After nearly two weeks, the pro-Palestinian encampment at Case Western Reserve University is gone.  Student protesters began their demonstration on April 29. But, as of 6:45 a.m. Friday, the grassy oval in front of Kelvin Smith Library where the encampment took shape shows few signs of the protest that rocked the university’s campus as the spring semester wound down.  The former site of Case Western Reserve University’s pro-Palestinian encampment was largely clear Friday morning after maintenance crews picked up trash. Credit: Mark Naymik Plus, there was no activity on the steps of ..read more

After nearly two weeks, the pro-Palestinian encampment at Case Western Reserve University is gone.  Student protesters began their demonstration on April 29. But, as of 6:45 a.m. Friday, the grassy oval in front of Kelvin Smith Library where the encampment took shape shows few signs of the protest that rocked the university’s campus as the spring semester wound down.  While few students were visible Friday morning, a large police presence was on-site.  Signal Cleveland’s Managing Editor of News Mark Naymik is on the scene and saw officers from both Case Western Reserve’s force ..read more

Canvassers for the campaign to get a $15 minimum wage measure on November’s ballot are focusing on low-wage workers and residents who are not registered to vote. Mariah Ross, campaign manager for Raise the Wage Ohio, said the campaign’s mission is an easy sell to both groups.  “When people find out that we’re getting this issue on the ballot, they do want to vote themselves a raise in November,” Ross said. “We’ve registered over 10,000 people statewide. Many of them are new voters.” The campaign has collected more than 400,000 signatures to date, she said. They’ll need roughly 443,0 ..read more

Make way for marijuana As Cleveland adjusts to statewide legalization of adult recreational weed use, city officials are wrestling with the limitations of Cleveland’s current zoning laws. The Cleveland Planning Commission signed off on changes to zoning laws to expand opportunities to open dispensaries in Cleveland. The city’s current zoning laws do not allow dispensaries to open in just any retail district, and a zoning staff presentation said that limits dispensaries “to the fringes of the city” in mostly industrial areas. Cleveland’s zoning laws are also stricter than state law regarding re ..read more

Opponents of an Ohio House bill related to lead abatement say it could make compliance more burdensome for landlords and property owners who are working to meet lead safe requirements in Cleveland.  House Bill 280 would expand the Ohio Lead Abatement Tax Credit by making it refundable to all property owners, not just the few who qualify now, according to Zak Burkons of PBFree Ohio, a Cleveland-based lead assessment company. Burkons worked with a lobbyist to write and find sponsors in the Ohio House for HB 280.  A refundable credit can result in a cash refund, and HB 280 would allow ..read more

Hey Cleveland! Thank you to those of you who have reached out with community events – please keep them coming! If you are looking to get out of the house, check out these fun and informative events coming up this weekend and next week in and around Cleveland.  Community Safety Fair Join the Hyacinth’s Community Block Club for its Safety Fair. This free community event will feature a smoke house that teaches children what to do in case of a fire. RTA will also be in attendance, offering free fingerprinting for children with parental permission. Hot dogs, chips, and pop will be provided ..read more

While the weather pattern this time of year is giving Clevelanders whiplash, (80 degrees and sunny on Wednesday to 50 degrees and rainy on Thursday?!) the plants in our area are getting the treatment they need to grow big and strong this summer. If you (like me!) are thinking of trying out your green thumb this summer, or maybe wanting to help plant trees to strengthen Cleveland’s tree canopy, you’ll need to be familiar with the growing season in the area. Do you know what range of months are considered the Northeast Ohio growing season? Take a guess below. Also in today’s quiz: the age of Cl ..read more

Case Western Reserve University President Eric Kaler said next week’s graduation festivities will go on as planned even as student protestors’ pro-Palestinian encampment remains.  Noting that protesters have disrupted other graduation ceremonies around the country, he said Case Western Reserve is taking steps to head off possible problems.  “To avoid such interruptions and ensure our celebrations are centered on our graduates, we will be implementing a variety of safety and security measures, which [we] will share with the community soon,” Kaler wrote.  The university has a ful ..read more

Happy Mother’s Day! Is there anything stronger than the love of a mother? Let’s show some of that love in return and take mom to some of these free Mother’s Day events in and around Cleveland this weekend.  I love St. Clair-Superior Mother’s Day Festival Join the residents of the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood as they gather to celebrate “Queen Mothers” on Saturday, May 11, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The festival will feature community resource tables, food trucks, artwork, live music and more. This free event is open to the public and will take place at the St. Clair Plaza, located ..read more

After weeks of tough headlines and City Council criticism, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announced the resignation of his newly hired safety advisor on Thursday.  Phillip McHugh, a former police officer in Washington, D.C., joined City Hall earlier this year as a special advisor to the safety director. But the hiring soon became a lightning rod. In April, News 5 reported that McHugh was one of Bibb’s college roommates, and that he had faced a civil rights lawsuit from an older Black couple when he served as a police officer in Washington.  The Bibb administration initially defended th ..read more