For its latest ranking of the Best Hospitals in the Unites States, U.S. News studied nearly 10,000 specialists and almost 5,000 hospitals to rank the best in 16 adult specialties, from cancer to urology. Among the factors considered in evaluation are death rates, patient safety and hospital reputation.

Out of those 5,000 hospitals, only 140 were nationally ranked in one or more specialties. The Cleveland Clinic was ranked nationally in 16 adult and 10 pediatric specialtie... Read more >

Cleveland Public Library has partnered with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to offer its patrons free weekly music downloads.

"CPL knows how passionate Clevelanders are about music, and the importance of music in our community, its history, and its future," CPL director Felton Thomas explained. "CPL has a history of providing our patrons with access to music -- starting as far back as sheet music and records and evolving to CDs. In today's digital world, providing free d... Read more >

Multiple sources are reporting that key scenes in director Joss Whedon's film "The Avengers" will be shot at NASA's Plum Brook Station. The 6,400-acre test facility near Sandusky boasts the Space Power Facility, the world's largest space environment simulation chamber. The massive chamber can simulate a low-earth orbiting environment.

Shooting is scheduled to begin next month and will include Earth-bound stars Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Evans.
Read more >

Neighborhood Progress Inc. has approved more than $1.8 million in grants that will support nine community development corporations in Cleveland. The grants were awarded based on the organizations' history of carrying out transformative programs as well current market conditions that will enable these programs to spark additional investment and growth.

That money will go toward making those neighborhoods safer, healthier, more prosperous places to live and work. The grant... Read more >

Last weekend, the Cleveland Orchestra opened up Blossom's backstage doors to area bloggers and media types for a casual "meet the musician" panel discussion. With nary a string, reed or drumstick in sight, the cultured quartet performed with understated charm as they chatted about starting out.

"Every Korean kid has to take piano lessons," said Jung-Min Amy Lee. Alas, her teacher reported that she did indeed have musical talent, but it wasn't in piano. Lee considered the ... Read more >

Groundbreaking Cleveland rock music critic Jane Scott made as many fans as she did cover them for the Plain Dealer. Thus, upon learning of her recent passing to that great Green Room in the sky, a national outpouring of affection bubbled up in the national media.

A New York Times obituary wrote, "At a time when newspapers were famously inhospitable to women, Ms. Scott made her career by tackling a beat that few writers of either sex wanted -- a beat that barely existed wh... Read more >

According to a ranking produced by Grist, an environmental news magazine, Cleveland is the best-suited U.S. city to stand up to climate change. Writer Jeff Opperman compiled his list based on readily available information, such as risk for climate-related disasters, water-supply disruption, and heat-stress rankings.

The top five cities that are most resilient and least vulnerable to climate change are Cleveland, Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago, and Minneapolis.

"Why ... Read more >

Grub Street, the New York Magazine food blog, posted a recent mention of Jonathon Sawyer's soon-to-open Cleveland restaurant, Noodlecat.

Titled, "Ex-Parea Chef Opens NYC-Inspired Noodlecat Next Week ... in Cleveland," the article reminds readers that Sawyer once led Michael Symon's short-lived Parea restaurant in New York City. (It also reminds readers that he accidentally poisoned himself with a false chanterelle.)

"Last year, Food & Wine named Sawyer Best... Read more >

In an article titled "Go Big, Get Air, Get Fit" in the July 2011 issue of Wired magazine, Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park is included along with other off-beat exercise options.

"Weights. Treadmills. Spin classes. Let's face it," begins the article, "workout innovations just haven't kept pace with advances in TV, iPad, and snack-food technology. That said, a few forward-looking gyms offer activities that might actually compete with our Twitter/Netflix/PizzaRanch fixatio... Read more >

In a Fast Company article titled "The Rise Of Shared Ownership And The Fall Of Business As Usual," writer Jeffrey Hollender calls Cleveland's Evergreen Cooperatives, "the economic model of our future."

"A new model in Cleveland -- in which workers own companies that are supported by the city's big businesses -- has the potential to change the economics of the city and its workers," he begins.

Evergreen Cooperatives, which has been featured in Fresh Water, is an e... Read more >

"A rare case of Cleveland envy is helping to fuel the latest proposal for improving transit service between Downtown [Pittsburgh] and Oakland," begins a recent article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

What local officials in that town to the east covet in our own beloved town is the RTA HealthLine, which uses energy-efficient bus rapid transit vehicles to connect Public Square with University Circle and beyond.

Writing for the Post-Gazette, Jon Schmitz says, "Loca... Read more >

People, if you haven't noticed, want to know as much as humanly possible about their favorite celebrities. Like what they wear, where they shop, and what kind of car they drive when they are not being chauffeured around town. But more than anything, people want to know what famous people do when they are not busy being famous.

Along those lines, a recent Travel + Leisure article asks well-known chefs around the country about their favorite places to eat. Included in the p... Read more >

Unless you were sharing an underground bunker with Dick Cheney, you likely heard the news that Lady Gaga's impish "meat dress" landed in Cleveland. Now part of the "Women Who Rock" exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the dress first appeared at last year's MTV Video Music Awards.

Well, the media has been on a bit of a meat-fueled feeding frenzy since the news broke, publishing stories with carnivorous impunity. Fresh Water writer Erin O'Brien was one of them, penni... Read more >

Green chemistry, also known as sustainable chemistry, is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous substances. Among the host of benefits derived from green chemistry technologies are reduced waste, safer products, reduced use of energy and resources, and improved competitiveness for the companies that utilize them.

Each year, the U.S. EPA bestows its Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards to five individuals and or... Read more >

Relying on data from its most recent job posting volume, as well as figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monster compiled a list of the top 10 metro areas with the highest number of open positions per worker. Greater Cleveland claimed the fifth spot.

Monster Senior Editor Charles Purdy says the data shows that "we're seeing an increase in job postings in cities on both coasts as well as in the heartland."

Although the national unemployment rate ticke... Read more >

In an article penned by Aaron Glantz, the San Francisco-based Bay Citizen reported that "rust-belt cities of Pittsburgh, Cleveland and St. Louis are all drawing a higher proportion of highly skilled immigrants than Silicon Valley." The numbers were announced in a recent Brookings Institution study of census data.

In that study, the Brookings' Matthew Hall points to efforts by cities such as Cleveland and Pittsburgh to recruit and welcome foreign workers to town in an att... Read more >

In the making-it-look-easy category, this inspiring video condenses the monumental task of building Ohio's largest wind turbine into one scant minute. In reality, it took approximately three months for the turbine to go up, though it won't be fully operational for some time.

At over 440 feet tall at blade tip, the 2.5 MW turbine is not only the largest in the state, it is one of the largest in the nation. For comparison, the turbine at Great Lakes Science Center is one-th... Read more >

Who knew that fish farming was such big business in Ohio?

According to this article in the Columbus Dispatch, annual aquaculture sales in Ohio stand at $6.6 million, up from $1.9 million in 1997.

"In 1998, there were about 35 fish farms in Ohio," OSU's Laura Tiu says in the article. "Today, we have 150 licensed farms and about 50 more farms that are in pilot-scale or experimental-scale operations."

Factor in associated businesses like equipment suppli... Read more >

What started out as a sad tale of elephant grief has ended on a high note.

Shenga, 28-year-old, 7,900-pound female had been at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo since 2003. When her elderly exhibit mate died late last year, zookeepers knew the best thing for Shenga would be to move her to an exhibit with other companions. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo was selected because of its new five-acre African Elephant Crossing exhibit, which debuted in early May.

An animal car... Read more >

In an article titled "To get jobs, areas develop industry hubs in emerging fields," USA Today writer Paul Davidson singles out Northeast Ohio as a region combating the loss of traditional factory jobs by developing industry clusters.

Clusters are groupings of manufacturers, suppliers, training programs and researchers.

"Cluster theory holds that manufacturers and suppliers often want to be in proximity to collaborate on product design. Companies want to be near ... Read more >