Karin Connelly Rice
Stories by: Karin Connelly Rice
Karin Connelly Rice enjoys telling people's stories, whether it's a promising startup or a life's passion. Over the past 20 years she has reported on the local business community for publications such as Inside Business and Cleveland Magazine. She was editor of the Rocky River/Lakewood edition of In the Neighborhood and was a reporter and photographer for the Amherst News-Times. At Fresh Water she enjoys telling the stories of Clevelanders who are shaping and embracing the business and research climate in Cleveland.
St. Luke's Foundation's Tim Tramble is nearing the completion of his $10.5 million housing development, 89th Rising, in Fairfax. With 48 rental units in six Victorian-style buildings, the project honors the street's historic character and addresses current housing needs—with hope it will be a catalyst for reversing disinvestment and be a model for revitalization.
Over three decades, the Cleveland Restoration Society took on an ambitious project to illuminate 24 historic church steeples, towers, and domes along Interstate 71. The Steeple Lighting Program was funded by a $370,000 bequest from East Cleveland dentist Dr. Reinhold "Ray" Erickson to the Cleveland Foundation. Theproject transformed the nighttime skyline and helped neighborhood revitalization.
Nonprofit workforce development services provider Towards Employment will host its annual Holiday Alumni Bash and Gift Giveaway this weekend to support current and former program participants and their families. The event has evolved from a small toy drive into a family event to spread holiday cheer.
Steve Presser has opened his beloved Big Fun store as a holiday pop-up for the third consecutive year, this time in the former Record Revolution space. Open through January 11, Big Fun features vintage posters, t-shirts, and memorabilia, while also serving this year as an incubator for four local entrepreneurs.
Danielle McGough, a professional gingerbread house designer who has created holiday structures for major retailers, launched the Jolly Gingerbread Makery Pop-Up Workshop in 78th Street Studios this holiday season. Participants decorate hand-baked gingerbread houses with access to a variety of decorations and optional add-ons like LED lights and edible windows.
After sitting vacant for 40 years, the abandoned Warner & Swasey manufacturing complex is about to undergo a $64 million transformation into 140 mixed-income apartments and commercial space. Construction will begin in January on the adaptive reuse project that will address the MidTown neighborhood's need for affordable housing.
Cleveland Leadership Center's annual Accelerate pitch competition offers people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to secure funding and make connections. With a deadline of December 5, the competition has helped entrepreneurs from age eight to 80 turn ideas into reality. Don't miss the deadline!
"One Art One Community," an art exhibit at Case Western Reserve University's Wade Park Community Engagement Center, showcases 46 works by 16 incarcerated artists from Grafton Correctional Institution. The exhibit is meant to create meaningful connections between inmates and Cleveland community members. with Community Voice labels written by people impacted by incarceration.
The 44th Annual Cleveland Turkey Trot is expected to draw a record-breaking 10,000 runners to downtown Cleveland on Thanksgiving morning. The race features three distance options, live entertainment, a food drive and donations to local charities, and the second annual FreshWater Turkey Trot costume contest.
Pregnant with Possibilities Resource Center recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a gala to honor its achievements in maternal and infant health. The event featured the unveiling of a complete organizational rebrand, recognition of outstanding community members with the Mom on the Move Awards, and fundraising efforts toward a $150,000 goal to support programs serving vulnerable populations.
Saint Luke's Foundation is inviting residents from the Buckeye-Shaker, Woodhill, and Mt. Pleasant neighborhoods to meet the four architectural finalists for its new headquarters this Wednesday, Nov.19 at Morningstar Baptist Church. Attendees can reviewthe proposals, ask questions, and vote for the preferred design team.
Cleveland Independents' Cleveland Restaurant Week runs through this Friday, November 14, featuring more than 30 local independent restaurants offering three-course $39 prix fixe menus. Bruno's Ristorante ia offering authentic regional Italian dishes made from generations-old family recipes, available for both dine-in and carryout.
Eleven years after 12-year-old Tamir Rice was fatally shot by Cleveland police, his mother, Samaria Rice, and playwright and former Karamu House artistic director Terence Spivey are reprising the 2016 theatrical production "Objectively/Reasonable: A Community Response to the Shooting of Tamir Rice, 11/22/14." The Saturday, Nov. 8 staging at Near West Theatre will raise funds for the Tamir Rice Afro-Centric Cultural Center.
CHN Housing Partners broke ground on Cleveland West Veterans Housing, a $21.6 million, 62-unit residential development exclusively for veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Cleveland. The complex, scheduled for completion in Fall 2026, represents Cuyahoga County's first Low-Income Housing Tax Credit development focused entirely on veterans addresses a critical service gap on Cleveland's West Side.
Cleveland's 21st annual Día de Muertos Festival, organized by Cleveland Public Theatre and Día de Muertos Ohio, will take place on November 1st in the Gordon Square Arts District. The event, which honors the memory of those who have passed, will feature traditional arts, music, dance, food, and cultural activities, including altar installations and the Skulls and Skeletons Procession.
The Cleveland Cavaliers kicked off their 2025-26 season home opener yesterday, Sunday, Oct. 26, with their 147th consecutive sellout at Rocket Arena. A slew of new initiatives have been implemented to enhance fan experiences, such as a redesigned mobile app, upgraded food options, and special giveaways.
Artist Bob Peck's retrospective exhibit, "In the Blink of an Eye," showcases more than 35 years as a graffiti artist and abstract expressionist. The one-night event at Graffiti HeArt will feature Peck's evolution as an artist, educator, and community figure—displaying works from his early street art days to his recent explorations in three-dimensional art.
South Euclid's October Feast, the annual free autumn celebration, returns to Bexley Park this weekend with free pumpkins, costume contests, food, shopping, and activities for all ages. The Polka Pirates and singer Hayden Grove will perform, and three $250 prizes will be awarded in the costume and stein-holding contests.
Malley's Chocolates will continue the century-old Cleveland tradition of Sweetest Day this weekend by selling chocolate-covered strawberries and grapes. Sweetest Day, the tradition of sharing candy with those who don't normally get sweets, originated in Cleveland. The tradition is rotted in generosity and making sure Saturday is the "sweetest day of the year" for everyone.
The Alzheimer's Association's Cleveland Chapter will host its 2025 Walk to End Alzheimer's at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo this weekend, combining fundraising efforts with a day of family fun. Organizers say the event comes at an exciting time in Alzheimer's research, with new treatments showing promise.