Plain Press

  • Hiking across the Southern Buckeye trail

    by Erik Ault    (Plain Press September 2026) I crossed into Ohio at Belpre on the American Discovery Trail (ADT), finally leaving behind West Virginia. The people of West Virginia were friendly to me from the moment I entered the state officially at Green Spring until the very end at Parkersburg. Many of the towns…

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  • In Memory: Rev. Robert Kropac, July 18, 1955 – July 5, 2026

    (Plain Press September 2026) Reverand Robert J. “Bob” Kropac, age 70, passed away on July 5th at University Hospital in Cleveland. Rev. Kropac served as pastor of St. Wendelin Roman Catholic Parish on Columbus Road since 2012 and served as administrator to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish on W. 70th and Detroit since February…

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  • BLOG REVIEW: Polly Karr’s Substack reveals political intrigue surrounding local education

       (Plain Press September 2026) For those concerned about the quality of Cleveland schools, reading Polly Karr’s Substack is highly recommended.    Karr, a parent with children who are enrolled in Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), adeptly uses public records and her familiarity with CMSD staff and administrators to shed light on some of the…

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  • First Energy profits whether your lights are on or not

    THE PERVERSE INCENTIVES BUILT INTO OUR GRID by Tristan Rader    (Plain Press September 2026) FirstEnergy profits whether your lights are on or not. That is the fundamental problem with the way we regulate electric utilities in Ohio.    For families across Northeast Ohio, power outages are not an abstract policy problem. They mean spoiled…

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  • Cuyahoga County Board of Elections’ website offers information on registering and voting

       (Plain Press September 2026) Citizens, age 18 or older by election day (November 3, 2026), are eligible to vote in the General Election once they are registered to vote. The deadline to register to vote in the General Election is October 5, 2026.    To register to vote, to check to see if you…

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  • Plan for corner of Memphis and Pearl continues to evolve

    PHOTO BY BRENDA THEURER Thursday, August 13, 2026; Northwest corner of Pearl and Memphis: The demolition company’s process of trying to separate St. Luke’s United Church of Christ’s 1903 church building on the left from the 1925 addition —with the parlor, offices and classrooms — on the right. The iconic structure faces Pearl Rd. by…

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  • Repairers of the Breach works to redeem the heart and soul of our country and city

       (Plain Press September 2026) Repairers of the Breach is a national organization building a movement rooted in a framework that uplifts our deepest moral, religious, and constitutional values to redeem the heart and soul of our country. We are working for social change and to organize and mobilize around a moral policy agenda that…

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  • Power Outages

    CPP ADMITS WEAK INFRASTRUCTURE AND LACK OF MAINTENANCE UNDERMINE THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE POWER PHOTO BY BRUCE CHECEFSKY Wednesday, July 21, 2026; Urban Community School, 4909 Lorain Avenue, community meeting on recent power outages: (R-L) Cleveland Public Utilities Department director Martin Keane, Ward 7 Cleveland City Councilman Austin N. Davis, and Cleveland Public Power (CPP) Commissioner…

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  • Plans for a shared use path from Edgewater Park to West Boulevard Cudell Rapid station resurrected

    STATE CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDING SPURS NEW EFFORT PHOTO BY CHUCK HOVEN Friday, June 26, 2026; Site of proposed shared use path at Lake Avenue and West Boulevard: (L-R) Ward 12 Cleveland City Council Representative Tanmay Shah, District 13 State Representative Tristan Rader, and Ward 11 Cleveland City Council Representative Nikki Hudson mount bicycles as they…

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  • Stricklin Crisis Center to close on August 31st

    MOVE ENDS WEST SIDE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE HISTORY DATING BACK TO 1973 PHOTO BY DEBBIE SADLON Saturday, July 11, 2026; James L. Stricklin Crisis Center, 8315 Detroit Avenue: This 15-bed short term treatment facility for those experiencing a mental health crisis is slated to close on August 31, 2026. The Stricklin Crisis Center is a…

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