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Cleveland, OH

Free clinic appreciation month

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Free clinic appreciation month


CLEVELAND — There are more than half a million people in Ohio who do not have health insurance.


What You Need To Know

  • Ohio has 59 free and charitable clinics and pharmacies that provide essential care for the uninsured
  • CHN supports clinics in 86 of the state’s 88 counties 
  • In 2024, Salaam Clinic saw around 700 patients; this year, that number doubled to nearly 1400 patients seen

Ohio has 59 free and charitable clinics and pharmacies that provide essential care for the uninsured. They’re supported by the Charitable Healthcare Network, and this month, CHN is celebrating the care they provide to patients in 86 of the state’s 88 counties.

Salaam Clinic is one of several clinics in Cleveland. They see hundreds of patients a year. Shafeeq Sabir is one of those patients.

“The opportunity is there for me to see a doctor, a physician, without having to worry about a cost factor,” said Sabir.

Sabir has insurance but said he has a copay, and he’s on a fixed income. Salaam Clinic takes in uninsured, underinsured and those who cannot afford care.

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“Sometimes I can’t afford the copay, so I would prefer to come here for an exam before I go and see my primary physician,” said Sabir.

Salaam Clinic is part of the Charitable Healthcare Network. The network is celebrating Free Clinic Appreciation Month this December.

The network is Ohio’s statewide system that supports free and charitable clinics. Jason Koma is CHN’s Executive Director. He said the network’s 59 clinics provide high-quality health care to those who need it.

“We are the backbone of the safety net of health care in the state of Ohio,” said Koma.

More than 60,000 patients were seen at one of the network’s facilities from Jan. to Sept. 2025. In 2024, the clinics saw nearly 80,000 patients.

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The network’s clinics offer a wide range of services including primary care, specialty, dental, vision, behavioral health, social services, pharmacy, education, prescriptions, tests and insurance enrollment. In 2024, CHN’s clinics provided $224 million worth of services to patients all over the state. The network is supported by funds from the Ohio Department of Health and the state budget.

The Ohio Department of Health said this in a statement.

“Free clinics are an integral part of the healthcare system in Ohio, which is why the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) financially supports healthcare services to patients who lack the funds or insurance coverage to pay for vital health services.

ODH support comes through the Uninsured Care Fund, a general revenue fund line item used to support free and charitable clinics providing medical and dental care at free or reduced costs to uninsured and underinsured Ohioans. These funds pay for primary healthcare services to any uninsured person who gets healthcare services at a free clinic in Ohio.”

Every fiscal year, CHN gets $1.75 million to support the individual clinics around the state.

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Salaam Clinic receives funding from several sources, including CHN. Dr. Syed Shoaib Shah is the CEO of the Salaam Clinic.

“Year over year it takes about $230,000 to run the clinic,” said Shah. “We have a part time nurse practitioner on staff as well as an administrative assistant and then includes all the supplies, all that lets us run all the mobile clinics, all the pop-up clinics that we do around the city.”

However, the clinic doesn’t always get the full amount, and the clinic is looking at other options, including private donations.

“Without the Charitable Healthcare Network in our clinics, these folks would have nowhere else to go,” said Koma. “Probably ending up in the emergency room and getting sicker and sicker and sicker.”

According to UnitedHealthcare, the average emergency room visit costs $1700, but the cost depends on the services and care provided. Shah said clinics can be the first stop to getting healthy.  

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“We make sure every patient leaves with a roadmap and they know where they’re going, what they’re doing, and they have the referrals and check,” said Shah.

Shah said clinics like his are saving lives. He said that even though they are seeing more patients and expect to see even more patients; he wants the community to know the clinic is here for them.

“Hospitals are closing their outpatient centers because they can’t afford the care that they’re giving to the uninsured population,” said Shah.

In 2024, Salaam Clinic saw around 700 patients. This year, the number doubled to nearly 1400 patients seen. With rising healthcare costs, Shah said the number will continue to rise, but they are happy to serve the community.

“We expect to see more patients that are underinsured and uninsured, but they cannot afford care,” said Shah.

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Sabir said he’s grateful for Salaam Clinic and he tells everyone he knows about the clinic.

“An opportunity of this service and that really has just gives me a better feeling consciously in my thinking and in my health, and I just feel much, much better about my life,” said Sabir.

To become a patient of Salaam Clinic, first call them at (216) 243-7924. From there, the staff will recommend next steps and provide resources. If you would like to visit the clinic, appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.

Saleem Clinic in Midtown, at 7401 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44103, is open on Sundays from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Their Solon location at Chagrin Valley Islamic Center at 6909 Liberty Rd. is open every last Friday of the month, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. They also do pop-up and mobile clinics.

Salaam Clinic has a multilingual staff who speak French, Arabic, Swahili, South Asian languages, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi.

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Salaam Clinic, along with the other clinics in the network, are nonprofit clinics with paid and volunteer employees.

The clinics accept monetary donations, and for every dollar donated to the Charitable Healthcare Network, it provides $13 worth of healthcare.



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Cleveland, OH

Arraignment for teen accused of murder at Cleveland deli

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Arraignment for teen accused of murder at Cleveland deli


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The 17-year-old boy accused of a deadly shooting at a Cleveland deli, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Thursday.

Royal King was indicted on the charges of aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, carrying concealed weapons, and improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle.

King will continue being held on a $1 million bond at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Facility.

He will return to court on March 2 for a pre-trial.

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Royal King(Fiscalía del Condado de Cuyahoga)

King is accused of killing Jahari Stegall, 17, on Sept. 19, 2025 at the E. 185th Deli in the city’s Northshore Collinwood neighborhood.

PREVIOUS STORY: Teen identified after shooting death at Cleveland deli

King allegedly drove to the deli in a stolen car and walked through the aisles.

Security cameras then show Stegall walking through the parking lot.

King allegedly met Stegall at the door with a gun in his hand and shot him in the back of the head before fleeing the scene.

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Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said Stegall was a good kid who barely knew King.

U.S. Marshals arrested King on Oct. 29, 2025 at home on E. 147th Street in Cleveland.



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Ohio EMA expanding traveler alert system

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Ohio EMA expanding traveler alert system


OHIO — The Ohio Emergency Management Agency, in partnership with the National Weather Service offices in Wilmington and Cleveland, is partnering with Lamar Advertising to help expand the Ohio Traveler Alert System to more parts of the state. 


What You Need To Know

  • Ohio EMA said the system will soon include areas of greater Cleveland, Toledo and the Cincinnati Metropolitan area
  • The system first launched in 2024 for parts of Dayton and Columbus
  • The goal is to deliver real-time severe weather alerts to travelers through digital billboards

Ohio EMA said the system will soon include areas of greater Cleveland, Toledo and the Cincinnati Metropolitan area. 

“Severe weather can make driving difficult and dangerous,” said Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio. “By expanding the Ohio Traveler Alert System, our goal is to get critical weather alerts to more drivers in real-time.”

The system was launched in 2024 in the areas of Dayton and Columbus. If there’s severe weather, digital billboards display messages alerting travelers about certain conditions, such as high winds, snow squalls, ice and flooding.

“Collaborations like these are the backbone of community safety,” said Sima Merick, Ohio Emergency Management Agency executive director. “When we work together, we strengthen our ability to protect the people we serve. OTAS is a prime example of these partnerships.”

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Ohio EMA said the communication and messaging on billboards is not only an effective way to communicate to Ohio residents but also to travelers who may not be familiar with the area. 



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Iman Shumpert Claims Kyrie Irving Left The Cavaliers To Beat LeBron James

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Iman Shumpert Claims Kyrie Irving Left The Cavaliers To Beat LeBron James


Former NBA guard Iman Shumpert played an important role in the Cavaliers securing their only championship in franchise history. He was there to help them win it all, and he was there to watch it fall apart when Kyrie Irving forced a trade to the Celtics in 2017. In a recent appearance on ‘Club Shay Shay,’ the former Cavs guard broke down what really pushed Irving out of Cleveland, and why he wasn’t surprised that he wanted to leave.

“Hell nah. Kyrie is a Kobe guy,” said Shumpert. “Kyrie wanted to beat LeBron, and that’s okay. People like to say ‘Oh, that was dumb’ because you’re a team-up kind of guy. That’s not Kyrie. Kyrie is like ‘The only way I can be crowned the best is if I beat the best. I got to go head-to-head with you; I can’t team up with you.”

It’s easy to forget now, but Irving was once the star of the show in Cleveland. In the years before LeBron’s arrival, he was the only hope for the Cavaliers and was treated like an MVP because of it. When LeBron arrived, all that changed, and it was something that Irving never fully accepted.

“Let’s say you got your momma’s crib. And then they just bring you a new brother,” Shumpert added. “Then your momma’s like ‘Well, you were the one to get the house key and do whatever you want, but now you don’t get to drive the car.’ For people not to understand that’s what happened, and then be like ‘Oh, he should have put his pride to the side.’ Why?”

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Irving didn’t leave the Cavaliers because he hated LeBron. He left because he wanted to do his own thing and build his legacy outside No. 23’s shadow. As a longtime Kobe fan, he’s competitive at heart and would rather go against his competitors than join forces with them.

So while Irving made the most of his stint with James (one championship in three Finals appearances with the Cavs), he was never in it for the long haul. Playing alongside LeBron was something he never signed up for, even though he remains on good terms with the basketball legend today.

 

Shumpert Gets Real On Playing With LeBron

Irving ended his partnership with James early, and it’s something critics still talk about today. When people often forget, however, is that it’s not so easy to play with the King. Besides his enormous presence, he holds everyone accountable with his sky-high basketball IQ. In the end, however, it’s all for the best as he makes everyone better on the court.

“He is Chat GPT of the NBA,” said Shumpert on James. “This is the best way I could describe [him]. You can ask him anything, he knows. He knows the coaches, he knows the assistant coaches, he knows the player development coach. I don’t even have the mental capacity for all that sh*t. It took about a month for me to get used to him saying ‘X1, X2, X3, X4,’ he is really programmed for this. I never dealt with somebody who had the balls enough to look a coach in the eye and say, ‘I’m not running that.’”

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James doesn’t just dominate with his physical skill and size. He uses his mind to get ahead of opponents and exploit their biggest flaws. With an unmatched mental game, James frequently outsmarts the enemy, and it’s the secret to his unprecedented NBA longevity.

In the end, Kyrie got to experience the best of both worlds. He played and won with LeBron James in the city where he was drafted. It taught him a lot and put his name in the history books. But Kyrie wanted more, and going out on his own was the best way to ensure he could play out his career on his own terms.



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