Cleveland Sports and the 2016 Presidential Election was no doubt the biggest story of 2016 in not only northeast Ohio but in America. But leading up to the NBA Championship and the November election there were plenty of worthy news makers hitting our airwaves.
JANUARY
Akron Mayor Daniel Horrigan was sworn in as the 62nd Mayor of Akron on January 1, 2016. Horrigan is the city’s first new mayor in nearly 30 years. He replaced former Mayor Don Plusquellic, who resigned suddenly in May of 2015.
Armed with a printed list of demands, about 100 protesters marched to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty’s house on New Year’s Day to protest a Grand Jury decision that two police officers would not be charged in the 2014 shooting death of Tamir Rice. They wanted the police officers involved in Tamir Rice’s shooting death fired, and for the prosecutor to be fired or resign.
Cleveland Browns lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season finale. Finishing 3-13 it was the Browns worst season (record wise) since 2000. (We’ve already surpassed that this year.)
Facing disciplinary charges for her courtroom behavior, former Cuyahoga County Municipal Court Judge Angela Stokes officially resigned from the bench and agreed to never run again. Her legal battle lasted more than a year and cost taxpayers more than $1 million.
Republic Steel temporarily idled the rolling mill operations at its Lorain facility resulting in approximately 200 layoffs.
Hue Jackson became the Cleveland Browns ninth head coach since 1999.
A memorial service for Canton Police K-9 Jethro, the first of the department’s dogs ever killed in the line of duty, drew hundreds from across the country. The man convicted of shooting and killing Jethro, Kelontre Barefield, was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
More than three years after a deadly police chase and shooting led to the deaths of two unarmed people, the city disciplined the officers. Six Cleveland officers were fired, six disciplined and one retired as a result of deadly 2012 — 28-minute pursuit of the car Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams were in. Police officers fired 137 shots killing the two.
FEBRUARY
Gov. John Kasich signed legislation to strip government money from Planned Parenthood in Ohio. The bill stripped $1.3 million from health service providers that perform or promote abortions.
MARCH
The Cleveland Clinic made medical history by performing the nation’s first uterus transplant. Unfortunately it failed weeks later.
Westlake won a water fight with the city of Cleveland. A judge ruled in favor of Westlake, saying officials there could get their water from another supplier: Avon Lake.
Cuyahoga County got a new prosecutor. Voters went to the polls in the Ohio’s primary and elected Mike O’Malley over incumbent Tim McGinty. O’Malley claimed 56 percent of the votes.
After being spotted partying in Las Vegas wearing a blonde wig and a fake mustache, after being dropped by LeBron James’ marketing firm, after getting into a fight with his ex-girlfriend in Dallas and after showing up to practice drunk the Cleveland Browns finally cut quarterback Johnny Manziel from the team.
After Euclid homeowners endured more than 100 egging attacks, their now former neighbor Jason E. Kozan was arrested.
APRIL
The Cleveland Indians officially demoted their Chief Wahoo logo to secondary status and will primarily use the “Block C” as the team’s logo. Paul Dolan, the team’s owner, says they have no plans of getting rid of Chief Wahoo but are continuing to phase back their use of the logo out of empathy for those who take issue with it.
Bobby Hernandez sentenced to four years in prison. Hernandez was convicted of taking his son Julian Hernandez from his mother in Alabama in 2005, and raising now 19-year-old in Cleveland under a new identity.
Former 92.3 The Fan Executive Producer J.G. Spooner was charged with money laundering. Spooner had more than $7,000 of a GoFundMe account belonging to Allyson Zappe deposited in his personal bank account.
Authorities scrambled to determine who killed eight family members in a “pre-planned execution.” Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader says it’s clear the family was targeted. So far, there are still no arrests.
Ford Motor Company announced an investment of $200 million to upgrade its Assembly Plant in Avon Lake. The investment will create, or retain 150 jobs, as well as enable production of the Super Duty Chassis Cab at the plant.
MAY
Gov. John Kasich ended his run for the presidency in May. He did not attend the GOP Convention in Cleveland.
After less than two days of deliberations, the jury in serial killer Michael Madison’s trial found him guilty of all 14 counts against him — including charges of aggravated murder, rape and kidnapping. Madison was sentenced to death for his crimes.
Half a century after his death, the “Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll” Alan Freed was laid to rest. Freed, the Cleveland DJ who coined the phrase “Rock ‘n’ Roll” passed away in 1965. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame returned his ashes to his family and they brought them to his final resting place at Lakeview Cemetery.
The man accused of shooting and killing 3-year-old Major Howard on Cleveland’s east side last year was arrested seven months later in Georgia. Donnell Lindsey is accused of driving by, and firing into, the stopped car that Major, his godmother and a family friend were in on Sept. 15, 2015. Major was shot in the chest. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
Cleveland Water Department employees fired for rigging their water meters.
JUNE
The Lake Erie Monsters, now the Cleveland Monsters, won the Calder Cup Championship.The American Hockey League team won the league’s championship by defeating the Hershey Bears in a sweep.
Former Ohio Governor, U.S. Senator and Cleveland Mayor George Voinovich died June 12. Voinovich was 79.
LeBron James was named the 2016 NBA Finals MVP after the Cavaliers beat the Warriors, 93–89, in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The win gave Cleveland its first championship in 52 years.
JULY
The 2016 Republican National Convention took place in Cleveland where billionaire Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination and pledged to be a “voice” for working Americans. The city welcomed more than 50,000 visitors to Cleveland for the convention.
AUGUST
Former Cleveland Browns player Reggie Rucker claims concussions may have led to him steal from his own charity. Rucker was sentenced to 21 months in prison for taking at least $100,000 from the Peacemakers Alliance and using it to gamble and pay off personal expenses.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton was canceled due to concerns over the condition of the field. The Colts and Packers were scheduled to take part in the game. Both teams expressed concerns over the turf at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Cuyahoga Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo ruled that Derrick Wheatt, Eugene Johnson and Laurese Glover will not go back on trial. The men, known as ‘The East Cleveland Three’ spent several decades in prison for a 1995 murder in East Cleveland.
SEPTEMBER
The gazebo at the Cudell Rec Center, where 12-year-old Tamir Rice was gunned down by a Cleveland Police officer who ended up not being charged, has been moved so it can be reconstructed at the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago.
In an incredible, fast paced first-round of UFC 203, reigning heavyweight champion and Euclid native Stipe Miocic KO’d Alistair Overeem 4:27 into the round to retain his belt.
Ashland police arrest accused serial killer Shawn Grate in September after a woman called 911 saying that he had abducted her. When police arrived, they found two more bodies at the house and said that Grate led them to a third body. He has since been connected to two more cold case murders.
Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Kenneth Velez, of the Cleveland Post, was killed on I-90. Velez was struck while conducting traffic enforcement near mile post 164.
After being under construction for years all lanes of the Voinovich Bridge finally open. Among the changes, I-90 East and I-71 North each have two lanes entering the bridge. The entrance from SR 176 to the bridge reopened for a total of five lanes in the eastbound direction.
Multiple smash-and-grabs were reported in Cleveland and surround cities all year. In many of the incidents the suspects were ramming stolen vehicle’s into the store and stealing the ATMs.
OCTOBER
Francisco Lindor set an MLB record. Lindor’s seven multi-hit games on the postseason are the most ever for a player less than 23-years-old. His 16 postseason hits are also the most hits by a Cleveland batter since 1997, and he’s the youngest Cleveland batter to have six World Series hits.
Forbes magazine names Cleveland “America’s Hottest City”.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver presents the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers with their championship rings before the team’s championship banner is raised in the Q.
NOVEMBER
The Chicago Cubs’ curse-breaking victory over the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 reached 40 million viewers, making it the most-watched World Series game since 1991 The Indians fell to the Cubs 8-7 in Game 7.
Experts say heroin, fentanyl and carfentanil, is leading to more deadly overdoses. As of Nov. 30, at least 446 victims had died in Cuyahoga County in 2016, according to Cuyahoga County’s Medical Examiner. The victims ranged in age from 26 to 62.
DECEMBER
John Glenn, Ohio native and first American to orbit Earth died Dec. 8 in Columbus, Ohio. The former Senator, who at the age of 77 also became the oldest person to travel in space, was 95.
A $140 million transformation is coming to Quicken Loans Arena. The Q would remain open during construction, which would begin in 2017 and take approximately two years.
The Cleveland Browns are on track to record one of the worst seasons ever. Their record so far is 0-14. They could end the season on New Years Day with a record of 0-16.
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