Cleveland, OH
Northeast Ohio natives living in California give their account of the impact of the California wildfires
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – As deadly wildfires tear through southern California, we’re getting a first-hand account from some Northeast Ohio natives caught right in the inferno.
Kaylie Harden of Cleveland can see the gigantic flames and smoke from her balcony. She lives in an apartment on the Hollywood borderneighborhoods and has a suitcase packed just in case she’s forced to evacuate like thousands of others, “This is so devastating because a large portion of what’s been burned is neighborhoods and communities. When you get an evacuation order, you have to look around your home and decide what things don’t matter and which ones really do. It’s a tough position for anyone to be in. Unfortunately, a lot of people have had to make those choices this weekend — lost everything that was left behind.”
Harden tells 19 News at one point the massive flames were spreading towards her apartment, “It definitely was growing down towards my street. Thankfully it seems like they got a good handle on restraining the part of the fire that was coming down the hill in my neighborhood’s direction.”
The Cleveland native says it’s frightening for residents not to know if the city officials have everything under control.
But most people are using several apps for the latest updates on efforts to control the fire, information on where you can go during an evacuation, and even information on animal shelters willing to foster pets during the crisis.
But she feels it’s not just the massive wildfires creating concern, but smaller fires that keep popping up and may get few resources because firefighters are working to save homes and lives that could be impacted by the larger wildfires. “There’s been fires all over the city and the scary thing is that the winds are so high that they’re able to carry the embers for a mile — which is causing little fires everywhere.”is
Mitch Pannito of Mayfield Heights is also currently in California near Encino and Studio City and says he has not been evacuated at this point even though he can see the fires from his apartment and his job.
He’s also concerned about the pop-up fires because they can quickly spread out of control, and firefighters are working overtime to try and control the much larger fires, “They’ve been closer, a lot closer relatively than these other ones are and that’s the most nerve-racking because you just never really know.”
Pannitto makes it clear he’s extremely thankful for the firefighters risking their own lives to try and protect others’ lives and property. But he says it’s heartbreaking that people have to evacuate and leave so much behind,
“It’s devastating. It’s really sad to see families and generations of homes that people are losing.”
Copyright 2025 WOIO. All rights reserved.
We’re closing out another year as a species here, and it’s one last chance to send a thought to someone before we start the new calendar. Today’s cards all come from around 1910 (give or take a year or two) and, as with our recent Christmas card offerings, we did hold back a few that were definitely from the New-Year’s-time of their year, but maybe not quite as jolly in the sentiment. We do have a lot of embossed cards, which are personal faves, here in the archives.
Card Front: A very wintery-looking bell tower where the numbers on the clock have been replaced with “Happy New Year” and (potentially) a Freemason’s symbol in the center. A holly branch is over the top of the picture, and the border is gold and lightly embossed.
Card Back:
Written Text:
Wishing you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Marie
New Year Greetings (ca 1907)Postmark: DEC 23 1907 5PMCard Front: A girl crouched down next to and looking at another girl standing on a fancy chair, looking at herself in the mirror (reflecting on the previous year?)
Card Back:
Written Text:
Dear Friend, I wish you and Mother and Sister a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Shall give a friend of ours a letter of introduction. Mrs. E Simmons
A Happy New Year (ca 1900s)Postmark: (Not Mailed / Likely Hand Delivered)Card Front: “A Happy New Year” in stylized text across the top, some holly with an inset of an older photo postcard over it with the text “CLEVELAND,O. Public Square” written on the inset card.
Card Back:
Written Text:
Dear Mamma, May all the good things come to you in the New Year just coming. Gay.
Wishing You a Happy New Year (ca 1908)Postmark: DEC 31 1908 1PMCard Front: A depiction of the handoff of old year to new, from Father Time to baby New Year. The text “Wishing you a happy New Year” is written in gold cursive at the top, and a giant block with “January 1” is in the bottom center so that there can be no confusion.
Card Back:
Written Text:
A Happy New Year to all. From Lydia.
To Wish You a Happy New Year (ca 1908)Postmark: DEC 26 1910 11PMCard Front: A holiday-styled book, opened to the middle with ribbon to mark the page, with a painting of a house by some water in the winter on the left, and “To Wish you a Happy New Year” written on the right page; some holly underneath on the right.
Card Back:
Written Text:
Dear Agnes, we received the postals, and certainly were delighted to hear from you all. I often spoke about you, but did not know your address. Wishing you a Happy New Year and hoping to hear from you often. I remain your friend, Julia
A Happy New Year (ca 1909)Postmark: DEC 30 1909 2:30PMCard Front: a border of lumpy snow, with the text “A Happy New Year” written in icy/snowy-style lettering across the top, with a mill near a creek in the winter.
Card Back:
Written Text:
Happy New Year to you and all the folks. Pearl
Pearl says it best here: Happy New Year to you and everyone out there. May 2026 bring us all the good news fit to report on the rest of the site, we’ll still be here in the Archives looking for new concepts!
CLEVELAND — There are more than half a million people in Ohio who do not have health insurance.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cleveland Police First District Detective Bureau is investigating a shooting that left a 24-year-old man hospitalized Friday evening.
According to the Cleveland Police, at around 10:20 p.m., officers responded to the 4100 block of Brookside Boulevard for reports of a man shot.
When officers arrived, they found a 24-year-old man with a gunshot wound and immediately began rendering aid. Cleveland EMS arrived shortly after and took him to a local hospital.
Police told 19 News that there are no arrests at this time and the shooting remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.
Copyright 2025 WOIO. All rights reserved.
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