📰Major Cleveland Drug Bust Uncovered 💰🚓

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Good morning, Cleveland! 🍕 216 Scoop bringing Hot Slices, Hot Takes & Home Runs! From late-night pizza runs to wild drug facts and heartwarming animal recoveries, we’re serving the city’s freshest stories with a side of attitude. Batter up! 🐾⚾

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In today’s 216 Scoop Edition:

• Biggest slice in town? City Pizza & other openings

• Big drug bust: Cleveland Vice snags fentanyl, crack and cash stash

• A Blizzard for 85 cents? Hello, Dairy Queen

• Victims of animal cruelty are on the road to recovery

• Guardians shake up roster before season opener

  
  
  John Petkovic, Mark Espinosa, Victor Takakura

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IN THE NEWS

Biggest slice in town? City Pizza & other restaurant openings

For way too long, it seemed like finding a jug of water in the desert was easier than snagging a quick slice in and around downtown.

Then came Geraci’s, which opened in the old Vincenza's spot (603 Prospect Avenue) 26 months ago. Then came the January opening of Good Pizza on East Fourth.

Now there’s City Slice – home of the biggest slice you’ll find, maybe anywhere.

The just-opened pizzeria, 6217 St. Clair Avenue, rolls out five types of ‘MEGA’ 30-inch, NY-style pies. You can only fit two slices in a box that would normally fit an entire pizza. The NY Chopped Cheese Sub – one of five on the menu – is a pile of cheese, beef, onions peppers, mushrooms, lettuce and tomatoes that’s as massive as it is indulgent.

It’s the second location for City Slice, which debuted on the West Side (12021 Lorain Avenue) three years ago.

Updates on other openings:

Café Indigo in Shaker Square: The new project by Melissa Hirsch (Unbar Café) has opened. It serves coffee, pastries, ice cream, shakes, soups, sandwiches and salads.

Coyoacan in Shaker Square: The Mexican restaurant and brewery is hiring staff and is eyeing an April opening.

Genki Express, 3710 Payne Avenue: The fast-casual AsiaTown spot has opened. It features appetizers (fried shrimp tempura, calamari, seaweed salad, squid salad and chicken wings) to go with sushi rolls, teriyaki entrees, poke bowls and bubble teas.

Capriccio’s, 28020 Miles Road: The Italian eatery opened this month and rolls out a wide-ranging menu of Italian cuisine – soups, salads, small plates, pizzas, pastas and classic entrees.

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Big drug bust: Cleveland Vice snags fentanyl, crack and cash stash

In a major drug bust, the Cleveland Police Department’s First Division Vice Unit seized 1000 grams of fentanyl and 250 grams of crack cocaine after executing a search warrant in Cuyahoga County.

The bust occurred on March 3 and resulted in the arrest of an unidentified male for drug trafficking, according to a Tuesday announcement by the First Division. The seizure included packaging materials, manufacturing tools and $5,000 in cash, according to an announcement by the First Division.

The value of street fentanyl varies wildly – usually $150-$200, depending on the quantities in the transaction.

Two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal – depending on a person’s body size, tolerance and past usage, according to the DEA.  According to the CDC, synthetic opioids (like fentanyl) are the primary driver of overdose deaths in the United States.

In response, the CPD and the Feds have waged a crackdown on drug trafficking, especially opioids, that have resulted in high profile busts.

A Blizzard for 85 cents? Hello, Dairy Queen

There is no free lunch – or even a free treat. But you can still get a deal here and there.

Ten years ago, Dairy Queen celebrated its 75th birthday with free cones. Now it is celebrating 85 years with 85-cent Blizzards.

The deal runs through April 6. To qualify, you must download the DQ Mobile App and make a purchase of $1 or more.

Dairy Queen, with numerous locations throughout Northeast Ohio, started in 1940, in Joliet, Illinois. Its genesis, however, goes back to 1938, when a father and son experimented with a soft, frozen dairy product

Ka-ching!  Within two hours, they banged out 1,600 servings at 10 cents a pop at an ice cream stand.

Dairy Queen is also rolling out a Confetti Cake Blizzard to mark the anniversary and adding four other flavors (two new, two old).  

It’s owned by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, an avid Blizzard fan and the sixth richest person in the world… worth $164 billion. So don’t feel guilty woofing down a cheap Blizzard.

Victims of animal cruelty are on the road to recovery

It’s a happy ending to a horrible story.

In December, the Humane Society and Ohio authorities discovered hundreds of animals living in filthy wire-bottom cages and cruel conditions on a fur and urine farm in Ashtabula.

The animals – foxes, raccoons, wolf-dog hybrids, skunks, opossums and coyotes – were being raised and slaughtered for fur, bred for sale as exotic pets, and held captive for urine farming.

It became a national story that elicited horror for its cruelty to animals.

For several weeks, responders from the Humane Society provided daily care to the animals on the property. Many lost limbs and paws due to the cages and traps on the property.

On Jan. 25, the rescue operation concluded when the last groups of animals were removed from the property.

Now they’re recuperating and on the road to recovery. A grey fox rescued from the farm has been largely rehabilitated and will remain at the Ohio Wildlife Center campus to educate Ohioans on the species and the ethical treatment of animals.

The goal is to rehabilitate the animals to a point where they can be placed in sanctuaries or educational facilities.

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The 216 Rundown

Poppy hits House of Blues

7 p.m. Wednesday

Moriah Rose Pereira, aka Poppy, synthesizes pop, metal and industrial on her sixth album, “Negative Space.” She’s also managed to appeal to a wide range of audiences – fans of all the genres and wrestling fans (due to her collaborations with WWE). Expect all walks to show up at her show at House of Blues.

Punkin’ around with the Queers

7 p.m. Thursday

The Queers got their start in the early-1980s covering songs by the Monkees and Ramones. Decades later, they’ve remained true to their bubble-gum and punk roots. The band hits Mercury Lounge, 18206 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood for a punkathon that includes Gluttons, A-10s, Hams and the 66ers.

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NOTES ON A COCKTAIL NAPKIN

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

4:10 p.m. Thursday: Guardians open regular season vs. Royals

As we reported, the Guardians trade of Tyler Freeman to the Colorado Rockies for outfielder Nolan Jones will lead to the demotion of Will Brennan to the minors.

Jones enjoyed a stellar rookie season in 2023 with the Colorado Rockies, followed by a disastrous, injury-riddled 2024. The Guards are banking on left-handed hitter rebounding and will share time in right field with right-handed hitter Jhonkensy Noel.

Potentially, the duo will give the team the most power it has had in right field in years.

Brennan’s demotion opened a roster spot, which was filled by Joey Cantillo, the team’s highest rated lefty prospect.

At 4:10 p.m. Thursday, the Guardians their regular season in Kansas City. 

VINTAGE CLEVELAND

League Park, 1942. The ballpark began its run as the home of the Cleveland Spiders — who became the Indians in what was the site of the 1920 World Series, in which the Indians beat the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Indians played their last game at League Park in 1946. During its heyday, the Park hosted MLB’s best—Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe Jackson, Bob Feller. Joe DiMaggio finalized his 56-game hitting streak at the Park in 1941.

Ooh and don’t forget! Tag @The216Scoop & @216Scoop to get your photos in the Scoop!

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WEATHER

Wednesday - 03/26
40 🌡️ 33 | ❄️ | 40% | 💨 NW 15 mph (13 knots)

Thursday - 03/27
53 🌡️ 42 | 🌤️ | 10% | 💨 SW 12 mph (10 knots)

Friday - 03/28
58 🌡️ 45 | 🌦️ | 30% | 💨 S 10 mph (9 knots)

Source: weather.com

Live Shows in the 216

Wednesday - 03/26

Richfield Branch Library | The Nuevo Tango of Astor Piazzolla | 2:00 PM

Music Box Supper Club | Zepparella | 7:30 PM

Grog Shop | Sonido Gallo Negro | Time TBD

Thursday - 03/27

Severance Music Center | Leif Ove Andsnes in Recital | Time TBD

Agora Theatre | Sam Barber | Time TBD

Music Box Supper Club | Zepparella | 7:30 PM

Friday - 03/28

Beachland Ballroom | Into the Blue | Time TBD

Music Box Supper Club | Jonah Koslen | Time TBD

Coda - Cleveland | Racoma | Time TBD

Bohemian National Hall | Not A Nautical Cabaret | Time TBD

11150 East Blvd | The Oblivion Project: Nuevo Tango of Astor Piazzolla | 7:30 PM

House of Blues Cleveland | Dexter and The Moonrocks with Red Leather | Time TBD

Alliance Event Center | Eslabon Armado | Time TBD

Please verify event details and ticket availability with the venues.

The 216 Sports Area

Upcoming Games

Cavaliers

Home vs. San Antonio Spurs, 7:00 p.m., Thursday, Mar. 27​
Away at Detroit Pistons, 7:00 p.m., Friday, Mar. 28​

Cleveland Monsters

Home vs. Texas Stars, 7:00 p.m., Friday, Mar. 28

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