The Power Rankings from Signal Cleveland are a weekly roundup of the people, places and things wielding their power, for better or worse, in Greater Cleveland.  This week, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam moves to the top, and the Cavs slide from last week’s top ranking. And we propose an alternative plan for warding off the birds that keep flying into Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Have suggestions for next week’s rankings? Submit an idea here. Press the arrows for more insights into this week’s rankings. Separate checks, please The Browns’ owner Jimmy Haslam wants taxpayers to pick up half the ..read more

By Fairriona Magee, a public health reporter at The Trace.  This March, Alexis Jackson worked tirelessly to make sure all the details of her oldest daughter’s Sweet 16 were perfect: a heart-shaped cake in Abe’bre’anna’s favorite color, purple; a glittering Eiffel Tower backdrop in the Paris theme; tables topped with shiny purple tablecloths; and a carefully combed-over guest list. But as the room erupted with the voices of the teenager’s closest friends and family singing “Happy Birthday” on March 16, one special person was missing — Abe’bre’anna.  Two years ago, Abe’bre’anna, then ..read more

The Cleveland Department of Public Health is planning to expand its fleet this summer with a new community health mobile clinic to connect residents to vital services, information and screenings to reduce barriers to care.  The 2022 Cuyahoga County Community Health Needs Assessment found that accessible and affordable healthcare was one of the top needs for Northeast Ohio residents. Many of the 3,100 residents who completed the survey indicated that there was a need to address “knowledge and information gaps through education and outreach and provide preventive screenings for residents w ..read more

The pro-Palestinian demonstrations on Case Western Reserve’s campus remained peaceful last week, even as university officials declared Thursday that the student encampment is illegal and began to place possible restrictions on campus visitors.  But university officials have been making contingency plans for handling a violent protest. Those plans include talking to the City of Cleveland for possible support from Cleveland police, a spokeswoman for City Hall told Signal Cleveland.  “CWRU reached out to explore and discuss planning in advance but did not expressly request assistance ..read more

Owens home moves closer to landmark status Cleveland City Council’s Development, Planning, and Sustainability Committee approved the former Cleveland home of Olympic athlete Jesse Owens, at 2178 E. 100th St., for Cleveland landmark status. Owens first came to Cleveland in 1922 at the age of nine. He lived in the home when he competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where he became the first American track and field competitor to win four gold medals in a single Olympics. Full council still needs to vote to approve the nomination. The Cleveland Landmarks Commission signed off on the proposal la ..read more

As Signal Cleveland first reported last week, the Cleveland Browns are trying to rally support behind an ambitious proposal to build a multipurpose stadium and entertainment district in Brook Park near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. It’s an alternative to renovating its current home on the lakefront, which has limited space for all the Browns envision as its next longterm home. It’s newest proposal is also considerably more expensive, with a new stadium expected to cost more than $2 billion, twice the cost of renovating. The team has been telling people it’s committed to paying at l ..read more

The Cleveland Guardians are asking taxpayers to split the $1 million cost of renovating the Progressive Field team shop.  Board members of Gateway Economic Development Corporation, which owns the ballpark and pays for repairs with taxpayer money, heard the team’s initial pitch on the project this week.  Aesthetic upgrades – such as new lighting and retail displays – would fall on the Guardians’ side of the balance sheet, said the team’s general counsel, Max Kosman. The public would pick up $500,000 in work on heating and cooling systems, flooring, access controls and security featur ..read more

As we said in Monday’s Power Rankings, ‘the Cavs are reminding us that in Cleveland, joy is never given; it’s earned.’ Fans hope to get a dose of joy Friday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Florida to play the Orlando Magic in Game 6 of their NBA playoff series. The Cavs are up three games to two and could advance to the next round of the playoffs with a win. The team will host an official playoff road game watch party for Cleveland fans at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. General Admission tickets for the watch party, presented by Sherwin-Williams ..read more

Parents of Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) students recently received an automated phone call from the district’s transportation services last week asking if their child still needed transportation to and from school.  The district said it was trying to identify “ghost riders,” or a student who is eligible for bus transportation but doesn’t use the service. “Ghost riders” are common, said Eric Taylor, executive director of transportation at CMSD.  “I can route a bus and it will have 48 students on it. But in actuality, the ridership is usually around 20 to 25 [students ..read more

The 2024 Summer Olympics are right around the corner, and we are excited to cheer on a Clevelander who will be competing.  Have you heard about this inspiring athlete? Learn more below. Plus, birds and their migration patterns are on our minds after learning about the hundreds of birds that fly into downtown Cleveland buildings every year. Are you interested in birding? If so, you’ll enjoy question #2. Congrats to quiz takers Richard J., Marge C. and Eileen M. for scoring 100% on last week’s quiz. Good luck this week! A Cleveland native has qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in whic ..read more