Cleveland News

The head of The United Way of Greater Toledo is stepping down from his post. Bill Kitson announced Wednesday he has accepted a position as head of the Cleveland United Way. Kitson’s last day in Toledo will be June 1.

He has been the President and CEO of The Greater Toledo United Way since May 2005. Before coming to Toledo he was second in command at the United Way of Greater Milwaukee.

Police in Cleveland have found a man who they say abducted his four children and then told his wife that he was going to kill the kids and himself. Authorities said Wednesday that they found Octavia Hatchell and the children in Euclid, Ohio, about 12 miles northeast of Cleveland. The children were unharmed and Hatchell was taken into custody without incident.

Police had initially said he might have been headed to New York or Pennsylvania.

Regardless of claims made by its promotional materials, Cleveland’s got it bad. Its teams rarely demonstrate success. Its rivers spontaneously combust. And people always feel compelled to apologize to it for things.

First there was Dan Gilbert, whose sic-heavy Comic Sans denunciation of LeBron James conveyed outrage and remorse over the pitiful circumstances that had befallen Cavs fans. “I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE,” the team owner e-hollered, making an impossible promise that set up fans for additional disappointment.

2 days after his birthday, Carlos Santana got a precious gift — financial security. Cleveland’s talented catcher signed a five-year, $21 million contract with the Indians, who locked up another “cornerstone” player they think is only beginning to tap into his potential.

For the 26-year-old Santana, the deal provides peace of mind. “When you come from poverty like he has, you always have that fear of something going wrong, even if you project to be a superstar,” said Andy Mota, one of Santana’s agents. “There is always that fear of losing everything you worked for. You get to a day like today and it’s a sigh of relief.”

Tim Fedroff wanted to make one thing perfectly clear. As the former Kinston Indians outfielder saw a horde of reporters begin to close in on him outside the visitors clubhouse at Five County Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, he issued a disclaimer.

“You guys know I’m not on the Cleveland Indians,” he said. His uniform said otherwise, if only for an afternoon.

The Indians are not expecting to have Grady Sizemore back in the lineup for at least a couple of months, but the center fielder will be with the team when it heads home to Cleveland next week.

Indians general manager Chris Antonetti noted on Thursday that Sizemore has shifted his rehab to Cleveland, where he will continue to work closely with Jim Mehalik, the team’s physical therapy consultant.

The Cleveland Indians’ newest acquisition has power to all fields. The club installed an innovative wind turbine on Wednesday, affixing the corkscrew-shaped structure to the top of Progressive Field. The revolutionary turbine, which amplifies airflow around a central cylinder to power four small fans, was designed at Cleveland State by Dr. Majid Rashidi, a professor of mechanical engineering.

Rashidi’s design is more conducive for urban areas and confined spaces than a traditional long-blade wind turbine.

Authorities say a loaded handgun and knife were found in a carry-on laptop case at a Cleveland Hopkins International Airport security checkpoint.

Police say 60-year-old Richard Buxman, of Poland in suburban Youngstown, was arrested and charged Monday with carrying a concealed weapon. He was released on $1,000 bail and faces a Friday common pleas court hearing.

Authorities say a loaded handgun and knife were found in a carry-on laptop case at a Cleveland Hopkins International Airport security checkpoint. Police say 60-year-old Richard Buxman, of Poland in suburban Youngstown, was arrested and charged Monday with carrying a concealed weapon. He was released on $1,000 bail and faces a Friday common pleas court hearing.

A Cleveland police officer says he found a loaded 9mm handgun, two loaded clips, a folding knife and a loose bullet in the case after a transportation officer saw the gun and knife on an x-ray.

One man is dead following an officer-involved shooting on Cleveland’s east side. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office identified Willie Sudduth, 23, as the victim in a shooting Cleveland police said happened near East 93rd Street and Raymond Avenue just before 10 p.m. Tuesday

Officers at the scene said four Cleveland vice detectives spotted two men running from a store. One of the men stopped and squatted and began firing at a third person.