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cleveland •

Sen. Moreno blasts Mentor schools for allowing porn suspect on campus, but his claim is completely untrue

MENTOR, Ohio — U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno falsely accused Mentor schools of allowing a student charged with pornography offenses to return to campus.In a Friday letter to school board president Maggie Cook that went viral after it was shared by a popular conservative social media account, Moreno said he was “revolted” to learn the district “may have allowed” the 15-year-old student back on school grounds. In a recent press release on his official government webpage, Moreno doubled down on that clai...
cleveland •

Contractors spray-painted over pro-Palestinian protesters at Case Western Reserve University

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Students are accusing contractors hired by Case Western Reserve University of assault after they were spray-painted while protesting for Palestine.

Students painted the Spirit Wall on Monday night that included messages of “I dream of breaking the siege,” “Come together in peace” and the number of Palestinian children killed in Gaza since war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October.

Earlier in the day, demonstrators painted the Advocacy Wall, and that prompted universit
cleveland •

I’m a crime reporter covering car thefts, and my car was stolen. Now what?

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The shattered glass on Chatham Avenue was all that remained of my 2020 Kia Forte.

My car was stolen in Ohio City on Dec. 30, a mere 10 yards from where I was sitting in my friend’s living room while we gossiped and laughed about the trials and tribulations we had faced in 2023. Add this to my list. And add me to the list of hundreds of people in Cuyahoga County who had their cars stolen last year.

I am able to laugh at the irony: The crime reporter who covered the Kia Boyz ha
cleveland •

‘A pandemic of violence’: Cleveland trauma doctors see younger victims who suffer far greater injuries from gunfire

CLEVELAND, Ohio – At the end of some of his shifts, Dr. Jeffrey Claridge throws away his clothes because of the amount of blood that spills on him while working in the trauma department.

He keeps a spare change of socks, underwear and shoes in his office at MetroHealth Medical Center. He said he is not surprised if his colleagues shower in the emergency room’s locker room after a bad night.

This year, there have been a lot of bad nights for trauma doctors and nurses in Cleveland. Through mid-N
cleveland •

‘Elevated Access’: Taking the battle against abortion, transgender healthcare to the skies

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The passengers are willing to get in a plane flown by a complete stranger to see a doctor. The pilots don’t know the patients in their planes.

It’s an anonymous flight that eases the burdens of many. That is one of the main goals of Elevated Access – a nonprofit volunteer network that flies people across state lines to receive reproductive and gender-affirming care.

To many, the service has never been more important. Abortion clinics have closed, as state legislatures draw up
cleveland •

‘Why do I have to pay this?’: Car theft victims pay the price at Cleveland’s impound lot

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Malissa Paletta says she was victimized twice in the theft of her Kia earlier this month: Her car suffered extensive damage, and Cleveland forced her to pay an unexpected bill.

The Kia Boyz, a gang of car thieves, made off with Paletta’s 2016 Kia from in front of her apartment in the city’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood, she said. And once the vehicle was found and towed, she had to pay impound fees.

“I am a victim. Why do I have to pay this?” Paletta said. “I was just made into
cleveland •

Fewer trees, more gun violence: Why advocates say Cleveland must grow from its lowest tree canopy ever

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Tucked away in the city’s Brooklyn Centre neighborhood, Ebonie Randle-Joiner prunes away the leaves of a kale plant. She crushes some in her hands, revealing seeds left over.

“This can grow into something good,” she says, before placing them back into the soil.

Randle-Joiner grew up in a home behind the empty lot on West 39th Street. She said the lot used to be covered in needles, garbage and piles of dog feces.

Now, it’s an outdoor oasis for a neighborhood that has seen an
Akron Beacon Journal •

Akron police response escalates Sunday as protests for Jayland Walker turn to civil unrest

After several days of peaceful protests — including a full day of marches after police released bodycam footage of officers' fatal shooting of Jayland Walker — police response escalated as intermittent violence broke out during protests downtown late Sunday night.

Around 10 p.m., a large crowd rallied at the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center on South High Street. As chants demanding justice for Walker continued, some people began hurling water bottles and other objects at the building.

Trying to

About

Josh Gunter

I’m Molly Walsh, and I cover Lake and Geauga counties for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com. Before stepping into this role, I reported on business, criminal justice and breaking news, and earlier in my career I worked as a reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal and the USA Today Network. I also spent time on the other side of the newsroom as an assignment editor at NBC 5 Chicago (WMAQ-TV), where I learned how to juggle fast-moving stories and a city that never slows down.

I graduated from Columbia College Chicago, where I served as editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Columbia Chronicle. Before that, I attended Saint Joseph Academy, where I was honored as a “25 Under 35” recipient — a recognition that still means a lot to me because of how deeply SJA shaped my love of the humanities and storytelling.

In 2023, I was proudly crowned Cleveland’s Miss Dyngus Day, which remains one of my favorite Northeast Ohio experiences and a nod to my love for this community and its traditions.

I’m a Cleveland native who genuinely loves talking to people and sharing the stories of other Northeast Ohioans. Whether it’s a city council meeting, a neighborhood issue, or a big policy decision, I believe local journalism connects communities and helps people understand the forces shaping their everyday lives.

If you have a tip, a story idea, or something happening in your town, I’d love to hear from you at mwalsh@cleveland.com or mollywalsh.news@gmai.com