Sean Fitzgerald

This season, the Browns have joined an elite group of five NFL teams. These teams are among a few in the league that now have women in key positions on the coaching staff. 

For the Browns, it's Callie Brownson, hired by new head coach Kevin Stefanski to be the chief of staff. 

The 30-year old Brownson grew up in Virginia and blazed a trail to her current position.

After a four-month delay because of the pandemic, the Cleveland Indians begin their shortened season Friday. They’ll play 60 games between now and the end of September. WKSU sports commentator Terry Pluto said this shortened season comes with a lot of challenges.

The Akron Art Museum reopens to members Thursday, July 16 and the general public a week later.

Interim Director Jon Fiume says they plan to provide visitors with a contactless experience. Visitors will have to register for timed entry to limit crowds, and everyone must wear a mask. 

“We are of course increasing our cleaning and sanitizing procedures and processes. We also have signage throughout the museum that will guide visitors along a path that helps to ensure social distancing.”

Now that the NFL’s Washington Redskins have dropped their nickname, the spotlight has moved to other pro sports teams to make changes amid a nationwide movement calling for racial justice.

But don't expect the Cleveland Indians to act as fast. Just last year, the team finally abandoned the Chief Wahoo logo. Last week, WKSU's sports commentator Terry Pluto suggested a new name might come next season. Now he says it likely won't be until 2022. 

Craft beer has been a growing part of Ohio’s economy, but the pandemic struck bars and restaurants hard.

Some of Akron’s largest craft brewers have weathered the situation well, and how they’ve done it may be a model for others. 

Akronym Brewery in Akron found a way to expand its services during the pandemic. General Manager Joey Greising said Akronym started offering food on its menu and added three more employees because of increased business.

The Cleveland Indians will likely have a new nickname in 2021. The team late last week issued a statement that it will discuss the best path forward in response to recent social unrest. They've been the Indians since 1915. 

WKSU’s sports commentator Terry Pluto says that while he personally doesn't have a problem with the Indians name, current social unrest prompts a change. 

Major League Baseball players begin reporting for spring training Wednesday, with a shortened 60-game season beginning later this month. It caps months of contentious negotiations between players and owners to start the season amid the pandemic. The MLB used its right to implement a season where the players receive 100 percent of their salary for each game played. 

On Monday, Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona addressed the media, and WKSU sports commentator Terry Pluto said he had some tough words about the state of the league.

Help is being made available for Akron water and sewer customers struggling to pay utility bills due to economic hardship from the effects of COVID-19.

An Akron group is trying something new to help local food entrepreneurs and celebrate the city’s cultural diversity.

The North Akron Community Development Corporation will open a rotating restaurant next month in Temple Square on North Main Street. The NoHi Pop-Up project has lined up eight chefs who will each take a weekend to serve lunch and dinner.

North Akron CDC Director Katie Beck says it’s a good opportunity for food entrepreneurs to experiment and look into opening their own restaurants.

High school sports are resuming activities for the first time since March, when seasons were canceled amid the pandemic. But the Senate Athletic League for Cleveland schools has been slow to get students back on the field. 

Sports commentator Terry Pluto says school sports are about much more than competition.

A new study by Cleveland Clinic Children’s finds that teens who regularly vape THC are likely to develop a serious condition associated with vaping known as EVALI, or e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury.

Since late last year, hospitals have seen a rise in the number of teens and adolescent patients seeking help for acute lung injury not only in Ohio but other parts of the country.   

Dr. Fariba Rezaee says teens who vape believe it is safer than smoking, which is part of the problem.