What Happened Now? A Cleveland Newsletter
Issue 833: July 3, 2025
"What Happened Now?" is a lively roundup and analysis of the top stories of the day in Northeast Ohio from News 5's Joe Donatelli. It’s like getting the news from a friend who doesn’t buy pro athlete jerseys but would make an exception for Jose.
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Maybe it’s just living up to its name: Is the Siren’s Curse cursed? For the second time in its opening week, riders on Cedar Point's popular new attraction got an unexpected surprise. On Wednesday, some park guests posted videos on social media showing riders exiting a stopped Siren's Curse near the ride's tilt drop. They then exited the ride on stairs from 160 feet in the air. This is the second incident in less than a week. I could tell you more, but you just want to see the video.
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This is a great piece: Writing for Ideastream, Steven Litt compares Dan Gilbert and the Haslams’ clashing visions for urban development.
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Sports gambling allegations have entered a new era: ESPN reports that Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz is under investigation by Major League Baseball after a betting-integrity firm flagged a pair of pitches that had received unusual gambling activity. This is wild stuff. "Sources said betting-integrity firm IC360 sent two alerts in June to sportsbook operators regarding Ortiz. The first alert was sent June 15 and triggered by action on Ortiz's first pitch against the Seattle Mariners in the bottom of the second inning to be a ball or hit batsman. Ortiz opened the inning with a slider well outside the strike zone. The second alert, sent June 27, referenced Ortiz's first pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the top of the third inning being a ball or hit batsman. Ortiz opened the inning with a slider even farther outside the strike zone. Both alerts flagged bets in Ohio, New York and New Jersey. Betting on the result of first pitches is offered by some sportsbooks, with such wagers commonly referred to as microbets." More.
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One of the arguments Republicans make for smaller government is that a large, secretive government is bad at doing things: Now hold that thought while I tell you that Ohio Republicans’ large, secretive government job-creation program is bad at doing things, reports the Ohio Capital Journal.
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Jose! You love to see it. Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez has been selected as a starter for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game. He will go down as one of the franchise’s all-time greats.
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More good Cleveland sports news: The Special Olympics USA 2030 Site Selection Committee is recommending Cleveland as the host city for the 2030 games, reports John Kosich.
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That’s now two shooting incidents in Northeast Ohio hospitals in less than a week: Last Friday, a nurse tech was shot in Canton. Yesterday, a man fired his gun in Orrville. They were two very different incidents, but they serve as a reminder that gun violence even happens in what should be our safest spaces.
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We’ve been reporting on issues at the county jail for years: So imagine that same dysfunctional building without power. We don’t have to imagine. It happened. The Marshall Project - Cleveland reports that before sunrise on June 24, a power substation fire cut electricity to the system that cools the Cuyahoga County jail in downtown Cleveland. Outside, the temperature crept toward 100. Stale, humid air thickened in the concrete high-rise jail. Twelve hours into the all-day power outage, county officials scrambled to deliver mobile cooling units, industrial fans, ice and water for the more than 1,500 incarcerated people and employees inside. Paramedics took one correctional officer who was ill from the heat. While county administrators downplay the impact of a day without air conditioning in the poorly ventilated jail, those inside told The Marshall Project - Cleveland of dangerous conditions, medical emergencies and delays in getting released that were fueled by staff call-offs. Read more and remember that there are human beings, some of whom have not been found guilty of anything, in that building.
- It will not shock you to learn the jail’s inability to deal with inmate health issues is sucking up finite EMS resources, reports Signal Cleveland.
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Our burning river used to take care of problems like this: “A ship that docked in Cleveland last summer harbored what scientists believe was a previously unknown form of life,” reports Cleveland.com in a story about “ShipGoo001,” offering a reminder that (Jeff Goldblum Voice), “Life finds a way.”
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No newsletter tomorrow: Just FREEEEEEEEEDOM!!!!! Unless you’re British. Then you should have to work. You lose! GOOD DAY, sir.
