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.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) — Cleveland is once again setting sail into cruise season — and this year could be its biggest yet.
The Port of Cleveland welcomed its first ship of 2026 on Tuesday, bringing visitors and a boost to the local economy along with it. Local leaders told Fox 8 that this is just the beginning.
“This is a great day. It’s officially the kickoff of the 2026 cruise season in Northeast Ohio and at the Port of Cleveland,” said Dave Gutheil, chief operating officer at the Port of Cleveland.
The arrival marked the start of what could be a record-breaking cruise season for the Port of Cleveland. Since launching cruise operations in 2017 with just nine ship visits, the port now expects 57 — its highest ever.
“Really a big economic impact on the city. Each passenger spends about $100 to $150 when they come in. So, we should have close to 10,000 passengers this year,” said Gutheil.
That excitement is exactly what local leaders are counting on as cruise tourism continues to grow year after year. Visitors are stepping off ships and straight into Cleveland’s top attractions — from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to the West Side Market and beyond.
“We are super excited. We have friends here, they’re going to show us around,” said cruise passengers, Margaret Niehaus and Robert Niehaus from Santa Barbara, Ca.
For travelers from across the country like the Niehaus’, the Great Lakes cruise is both scenic and personal.
“The cruise is great. The food is delicious, the staff is great, the ship, only about 200 passengers, it is very nice, really intimate,” the Niehaus’ said.
Victory I carries about 200 passengers on 10-to-14-day Great Lakes routes, with stops including Chicago, Toronto and Cleveland. For many, it’s a chance to see the Great Lakes in a completely different way.
“The Great Lakes are a very special ecosystem, very special environment, of course, you know, and having a chance to see them from the shore is a lifetime experience for a lot of people,” said cruise passenger Steve Kaverman from Denver, Colo.
Ships like this will continue arriving through mid-October — bringing thousands more visitors to Cleveland’s waterfront.
“If you see passengers from the cruise vessels out in Northeast Ohio, wish them a warm welcome to Cleveland and let’s put out the red carpet for them,” said Gutheil.
Trips can be booked directly through Victory Cruise Lines website. Port officials said they expect both visitor numbers and economic impact to keep growing in the years ahead.
Among the Democratic Party primary races Signal Cleveland is following is the one for Ohio House District 19, which has drawn three major candidates to the open seat. (Incumbent Phillip Robinson Jr., of Solon, is term-limited.) The district includes Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood and all or portions of a string of eastern and southeastern suburbs.
The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate is Nicole Sigurdson, a Cleveland resident and union organizer with SEIU District 1199 who narrowly won enough support to secure the party’s influential backing.
But Sigurdson has been under fire from fellow party members and others for a comment she made on social media in 2025 about the Israel-Hamas war. Her comment – which she has since deleted – especially stood out because her district includes communities with sizable Jewish populations, including Solon and Pepper Pike.
In the post, Sigurdson shared an image of the Palestinian flag that read, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” It was a phrase used by protesters against the war. Prior, it was used for years by some advocating for the elimination of the state of Israel. And it’s been a slogan used by terrorist groups.
She posted a video earlier this year apologizing for the post.
“The post contained an image with an antisemitic slogan of which I failed to grasp the full significance of,” she said. “At the time, several people reached out to me expressing their hurt and sharing the full context of the phrase. After listening carefully to their concerns, I immediately deleted the post, but I should have known not to post it at all.”
Signal asked Sigurdson what motivated her original post. She said it was made in reaction to seeing a lot of coverage of Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza during the war. (The Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed 1,200 civilians and Hamas took 250 people hostage. Israeli’s military response left tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza dead.)
“I made them out of humanitarian concern, wanting autonomy for all people, wanting safety for all people,” Sigurdson said. “And part of what has driven me to politics is I never want to shy away from controversial topics.”
Fliers were recently mailed to residents in Solon attacking Sigurdson for her antisemitic comments. One flyer featured the headlines from a Cleveland Jewish News story about the comments. “Nicole Sigurdson is wrong for Ohio,” it read.
Sigurdson is campaigning around workers’ rights, including increasing the minimum wage, protecting the environment and the need to be more “caring about people.”
She faces two candidates in the primary: Dionne M. Gore of Solon, who works for Medical Mutual and is backed by Robinson; and Cheryl Perez, a small business owner from Brecksville, who was endorsed by Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer.
(There was only one Republican primary candidate, but he recently died unexpectedly.)
My Cleveland History
https://myclevelandhistory.com/
Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums
Spiegel Grove, Fremont, OH 43420
https://www.rbhayes.org
Underground Railroad Museum
121 High St, Flushing, OH 43977
https://www.ugrrm.org
Fort Laurens Museum
11067 Fort Laurens Rd.
Bolivar, Ohio 44697
https://www.fortlaurensmuseum.org
WACO Air Museum
1865 South County Road 25A Troy, OH 45373
https://www.wacoairmuseum.org
Millbury Classic Cars and Trucks Museum
26929 Cummings, Millbury, OH, United States, Ohio
https://www.facebook.com/people/Millbury-Classics/61557016196078/?sk=about
McKinley Presidential Library and Museum
800 McKinley Monument Drive NW
Canton, OH 44708
https://mckinleymuseum.org
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park
137 Juliana Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101
https://wvstateparks.com/park/blennerhassett-island-historical-state-park/
Anne Frank Haus
Westermarkt 20
1016 DK Amsterdam
https://www.annefrank.org/en
D-Day Ohio WWII Museum
851 Harbor St., Conneaut, OH
https://ddayohio.us
William G. Mather Steamship
601 Erieside Ave,
Cleveland, OH 44114
https://greatscience.com/explore/exhibits/william-g-mather-steamship
The John & Annie Glenn Museum
72 West Main Street
New Concord, Ohio 43762
https://www.johnandannieglennmuseum.org
Cleveland History Center
10825 East Boulevard
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
https://www.wrhs.org/plan-visit/places-to-visit/cleveland-history-center/welcome
The Garfield Trail of Ohio
https://www.garfieldtrail.org
-
California4 minutes agoCalifornia Will Soon Have More Than 300 Data Centers. Where Will They Get Their Water? – Inside Climate News
-
Colorado10 minutes ago‘It really tore me up’: Funeral home probation leaves southern Colorado woman questioning care of her father’s remains
-
Connecticut16 minutes agoOpinion: YIGBY could be Connecticut’s solution to health and housing crisis
-
Delaware22 minutes agoFBI offers reward in search for missing Delaware County man
-
Florida28 minutes agoNo. 10 Florida State softball comes up short on the road at Florida
-
Georgia34 minutes agoGeorgia cop placed on leave after body-slamming man in Walmart: ‘I thought he was dead’
-
Hawaii40 minutes agoHawaii County Surf Forecast for April 29, 2026 | Big Island Now
-
Idaho46 minutes agoIdaho Steelheads | STEELHEADS ELIMINATED IN 6-3 LOSS TO AMERICANS