I saw the black flames from the airport. That's devastating.  It was really starting to come together as a beautiful building. 

Interstate 90 on fire past the blaze at the apartment construction site....

 

 

I've heard multiple sources say it was a gas leak / explosion. Not sure if anything is confirmed or if that's just speculative.

I-90 was reopened about an hour ago. Fire is finally out. Some more pics...

 

 

Edited February 24, 20205 yr by KJP

Posted more pictures and video in the Cleveland suburban crime and safety thread.

Horrible 

 

Anytime a fire happens on a construction site it makes me wonder if the developer wasn't facing cost overruns and decided to cash out with insurance.  

Photo copied from Lakewood Observer

 

Nothing left but elevator shafts. 

More pics 

 

12 hours ago, KJP said:

Interstate 90 on fire past the blaze at the apartment construction site....

 

 

 

That Jenna Hughes video was epic, it looked like something from a California wildfire or Hawaiian volcano eruption.

15 minutes ago, E Rocc said:

 

That Jenna Hughes video was epic, it looked like something from a California wildfire or Hawaiian volcano eruption.

 

Great commentary!  ?

 

"Dude!  Holy $hit!  Dudddddeeeeee!  Holy $hit!" 

Seems that Fairview Park parked their FD truck too close to the fire... FPFD was providing mutual aid, as did most West Shore fire and police units. Had I still been working at Sun Newspapers, this might have been my story to cover.

 

 

I love Lakewood....

 

 

 

Bad night in Independence...

 

And

 

 

One that's funny and another that's not funny....

 

 

AND

 

9 hours ago, KJP said:

One that's funny and another that's not funny....

 

 

AND

 

 

I had fun with the yoga one on Facebook.

 

^ do malls ever recover from this kind of incident? 

If they become recurring incidents, probably not.

When key, anchor retailers leave because of this continued issue - which won't be easy to fix for all the reasons we know - it will be hard to see them relocating locally. They will simply leave Cleveland as the largest metro without __________ (fill in the blank with major retailer's name).  

I really feel Nordstrom and Saks have to be looking at this. My mind immediately says they are looking at a move to the west side- specifically Westlake. Maybe not. But this is getting to be too much. 

There is a ton of money on the east side that Nordstroms and Saks would miss out on should they relocate. While west side as a whole is safer and with fewer issues, it's also much smaller overall and without the Shaker/Cleveland Hts/Beachwood/Gates Mills/Pepper Pike/etc higher tier shoppers.

 

Granted mall tenants are likely concerned/frustrated/angry with the same-problems-different-mall issues of the last 5-10 years, but still, the region's money is, as a whole, disportionately east. 

They might move to some place like Pinecrest or perhaps Eton Collection, but I don't see them moving to the west side for the reason that TBideon just said.

Appears my post about the E. 156th crash/shooting belongs here:

https://www.news5cleveland.com/traffic/traffic-news/crash-closes-all-lanes-of-i-90-westbound-at-east-156th-street

So people in two cars were fighting the police? Sounds like this story is a bit more complicated....

 

 

From "Nordonia Now"'s Facebook page, "Vic" is former Northfield Village Mayor Victor Milani:

 

VIC'S CORNER - BREAKING NEWS! F.B.I. IN MACEDONIA CITY HALL!

 

Nordonia Now has learned that the F.B.I. has been questioning past and current employees of the city of Macedonia and it's administration. Allegedly audio & video tapes, DVRs, and other documents were taken.

 

The questioning goes back to at least April, when a former employee was questioned at their home. Records requested and allegedly taken date back to July of 2018. Several current employees have confirmed to have been questioned at their homes in the past few weeks by F.B.I. agents.

 

Agents came to Council President Jan Tulley's residence, unfortunately she was not home. Tulley states the Mayor has not informed her of anything pertaining to the F.B.I.'s inquiry.

 

Questions to Mayor Nick Molnar were deferred to Law Director Mark Guidetti. Guidetti would not confirm the presence of F.B.I. agents in Macedonia.

 

Molnar recently received resignation letters from Recreation Center Director, Angela Manley, Finance Director Rhonda Hall, and I.T. Director Patrick Wasik. There were rumors that those resignations were asked for by the Mayor. Police Chief John Golden is awaiting a Macedonia Civil Service hearing of insubordination and other charges.

 

Calls to the FBI office were made, and they would not confirm nor deny any investigation. Morale at city hall is abysmal currently, with union talks ongoing, and now the FBI asking questions.

 

Nordonia Now doesn't know the actual reasoning for the FBI presence, and we won't make any conjectures until we can verify the rumored allegations. We will report further as details come out.

On 7/8/2020 at 9:27 AM, KJP said:

So people in two cars were fighting the police? Sounds like this story is a bit more complicated....

 

 

 

Followup:  Incident at Sunoco,  EPD responded to a call at the Midway Tavern (probably the parking lot), and a shootout began.  Perp got hit, got in his car, took off the wrong way on 90.   He caused a wreck right by the entrance ramp eastbound, that I had to weave through.  Went over the median and wrecked.

The Midway had a major brawl a few days later.   I drive past it most evenings and its opening dates seem sporadic.  I have since learned that it is now the de facto reincarnation of the Callaloo on Waterloo, which a very reliable source (initials CB) confirmed to me was encouraged to vacate there.

Shame, I heard very good things about their food, but 2:30am on the weekend was like a rush hour there, arriving not leaving.

We're seeing more crime in Lakewood. Our building was broken into and the Days Inn turned into a homeless shelter....

 

 

Beachwood Place is going to have an even harder time keeping tenants from running to Pinecrest if this keeps happening.

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/oh-cuyahoga/man-shot-during-altercation-outside-of-beachwood-place-investigation-underway

On 11/21/2020 at 11:37 PM, jam40jeff said:

Beachwood Place is going to have an even harder time keeping tenants from running to Pinecrest if this keeps happening.

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/oh-cuyahoga/man-shot-during-altercation-outside-of-beachwood-place-investigation-underway

 

Once a mall gets the reputation of being an unsafe place to shop, it is done.  It happened to Randall Park, Euclid Square and Richmond Town Square.  More than enough "incidents" to have the mindset with the shootings, drug activity, robberies and mobs descending on that mall.  The decline will only accelerate with the change in shopping habits with the shift away from malls, brick-and-mortar retail in general and effect of COVID-19. 

 

How long before Beachwood Place gets on the acquisition radar of Kohan Retail Investments, the owner of Richmond Town Square. Ashtabula and Chapel Hill Malls? 

Very sad that this is necessary.

 

https://fox8.com/news/beachwood-place-puts-new-security-measure-in-place-to-detect-weapons/

 

Edited November 25, 20204 yr by skiwest

1 minute ago, LifeLongClevelander said:

How long before Beachwood Place gets on the acquisition radar of Kohan Retail Investments, the owner of Richmond Town Square. Ashtabula and Chapel Hill Malls? 

 

Beachwood has had these types of problems for a while, even though it has certainly intensified a bit in the last few years, and somehow still seems to hold onto most of its stores.  However, if it does start to decline, I think Beachwood will be very proactive in getting it redeveloped much differently than Ashtabula, Richmond Heights, or Akron were able to.

19 minutes ago, jam40jeff said:

 

Beachwood has had these types of problems for a while, even though it has certainly intensified a bit in the last few years, and somehow still seems to hold onto most of its stores.  However, if it does start to decline, I think Beachwood will be very proactive in getting it redeveloped much differently than Ashtabula, Richmond Heights, or Akron were able to.

 

One would hope that Beachwood city officials have observed and learned from the decline of these other malls.  The owners of these declining and former malls knew all the "right" things to say when they announced their acquisition and plans.  The declines still continued.  Smaller retailers pulled out followed by the departures of anchor tenants.  Leasing revenue falls, maintenance gets put off, then utilities and taxes go unpaid.  Somehow, the owners don't have money for upkeep, utilities and taxes, yet they have money to pay for legal fights and more mall acquisitions.  As much as some city leaders may want to be proactive in fighting the decline of these malls, the process can still take years before becoming resolved.

It's like issues with teaching. You can put all the bandaids you want for theatrics, but the insurmountable problem is the character and conduct of students and correlated demographic changes. Everything else is just noise.

 

Unless they rebuild the mall and turn it into some kind of lifestyle center/mall hybrid, I'm pretty pessimistic. We've  seen this f'ing story over and over and over and over, and it almost always ends the same.  

I do feel like the Jewish population in Cleveland is less averse to cut and run though, more open to diversity and not as "scared" of these things as the general white population. And there's a reason why Cleveland has Beachwood Mall with Sak's and Nordstrom, there is money in the region, and old money at that. Neither of them are here out of charity, it's a lucrative market. I could see Dillard's pulling out, but who cares, that store is a dump.

Edited November 25, 20204 yr by metrocity

5 hours ago, metrocity said:

I do feel like the Jewish population in Cleveland is less averse to cut and run though, more open to diversity and not as "scared" of these things as the general white population. And there's a reason why Cleveland has Beachwood Mall with Sak's and Nordstrom, there is money in the region, and old money at that. Neither of them are here out of charity, it's a lucrative market. I could see Dillard's pulling out, but who cares, that store is a dump.

Lol less averse to cut and run? Do you realize why Beachwood, University Heights, Cleveland Heights etc have a huge Jewish population in the first place? Have you ever wondered why Glenville became a poverty stricken ghetto? The Jewish population in Glenville basically completely emptied out the place within a decade, almost completely attributable to block busting, upon hearing a black family was moving onto the block. And it's happening again, they're all moving into Geauga County just like the Italian AMericans

4 hours ago, AsDustinFoxWouldSay said:

Lol less averse to cut and run? Do you realize why Beachwood, University Heights, Cleveland Heights etc have a huge Jewish population in the first place? Have you ever wondered why Glenville became a poverty stricken ghetto? The Jewish population in Glenville basically completely emptied out the place within a decade, almost completely attributable to block busting, upon hearing a black family was moving onto the block. And it's happening again, they're all moving into Geauga County just like the Italian AMericans

I understand what you are saying, and I figured Glenville would be the argument, or even East Cleveland. But Glenville is the in the city of Cleveland, and that flight from all over the city was typical of the time period that it happened. Once that movement happened out of the city, the suburbs you mention have remained stable and desireable places to live even as they became more integrated IMO. I would add to that list in Cuyahoga County: Lyndhurst, Orange, Woodmere and Solon.

 

The non Jewish suburbs on the east side are the ones that flipped fast as soon as non-whites started to move in. People have been saying Cleveland Heights is going to be the next East Cleveland since the 70's, and that has not happened. The diversity of CH remains as its strength. 

Cleveland: ‘We saw it all on Zoom’: Family calls 911 as teacher robbed during remote lesson
 

Should go in the Cleveland crime thread, but it is still locked. 

 

https://fox8.com/news/i-team/we-saw-it-all-on-zoom-family-calls-911-as-teacher-robbed-during-remote-lesson/
 

CLEVELAND (WJW)–  A convicted felon, who was out of prison for 36 days, now indicted on several charges after prosecutors said he broke into a teacher’s home while she was teaching remotely.

54 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

Cleveland: ‘We saw it all on Zoom’: Family calls 911 as teacher robbed during remote lesson
 

Should go in the Cleveland crime thread, but it is still locked. 

 

https://fox8.com/news/i-team/we-saw-it-all-on-zoom-family-calls-911-as-teacher-robbed-during-remote-lesson/
 

CLEVELAND (WJW)–  A convicted felon, who was out of prison for 36 days, now indicted on several charges after prosecutors said he broke into a teacher’s home while she was teaching remotely.

 

I was driving on West Blvd when the Cleveland police responded to this, en masse and quickly with lights and sirens blaring.   Cudos to the brave neighbors who tackled the guy as he was running away.  

Mother, two kids shot while driving on Pearl Road in Strongsville, police say

 

https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2021/02/mother-two-kids-shot-while-driving-on-pearl-road-in-strongsville-police-say.html

 

And...

 

Three teens arrested in armed carjacking of Uber driver in Parma, police chase

 

https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2021/02/three-teens-arrested-in-armed-carjacking-of-uber-driver-in-parma-police-chase.html

It is sad that so many crimes in the area are being committed by young teens.

And

 

Parma ~ Shooting - 5500s Pearl at a bar - DELAYED - Double homicide last night per BOLO for susp veh, a blue Impreza.  2 males armed w/rifles.  Don't know when this occurred. -BW

^whats BOLO?  Looking at the last two posts above, seems the gun violence is expanding from the city to the burbs...

BOLO =  Be on look out

 

Update: Ed Gallek reporting that 2 suspects were arrested at the location ID'd below....

 

 

Just now, Pugu said:

^whats BOLO?  Looking at the last two posts above, seems the gun violence is expanding from the city to the burbs...

BOLO is Be On the Lookout.

 

As for the violence expanding from the city to the suburbs, there have been numerous reports from suburban police departments stating their issues with criminals performing their activities and fleeing into Cleveland.  Many suburban police departments break off their chases once they cross into Cleveland as they know they cannot expect any assistance from the Cleveland Police Department.  Due to the chase policies in Cleveland compounded with severe under-staffing, the criminal elements know they have achieved their escape successfully once they cross into the city's limits.

 

However, in general, violence knows no borders.

On 3/13/2021 at 11:36 AM, LifeLongClevelander said:

BOLO is Be On the Lookout.

 

As for the violence expanding from the city to the suburbs, there have been numerous reports from suburban police departments stating their issues with criminals performing their activities and fleeing into Cleveland.  Many suburban police departments break off their chases once they cross into Cleveland as they know they cannot expect any assistance from the Cleveland Police Department.  Due to the chase policies in Cleveland compounded with severe under-staffing, the criminal elements know they have achieved their escape successfully once they cross into the city's limits.

 

However, in general, violence knows no borders.

Would you look at that, a further case for how bad regionlization is needed here.

Back in September:

 

https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/news/local_news/federal-agents-raid-tibor-s-kosher-meats-and-three-houses/article_1e739f90-fcf5-11ea-87ad-17bd15f32321.html

 

I was walking with my family on Larchmont that day as a steady stream (maybe 15 total?) of gray, white, and black unmarked and dark window-tinted vehicles with out-of-state plates continued to pass by us and then stop in front of this house.  It was quite the spectacle and we all stopped to watch. And then out come the federal agents from all of these cars, one of whom apologized to us for 'disturbing our neighborhood', surround the house and conduct their operation. 

 

After reading it was an FDA raid, I figured it was maybe a Kosher-related thing, or something to do with the recent sale of Tibor's. Still, the scale of the raid seemed kind of ridiculous. I had been waiting for some follow-up news on it, and lo and behold it was a bit more insidious:

 

https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2021/03/prosecutors-in-cleveland-seek-more-than-5-million-in-assets-through-forfeiture-from-accused-thc-trafficking-ring.html

 

Now that orange Lambo I saw parked in front of the house over the summer makes a little more sense.

 

 

17 hours ago, AsDustinFoxWouldSay said:

Would you look at that, a further case for how bad regionlization is needed here.

 

It all depends on what regional pursuit policy is adopted, the city of Cleveland's policy or that of the suburbs.