Like a trail of cookie crumbs, Vicki Kotris’ whole life has essentially been leading up to this moment—from making Food Network cupcake recipes at age eight to that time she traveled to New York just to try the Cronut. Now she and her husband, Steve, are preparing to launch Cleveland’s first mobile cookie dough business: the CLE Cookie Dough Co.

Imagine 100,000 watts of surround sound pumping out high-voltage performances from 100 artists including Prince, the Rolling Stones, and Metallica, shown on 12-foot-high moving screens. Top it off with 761 laser lighting cues (one per second), and the Rock Hall’s “Power of Rock Experience” is one potent multimedia mashup.

For many people, “Power of Rock” amounts to a highly memorable music experience, but for those with sensory processing issues, it can be a whole lotta overload.

Ahead of the Cleveland National Air Show with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, sailors from the guided missile nuclear submarine the U.S.S. Ohio have descended on Cleveland this week. They join 125 Navy sailors and personnel from around the country in visiting Cleveland, the 11th stop on the 14-city tour.

From Cake to SZA to Rock Hall inductee Booker T. Jones, more than 20 musical acts descended on downtown Cleveland this weekend for the inaugural InCuya summer music festival. Along with enjoying 10+ hours of live music each day, festival-goers also got free admission to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, along with other special touches that added ample Cleveland flavor to the amped-up event. (Check out our pre-coverage for more details.) FreshWater's managing photographer, Bob Perkoski, was there to capture the sounds and sights.

Welcome to the latest edition of FreshWater Cleveland's “Who’s Hiring” series, where we feature growing companies with open positions, what they’re looking for, and how to apply. This installment includes jobs from United Cerebral Palsy, Martinet Recchia, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Union Miles Development Corporation, Earnest Machine, and Slavic Village Development. Click here for the freshest job opportunities fit to print.

This week, 2,300 energy professionals flocked to Cleveland’s convention center for the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Summit. In honor of the Summit setting up shop in Cleveland, FreshWater has compiled a list highlighting some of our city’s most compelling eco-friendly buildings. From a green-minded school to a sustainable brewery to an energy-efficient steel mill, these seven projects are shining examples of Cleveland’s commitment to going green.

From Beyonce to David Byrne, it’s been an impressive summer for concerts in Cleveland. As the season approaches its end, denizens of The Land will be treated to one last hurrah: the inaugural InCuya Music Festival, the first contemporary, multi-day music fest to be held within city limits in quite some time.
 

Twenty years ago, the initial North Coast Harbor project was completed—capping off the addition of a $10 million manmade inner lake, surrounding promenade, and a three-acre park. Over the past two decades, the area has seen the addition of the Steamship William G. Mather Museum, the Rock Hall, FirstEnergy Stadium, Great Lakes Science Center, and more. Now North Coast Harbor is ready to take its master plan next-level with the debut of downtown’s first true lakefront living option: Harbor Verandas.

Fresh Water's monthly "Free Stamp" feature rounds up the freshest free events in Cleveland.

For more than 100 years, officials at United Way of Greater Cleveland have worked tirelessly to make sure local children get a quality education; help residents find food, shelter, and transportation; find jobs for those seeking to rise out of poverty; and tackle prevalent issues around health, substance abuse, and violence. Through all their work, the United Way acknowledges who the true heroes are in the organization’s mission: the people of Cleveland. This evening, the organization recognized those “superheroes” by urging the community to come fly their hero capes at a thank-you event in Public Square.

In 1969, Cleveland became the butt of jokes when an infamous burning river attracted national attention. Beyond the punchline, the incident on the Cuyahoga became the precipice of the country’s environmental movement—inspiring Earth Day, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the passage of the Clean Water Act. This is just one example of how Cleveland has impacted the nation, and the first Cleveland History Days celebrates that legacy (and so much more).

Although Ohio ranks fourth in the country for reports of human trafficking cases, there are just six beds available in Cleveland for rescued victims of modern-day slavery—and all six beds are in Cleveland’s Salvation Army Zelma George Family Shelter. Starting in July, Cleveland will have a total of 18 beds for human trafficking victims—thanks to a joint effort by the Hue Jackson Foundation and the Salvation Army Northeast Ohio Division.

Fresh Water's monthly "Free Stamp" feature rounds up the freshest free events in Cleveland.

When Faith & Whiskey got involved with the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland's Jam for Justice six years ago, drummer and singer Rich Wesorick admits they mainly viewed it as a great opportunity to play the House of Blues. But for Wesorick and many others, the event has become so much more. Showcasing musical acts comprised of local lawyers and judges, the annual benefit helps provide legal services to low-income or vulnerable Northeast Ohio residents.

After more than a decade of planning, the Hemlock Creek Trail in Independence is finally becoming a reality, with a public groundbreaking planned for this Saturday, June 2. The 1.7-mile asphalt Hemlock Creek trail’s western terminus will begin at Brecksville Road and Selig Drive in Independence, traverse through parts of historic Independence and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and ultimately meet up with the Towpath Trail at its eastern terminus.

Some people may instantly think of Seattle—the birthplace of Starbucks—when they discuss leaders of the national coffee scene. Others might point to trendy newcomers like Portland or major metropolitan cities like New York and San Francisco. But there’s a potent coffee scene percolating right here in Cleveland, with new java stops cropping up almost as quickly as breweries and restaurants.

In Susan Joyner’s painting “Darkest Before Dawn,” a city skyline looms, dark and ominous against a gloomy witching-hour sky. Electrical lines criss-cross against the outline of grey clouds. But beyond the darkened buildings and the vast night sky, there’s a glimpse of sunrise: a sliver of hope. Change is imminent.

The painting is one of many artworks on display at the Cleveland Justice Center throughout May as part of a special exhibit that seeks to dispel myths about mental health conditions in Cuyahoga County and beyond.