Local News

Rumors are now beginning to spread that Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam may be asked go give up control of the team amid a federal investigation of his Pilot Flying J truck stop company.

ESPN Cleveland reports that a source "with knowledge of both the legal system and the inner workings of the NFL" says that Haslam could be asked to step aside, and if he refused, "the league could suspend Haslam until the investigation is completed."

The source continued, stating:

"They can force him, probably, to transfer his interests to another entity within the family, where he may still have equity holdings but absolutely no involvement in operations. They can remove him from having front-and-center involvement."

According to the source, Haslam's best bet would be to relinquish control to a family member who would oversee the team until further notice.

Following the death of her mother last month, Ohio Catholic high school teacher Carla Hale included the name of her longtime partner in the obituary. After returning to work following the funeral, administrators presented her with a copy of the obituary along with an anonymous letter that called the presence of a gay teacher in the school a disgrace. Less than two weeks later, Hale, a teacher at Bishop Watterson High School for nearly 20 years, was fired.

Hale, 57, worked at the school as a physical education teacher. Once news of her firing began to spread, students started a petition to have her job reinstated.

Hale has also filed a legal claim seeking to get her job back, and thanks to a city ordinance, she has a good chance of prevailing..

A Columbus ordinance makes it a misdemeanor for an employer to discriminate against an employee based on sexual orientation, and city law also says that an employer cannot have a policy that discriminates based on sexual orientation. Those found guilty may face up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Napoleon Bell, executive director of Columbus' Community Relations Commission, also states that the city law does not included an exemption for religious organizations.

Following protests, the Dayton Air Show in southwest Ohio announced on Thursday that it has cancelled plans to stage a re-enactment of the World War II atomic bomb attack on Japan.

Brenda Kerfoot, a spokeswoman for the Dayton Air Show, said that the event held June 22 to 23 at Dayton International Airport will keep a planned "Great Wall of Fire" pyrotechnic show, but not as an event meant to re-enact the devastating bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

The B-29 plane "Fifi", which is similar to the Enola Gay B-29 bomber that was used to attach Japan, will also remain in the show but in a separate role.

According to air show officials, the re-enactment was intended to highlight a historic event that helped to end the war and save lives that would have been lost had the war continued. Kerfoot noted:

"We've taken it as more of an educational show. The wording that we used probably wasn't the best."

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty continued their crusade against Internet cafes in the Greater Cleveland area as federal, state, and local police raided six such businesses in Cuyahoga County on Wednesday. The authorities seized video terminals and cash while looking for evidence of illegal gambling and various other criminal activity.

DeWine says this only the start of a statewide crackdown on what he refers to as illegal mini casinos.

Hours before the raids began, DeWine held a briefing in Columbus with dozens of law enforcement officials on how to prosecute Internet sweepstakes cafes and get them shut down. He also announced a new Internet gaming unit in the attorney general's office that will help them investigate. This new unit includes members of DeWine's staff that have expertise in the areas of gambling and charitable gambling, in addition investigators from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. There's also now a 24-hour hotline that law enforcement can use to call for help.

DeWine revealed last week that he was prepared to go after the Internet cafes, having been bolstered by a recent ruling in the 8th District Ohio Court of Appeals that several of the sweepstakes parlors were operating as illegal gambling houses.

DeWine told those at the briefing:

"In our office we always believed these places were illegal. Now we're armed with a court decision which makes this crystal clear. The court described these operations as a ‘patently obvious gambling scheme,’ ‘a system devised to skirt the law,’ and an ‘attempt to legitimize illegal gambling.’ “

Cleveland's own Michael Symon, the chef behind such restaurants like Lola and Lolita, is also the creative genius behind the burger chain B Spot. According to the Pittsburgh Business Times, Symon is "ready to bring is B Spot burger restaurant to Pittsburgh in quite a big way.

Symon's Cleveland-based Symon Restaurant Group made its first foray into the Steel City last August when it opened a Bar Symon at the Pittsburgh International Airport. Now, the restaurant group is said to be "scouting the region for what may eventually be four to six B Spot locations in the Pittsburgh area."

Dough Petkovic, a business partner in Symon Restaurant Group, said:

“We had always planned on coming to Pittsburgh. We've grown in the greater Cleveland area to a degree we're really comfortable with. As much as these towns dislike each other for football, they're very similar cities. We just like the Pittsburgh market. We think we understand it.”

The Cleveland International Film Festival, which concluded over the weekend, had a record year. The festival drew in over 93,000 people, which was not only a record but also a nearly 10 percent increase over the previous year.

The festival, which is in its 37th year, included more than 475 screenings of feature and short films from 64 different countries.

The Beachland Ballroom & Tavern's future is in jeopardy after the city of Cleveland appealed a March ruling at the last minute on April 11 which stated that the concert venue should only have to pay the back admissions taxes it owed, and not what it accrued in interest and penalties. If Cleveland is successful in getting the ruling over turned, which would mean Beachland would be on the hook for the $119,320 owed in back taxes plus the $285,707 accrued in interest and penalties, Beachland co-owner Cindy Barber says that the concert club would have to shut its doors.

The $119,320 tax bill is in itself steep, but Barber says that Beachland was working to increase its cash flow in a way that would allow it to eventually pay down the debt.

Beachland is planning to grow its business by expanding food sales and its vintage store, which sells old accessories, apparel, and records. The venue also hosts a popular Sunday brunch, which they've recently expanded to Saturdays. Barber also reveals that they're planning to serve lunch seven days a week, and have informed the city of their plans to increase business.

In recent years, city of Cleveland officials have aggressively pursued concert club venues in the city to make good on back admissions taxes. This has inspired local clubs to lobby for exemption from the admissions tax law, arguing that the nature of the music business already forces them to operate on a slim budget.

It's always hard to choose which films to see at the Cleveland International Film Festival. I've never been disappointed in my selections but last night I was extremely happy with the film I chose.

The title of the film is "I Do". It was written by David W. Ross and directed by Glenn Gaylord who is originally from the Youngstown area. David is also the star of the film and is attending the Cleveland Film Festival with Glenn. Both Glenn and David greeted the audience before the film and answered questions afterwards.

Remington College-Cleveland Campus is again offering complimentary student salon services for local high school students headed to prom. The event is called Prom Night Makeover and the goal is to help students look and feel their best at the big dance - all at no cost.

The complimentary student salon services will be available on the following days:

Friday and Saturday, May 10 & 11
Friday and Saturday, May 17 & 18

Appointments are recommended and can be made by calling 216-584-2490.

Instructors and students in the Remington College Cosmetology Program will provide the following services:

Updos, manicures, pedicures, and makeup for girls
Haircuts for guys
All Prom Night Makeover services will be done in the Cosmetology Department on the Remington College-Cleveland Campus, located at 14801 Broadway Ave.

Since the beginning of the program, Remington College has provided complimentary Prom Night Makeover services for more than 2200 high school students around the country.

Remington College's Cosmetology Diploma program teaches students the art of hair, skin and nail care through traditional classroom instruction and hands-on training in The Salon at Remington, which allows students to work with real clients.

According to an analysis that was released in honor of Tuesday's Equal Pay Day, women in Ohio lose more than $16 billion in income annually due to the disparity in wages between men and women.

Women employed on a full-time basis in Ohio are paid just 77 cents for every dollar paid out to men, which amounts to a yearly wage gap of $10,430, according to the study conducted by the National Partnership for Women.

Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families, commented on the findings, stating:

“This new analysis illustrates the great harm to families, states and metropolitan areas caused by the pervasive gender-based wage gap. With most women serving as essential breadwinners for their families, the loss of this critical income has devastating consequences.”