Stories

Cleveland Indigenous Coalition’s demand for team name and mascot change gains momentum
More than 60 local organizations and businesses have now taken a stand with the Cleveland Indigenous Coalition in asking Cleveland City Council, Progressive Insurance, and Cleveland baseball sponsors to  persuade the Cleveland Indians to change their name and end Indigenous themes and imagery.
Free Stamp: All things free in the #CLE for August 2020
The best things in life are free, indeed, and our monthly "Free Stamp" feature rounds up all the free #CLE events that get our "stamp" of approval.
Who’s Hiring in #CLE: Tech Elevator, Food Bank, Cleveland Orchestra, and more
Need a job? Check out the latest edition of FreshWater Cleveland's “Who’s Hiring” series, where we feature growing companies with open positions, what they’re looking for, and how to apply.
Business Unusual: Local manufacturers adapt, preserve jobs, and carry on during pandemic
When the coronavirus brought everyday life to a screeching halt and area hospitals worried they would run out of PPE, several Northeast Ohio manufacturers and other businesses stepped up to adapt their processes, save jobs, and make what was needed.
A long march: Change can be hard, but sometimes for the best when a pandemic hits
Kathleen Osborne gets a bit melancholy and sentimental in times of change. But sometimes memories in the rear view mirror are not as bad as they might appear.
Two suburban school districts finalize facilities master plans during uncertain times
With shrinking populations and more community need, Lakewood and Shaker Heights School Districts are completing facilities master plans to accommodate students and residents—just in time to ponder the reopening of the schools during a pandemic.
Crunching for a cause: A mother launches granola business to keep her family healthy
In an effort to find a healthy snack for her three children, Amy Witzigreuter mastered the art of making a tasty, easy-to-digest granola. Two years after launching Witzi's Raw Granola, customers throughout Ohio can't stop eating the five varieties she cranks out of her St. Clair Superior neighborhood kitchen.
The Flats is getting into the swing of a things with a new platform tennis facility
A select group of Clevelanders has already fallen in “love” with the sport of platform tennis (aka paddle). Now, thanks to a new public facility in the Flats, the rest of Cleveland is set to embrace it, too.
Amazon to open three Cleveland-area delivery stations for faster service, to meet greater demand
Amazon's three new delivery stations to facilitate the "last mile" in the delivery process will mean hundreds of jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities for Northeast Ohioans.
Like a phoenix: Fund helps downtown businesses rise from the ashes of May’s riots
A group of Cleveland advocates came together to create the $1.45 million Downtown Recovery Response Fund to help businesses rebound from the destruction caused by the May 30 riots.
Betts Restaurant to open at Kimpton Schofield, offering options for all diets and cravings
When Parker's Downtown closed in March during the COVID-19 shutdown, owner James Mowbray fast tracked his rebranding plans for the restaurant space. Next week, Betts Restaurant, named after 19th Century Cleveland activist Elizabeth Schofield, will offer something for every taste.
Fast Forward Fund helps Gordon Square businesses make it through pandemic strains
Small businesses in Gordon Square, like Superelectric Pinball Parlor and Maelstrom Collaborative Arts, are adapting their models during the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to money from Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization's Fast Forward Fund.
Decade of stewardship: Metroparks celebrates 103rd birthday, Brian Zimmerman marks 10 years as CEO
Happy 103rd birthday, Cleveland Metroparks! It's also the 10th anniversary of CEO Brian Zimmerman's tenure with the parks system. FreshWater sits down with Zimmerman to talk about the parks' assets, how the parks have been a refuge during COVID-19, and what's next for the ever-evolving Metroparks. 
Let the good vibes roll: Saucy Brew Works woos investors and opens two new locations

Exponential growth in the middle of a pandemic? Taking a new Ohio City beer garden from concept to completion in the span of three weeks? These may seem like Herculean feats, but Saucy Brew Works seems to have found the secret sauce for success.

I have my work cut out for me, and it’s perpetually hanging over my head
Kathleen Osborne strolls down Memory Lane when she considers cleaning out the lifetime of nostalgia that makes up a small village in her attic. It may be time... almost time.
Ideal Summer: Lake Erie Ink wants to see how you describe a summer day in its creativity challenge
The imagination can go wild in just One Summer Day. Lake Erie Ink challenges you to share your creative ideas.
Rental aid funds already going to ‘most critical’ cases; money still available for new applicants
Laura Boustani with CHN Housing Partners says demand for area rental assistance funds has been high since programs started this month, but there's still plenty of money available for those who apply.
County Human Rights Commission now taking LGBTQ discrimination complaints
The Cuyahoga Human Rights Commission was formed in 2018 to protect the basic human rights of the LGBTQ community. Last week, the commission began accepting and enforcing discrimination complaints under the county's Anti-Discrimination Ordinance.
Happy campers: This savvy Cleveland Heights teen is helping save summer camp for local kids
When local day camps began cancelling sessions this summer, one young entrepreneur took it upon herself to bring camp to the kids in her Cleveland Heights neighborhood with Kamp Kate.
#PeopleofCLE: Andrew, nurse on the frontlines
Northeast Ohio is changing. These are the people shaping its future. Our latest installment.