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Ohio, Michigan the first states to close K-12 schools in response to coronavirus, Ohio with some 5 confirmed cases to date, with health officials predicting that some 100,000 people are carrying the virus in Ohio....By editor Kathy Wray Coleman

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Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper and Black blog, both also at the top in Black digital news in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com

Columbus, Ohio –Ohio and Michigan have become the first states to close K-12 schools in response to the coronavirus outbreak, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine making the announcement yesterday.

 

The governor said at a press conference Thursday that Ohio's school children will have an extended spring break for three weeks beginning with the close of school on Monday, March 16, and tentatively ending April 3.


It applies to all public, private, voucher and charter schools in Ohio.


This follows a wealth of activity in response to the outbreak, including the Cleveland Cavaliers suspending its season, the cancellation of the St Patrick's Day parade in Cleveland that was scheduled for March 17, and the NCAA's cancellation of March Madness.


Earlier in the week the governor announced that the first three confirmed cases of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, are residents of Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland.


Since then two more cases of the virus have popped up in Ohio, the latest case a 55-year-old man from Trumbull County.


There have been no fatalities in Ohio to date.


Treated at University Hospitals in Cleveland, none of the infected persons out of Cuyahoga County have been hospitalized, authorities have said.


The Ohio Department of Health predicts that more than 100,000 people in Ohio are carrying the virus as fears escalate relative to the ongoing crisis.


The outbreak of the virus has plagued China and Italy where thousands are dead, some 80, 815 in China, and 15, 113 in Italy.


 

The disease has infected more than 139,000 people around the world coupled with some 5,116 deaths, more than 1,832 cases occurring in the U.S.


Symptoms include a dry cough, fever and difficulty breathing

 

Congress passed a bipartisan, bicameral emergency coronavirus response package of $8.3 billion to help combat this health concern and protect the American people.

 

While there is currently no vaccine to prevent the coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) basic precautions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, such as staying home while sick, seeing a doctor when needed, and avoiding large gatherings and close contact with those infected, are recommended.

 

For the latest updates on the coronavirus and information on travel advisories, visit the CDC's [Centers for Disease Control] Information Page for the Coronavirus Disease.  For updates on the number of confirmed cases in the state of Ohio, visit the Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 Page.


Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.


Last Updated on Sunday, 15 March 2020 00:42

Funeral services announced for murdered Cleveland biker Lee "Shonuff" Dickson, the only fatality among 18 shot during a biker's anniversary party in Cleveland, activist and biker Donna Walker-Brown calling the killing "tragic and unprecedented"

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Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper and Black blog, both also at the top in Black digital news in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com


By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor-in-chief

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio. –Funeral services have been announced for Cleveland biker Lee "Shonuff" Dickson, the only fatality among 18 people shot during an anniversary event at a private club in Cleveland held March 7 by the Cleveland Chapter of the Omens Motorcycle Club on the city's largely Black east side at East 93rd Street and Way Avenue.


The wake is set for Sat., March 21, 2020 at 9:30 am at Mount Sinai Baptist Church on Woodland Avenue in Cleveland, followed by a 10 am funeral.


Services are entrusted to Lucas Memorial Chapel in Garfield Heights.


A representative for Lucas Memorial Chapel confirmed the aforementioned funeral arrangements and said the obituary for Dickson will not be published until the day of the funeral.


Aside from Dickson, 14 men and three women were shot,  the others with non-fatal injuries, an incident, said police, in which a group put out of the anniversary party returned later that night with gunfire, Dickson, 48 and a beloved community advocate who owned a mobile barber shop, an innocent by-stander who lost his life by no actions of his own.


People in the club fired back, police said, no arrests, if any, made public too date.

 

 

Hundreds attended a vigil in Cleveland for Dickson on March 9.


A member of a rival motorcycle club in Cleveland purportedly bragged of the shooting prior to it happening.


Police said the shooting remains under investigation.

 


Cleveland activist Donna Walker-Brown, who led Monday's vigil and is also a member of the Omens Motorcycle Club, called the killing, "tragic and unprecedented."


Her sentiments were echoed by Ward 2 Councilman Kevin Bishop, an east side councilman who represents the area where the shooting occurred.

 

Bishop said he worries about "retaliation from motorcycle clubs in the area."


Dickson had no children and was never married.


Walker-Brown said that Dickson was well-regarded in the community and that it is a misnomer that bikers are traditionally violent, and members of a gang.


"It is a myth that bikers are a gang when in actuality we are a family and a tight-nit community," said Walker- Brown, who joined the Omens Motorcycle Club in 1999 but said she gave up her motorcycle three years later after she fell while riding.


"I have an association with the bikers but my involvement has taken a back seat to community activism, " said Walker- Brown. " Being a community activist and being a biker are two different worlds."


Walker-Brown said that some of the greater Cleveland bikers are community oriented and serve as funeral escorts, particularly for poor people having difficulty with funeral expenses of loved ones.


She said that they pass out candy for kids for Halloween, and that they routinely canvass the community to push voting, and hold vigils, including for the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting.


The Sandy Hook Shooting occurred in December 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut when 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people, including 20 children between six and seven years old, and six adult staff members.

 

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.

Last Updated on Friday, 13 March 2020 12:22

Ohio Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge responds to coronavirus outbreak in Cleveland area she represents, Fudge Black, as is her 11th congressional district, primarily

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and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper and Black blog, both also at the top in Black digital news in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com

WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Rep. Marcia L. Fudge, a Warrensville Heights Democrat whose largely Black 11th congressional district includes Cleveland and several of its eastern suburbs of Cuyahoga County,  responded Monday after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that the first three confirmed cases of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, are residents of Cuyahoga County.


Treated at University Hospitals in Cleveland, none of the infected persons at issue have been hospitalized, authorities have said.


“Today, the first three cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed in the state of Ohio, all of which were identified in Cuyahoga County," said Rep Fudge, one of two Blacks in Congress from Ohio and a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. "Thoughts are with the individuals and families impacted by COVID-19, and I am praying for their speedy recovery. "


A federal lawmaker since 2008, Fudge said that "as new details emerge regarding the impact of this disease on Ohioans, it is important for us to avoid panic, stay informed, and take basic precautions to keep the Northeast Ohio community healthy and safe."


Congress passed a bipartisan, bicameral emergency coronavirus response package of $8.3 billion to help combat this health concern and protect the American people.


The bill designates funding for research and development of vaccines; public health prevention, preparedness, and response at the local level.


It also provides for low-interest loans to impacted small businesses and includes funding in an effort to ensure any future vaccines are affordable and available to all Americans.

 

While there is currently no vaccine to prevent the coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) basic precautions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, such as staying home while sick, seeing a doctor when needed, and avoiding large gatherings and close contact with those infected, are recommended.


Symptoms include a dry cough, fever and difficulty breathing.


The outbreak of the virus has plagued China where thousands are dead.


The disease has infected more than 108,000 people around the world coupled with some 3,800 deaths, more than 700 cases occurring in the U.S.


For the latest updates on the coronavirus and information on travel advisories, visit the CDC's Information Page for the Coronavirus Disease.  For updates on the number of confirmed cases in the state of Ohio, visit the Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 Page.

Last Updated on Sunday, 15 March 2020 00:42

Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders cancel March 10 rallies in Cleveland after coronavirus hits Cleveland area, some 3 people infected to date in Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland....By editor Kathy Wray Coleman of Clevelandurbannews.com

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Pictured are Democratic presidential candidates former vice president Joe Biden and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (wearing eye glasses) of Vermont

 

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief at Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper and Black blog, both also at the top in Black digital news in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com

 

CLEVELANDURBANNEWS.COM- Democratic presidential hopefuls former vice president Joe Biden and U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who were originally scheduled to hold separate campaign rallies today in Cleveland, have canceled their events in response to the outbreak of the coronavirus in Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland.


Ohio Gov Mike DeWine announced this week that three Ohioans, all of them residents of Cuyahoga County, have tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus, COVID-19.

 

Biden's campaign event was scheduled for Cuyahoga Community College Recreation Center this evening and Biden's, also this evening, at the Huntington Convention Center in downtown Cleveland.


Mike Casca, communications director for the Sanders campaign, said campaign officials will evaluate future events on a “case by case basis.”


Likewise, Kate Bedingfield, communications director for the Sanders campaign, said in a statement that “we will continue to consult with public health officials and make announcements about future events in the coming days.”


It is the first occurrence of the cancellation of a major campaign event by a presidential candidate since the unprecedented outbreak of the virus in the U.S.


Symptoms include a dry cough, fever and difficulty breathing.


The virus has plagued China where thousands are dead.


It has infected more than 108,000 people around the world coupled with some 3,800 deaths, more than 700 cases occurring in the U.S.


Both campaign events were to be free and open-to-the public on a first-come-first-serve basis.


Ohio will hold its primary election on March 17 with the general election Nov. 3.


Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.

 

Last Updated on Sunday, 15 March 2020 00:43

Cleveland activist and organizer Kathy Wray Coleman leads women through the streets of Cleveland for the 4th annual International Women's Day march on March 8, 2020, the march of which followed a rally with speeches on the steps of Cleveland City Hall

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Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper and Black blog, both also at the top in Black digital news in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com

 


CLEVELAND, Ohio-Activists and women's rights advocates held the fourth annual International Women's Day rally and march on Sun, March 8, 2020, the rally held on the steps of Cleveland City Hall followed by a march to Public Square, both the rally and march led by longtime Cleveland activist Kathy Wray Coleman, the head organizer for the gathering.

 

Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chair Shontel Brown, the first Black woman to hold the post and also a Cuyahoga County councilwoman, state Rep Bride Rose Sweeney of Cleveland, who is the youngest Democrat in the Ohio State Legislature, activist and CNN Hero Laura Cowan, and State Sen Williams of Cleveland were the keynote speakers.


Williams spoke on women's suffrage and stressed unity among women during her speech and said that "Black and White women must come together."


The event comes as the 2020 presidential election nears.


Ohio's Democratic primary is March 17 and the theme of the event was 'March to the Polls,' a theme County Councilwoman Brown echoed during her speech, the chair of the CCDP saying it is crucial that people vote for the primary election in Ohio as well as the general election, which is Nov. 3.

 

Brown urged voters to "vote blue."


Reproductive rights and civil and voting rights were front and center, as well as equal pay, jobs, immigration, healthcare, science, education, racism, sexism, criminal justice reform, the LGBTQ community, national, state and local public policy, climate change, and a host of other issues.

Several others spoke on the steps of City Hall.

A special performance by Cuyahoga County Poet Laureate Honey Bell Bey was a feature of the rally, and percussionist drummers Evan Mitchell and Sandy Baxter were donated by the Local 4 Cleveland Federation of Musicians to play at the rally and march with participants to Public Square.

In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein rape scandal, Ohio Sen Nickie Antonio of Lakewood spoke on her bill to end the statute of limitations for rape in Ohio.

State Rep Juanita Brent and activist Genevieve Mitchell spoke on the state of affairs of Black women and three men spoke, namely activist Art McKoy of Black on Black Crime Inc, CNN Hero and reentry activist Brandon Chrostowski of Edwin's restaurant in Shaker Square, and Billy Sharp of the Greater Cleveland Urban League Guild

Also speaking were activists Chaerima Chungag, who discussed criminal justice reform, and Ayat Amin, who addressed immigration reform, women in science and the need for more funding for scientific research as it relates to women.

In addition to Coleman, other organizers for the event were Black Women's PAC President Elaine Gohlstin, Black Women's PAC member Avery McCauley, Cuyahoga County Democratic Women's Caucus leader Cindy Demsey, reproductive rights advocate and Cleveland Heights Democratic Club President Mallory McMaster, and activists Alfred Porter Jr and Don Bryant.


Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper and Black blog, both also at the top in Black digital news in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com



Last Updated on Friday, 13 March 2020 10:32

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