📰 Jail Time for Cops

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Good morning, Cleveland! Grab your baskets and your stretchy pants—Easter is here! Whether you're hunting eggs, brunching hard, or just in it for the jellybeans, we’ve got the scoop on all things sweet🥚🐰😄

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In today’s 216 Scoop Edition:

• Hit the switch: Spectacle of lights fires up Cleveland

• ‘The East Cleveland Way’: Corruption nets jail time for cops

• Mayor of Jellybeanville has sweet tooth for Easter

• Living the dream: Local hoops star headed to WNBA

• Biggest Indian classical music festival outside of India hits Cleveland

  
  
  John Petkovic, Mark Espinosa, Victor Takakura

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IN THE NEWS

Hit the switch: Spectacle of lights fires up Cleveland 

Three thousand men in black suits marched through Public Square and into Terminal Tower. There were flags flying all around downtown.  It was the city’s biggest celebration: The 1930 opening of a skyscraper in the heart of the city that was billed as Cleveland’s gateway to the world.

At 7 tonight, Clevelanders will return to Public Square for a grand opening that recalls the same spirit.

Hit the switch on Illuminate CLE. The synchronized light and music spectacle will bathe downtown buildings with glows, hues and patterns.

The show will run indefinitely at the top of the hour starting at dusk, with the last show scheduled at 11 p.m.

Spearheaded by Destination Cleveland, the goal is to transform the cityscape into an illuminated and immersive experience that showcases downtown architecture – and brings new nightlife to the area.

Illuminate CLE was inspired by the nightly light show of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It follows up on a lighting project for Terminal Tower that started in 2016, which has become a common backdrop during nationally televised broadcasts of sporting events.

The project also takes a page out of the urban planner handbook: Well-lit streets foster a sense of security, encouraging more people to explore downtown after sunset.

A second phase, still in the planning stage, is aimed at expanding the project to Playhouse Square and Euclid Avenue.

TOGETHER WITH GUARINO’S'

Savor a Century of Italian Tradition 🇮🇹

Step into Guarino's, Cleveland's oldest Italian restaurant, and experience over 100 years of culinary excellence. Founded in 1918 by Vincenzo Guarino, this historic gem in Little Italy has been serving authentic Italian dishes that have delighted generations. From its origins as a Prohibition-era speakeasy to its charming garden patio introduced in the 1950s, Guarino's offers a unique blend of history, ambiance, and delectable cuisine. Whether you're indulging in classic pasta dishes or enjoying a glass of wine under the trumpet vines, every visit is a journey through time and taste.​

👉 Discover the legacy and menu at Guarino's

’The East Cleveland Way’: Corruption nets jail time for cops

East Cleveland – one of America’s poorest and most corrupt cities -- has faced ongoing scandals since 2012.

Mayor Brandon King was suspended on corruption charges in January – joining a long list of city officials who have faced misconduct charges. In February, his Chief of Staff, Michael Smedley, was indicted by a grand jury on bribery and conspiracy charges.

The city didn’t have an executive for six weeks, until the interim mayor, Sandra Morgan, was appointed in March.

Then there’s the “East Cleveland way" -- a phrase coined in 2012 to describe a pattern of police misconduct within the police department. It has resulted in a depleted police force in a high-crime city in desperate need of a strong and trusted force.

On Monday, three former East Cleveland police officers, Larry McDonald, Ian McInnes, and Anthony Holmes, were sentenced to prison for corruption-related crimes committed between 2020 and 2023.

McDonald, a former commander, received a four-year sentence for charges stemming from a 2023 incident where he failed to report a pursuit and crash.

McInnes was sentenced to two and a half years for physically assaulting three individuals during arrests between 2020 and 2022.

Holmes received a one-year sentence for misconduct related to withholding information about a 2021 pursuit and a 2023 crash.

The convictions are part of a broader investigation into the East Cleveland Police Department, with 19 officers indicted in 2023 for various crimes.

’Mayor of Jellybeanville’ has sweet tooth for Easter

Trust in politicians continues to erode. But there’s one whose poll numbers remain sky-high – and no one has ever tried kicking him out of office.

Meet the very honorable Mayor Steve “Cottontail” Kaselak. For 64 years, the Euclid resident has presided over Jellybeanville, a place that attracts thousands of visitors every year the week before Easter.

Located in the front yard of his house, 25401 Zeman Avenue, it features hundreds of bright, bold plastic eggs, Easter ornaments and inflatables and lights – and treat bags for kids.

Kaselak, who founded Jellybeanville when he was 7, appears throughout the days leading up to Easter. He’ll also be there on Easter… wearing the bunny suit.

Viewing hours for the Euclid institution are 9 a.m. to dusk through Sunday.

Admission is free, but Jellybeanville is collecting donations for Journey Center for Safety and Healing, which helps people who are recovering from Child Abuse and Domestic Violence.

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The 216 Rundown

Living the dream: Local hoops star heads to WNBA

Shyanne Sellers lifelong dream came true. The Golden State Valkyries selected the Aurora native and area high school basketball star with the No. 17 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft Monday evening.

She’s the daughter of former NBA player, Brad Sellers, who is currently the mayor of Warrensville Heights and serves as a postgame radio analyst for the Cavs. Her mother is WZAK radio icon Kym Sellers.

Sellers led Aurora to multiple league championships and set the school’s all-time scoring record and was a finalist for Miss Ohio Basketball as a junior.

She elevated her game when she moved on the University of Maryland, earning All-Big Ten honors and becoming the first player in Maryland's history to tally over 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists.

Jack White’s ‘No Name Tour’ hits Agora

Customers had no idea what they were getting when clerks at Third Man Records stores in Detroit, Nashville and London tossed in a free copy of an unmarked, untitled vinyl album. Even the clerks didn’t know what they were handing out.

It was the new album by Jack White – titled, no surprise, “No Name.”

White, who performed one of his first shows outside in Cleveland with the White Stripes -- July 1998, Pat’s in the Flats -- hits the Agora at 7 tonight. The show is officially sold out, but you can get resale tickets here.

Cleveland Orchestra Easter is hooked on Bach for Easter

The Cleveland Orchestra will celebrate Easter with three concerts featuring music by Johann Sebastian Bach, including his Easter Oratorio – 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 8 p.m.  Saturday at Severance Music Center. The orchestra with be joined by the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus. Tickets here.

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NOTES ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

April 16-17: Biggest Indian classical music festival outside of India hits Cleveland

What started as a modest memorial has turned into the largest Indian classical music festival outside of India.

Here comes the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival. The 12-day festival features 2,000 vocalists and musicians honoring Indian musical traditions with instruments such as the veena, mridangam, ghatam and kanjira. It also rolls out the Bharatanatyam dance competition, which draws elite dancers from around the world.

The 45th installment is expected to bring 10,000 to Cleveland State University Waetjen Auditorium (2001 Euclid Avenue) – which is a far cry from the event’s debut.

In of 1978, a small group of Indian immigrants in gathered to in a rented church hall in Richmond Heights to honor Tyagaraja, the revered composer of Carnatic music. About 75 people showed up to celebrate and preserve South Indian classical music.

Most events are free, some require tickets. For schedules and info, go here. 

VINTAGE CLEVELAND

Riveters work on the 22nd floor of the Terminal Tower, April 1927.

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Extra Sprinkles

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Shuffle, Sip & Socialize at Forest City Shuffleboard! 🍹

Looking for a fun and unique hangout in Cleveland? Forest City Shuffleboard offers the perfect mix of friendly competition, great drinks, and an awesome atmosphere! Whether you're a pro or a first-timer, our indoor and outdoor shuffleboard courts guarantee endless fun for all. Grab your crew, enjoy craft cocktails, and shuffle the night away! 👉 ForestCityShuffleboard.com

WEATHER

Wednesday - 04/16

50 🌡️ 35 | 🌤️ | 6% | 💨 S 9 mph (8 knots)​

Thursday - 04/17

56 🌡️ 50 | 🌤️ | 4% | 💨 ENE 6 mph (5 knots)​

Friday - 04/18

71 🌡️ 57 | 🌥️ | 24% | 💨 SSW 20 mph (17 knots)​

Source: weather.com​

Live Shows in the 216

Wednesday - 04/16

Agora Theatre | Jack White | 7 PM

Mahall's | Not Enough Space, True North, Colorblind | 8 PM

Beachland Ballroom | Dogs in a Pile | 8 PM

Mercury Music Lounge | Trixter, Enuff Z'Nuff, Pretty Boy Floyd | 7 PM

Keybank State Theatre | The Temptations, The Four Tops | 8 PM

Thursday - 04/17

The Roxy | Harrison Gordon, Ben Quad, and Free Throw | 7 PM

Beachland Ballroom | Mason Ramsey | 8 PM

Grog Shop | The Happy Fits | 8 PM

Friday - 04/18

The Asylum at Masonic Temple | Geoff Tate, Fire | 7 PM

Beachland Ballroom | Sam Blasucci | 8 PM

Agora Theatre | Maoli | 8 PM

Mahall's | Stateside, Ultra Q, Anxious | 7 PM

House of Blues | Starset | 8 PM

For more info, click here.

Note: Event details are subject to change. Please verify information with official event websites.

The 216 Sports Area

Upcoming Games

Guardians

Away vs. Baltimore Orioles, 6:35 p.m., Wednesday, April 16
Away vs. Baltimore Orioles, 6:35 p.m., Thursday, April 17
Away vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:40 p.m., Friday, April 18

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