Quicken Loans Arena renovations to begin on Feb. 5

Work on the exterior of Quicken Loans Arena will begin on Feb. 5, allowing the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Lake Erie Monsters to finish out their seasons before the arena closes for the summer. It is anticipated that the building will also be closed for the summer of 2019, according to cleveland.com.

The initial phase of construction will focus on building a 42,430 square foot atrium around the north side of the building. The complete project is expected to cost $140 million and pose several logistical issues for drivers and pedestrians during construction.

Two lanes on Huron Road will close, leaving one lane of traffic open in each direction. Police officers will direct traffic during events and rush hour, pedestrians will be redirected to a pedestrian walkway across Huron during events and the Jack Casino pedestrian bridge will remain open until summer, when it will be demolished.

MetroHealth to renovate Behavioral Health Inpatient Unit

Despite plans to demolish the site as part of a larger campus renovation in the future, the MetroHealth system intends to renovate its behavioral inpatient unit at a cost of $1.3 million.

According to cleveland.com, the plans are a response to recommendations from The Joint Commission, which accredits hospitals, to improve the safety of patients. Renovations will reduce patients’ risk of suicide by eliminating their ability to hang or asphyxiate themselves. The hospital will replace cabinets and toilets and install a two-door lock system to prevent patients from forcing their way out of locked units.

The Joint Commission can revoke accreditation of hospitals that do not comply with their standards, but will not otherwise penalize them. MetroHealth’s $945.7 million plans for a new hospital are grounds for an exemption from these updated standards until the new facilities are built, but officials have decided temporary renovations would be in the best interest of the patients.

University of Akron to eliminate most Friday classes

Beginning this fall, the University of Akron will eliminate the majority of Friday classes as part of their new initiative to allow students to gain work experience.

The university hopes that having unscheduled Fridays will encourage students to engage in other activities, such as internships, paid work experience or service opportunities.

Courses will be taught with the same amount of classroom time, extending the class periods from Monday to Thursday from 50 minutes to 75 minutes. Classes that will continue to meet on Friday are those that require daily engagement, such as music and art.

University of Akron is the first university in Ohio to implement the change, alongside only a few other schools across the country.

Teen Charged in Cleveland Heights Armed Robbery

A 13-year-old Euclid boy was charged after taking a woman’s cellphone at gunpoint outside of a Cleveland Heights CVS. The teen was one of three robbers involved in the crime.

The robbery was reported by a witness at around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. The boy was arrested later that evening after hiding under a deck in a neighborhood backyard, according to cleveland.com.