📰 The man who is capturing Cleveland’s soul

Good morning, Cleveland! This is The 216 Scoop: You know it’s serious when university leadership and local radio start trading words. Grab your coffee — this one has layers 🎙️🏛️☕

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John Petkovic & Jude Perez

It started with markers of time. John Skrtic loves buildings, streets, signs of places, new and old.

Then the switch flipped: Capture the soul of Cleveland through people who, all too often, are forgotten faces in the crowd.

Twenty years later, he’s tracked down 10,000 of them in search of their stories.

You can read them via his Instagram and Facebook pages. Cleveland Magazine publishes eight profiles a month.

The big picture is more ambitious: An archive of city life that he plans to donate to the Cleveland Public Library, where he currently works.

“My goal is to get the name, address and a little family history,” he says. “So someday people can go to the library and research their family.”

Dare not call it ancestry.com. This is a passion project hatched in a diner, over coffee.

“I started by taking pictures to document the city,” says Skrtic. “Then I met all these people with amazing stories.”

Many relayed their immigrant journeys. Others reflected on a city in flux. Some wore their neighborhood hearts on their sleeves.

“People are fiercely attached to their neighborhood,” he says. “They’re proud of their street.”

It’s not uncommon in places that have experienced dislocation and struggle – which is why he’s dubbed the project ‘Cleveland Before Country.’

“It’s like that old T-shirt, ‘Cleveland You Gotta Be Tough,’” he says. “There’s this fuck you pride that gives Cleveland personality.”

Cleveland State University president Laura Bloomberg dismissed critics after shuttering and handing WCSB over to Ideastream -- in what amounted to a hostile takeover of a cultural jewel for half a century.

Now, a 38-page motion filed by Ohio Attorney General David Yost calls on the Court of Common Pleas Cuyahoga County to dismiss a lawsuit filed against Bloomberg, CSU and its Board of Trustees.

The motion contends the complaint is filled with procedural flaws, a lack of standing, immunity defenses, a failure to state claims and jurisdictional issues.

The motion emphasizes that plaintiffs' emotional attachment to WCSB does not substitute for legal requirements.

On Jan. 10, a 13-page complaint was filed on behalf of three plaintiffs – WCSB, XCSB and former general manager Alison Bomgardner – that seeks:

The motion on behalf of the defendants is typically the first response in such a case.

Free speech is at the core of the complaint against the university and Bloomberg, who is named in the complaint personally and professionally.

The loss of WCSB sparked a boycott, protests and the unanimous condemnation of Cleveland City Council. It received national attention.

Download the motion here:

America is launching a new era in space… and Cleveland is riding shotgun.

Artemis II, the first lunar mission since 1972, is counting down to an April take-off.

It will carry four astronauts around the moon on Orion -- whose functionality, propulsion and communications systems were developed or tested at NASA Glenn Research Center.

One small step for NASA, one giant leap for Cleveland.

Glenn will also play a central role in Artemis III, which will land astronauts on the moon in 2028 to establish a permanent base – and will lead the construction of a nuclear reactor, by 2030, to fuel a mission to mars.

“You need a manufacturing habitat on the moon to get to Mars, and it needs to be sustainable,” says Chris Sheehan, of Sierra Lobo, a NASA aerospace contractor. 

State and area leaders of both parties have lobbied the Trump administration to move NASA HQ moved to Cleveland. It’s well-positioned technologically — with Artemis, Blue Abyss and satellite communications programs. 

“You never know what will happen with the HQ,” says Sheehan. “But Glenn has never been this well-positioned in NASA’s future plans.”

Twin Peaks Night Market: The Lynchian bash rolls out 30 vendors, themed cocktails, live entertainment, Twin Peaks impersonators and a screening of the series. 6 p.m. Tuesday at 78^th Street Studios. Info.

Cavs-Knicks: Their seven-game winning streak came to an end Sunday against OKC. They meet the Knicks in what could be a playoff preview. 7 p.m. Tuesday at Rocket Arena. Info.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: The alt-country singer-songwriter and ex-Drive-by Trucker is on tour to support his 2025 album ‘Foxes in the Snow.’ 8 p.m. Tuesday at State Theatre in Playhouse Square. Info.

👉 View Listing on Zillow

Several large-scale eateries have shuttered in the last three months.

Yes, there’s food inflation -- but also rent, labor and utilities costs that continue to power higher.

Some places hold out hope that things will change.

Fast Eddie’s owner Eddie Cerino acted quickly.

For 10 years, his Shoppes of Parma eatery developed a loyal following with its unique take on burgers. But…

“Rent costs and labor cost for a large square-foot restaurant has become particularly challenging,” said Cerino, who closed the spot last year.

Enter the just-opened new Fast Eddie’s at Sprague & Broadview in Parma.

It rolls out a similar menu: an eclectic array of burgers, salads, sandwiches and comfort foods – from kung pao lettuce wraps to meat loaf.

It’s also smaller and packed tighter, with 118 seats and less room around a bar that pairs sports on the TVs with signature cocktails.

There was a 25-minute wait on Saturday, with a crowd that would’ve taken up 60% of the other place… Smart move, Eddie.

Cleveland, 1966: A salt mine located under Whiskey Island operated by International Salt Co. (now part of Dutch multi-national AkzoNobel).

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27 °F 🌡️ 16 °F | 🌨️ (Lake Effect Snow / Breezy) | 40% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 18 mph (≈ 16 knots)

35 °F 🌡️ 24 °F | 🌤️ (Partly Sunny / Cold) | 10% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 8 mph (≈ 7 knots)

44 °F 🌡️ 32 °F | ⛅ (Mostly Sunny / Warmer) | 0% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 14 mph (≈ 12 knots)

_{Please note that weather conditions can change rapidly. For the most up-to-date information, consider checking a reliable local weather service.}

Home vs. Knicks, 7:30 PM February 24 (Tuesday)

Away vs. Bucks, 8:00 PM February 25 (Wednesday)

Away vs. Pistons, 7:00 PM February 27 (Friday)

Away vs. Nets, 3:30 PM March 1 (Sunday)

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