveland Maidan Association, a nonprofit humanitarian organization that has focused on providing medical aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in 2022. 

    Bohdan Danylo, the bishop at the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy in Parma, says the four-year anniversary is a good time to reflect. 

    “On one hand, it’s a bittersweet commemoration. On the other hand, it’s also hope that Ukraine, already for four years [has withstood] the Russian invasion,” Saqid Danylo. “In the last couple of years, they were able just to move a couple of miles from the initial invasion.”

    Peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are ongoing, but this comes as Russia continues its assault on Ukraine. Recently, talks between the two countries have made no progress. 

    “It’s not the land; it’s the people. Why would you give up people? I mean, you wouldn’t give up your cousin because they are on the wrong side of a border, or move that border over?” Mahlay said. 

    Northeast Ohio is home to a large population of Ukrainian immigrants and their descendants. Mayor of Parma Timothy DeGetter stranded the rally. 

     “We know that there is no quit in the Ukrainian people, and we welcome you to Parma, we welcome you to Strongsville, to Northeast Ohio. I am very, very proud of the connection that Parma has with Ukraine. I have always said Ukraine is Parma, Parma is Ukraine,” DeGetter said. 

     Those in attendance urged others to focus on the ongoing war. 

     “The most important is to ask, you know, our people in Northeast Ohio to still not give up on peace. Call your representative, call your senators, call the president.” Danylo said. 

     

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    Corey O’Leary

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  • Lake Erie ice fishers take advantage of frozen lake

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    PORT CLINTON, Ohio — Before the sun rises on a February morning, a group of dedicated ice fishers journeys out onto Lake Erie.

    What You Need To Know

    • Ice fishing season on Lake Erie lasts anywhere from a couple of weeks to two months
    • This year, ice fishers have been taking advantage after arctic temperatures froze a majority of the lake
    • The area near Port Clinton is known for its great walleye supply, and the islands and shallow waters help keep the ice from breaking up 
    • Once Lake Erie freezes, locals who live on the islands near Port Clinton are entirely reliant on air travel

    “You got to be a little bit crazy, you got to be a little bit obsessed, because it’s not for the faint of heart,” said John Fickert, one of those ice fishers. 

    As the sun starts to poke out over the horizon, Fickert makes camp. 

    “We’re many miles offshore, really desolate, really peaceful,” he said.

    On Lake Erie, the ice fishing season lasts anywhere from two weeks to two months. During that time, Fickert goes every chance he gets.  

    “Probably as soon as I could walk, I was out here fishing with my dad,” Fickert said, lighting up when he recalls old memories. “Those were the good ol’ days when I’d get out of school, and he’d haul me out here.”

    Ice fisher John Fickert set’s up his gear as the sun rises on Lake Erie. (Spectrum News 1/Corey O’Leary)

    Using a fish finder, he puts two rods in and can see when fish are near.

    “These are fish swimming across; do you see them?” he asks, pointing to two slender blobs on the screen of the fish finder. 

    However, after seeing a few fish, none of them wanted to bite.

    “He’s there, but he just won’t quite do it,” Fickert said. 

    Often, it’s a waiting game, and you don’t always get lucky. 

    “It’s just kind of unpredictable,” Fickert explains, adding that there was one day this year when he caught nothing. 

    He fishes around the Port Clinton area, near Put-in-Bay and Kelley’s Island. The ice on Lake Erie drastically transforms that area both visually and economically. 

    No one knows that better than Dustin Schaffer, owner of Island Air Taxi in Port Clinton. 

    “In the winter, it’s like a light switch when the boats quit,” Schaffer said. “In the winter, it’s the only way.”

    Once the ferries stop running because of the ice, all travel to and from this island have to be done by air. 

    “We have a lot of ice fishermen. There’s islanders, I fly teachers, there’s school kids that I transport back and forth,” Shaffer explained.

    In February, fishermen’s huts dot the lake, with the area known as one of the best places to catch walleye.

    Ice fishing huts dot Lake Erie. (Spectrum News 1/Corey O’Leary)

    On the ground, Fickert finds a new place to set up after a couple of hours with no bites. This year, he didn’t get to come out with his father. 

    “He passed away last year,” Fickert said. 

    Fickert said he spread some of his father’s ashes across the frozen lake. Now, he uses his father’s snowmobile and gear. 

    Ice fishing is an activity he’ll always associate with his father, even when he’s not catching anything. 

    John Fickert and his father.

    John Fickert and his father. (Spectrum News 1/Corey O’Leary)

    “Not a good sign… very negative mood,” Fickert said after a fish came near his lure but quickly swam away. 

    After a day where there were no bites, and right before he was planning to head back to shore, a fish finally bit. 

    “We’ve been waiting all day for her,” Fickert said, laughing. 

    But ask any ice fisher, it’s not all about the fish. 

    “The draw to it is just the rareness of it,” Fickert said. “It’s more like a treat when you get to do it.”

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    Corey O’Leary

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  • East Cleveland is first city to be placed under receivership

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    EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — East Cleveland is the first-ever town to be placed under a receivership, meaning that after years of fiscal emergency, a court appointed third party is going to be taking over their finances in order to find a viable long-term solution.

    What You Need To Know

    • The city of East Cleveland is being placed under a receivership
    • After years of fiscal emergency, a court-appointed third party is going to be taking over their finances
    • The town’s new mayor said this is a way for them to move forward

    East Cleveland has long been in debt.

    “Part of the problem is that we have a lot of debt that hasn’t been quantified yet,” new Mayor Sandra Morgan said.

    Morgan said the receivership was in the works before her term, but it is something she supports.

    “I believe it’s a lifeline for us,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to right the ship, frankly.”

    At a recent town hall, residents heard from the mayor and the court-appointed receiver, George Shoup.

    “I’m dismissed as a receiver once we determine that the areas of financial distress has been resolved and that a viable plan going forward is in place,” Shoup said.

    Morgan said the current estimate of the city’s debt lies around $50 to $65 million, largely as part of large settlements ordered where the police department was found guilty of abuse.

    “There’s just an erosion of the infrastructure because no one bothered to invest,” Morgan said.

    The city has consistently lost population since the 1950s. It was once at roughly 40,000 residents but is now around 14,000. Morgan said, if they want long-term financial stability, they’ll have to reverse that trend. 

    “We’re planning for building housing, really all sorts of housing,” she said.

    She said new developments, like more housing as part of the Circle East project, shows there’s a push for growth.

    “There’s a lot of reasons to come to East Cleveland,” she said.

    When asked about what she’d say to an East Cleveland resident who is skeptical about the receivership, she said, “the alternative is real grim.”

    “We don’t really have any alternative, and this is a way for us to move forward,” she said.

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    Corey O’Leary

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  • Winter is the perfect time to start your native Ohio gardening

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    CLEVELAND — Gardening isn’t a task normally associated with winter, but February can be the perfect time to plant.

    What You Need To Know

    • A free native seed library is distributing seeds to residents across multiple northern Ohio locations
    • To properly sprout, various seeds native to Ohio have to be planted in the winter
    • Wild Ones Greater Cleveland is putting on two Winter Sowing Workshops in partnership with the seed library, one on Feb. 8 and one on Feb. 11

    “A lot of times people will get a native seed and not know what to do with it. They’ll try planting it and it won’t work if you plant it in the summer,” explained Allison Welch, the Education Coordinator for Wild Ones Greater Cleveland.

    The group is a nonprofit run by volunteers, and it is putting on a series of winter-sowing workshops. 

    “You need to do it in the winter to experience the right kind of conditions to sprout by spring,” Welch said 

    Various seeds native to Ohio need winter weather for proper germination and sprouting.

    The workshop is free and takes participants through all the steps of planting seeds that will sprout in spring and summer. 

    The workshop is the perfect pairing for West Creek Conservatory’s Native Seeds Library program, which is now in its second year. 

    “So here we got the display, with our native seed library,” said Danielle Dejak, the Outreach Coordinator for the West Creek Conservancy.

    The program provides free seeds at various locations across northern Ohio. 

    “This year we really have expanded up to nine locations and up to 12,000 seed packets now,” Dejak said. 

    Now in its second year, the seed library has expanded because of high demand, partnering with organizations like Holden Garden and Forests, who collected many of the seeds themselves. 

    So why plant native seeds?

    “Native plants are gonna provide a lot of food and habitat for pollinators and just our native wildlife in general and because of their deep root systems they are going to really help with stormwater management, helping to slow the flow of that rainfall and reduce flooding and erosion,” Dejak said. 

    If you’re feeling antsy this winter, it might be time to consider some gardening. 

    Wild Ones has partnered with the seed bank to offer a free winter sowing course on Feb. 8 and Feb. 11. 

    “Come spring, you got a beautiful garden ready to go,” Welch said.

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    Corey O’Leary

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  • West Side Market debuts renovations, more on the way

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    CLEVELAND — This week, a newly renovated produce arcade was opened at the historic West Side Market. 

    What You Need To Know

    •  The new produce arcade is the first part of a mutli-phase plan to rennovate and add to the Historic West Side Market
    • The master plan is projected to cost around $70 million and includes a new event space, open a new prepared food hall and add more seating
    • $12 million in funding is still needed to fully finance the project

    “It’s awesome, it’s brand new, it’s pretty much everything we’ve been looking for,” said Tom Boutros is the owner of Boutros Brother produce stand that has operated out of the West Side Market for 23 years. 

    He said the new produce arcade features better lighting, heated floors, air conditioning and a better layout to interact with customers. 

    “The produce display used to be right in between us; now you can walk around me and do your own shopping, or I can still help you. It makes it more customer friendly,” Boutros explained.  

    The newly opened arcade featured a ribbon cutting where local leaders like Cleveland’s Mayor Bibb emphasized the importance of supporting the historical building. 

    “We recognized and understood that this asset was not just the city’s asset, but a regional asset and an asset for the state of Ohio,” Bibb said. 

    The opening of the new arcade comes roughly two years after the operations of the West Side Market were transferred to a new nonprofit, named the Cleveland Public Market Corporation (CPMC), which has created a master plan to update the market as a whole. 

    “One of the reasons we wanted to start with the East Arcade here is because we really wanted both merchants and customers, early in the project, get to experience what the broader vision is supposed to be,” said Rosemary Mudry, the Executive director of the CPMC.

    Mudry said the master plan includes upgrades meant to improve the experiences of both vendors and visitors while preserving the historic structure. 

    With the East Produce Arcade now open, the organization has started with renovations on the Market Hall, the large space where vendors sell food. 

    They plan to add HVAC to the Market Hall and are renovating the basement to add cold storage and other amenities that will help the vendors there.

    “The space here is the former men’s locker room,” said Mudry, standing in a large, vacant space that looked down over the Market Hall. 

    The former locker room space represents one of the biggest planned additions to the market. 

    “We’re going to turn this into an event space where folks will be able to gather. You can have your wedding here; you can have a corporate breakfast,” Mudry explained. 

    They also plan to add a balcony overlooking the market, with seating and a test kitchen. 

    “We’re adding a balcony here in front of that event space. You’ll end up getting to that balcony behind Kate’s Fish. There’ll be an elevator and a stairwell, which will get you up to the event space, a teaching kitchen, and there’s public seating that will be here.”

    The north wing of the produce arcade is currently under construction, with plans to turn that into a prepared food hall, with plans to add even more seating inside and outside of that area. 

    The master plan is projected to cost over $70 million, and 80% of that funding is secured. 

    For Boutros, preserving the history of the market while upgrading it is something to celebrate 

    “We have something here that’s worked for over 100 years, and it’s seriously something special,” Boutros said. 

    Mudry said if the CPMC is able to find the rest of the funding by the end of 2026, the renovations could be complete by the end of 2027. 

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    Corey O’Leary

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  • EPA proposal would remove Ohio wetland protections

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    TWINSBURG — Erica Matheny, the executive director of Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners, said protecting freshwater resources is critical.

    What You Need To Know

    • The EPA has proposed changing which waterways are protected by the Clean Water Act
    • The proposal would narrow what waterways are protected
    • The EPA estimates the change will remove federal protections for roughly 96% of Ohio’s wetlands
    • The rule change would make it easier for commerical and oil and gas development to happen on wetlands

    “We do a lot of work, a lot of outreach, helping to educate folks in all the communities around general environmental protections, around stormwater management,” Matheny said. 

    She spends a lot of time teaching people about the Tinker’s Creek watershed, the largest tributary of the Cuyahoga River. 

    A rule change proposed by the EPA will impact waterways around the U.S by changing what bodies of water are protected by the Clean Water Act. 

    “This would be the worst rollback of federal Clean Water Act protections by an administration since it was enacted in 1972,” said Jon Devine, the Executive Director of Freshwater Ecosystems at the National Resources Defense Council.

    Devine said the proposal would create a stricter definition of what water is protected under the Clean Water Act – the new definition only protecting waterways that are filled for a majority of the year. 

    “What it would really do is really hurt those streams that don’t flow year-round, or wetlands, marshy areas,” he said.

    Devine said this would open the door to commercial, oil and gas development on these wetlands. 

    “Really, those areas will be open to being exploited,” Matheny said. 

    The U.S EPA and Army Corps of Engineers analyzed the impact of the proposal –  estimating that roughly 94% of wetlands in Ohio would lose protections under the rule change. 

    Matheny said wetlands help filter out toxins in the water and provide important flood relief. 

    “If you don’t have wetland protections, then there might not be places for floodwater to go as easily,” Matheny said. 

    Right now, the rule change is only a proposal, and Matheny encourages those who support federal protections for wetlands to make their voices heard. 

    “Speak up. If congress and local legislatures don’t realize people’s care, then they are less likely to act. This water is everyone’s water. It’s a resource that belongs to the people, so I think it’s really important that people pay attention,” Matheny said.

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    Corey O’Leary

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  • New cameras will automatically cite Cleveland drivers for parking violations

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    CLEVELAND — Next time you park in Downtown Cleveland, be careful. The city plans to install roughly 40 cameras in hopes to decrease parking violations. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Cleveland plans to install roughly 40 new cameras downtown that will have the ability to automatically issue parking citations to drivers 
    • The cameras will also be used to collect data and create new loading zones where people can legally stop for a limited time
    • The city is also increasing the days parking is enforced to seven days a week in Downtown and six Days a week in Ohio City

    “The goal of this is to better enforce illegal stopping and parking activities, oftentimes and especially downtown,” said Mathew Moss, a senior strategist in Mayor Justin Bibb’s office.

    The city plans to reduce parking violations by installing roughly 40 new cameras on Euclid, West 25th, Prospect and Huron. They are contracting with a company called Autonomous to install cameras that can scan license plates and automatically issue citations if a car is improperly parked. 

    “Our goal is to deploy the camera, collect as much data as we can in terms of when the loading activity is most concentrated,” Moss said. 

    Moss said using data from the cameras will then allow the city to create smart loading zones. These are areas where people will be able to legally stop for a bit to drop somebody off, or for delivery drivers to pick-up food that’s been ordered.  

    “A loading zone might be a loading zone when we need it most, maybe early in the morning, through the early afternoon perhaps, and then it can transition to paid parking, or maybe a valet zone in the evening,” Moss said. 

    The city plans to install the cameras in the first quarter of 2026 and start creating those smart loading zones in February and March. 

    Changes are also coming to parking fees and hours for city street parking paid by using app Park Mobile. 

    “Currently folks are capped at two hours, coming into the new year they’ll be able to extend beyond two hours to a third and fourth hour,” said Lucas Reeve, senior strategist in Mayor Bibb’s Office.  

    Reeve said the fee for the third and fourth hour will increase per hour. 

    Another change in 2026 is that parking fees will now be enforced seven days a week in downtown and six days a week in Ohio City and will extend to later hours.

    Reeve said the city expects an increase in revenue from these parking changes. 

    “[Giving Cleveland] the ability to invest into neighborhoods with better lighting, crosswalks, speed tables and things like that,” Reeve said. 

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  • New movie ‘Lost & Found in Cleveland’ paints ode to Ohioans

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    CLEVELAND — Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman’s new film “Lost & Found in Cleveland” is an ode to the city told by weaving the story of five residents together through the objects they bring to a fictional TV show.

    “I grew up watching Antique Roadshows with my dad. I just fell in love with the people on the show,” Guterman said, explaining she always wanted to make a movie centering on Antiques Roadshow. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The movie”Lost & Found in Cleveland” is in theaters nationwide November 7th
    • Filmakers Marisa Guterman and Keith Gerchak raised funding for the movie independently
    • The movie proudly features Cleveland, shooting in locations like Playhouse Square, the Hope Memorial Bridge and the West Side Market

    “They’re coming with these objects that they’ve collected that have been passed down to them that take on special meaning, and our own identities get wrapped up in these special objects that come into our lives,” Gerchak said. 

    Gerchak grew up in Cleveland, Guterman in LA, but now they both live in the movie’s titular city. 

    “Cleveland is the protagonist of the film, and we really celebrate it,” Guterman said. 

    They filmed scenes at iconic Cleveland locations.

    “We had 20 locations in 20 days,” Gerchak said, filming at places like Playhouse Square, University Circle and The Hope Memorial Bridge. 

    They shot at the historic West Side Market with actor Dennis Haysbert, who made his movie debut in another Cleveland classic picture, “Major League.”

    “In the first shot we’re inside there, and getting him standing here, with the ‘Go Tribe’,” Gerchak said, motioning to the Dionne’s Meats Booth the film used as a location at the market. The booth had a ‘Go Tribe’ sticker, a reference to the Cleveland Indians baseball team that was featured in the movie ‘Major League.’

    The movie features Clevelanders as extras, like Sam, an employee at the West Side Market. 

    “Taking this concept of what people think Cleveland is and showing you, it can feel different, it can be beautiful,” Guterman said. 

    Set during the holidays, the movie cast big names like June Squibb, Jon Lovitz and Martin Sheen. 

    “I think it is the perfect marriage of material and setting. There’s a Midwestern optimism, there’s an earnestness, an authenticity,” Gerchak said. 

    Directed, written and produced by Gerchak and Guterman, the film is a labor of love they worked on for over a decade, raising funds independently. 

    “We had a book club in Cleveland that invested in the film,” Guterman said. 

    Finally realizing their vision and getting to bring it to the big screen. 

    “People have an underestimation of the film and I think they also have an underestimation of Cleveland, and the Cleveland’s of the country, and I think that they’re gonna be in for a surprise when they come and see the film,” Gerchak said. 

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  • Stocking sturgeon: Officials reintroduce native fish to Lake Erie

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    CLEVELAND — Hundreds of people gathered at Rivergate Park to contribute to an ongoing effort to re-introduce sturgeon to Lake Erie and its surrounding rivers. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Officials said 2,000 baby sturgeon were released into the Cuyahoga River on Saturday, Oct. 4
    • The Ohio Department of Wildlife plans to hold annual releases on the Cuyahohga River for the next 25 years
    • The Maumee River has been stocked with sturgeon annually since 2018 

    “I’m here to see the sturgeons be released and be part of it,” said Tony Modic, one of those waiting in line to receive a fish.

    Modic wanted to be part of the first annual Sturgeon Fest, an event organized as part of the Ohio Department of Wildlife’s initiative to reintroduce the sturgeon into Lake Erie and its surrounding rivers.

    “Here at Rivergate Park, we are releasing 750 sturgeon,” said Eric Weimer, a Fisheries Biologist Supervisor for ODW. 

    He said the event is a culmination of years of research into whether the water could be inhabited by sturgeon again.   

    “We don’t want to keep stocking sturgeon in perpetuity,” Weimer said. 

    The department’s plan is to continue stocking the Cuyahoga with sturgeon for the next 25 years. They believe that after the time period, the sturgeon population will sustain itself. 

    “First and foremost, they are a native species, so they belong in our Great Lakes,” Weimer said, explaining that healthy fish populations and habitats are positive for the ecosystem. 

    “I’ve always taught my son about reintroduction of species to native habitats and we actually get to have a hand in it now, and we’re so excited about that,” said Lisa Barham who attended the event with her five-year-old son.

    Eager participants received a bucket with a single baby sturgeon in it. They walked down to the docks at Merwin’s Wharf and sent the fish off using special slides. 

    A total of 2,000 sturgeon were re-introduced to the Cuyahoga. ODW also released fish at two other locations off the Cuyahoga that Saturday. 

    The stocking of the Cuyahoga follows a similar project that started in the Maumee River, where ODW has been stocking sturgeon since 2018. 

    The new project at the Cuyahoga is part of their larger effort to bring the fish back to Lake Erie. 

    Weimar explained that the fish spend most of their time in the lake, but will typically travel upstream to mate. 

    Sturgeon can live up to one-hundred years and grow to be six feet long. 

    “It’s absolutely fantastic. It’s a sign that things are going in the right direction. People are starting to think long term and not short term,” Lisa Barham said. 

    Sturgeon are native to Lake Erie and the surrounding rivers, but by the late 1800s the population was greatly diminished due to overharvesting, pollution, and habitat alteration.

    “I would love to see the sturgeon population come back; you know, it would be fantastic to not have it on the endangered species list,” said Modic. 

    If sturgeon are caught in the Great Lakes, they must immediately be released. Down the line, he’d love to see it come back and know that he played a part in it. 

    “I’m glad they’re doing it, and I hope to go every year,” he said.

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  • Cleveland National Air Show takes flight

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    CLEVELAND — One of the most thrilling events of the year is about to take off.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Cleveland Airshow takes place on Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 
    • The event is held at the Burke Lakefront Airport in Downtown Cleveland
    • Shows will take place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day

    “This location here on the lakefront is second to none in the country, honestly,” said Hayden Proffitt, a performer in this year’s Cleveland Air Show.

    Proffitt is part driver, part pilot. 

    “What we have here this weekend is a 1957 Chevrolet pickup truck,” Proffitt said, “We have two Westinghouse 34, 48 model, jet engines in it.”

    He comes from a family of drag racers, and has taken the sport to the extreme.

    “It’ll accelerate, 0 to 210 miles an hour in about 7.5 seconds,” he said.

    The event will feature aerial stunts from the U.S Air Force Thunderbirds as well as demonstrations from the U.S Army’s Golden Knights Parachuting team.  

    “We have our baton pass, we have canopy relative work, canopy piloting team, which come across the ground at 70, 80, 90 miles an hour,” said Sgt. First Class Joshua Evans.

    Evans is a relatively new member of the Golden Knights, but he said his passion for demonstration parachuting has already paid off. 

    “The funnest part for me is when we hit the ground and you see the 10 year old or 12 year old, and they’re just so happy to see you. And they have a million questions for you,” he said. “That’s what lights my soul up.”

    Tickets for the event can be purchased at Clevelandairshow.com. Kids under 5 get in for free.

    Parking is available at the airport, but parking passes must be purchased online beforehand.

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