Cleveland, OH
Long-time Cleveland community activist Khalid Samad dies
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Cleveland community activist Khalid Samad has passed away, according to a statement released by Cleveland City Council President Blaine A. Griffin.
El Hajj Amir Khalid A. Samad was an internationally known and recognized community activist who served as the assistant to the public safety director for the city of Cleveland for youth gang intervention under Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell. He has also served as a Gang Prevention and Investigative Specialist for the Cleveland Board of Education Gang Task Force, according to the Cleveland International Hall of Fame’s website.
He was the chief executive officer and co-founder of Coalition for a Better Life and co-founder of Cleveland’s Peace in the Hood.
Peace in the Hood posted about the passing of Samad.
Read the statement from Council President Blaine A. Griffin on the death of Khalid Samad.
“I am heartbroken to share in the loss of my dear friend and brother, Khalid Samad. Khalid wasn’t just an activist; he was the heartbeat of our neighborhoods and a man who spent every waking hour trying to save our kids from the streets. For decades, I watched him walk into the most difficult situations with nothing but a sense of peace and a deep love for Cleveland. He had a rare way of making people feel seen and heard, whether he was mentoring a young person at a crossroads or advising city leaders on how to make our community whole again.
Losing him feels like losing a piece of the city’s soul. Khalid’s legacy through ‘Peace in the Hood’ and his induction into the International Hall of Fame are markers of a life well-lived, but his true impact is found in the lives he saved and the peace he brokered when things felt hopeless. My prayers are with his family and everyone who leaned on his wisdom. We’ve lost a giant, but I know the work he started will continue through all of us who were lucky enough to call him a friend.”
His cause of death is not known at this time.
Check back with 19 News for the latest on the passing of Khalid A. Samad.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Cleveland, OH
Fire crews battle Cleveland duplex blaze, ammunition heard popping inside
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cleveland Division of Fire responded to a 2 1/2 story side-by-side duplex fire Monday afternoon.
According to Cleveland Fire, the call came in just after 5 p.m. at 2154 and 2156 W 98th St.
The fire started in a second floor bedroom that spread to the attic.
Due to the size of the house and the volume of the fire, an extra engine and ladder companies were called to assist.
Cleveland Fire said a total of eight adults and three children were displaced from the fire and the Red Cross was called to assist.
Firearms were inside the structure and firefighters said they could hear ammunition going off as they fought the fire.
The fire also extended to an old tree that caught fire.
Total estimated loss is $120,000, Cleveland Fire said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation and no injuries were reported.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Cleveland, OH
Series Preview: Guardians at Yankees

Cleveland, OH
Cavaliers obvious draft day win is the opposite move anyone expects
The next step towards a true NBA Finals run is perplexing, to say the least, for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even though the Cavs reached the Eastern Conference Finals, they finished the 2026 Playoffs with an 8-10 record, which is the worst possible record for any team to have at that stage of the postseason.
Entering the offseason, chatter is centered around Cleveland either cashing in everything for a 2027 run or tearing down the core to enter a rebuild. Ultimately, the Cavs are incapable of the latter with depleted draft capital and few young players left on the roster. Staying the course and taking steps towards a more well-rounded roster is the only option available to the Cleveland basketball club.
The NBA Draft offers the Cavaliers the best opportunity to do so, finding young talent on team-friendly contracts. Currently, however, the Cavs’ draft capital is minimal at best with no control over their first-round picks until 2030 and no second-round draft picks for the foreseeable future.
Last summer, the Cavaliers entered the new second apron of the luxury tax, a new, highly restrictive tier for the highest-paying franchises. Cleveland was the only team to enter the apron last summer and not find a way out. As the league’s most expensive team, the Cavaliers must discover routes to add talent and manipulate their cap space.
Sitting at 29th overall this year, Cleveland needs navigate the draft with more in mind than the best talent on the board after 28 picks. To win the draft this year, the Cavs must make an unorthodox, unexpected move.
The Cavaliers need to trade away their draft pick
Many of the best talent expected to be available in the late first round has opted to return to college, selecting the NIL path over an immediate rise to the pros. Names like Tounde Yessoufou, Amari Allen and Tyler Tanner are out of the draft and unavailable for the Cavaliers.
For a team looking for any opportunity to improve financial flexibility, the Cavaliers should be wary of selecting in the first round at all with so much talent leaving the draft entirely. This year, a first-year player selected at pick 29 will be guaranteed a salary of $3,018,240. With so many prospects avoiding the draft, the talent available for the Cavaliers will be more akin to a typical second-rounder, making that $3 million price tag impractical.
Cleveland saw success last season in the second round, grabbing Tyrese Proctor and signing him to a multi-year standard contract. While a standard deal is rare for a second-round prospect to receive immediately, the Cavs did so to add a young, promising rookie on a cost-controlled contract.
Second-round players are not guaranteed any salaries or a main roster spot. Often, players in the second round enter a two-way deal. As of pick 31 and beyond, the Cavaliers would have better financial control for the young talent.
If the Cavs place their pick on the trade market, they could fall back into the early second round and accumulate another two second-round picks for the future in order to replicate their Proctor gamble. While players like Allen and Yessoufou are off the table, plenty of other talents will still be on the board in the early second round for the Cavaliers to target.
The San Antonio Spurs (42 and 44), Sacramento Kings (34 and 45) and Brooklyn Nets (33 and 43) have multiple second-round picks this year, which would make a trade with the Cavs to move into the first round a great deal on both sides.
Entering next season with another affordable rookie and future second-round picks is an invaluable win for a team with such an inflated salary sheet. The Cleveland Cavaliers are not likely to remain in the second apron longer than team owner Dan Gilbert deems necessary, and finding creative paths to financial freedom will be paramount to stay competitive within the confines of the new luxury tax system.
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