Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Browns Foundation and United Airlines surprise Stay in the Game! educator with a trip to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans
CLEVELAND, OH – On Tuesday, Dec. 17, the Cleveland Browns Foundation surprised Ann Pesta, an educator from Stay in the Game! partner school Lakewood High School, with a surprise gift and recognition: tickets to Super Bowl LIX, round-trip flights courtesy of United Airlines, and accommodations for her and a guest.
The Stay in the Game! Attendance Network, launched in 2019, provides support and resources to Ohio school districts with the goal of increasing school attendance and decreasing chronic absenteeism. The Network supports 161 districts throughout the state of Ohio, with 108 of those districts within the Browns region, including Lakewood City School District.
Pesta, a Lakewood science teacher, received the news in front of her students and colleagues during a catered holiday luncheon, courtesy of the Browns. Browns players – guard Wyatt Teller, wide receiver David Bell, defensive back Tony Browns II and Chomps – were in attendance to present the tickets and commend Pesta for her impact on students throughout her 30-year career.
“It is a huge honor to be able to surprise Ms. Pesta today and show her that her job matters a lot to the Browns organization, Stay in the Game! and to me personally as my mother, father and older sister are educators,” said Browns defensive back Tony Brown II. “They can positively affect a young adult’s life by encouraging them to come to school. So hopefully something like this can show teachers that they are seen and appreciated.”
In November, the Browns called for nominations of educators who inspire students to show up for school. Receiving a large number of nominations, Pesta was selected for her contribution to education by creating an engaging learning environment that encourages regular student attendance. She was nominated by both current and former students, parents, and colleagues, which shows the impact she has had on her community throughout her career.
“We are so excited to be part of Stay in the Game! because it gives us another way to really reinforce the great things that so many of our Lakewood teachers are doing,” said Lakewood City School Coordinator of Student Wellness, Dr. Merritt Waters. “To partner with an organization like the Cleveland Browns to help show Ms. Pesta just how much we appreciate her is fantastic.”
In addition to the Super Bowl surprise, the Cleveland Browns Foundation and United Airlines invited Pesta and four other educators from Stay in the Game! partner districts across NE Ohio to be celebrated at the last Browns home game of the season against the Miami Dolphins on December 29th. Each educator will have the opportunity to bring three guests with them to enjoy the game.
One of United Airlines’ key areas of focus in the community is youth education, which aligns with the efforts of the Browns Foundation and Stay in the Game! Attendance Network. As a part of that focus, United Airlines wanted to help celebrate Pesta by providing the flights and recognizing four other educators who are making a huge impact on their students.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Ohio Investigative Unit announced Thursday in a press release that it confiscated a firearm from a 13-year-old.
The unit’s work is part of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s Violent Crime Reduction Operation in Cleveland and Cincinnati.
While agents were making felony arrests and recovering illegally possessed firearms one night, they saw an armed 13-year-old walking near downtown Cleveland.
Agents approached the teenager, took him into custody and discovered the firearm was illegally possessed.
The teen faces pending charges in Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court.
“The Ohio Investigative Unit remains committed to supporting our local partners in reducing violent crime in their communities,” Senior Enforcement Commander Greg Croft said. “Through these multi-agency collaborations, we are working collectively to ensure a safer Ohio for everyone.”
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Cleveland, OH
The Movie Nerd Report: What’s playing at Cleveland cinemas on Mother’s Day Weekend 2026 – The Land
Hello Dear Readers of The Land! My name is Mike Wendt, I am a filmmaker and I am also the production coordinator for the Greater Cleveland Film Commission! A few years ago, I started making a weekly post on my social media dubbed the Movie Nerd Report, in which I round up the week’s offerings in the movie theaters in Northeast Ohio, as coverage from some of the local media outlets started to dwindle. We are so fortunate to have so many offerings in our region and I want to use this platform to help get the word out and now I am glad to be writing about them right here!
So for your Mother’s Day weekend, here is your Movie Nerd Report:
This Saturday at the Atlas Cinemas Lakeshore 7 (22624 Lakeshore Blvd Euclid, OH 44123) will be the “21 Days of Horror Screening and Awards Ceremony.” This annual event gives teams the opportunity to create a horror short film in 21 days, and now you get to see the results. Screening Group 1 is at 4:30 p.m. and Screening Group 2 is at 7:00 p.m., tickets are $15 for each screening group or $20 for a full day pass!
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Over at the Cleveland Cinematheque (11610 Euclid Ave Cleveland, OH 44118) :
Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 9 p.m. they will present the Japanese film “Bushido.”
Thursday at 9 p.m. and Sunday at 6:40 p.m. they will present a 4K Restoration of another Japanese film in “The Taste of Tea.”
Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. they will present the road trip drama featuring Akron native John Magaro in “Omaha.” The film will also be playing starting this Friday at The Nightlight Cinema in Akron.
Friday at 8:45 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m. brings a double feature from acclaimed Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa in “Chime & Cure.”
Sunday at 4:45 p.m. they will present a documentary about sculptor and woodcutter Jimmy Grashow in “Jimmy & The Demons,”
More information about the films and ticket prices are at: cinematheque.cia.edu
At the Nightlight Cinema (30 N High Street Akron, OH 44308):
Thursday at 7:45pm and Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., they will present a documentary about the recent (and long overdue) inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, “Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition!”
They will be opening a prison set drama from the executive producer of Netflix’s Adolescence in “Wasteman” with the talented actor David Jonsson.
Friday through Sunday they will present the 25th Anniversary restoration of the award winning drama “Daughters of The Dust.”
Just in time for Mother’s Day this Sunday and Wednesday, they (and a handful of other theaters in the area) will also be showing 35th Anniversary Screenings of “Fried Green Tomatoes,” so perhaps take your mom for a good cry.
More information about the films and ticket prices are at nightlightcinema.com
This weekend there is a trio of new films opening in wide release: The first is the sequel to the 2021 original in “Mortal Kombat II.” The film is expected to do quite well, but as of this writing reviews have remained embargoed.
Opening for families and featuring an all-star cast including Hugh Jackman is “The Sheep Detectives,” The plot revolves around a shepherd that is found dead and the group of sheep that aim to solve the mystery. It currently stands at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Finally, a film that I got to see early is the unlikely pairing of James Cameron and Billie Eilish in “Billie Eilish-Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour 3D” While I cannot say I am a Billie Eilish expert, I did find this film to be a unique showcase for her talent and paired with James Cameron’s flair for visuals, this was pretty good! Plus it’s good to see Cameron make something other than Avatar films for once.
So, I hope this has been a helpful guideline to all the offerings you could enjoy this upcoming week, stay tuned for more next week!
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