Ohio
'Sucks': Ohio City will no longer offer free parking in the coming weeks
CLEVELAND — Free street parking will soon be a thing of the past in Ohio City.
The City of Cleveland announced on Wednesday that it will be rolling out a pay-to-park mobile service in three phases over the next several weeks.
The on-street parking update will proceed in the coming weeks according to the following phases:
- Phase 1: Main Commercial
The first phase, set to occur over the next four weeks, will consist of the W. 25th Street-Lorain Avenue commercial corridors where parking meters currently exist. In these areas, the coin-operated meters will be supplemented with the new ParkMobile technology to provide individuals with easier, more convenient options to pay for street parking. There is no change to enforcement, and it will continue as-is in these areas – i.e., those who commit parking violations will be subject to citations and fines. - Phase 2: Select Commercial
Once the first phase is complete, the City will move on to the next phase, which will include extending paid street parking zones along portions of Lorain Avenue, W. 25th Street, and nearby offshoots where time-limited parking sessions currently exist. In these areas, time-limited signage is posted, but there are currently no coin-operated meters. The new ParkMobile technology will be installed to provide individuals with a modernized parking option that will also help improve parking operations and management in a consistent manner. This phase is anticipated to take two to three weeks. Enforcement in these areas will be temporarily paused to allow time for individuals to get acclimated to the change. Those who commit parking violations during the grace period will receive warnings in lieu of citations and fines. - Phase 3: Select Mixed-Use
Once Phase 2 is completed, the City will move on to the last phase, which involves mixed-use areas, including Detroit Avenue, Fulton Road, Church Avenue, Bridge Avenue and W. 28th Street, where meters do not currently exist. This phase is also expected to take approximately two to three weeks, and enforcement will be temporarily paused to give people time to adapt to the new system. During this grace period, warnings will be issued for parking violations in these areas in lieu of citations and fines.
The goal, according to the City, is to create more turnover in front of businesses to increase street parking availability.
“[Parking] is difficult enough already. I usually come 15-20 minutes early just to try to find a spot and fight with other people to try to steal their spot,” City Goods employee Sydney Maddox said.
Maddox said tacking on a parking fee will only keep people from shopping on West 28th Street,
“It’s a schlep to come down here and try to park which deters people already and then having to pay even more money on top of what they’re deciding to do down here – it just sucks,” Maddox added. “I think a lot about somewhere like the West Side Market which is just down the street. They always have the free hour-long parking and that’s such a great option for people because they’re able to explore the area and get a taste of what Cleveland is about. Unfortunately, parking around here is really difficult. I think adding the paid parking options will deter people from coming to this area.”
On the other hand, the Owner of Saucy Brew Works, Brent Zimmerman, applauded the City of Cleveland for making this move to add pay-to-park on Detroit Avenue.
“We want people to be in our businesses across 29th, Detroit, 25th, wherever you’re talking about in Ohio City spending dollars, but we don’t [want] people parking here all day long that do not spend dollars in some of these bars, restaurants, boutiques, salons, whatever it is. It’s not good for anybody. Free parking is a tax to society. People don’t look at it like that. I do,” Zimmerman added.
He said that while the parking options in Ohio City are reasonable, he suggests looking for public transportation or even riding a bike.
“Everyone, including myself, needs more exercise. If you live a long way away, then you figure it out. It’s a part of life. It’s part of how you decide whether you want to work at certain places or not,” Zimmerman added. “My goal isn’t to tax people to have to park, but we need to increase commerce in some of these places.”
Zimmerman explained that the pay-to-park service would help fill vacant retail spaces and keep vehicles from being parked in spaces for more than a few hours or even days.
News 5 asked both Zimmerman and Maddox if they’d be open to the idea of a residential/employee permit granting free parking.
Zimmerman said he would need more details but that capping the number of permits wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“If it’s a situation where there’s enough passes given out that we haven’t rectified the situation, then I don’t agree at all,” Zimmerman said.
Maddox said while she would appreciate the continued free parking, she’s still worried about how it’ll impact mom-and-pop shops.
“It would still pose the issue for potential customers,” she said.
The City of Cleveland said the ParkMobile system will afford the City an opportunity to study utilization patterns and enforcement trends, as well as analyze other metrics to make data-driven decisions for future street parking management adjustments.
“The system will allow the city to more effectively manage on-street parking by providing the ability to adjust paid parking hours to better align with business hours in the evenings and on weekends, and to adjust parking rates based on demand – to achieve the program goal of providing convenient and available on-street parking,” the City said in a press release Wednesday.
The City of Cleveland is seeking feedback on planned Phase Three locations. CLICK HERE for that form.
Detroit Shoreway and University Circle are next on the City’s list of installing pay-to-park spots.
ParkMobile signs were mistakenly installed at the wrong time in some areas of Ohio City last week. The City apologizes for the confusion.
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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Mrs. Mary Lucille Young, 74, of Youngstown, departed this life on Friday, April 10, 2026 at her residence where God welcomed her home.
Mary, affectionately known as “Mary Lou” and “Tang”, was born March 8, 1952 in Youngstown, a daughter of Lawrence and Ada Mae Alexander Hamilton Young.
She was a proud 1971 graduate of South High School.
Mary was a member of New Bethel Baptist Church.
She attended Louis Weinberger Hill Beauty School, and was accepted as a model with Barbizon Modeling Agency.
Mary worked and retired from Youngstown Sheet and Tube.
She enjoyed looking her best, dancing, shopping, casinos and decorating her home. Mary was strong, bold and took no mess. She was loved by many people.
She leaves to cherish her memories, her pride and joy, two daughters, Adalatesha Bright and Richlynn Bright; two sons, Ja-Juan Young and Dr. Ty-Juan Bright all of Youngstown; five grandchildren; two sisters, Cynthia (Floyd) Davis, Janet (Steve) Gardner both of Youngstown; and a host of family and friends.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by a son, Michael Lamar Young; three brothers, Isaiah, Edward, Lorenzo Young.
Private services were held at the L.E. Black, Phillips & Holden Funeral Home.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Lucille Young, please visit our floral store.
The NWSL is once again expanding, this time the league is heading to Ohio where Columbus NWSL 2028 will take the field. Of course, Columbus NWSL 2028 is a placeholder for now and the the new team will unveil its name, crest, and uniform to build an identity around as it approaches its first season.
News of the club was announced yesterday, though this has been in the works for some time, in a press conference. Team owners, the Haslam Sports Group (HSG), Nationwide and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards, spoke about what they hope the club will bring to Columbus and women’s soccer more broadly.
“Our family is thrilled to help bring an NWSL team to Columbus and further invest in Ohio, with the honor of bringing the 18th team into the league,” said Haslam Sports Group Managing Partner Whitney Haslam Johnson. “We believe in the power of women’s sports and are humbled to be part of the number one women’s soccer league in the world.”
Nationwide insurance has been a corporate partner in both NWSL and MLS for years and now joins an ownership group deepening those ties. “Today’s announcement is about inspiring young athletes across Central Ohio, elevating women’s professional sports and reminding the world that Columbus is a first-class sports city,” said Kirt Walker, Nationwide Chief Executive Officer. “As Nationwide marks 100 years, this is a powerful way to celebrate our milestone with the community that has been our home from the very beginning.”
The Edwards family has deep roots in the Columbus soccer scene with Dr. Pete Edwards serving as team doctor for the Crew in 1996 and the family joining the team’s ownership in 2019 during the Save The Crew effort. “Columbus is very important to our family. For over 30 years, we’ve supported the Columbus Crew and MLS. We’ve seen how a men’s professional soccer team has brought people together and created a positive impact in our community. It’s truly special to now welcome an NWSL club and the incredible women athletes who will also uplift our city on and off the pitch,” said Dr. Christine Edwards. “We’re very excited to partner with Haslam Sports Group and Nationwide for NWSL Columbus 2028, and we can’t wait to share even more memorable moments with fans, especially during the Club’s first game at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.”
The NWSL has continued its expansion with the announcement and the team will join Atlanta in its inaugural season in two years.
Ohio
Ex-Ohio State president Ted Carter’s girlfriend would sneak through campus garage to get to his office, report reveals
Disgraced ex-Ohio State President Ted Carter repeatedly snuck his alleged failing podcaster lover through a campus garage for secret visits to his office as he funneled university resources into her business ventures, a shocking new report claims.
The report into the circumstances behind Carter’s abrupt exit from his cushy $1.5 million-a-year role last month detailed his secret office rendezvous with Krisanthe Vlachos, host of “The Callout Podcast,” and at least five trips he took with her.
The duo jetted off to Richmond, Virginia; Orlando, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Las Vegas – with the married 66-year-old allegedly cooking up a fake business excuse for one trip, the report released Tuesday by the college found.
One social media post showed the pair at a Colorado Springs conference in January, with the ex-prez smiling next to Vlachos, who is clad in an all-black leather getup.
Carter – married to Lynda Carter for nearly 45 years – admitted giving Vlachos “inappropriate access” to university leadership and public resources to boost her private business when he voluntarily resigned.
The probe found he tapped at least 14 staffers to help his purported paramour, who hosted a veteran-focused podcast, including efforts to score her a university job, campus space, support staff, and financial backing from the school and outside agencies like JobsOhio for different business ventures.
“Carter’s actions betrayed Ohio State’s shared values and violated university policy,” the 47-page report said, adding his “wide-ranging” efforts dragged on for almost two years.
“Carter had a close personal and business relationship with Vlachos and he allowed that relationship to improperly influence his actions and impair his judgement.”
JobsOhio shelled out $60,000 to the prexy’s reported flame to produce four podcast episodes about veteran issues – though only one was completed, the agency said last month.
The company, which said its decision to invest was driven by Carter’s recommendation, is now trying to “clawback” the funds after all of Vlacho’s poorly performing podcast episodes were hastily removed from YouTube and other streamers when the scandal erupted.
Carter – who served as a Top Gun pilot and instructor during 38 years in the Navy – admitted in one episode he was a “frequent flyer” on the floundering show, appearing as a guest at least nine times since 2024.
JobsOhio also dished out $10,000 to sponsor a January 2025 event for vets and military families at Ohio State, calling it an “opportunity that Ms. Vlachos brought our attention.”
The agency’s handouts for Vlachos came to an end after she requested a $2.9 million investment in her proposed mobile app, which aimed to help Ohio veterans get jobs.
An Ohio State spokesman previously confirmed officials were investigating an LLC registered to Vlachos at a university-owned building, in connection with the ex-leader’s departure.
Carter and Vlachos have not responded publicly to the relationship allegations.
With Post wires.
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