Last December, Russ Mitchell left New York, his home of 16 years, to bring his considerable talents to Cleveland as lead anchor and managing editor for WKYC. His portfolio spans 30 years and includes work in local news at points across the country, not to mention 15 years anchoring CBS news programs like The Early Show and CBS Evening News. At the center of it all is a man who is not only approachable and personable, but one who already feels like one of our own.

May is National Bike Month, but locally the party kicked off last week at Respect the Bike, an all-Ohio-made bike showcase held at the Greenhouse Tavern. Before the event, hundreds of riders cruised through downtown for a traffic-stopping Critical Mass ride, then lined up their bikes along E. 4th Street for a rooftop bar celebration. Elsewhere in the Tavern, diners feted on chef Sawyer's creations as historic bikes hung in the air like flying machines.

It was a fittin... Read more >

New entrepreneurs need all the help they can get when launching a business. The Incubator at MAGNET is launching the Beta Space to help students and entrepreneurs get off to a good start. The 2,000 square-foot space on E. 25th Street offers co-working space, mentorship and free advice from service providers.
 
“There are two main components to the program,” says David Crain, director of entrepreneurial services for the Incubator at Magnet. “One is a ... Read more >

Matt Mastrangelo knows first-hand the hassles of putting together a group outing to an Indians or Browns game. After nearly 10 years in group sales for both sports teams, he witnessed the amount of work staffers put into organizing a group outing.
 
“It was in the Stone Age,” he says. “Figuring out the paper flyers, who wants how many tickets, how much they cost, collecting cash and checks. I thought there was something I could do to alleviate that w... Read more >

As a technology-focused school, the University of Phoenix, Cleveland campus, knows the importance of computer education at an early age. So the university recently donated 30 desktop computers with accessories to the Kenneth W. Clement - Boys Leadership Academy in Cleveland.
 
“The University of Phoenix is very committed to technology and education,” says Gina Cuffari, Phoenix vice president of Ohio and Kentucky territories. “We have a 12-year histor... Read more >

Registration for the 2014 Gay Games (GG9) begins in May. This represents an opportunity to sell Northeast Ohio as a welcoming, inclusive region to a global audience, says GG9 Director Tom Nobbe.

"Cleveland represents a blank slate to many people in Western Europe and Asia, and that's both a challenge and an advantage," he says. "We have a compelling story to tell. We can position our region as not only welcoming to outsiders, but also as inclusive."... Read more >

Now that the urban farming movement is becoming steadily more mature, cities are looking beyond backyard hens and market gardens to longer-term agricultural land use policies. They can and should learn from what works in other places while also advocating for better public policy at every level.

These were the messages conveyed at a forum on urban agriculture that was held last week at Cleveland State University. Kimberly Hodgson, a planner and public health advocate from... Read more >

Last week, PNC Bank employees spent time reading "Where the Wild Things Are" to kids enrolled in Head Start, Cleveland Clinic employees shared tips on preparing for the workforce with students at New Tech West, and human resources pros helped people in transitional housing to prepare their resumes.

The events were organized by Business Volunteers Unlimited as part of National Volunteer Week, which rallied more than 1,300 volunteers to participate in 85-plus serv... Read more >

Travis Peebles, who co-owns Blazing Saddle Cycle, displays a Roadmaster bicycle that was made about 80 years ago by the Cleveland Welding Company, located at W. 117th and Berea Road. The rusted, 40-pound bike is not for sale, yet it adorns the shop as a proud reminder of cycling's rich local history.

It is perhaps a little known fact that both Cleveland and Ohio have a rich history in the annals of bike history (those crazy Wright brothers started it all with a Dayton... Read more >

NEOSA Tech Week 2012 was held last week at various northeast Ohio locations, promoting the region’s technology companies and the work they are doing in the field. This is the second year for the event, which increased participation by 80 percent with more than 900 people attending nine separate events.
 
“It was awesome,” says Brad Nellis, NEOSA director. “The main goal is to raise the profile of the technology industry in Cleveland.”
... Read more >

Bizdom Cleveland, a business accelerator that mentors and funds up-and-coming entrepreneurs, launched its first six businesses from the fall program. The six businesses were selected from 350 applicants, who were then narrowed down to 32 participants in a 12-week mentoring program.
 
The six businesses participated in “Demo Day” on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena, where they showcased their companies to potential investors.

“Thirty-five inv... Read more >

Studies show that kids who don’t have good literacy skills by the third grade are four times more likely to drop out before finishing high school, making it unlikely they will find productive jobs as adults. The Literacy Cooperative’s Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) program helps prepare kids for kindergarten and ultimately get them off to a good start.
 
“The SPARK program started in Canton six or seven years ago and they’... Read more >

Former Reddstone chef Josh Kabat and his fiance and business partner, Kiaran Daily, have opened Cleveland Pickle, a gourmet downtown sandwich shop. The venue specializes in eclectic sandwiches made from fresh, often local ingredients. Many of the sandwiches are also creatively named after local Cleveland landmarks.

For instance, the Terminal is a savory and sweet sandwich featuring black forest ham, brie, spinach, roasted tomato pesto and apricot jam. The Payne Avenue pan... Read more >

If you didn't have a ticket to the Rock Hall Induction, no worries, we've got you covered. This star-studded slideshow takes you from the red carpet to backstage, with appearances by Mayor Frank Jackson, George Clinton, Alice Cooper, David Arquette, Jim Brickman, Michael Stanley, Smokey Robinson, Ron Wood, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, ZZ Top and, as they say, many, many more.

Turning commuters, suburbanites and Joe and Jane Doe into "choice riders" -- those who choose public transit over driving -- has been an ongoing battle for mid-size transportation systems across the country, and Cleveland is no exception. Locally, that task falls on the shoulders of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transportation Authority, which is taking significant steps to cultivate a new generation of riders.

Like many Warehouse District residents, Trampas Ferguson was dismayed when his neighborhood earned negative media attention for safety incidents and rowdy late night behavior on West 6th Street.

Ferguson bought a unit in the Water Street Condominiums building last year, and he views his downtown neighborhood as a place where he'd like to get to know his neighbors and put down roots, not just a place to party (though there's that, too).

So along with Wareh... Read more >