Local News

Today is the grand opening of a new bar in the Greater Cleveland area - World of Beer, which will feature 500 different bottles of beer and 50 drafts that will rotate every night.

The bar chain has two other locations in Ohio in the Columbus area.

Located in the INA Building, the 3,800-square-foot bar will focus mostly on beer. Liquor will not be served, however a few wines will be available. World of Beer will also not bother with serving its own food. Instead, it will partner with other local eateries who will deliver food to the table. Eddie 'N Eddie's, which is located next door to the bar, will staff a server inside of World of Ber.

Mark Pottschmidt, a partner in the venture, commented:

We were looking at the Cleveland market, and we fell in love with Lakewood. We went to Melt, Deagan’s and Eddie ‘N Eddie and saw that they all had craft beer. Lakewood is already ahead of the craft beer movement.”

The Steubenville rape case is getting even more tragic. Two teenage girls, ages 15 and 16, have been arrested and placed in a juvenile detention facility and will face charges today for menacing the victim in the Steubenville rape case that has made international headlines. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced the developments in a press release that read:

"Let me be clear. Threatening a teenage rape victim will not be tolerated. If anyone makes a threat verbally or via the internet, we will take it seriously, we will find you, and we will arrest you," said Attorney General DeWine.

The 16-year-old is charged with one misdemeanor count of aggravated menacing for threatening the life of the victim on Twitter. The 15-year-old is charged with one misdemeanor count of menacing for threatening bodily harm to the victim on Facebook.

In related news, DeWine announced that a Grand Jury will convene seeking more charges associated with the rape case on Sunday. Among those who will likely be targested by prosecuters is Steubenville football coach Reno Saccoccia who, according to court reports, helped cover up the crime of the two football players who were later convicted of rape.

Garfield Heights native William Smith has been a mainstay in the Cleveland media since 1977 but only has a few short months left on the anchor desk. The 66 year old newswoman announced today on Fox 8 news that she will retire at the end of May. She has been with WJW since 1994 and worked for WEWS from 1977-1994.

Smith has been widely decorated during her long career earning 10 local Emmy Awards. You can view her emotional announcement below.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) announced today that testing of Ohio's deer herd found no evidence of chronic wasting disease (CWD). CWD is a degenerative brain disease that affects elk, mule deer and white-tailed deer.

According to the ODNR Division of Wildlife, state and federal agriculture and wildlife officials collected 519 samples in 2012. For the 11th consecutive year, all samples were negative for CWD. Since CWD was first discovered in the late 1960s in the western United States, there has been no evidence that the disease can be transmitted to humans.

Since 2002, the ODNR Division of Wildlife, in conjunction with the ODA Division of Animal Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife and Veterinary Services, has conducted surveillance throughout the state for CWD. While CWD has never been found in Ohio's deer herd, it had been diagnosed in wild and captive deer, moose, or elk in 22 states and two Canadian provinces. Since CWD was discovered in the western United States in the late 1960s, there has been no evidence that the disease can be transmitted to humans.

The Linden String Quartet (LSQ), which has inspired chamber music lovers all over the world, is returning home to Cleveland. Previously in residence at the Yale School of Music, this radiant and energetic quartet—comprised of violinists Sarah McElravy and Catherine Cosbey, violist Eric Wong, and cellist Felix Umansky—has just announced their newest endeavor, the Parallels Chamber Music Series.

Parallels will premiere on April 2nd, in Severance Hall's gorgeous Reinberger Hall and will include works of Haydn, Chausson, and William Bolcom.“We are so excited about this series and about calling Cleveland our home,” says Cosbey. “This series embodies our mission to bring fresh perspectives to chamber music and to reach music lovers of all ages and interests. We hope it will become part of the force that makes Cleveland such a special place to live.”

Cleveland Orchestra concertmaster and former Cleveland Quartet violinist William Preucil will grace the opening concert as will Canadian virtuoso pianist Arthur Rowe. Preucil, Rowe, and the LSQ will collaborate to perform Ernest Chausson’s Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet.

The Ohio State Racing Commission is asking that the developers of two new racinos in Ohio to add additional seating for people who want to watch live horse racing. The commissioners say that the tracks near Dayton and Youngstown, which will also feature slot-like video lottery terminals (VLTs), need to focus a bit more on the live racing aspect of their businesses.

Officials from Penn National Gaming have told the commission that they will come back on Wednesday with additional information and plans. An official from Penn National Gaming, however, says that the developers think that the current plans have enough seating for live racing.

It's not yet available, but Ohio University is planning to offer a new scholarship that will allow students to benefit from their older siblings attending the school.

Jessica Steele, Assistant Director for Development at the College of Business, says that students whose older sibling attended or are attending Ohio University will be eligible for the scholarship. Of course there will be some additional requirements beyond just having a sibling that attended the school. The students will also need to be an upperclassman and earn at least a 3.2 GPA.

An ex-member of the Westboro Baptist Church, the United States' most notorious hate group, has published a book in which she claims that ounder, Fred Phelps' crusade against homosexuals may stem from his own gay experience.

Laura Drain was once a member of the church, which is based out of Topeka, Kan., until she had a change of heart and was excommunicated. Drain is now an advocate for gay rights and anti-bullying, and has even posed for the NOH8 campaign that promotes equality.

Drain, 27, noted in an interview with the Advocate that Phelps was a Boy Scout who graduated with honors, and was on-track for military service before, when at the age of 17 he became a preacher against "sexual immorality". She commented:

"I never understood why, when [the media asked him], 'Why are you so against the homosexuals? Did you have a homosexual experience? Do you have homosexual tendencies? And he would get so mad, he would shut down. And he’d be like, 'I can’t talk to this person anymore, they’re stupid.

The crowds were smaller this year at the Cleveland St. Patrick's Day parade due to the frigid 30 degree temperatures and winds off the lake, which kept many people at home (or in the bars). If you missed participating in the March 17th tradition, check out the video, "I'm Irish and I Know It" that we put together.