Cleveland, OH
Ball State fans, supporters cheer on Cardinals in MAC Tournament
CLEVELAND — Ball State women’s basketball kicked off its Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament journey March 12 with a first-round victory over Western Michigan. Though Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio is a neutral site, the Ball State bench sat in front of a crowd of Cardinal fans, the Ball State band, Code Red dancers and cheerleaders.
“You’ve got not just 14 players in this thing. You’ve got your administrators, you’ve got your band, you’ve got your cheerleaders, you’ve got your fans [and] a lot of family,” Ball State head coach Brady Sallee said. “It takes it all to have a program like we have, and we’re really proud of our program.
The Cardinals have been in the MAC Tournament every year since the conference decided to only allow the top eight teams in the event in 2020. However, some fans have been to the tournament multiple times and others have made it since it was first held in ‘The Land’ 25 years ago.
“They need our support, both home and away,” Ken Briner said. “…[The teams] like to see that support wherever they’re at.”
Ken — a Ball State graduate — and his wife, Peggy, have been longtime supporters of the athletic program. The Briners Sports Complex in Muncie is named after them. The couple go to every home game for both the men’s and women’s Cardinal basketball teams. To them, it’s important to continue that support in the postseason.
But it’s not just alumni and Ball State fans who are at the tournament supporting the Cardinals. Students are also in the arena. Senior Ball State band member Olivia Sloniker has been to Cleveland the last four years for the event. To her, the best part is supporting this women’s roster.
“Every single year, every game, no matter if it’s a win or loss, the women come over to us and they chat with us and they play the fight song with us,” Sloniker said. “They give us something … We’ve brought posters that we’ve made, we bring our cameras and we do everything we can to support our women.”
The players integrating themselves with the band and other campus groups is something that gives people like Sloniker pride in what she does. To her, the school is being represented by a team full of good people.
“Just today when we walked in, they saw us, and they went, ‘Hey, band.’ And we got so into it,” she said. “Seeing athletes that appreciate the spirit, it makes your life, one, so much easier, two, so much better, and three, so much more enjoyable.”
Ball State Athletics has noticed the support for this team specifically. Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell was at the opening contest and said the support is because of what the program has become under Sallee and this group.
“It means everything in terms of the type of community and fan support that we’re building here at Ball State,” Mitchell said. “It’s certainly reflective of the type of program that our women’s basketball team has here at Ball State. It’s not a surprise for me to walk into the arena here in Cleveland and see all these Cardinals.
“As I was coming into the arena, I got ‘Chrip, chirps’ and ‘Go Cards.’ It’s awesome and I get excited thinking about it.”
Ball State will play their next game Friday, March 14 at 10 a.m. They will face the No. 4 seed Kent State.
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or via X @ZachCarter85.
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland police arrest suspect in involuntary manslaughter investigation, find fentanyl and PCP
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cleveland Division of Police worked with multiple agencies to arrest a man in an investigation into involuntary manslaughter and found drugs during a police search Wednesday.
The Cleveland Division of Police Narcotics Unit worked with the U.S. Marshals Task Force to arrest 33-year-old James Williams as part of the division’s Violent Crime Reduction efforts.
Williams was taken into custody in the Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood in Cleveland’s Fourth District Wednesday.
He was previously wanted on an involuntary manslaughter investigation warrant in connection with three fatal drug overdoses, police say.
In November 2025, Williams was identified by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office as one of 37 suspects in a large-scale drug trafficking organization.
Police say that during the investigation into Williams, they seized thousands of grams of illegal narcotics.
After Williams’ arrest, the Narcotics Unit executed a search of his home.
During the search, police say the unit found 83 grams of suspected cocaine, 76 grams of suspected fentanyl and 824 grams of suspected PCP.
Investigators say they seized numerous items associated with drug manufacturing and distribution that contained suspected drug residue.
Investigators say Williams was involved in distributing dangerous narcotics, including mixtures containing fentanyl and xylazine, a drug commonly used as a tranquilizer for animals.
Police say when xylazine is mixed with fentanyl, it can increase the risk of overdose and death.
Police said Narcan can reverse the opioid effects of fentanyl, but it cannot reverse the effects of xylazine, which makes those overdoses dangerous and in need of medical intervention.
“Every day, these men and women dedicate countless hours to complex investigations aimed at removing violent offenders, illegal firearms, and dangerous narcotics from our neighborhoods. We remain deeply concerned about the presence of Xylazine, a dangerous substance that does not respond to Narcan and is contributing to fatal overdoses,” Chief Dorothy Todd said. “We are grateful for the continued dedication of our local, state, and federal partners as we work together to reduce violent crime, disrupt criminal organizations, and keep Cleveland’s residents safe.”
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Cleveland, OH
Woman killed, several children injured in Ohio Turnpike crash in Lorain County
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A 28-year-old woman is dead, and three children are hospitalized following a one-car rollover accident in Elyria Township in the eastbound lanes of the Ohio Turnpike.
The crash happened around 11:54 a.m. at milepost 146.3.
During the investigation of the crash OSHP learned that the crash happened when the Toyota RAV4, driven by Najalee N. Rivera, drove off the right side of the road, struck a guardrail, and overturned.
The vehicle was also occupied by three children. A 7-year-old boy, a 8-year-old girl, and 4-year-old girl all from Lorain, they all suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported by LifeCare Ambulance to University Elyria Hospital.
Rivera was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash, according to OSHP.
Two of the lanes were reopened about 4:15 p.m., according to a social media post from the Ohio Turnpike.
Check back with 19 News for the latest on this story.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Cleveland, OH
LOOK: Remembering the Cavs championship win, victory parade 10 years later
CLEVELAND (WJW) — Ten years ago, Cleveland experienced one of the most unforgettable moments in the city’s history.
The Cavaliers became the first-ever team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a championship. By winning the 2016 NBA Finals, they also ended a 52-year championship drought for Cleveland.
Mr. Cavalier, Austin Carr, said he still relishes that moment 10 years later.
“The odds we overcame to win that championship,” he said. “Not only did we have to win three straight games, but we also had to have the right things happen at the right moment in order to win it. And that just tells me how difficult it is … with ‘The Shot’, ‘The Block’, and the defensive move. All those. It was just meant to be.”
The victory over the Golden State Warriors catapulted LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith and the rest of the crew into essential Northeast Ohio sainthood.
When Akron’s own James screamed the now-famous phrase, “Cleveland, this is for you!” following the game, a whole legion of Cleveland fans around the country wept and cheered along with him.

When Smith refused to put a shirt on for what seemed like a whole summer in honor of the win, it felt right and proper.
Whenever the long-since traded Irving comes back to town, he’s remembered for his important 3-pointer at the end of Game 7 and not the way he left the team.
And the city made history again just a few days later, when more than 1.3 million people flooded downtown Cleveland for the championship parade. According to the Cavs, it remains the largest NBA championship parade ever.
The current Cavaliers (now in their Donovan Mitchell era) haven’t been back to the NBA Finals. They reached the conference finals this past spring for the first time since 2018. But a finals appearance has still eluded the wine and gold.
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