NE Ohio Gas Prices Soar: CLE Daily

🌤️ 74°; Partly sunny, less humid

⛽ Gas Prices Keep Climbing in NE Ohio: The regional average hit $4.23 a gallon this week, up 28 cents in seven days. That's up from $2.89 when the Iran conflict began in February (+44%) and from $2.97 when Trump won reelection in November 2024 (+40%). Overall prices in the economy are up about 6.7% since November 2024.

📺 Ideastream and PBS Western Reserve Are Merging: The boards of both public media outlets approved a combination creating a single organization spanning Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown and Western Pennsylvania. This is a response to $4 million in lost federal funding. No layoffs are planned, and the combined org will operate under the Ideastream name. 

⚾️ Guardians in Playoff Chase: The Guardians are in first place in the American League Central with 10 games to go. The White Sox are right there, too. If the Guardians slip behind the White Sox, they have a tiny cushion over the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays in the wild-card race. Buckle up!

🎨 CMA Unveils a Major Andrew Wyeth Watercolor Show: Spectacular Freedom brings nearly 75 rarely seen Wyeth watercolors to the Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Gallery — 17 never publicly shown, five unseen in almost a century — running Sept. 20 through Jan. 18. It's Cleveland's first exhibition of the artist's work.

🍁 Learn Your Leaves at the Botanical Garden: Cleveland Botanical Garden's new Leaf Discovery Trail opens with the first day of fall, teaching visitors to identify 10 trees — sugar maple, pawpaw, river birch and more — along the grounds. 

ICYMI: Remember Wednesday's story on Rosy landing on the NYT's 50 favorite restaurants list? West Side Market's new Restaurant Month — 14 local spots donating proceeds to the market's $70 million renovation — is more proof Cleveland's food scene is having a moment.

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Today's Trivia

Although he spent most of his youth in Massillon — and remains a towering figure there — future Browns coach Paul Brown was born in what Northern Ohio city?

Development: Ohio is putting $2 million toward Cleveland's new Housing Innovation District.

By Ken Prendergast, NEOTrans

Gov. Mike DeWine announced $14 million in statewide housing grants last week, and Cleveland landed one of the largest, funding 200 new homes in the Central, Hough and St. Clair-Superior neighborhoods.

The District: City Council authorized the Housing Innovation District in August with a tax-increment-financing mechanism expected to generate $64 million to $182 million over 30 years for streets, sewers and parks.

Why Now: The housing is meant to meet demand created by Amazon and city investment on the near-East Side. Cleveland was one of just a handful of winners among 32 statewide applications requesting nearly $69 million.

Read the full story.

Talk of the Town

A new fest brings record-store crate diggers to Old Brooklyn. Wax and Tracks Fest takes place Saturday at Vinyl Groove Records, with vendors from Chicago, Salem and Pittsburgh and a live set from local band Apostle Jones. 

About 3,500 legal immigrants in Cuyahoga County are bracing to lose Medicaid Oct. 1. New federal rules cut off refugees and other non-citizens without permanent residency; local health providers expect the cost to shift to uncompensated care. 

The Rock Hall just landed a $10 million gift toward its museum expansion. Dee and Jimmy Haslam's donation supports the new Haslam Atrium, the main entryway of the 50,000-square-foot addition opening this fall, with community stairs, a reception bar and Lake Erie views. The project, which broke ground in 2023, also adds a multipurpose event space and lakefront-accessible community gardens.

Self-driving trucks are quietly testing on Ohio roads. A Dublin company is running driverless rigs at a Marysville corporate park and platooning trucks on I-70, though state law still requires a human backup on public highways. 

Tax breaks are costing Cleveland Metroparks millions. Abatements withheld $3 million from the park system's revenue last year — money it would otherwise collect through property taxes.

Brooklyn Heights swore in its first police K-9 this week — named for a fallen Euclid officer. K-9 Jake honors Jacob Derbin, a Brooklyn Heights native killed in the line of duty in 2024, who'd dreamed of becoming a K-9 handler himself. His mother donated $2,500 to fund the program.

Health: University Hospitals just landed the largest federal grant in its history.

By Ken Prendergast, NEOTrans

UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital will get $56.25 million over five years from the Health Resources and Services Administration to lead the newly created Pediatric Prevention Network, a national hub for pediatric emergency preparedness.

A Broader Mission: The network builds on UH's former Pediatric Pandemic Network, expanding beyond pandemics to natural disasters, mass casualty incidents and everyday emergencies affecting children.

The Scale: UH will coordinate children's hospitals, health systems and emergency responders nationwide on training, data and preparedness resources — work principal investigator Charles Macias called "a bold new vision" for protecting kids in crises.

Read the full story.

Things To Do: More events for this weekend.

By Jeff Niesel

Death Becomes Her brings its musical comedy to the State Theatre. Based on the 1992 film about two women who drink a potion for immortality, the show runs through Oct. 3. Friday's performance starts at 7:30 p.m. 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, playhousesquare.org

About 40 boats dock at North Coast Harbor for a weekend boat show starting on Friday. The Progressive North Coast Harbor Boat Show gives visitors special access to the fleet; Friday's hours run noon to 6 p.m., with the show continuing through Sunday. Corner of Erieside Ave. and East Ninth St., Cleveland, northcoastharborboatshow.com

Punch Brothers bring their bluegrass to Cain Park on Saturday. Mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile — also of Nickel Creek and Mutual Admiration Society — leads the 20-year-old group at 7:30 p.m. 14591 Superior Road, Cleveland Heights, cainpark.com

The Sculpture Center throws its annual fundraiser, "The Night Before," on Saturday. Guests get access to the courtyard, galleries and the rarely seen David E. Davis art collection starting at 6 p.m.; VIP tickets grant early admission. 1834 East 123rd St., Cleveland, sculpturecenter.org

Runners and walkers wind through Lake View Cemetery's history on Sunday. The 15th Annual Run Through History passes historic monuments starting at 8:50 a.m. 12316 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, lakeviewcemetery.com 

For our full list of things to do, visit clevelandmagazine.com/things-to-do.

Yesterday's Trivia Answer 

During his playing days at the University of Tennessee, future Browns coach Sam Rutigliano roomed with what future pro wrestler who was also a regular in music videos by Cyndi Lauper? (Captain) Lou Albano

Check back tomorrow for the answer to today's question.

From the Editor

Gas hit $4.23 a gallon in Northeast Ohio this week — up 44% since the Iran conflict began in February — while overall inflation has climbed nearly 7% over the same period. 

Maybe that's an argument for staying close this weekend: a boat show on the lake, a run through Lake View Cemetery, bluegrass at Cain Park. Good weekends don't require a full tank or being glued to the TV on Sunday to watch the Browns against Baker Mayfield and the Bucs.

— Ron Ledgard, Managing Editor

Let us know what is on your mind at conversation@clevelandmagazine.com.

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