Westlake High School holds walkout

On Tuesday, Feb. 20, Westlake High School students organized a walkout in protest of gun violence. The protest, according to Cleveland.com, came in response to Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 17 people, and the more local Jackson Memorial Middle School, where a seventh-grader fatally shot himself.  

Students honored the victims with remarks and a 17-minute period of silence, one minute for each Florida victim.  

Euclid church up for auction

According to Cleveland.com, the First Methodist Church at Euclid Avenue and East 30th Street is up for auction at a minimum price of $250,000. The property, listed as a city landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, is being sold after decades of millions of dollars being spent on maintenance and restoration.

The First United Methodist Church moved out of the building in 2010, after over 100 years of occupation. Another church rented the building for several years, but it has not been occupied consistently since then.

The Campus International School occupied the property’s education building until last December, when the Cleveland school district’s lease expired. The congregation is urgently trying to sell the property.

Dice game ends in murder

A Cleveland man is accused of fatally shooting a competitor during a dice game, according to Cleveland.com.

Police said the incident occurred on Sunday, Feb. 18 at approximately 3:30 a.m. in Cleveland’s Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood. Charles Franklin, who is charged with murder, allegedly pulled out a handgun mid-dice game and shot Sharda Elmore multiple times.

Elmore’s girlfriend discovered his body and called the police.

When the police found Elmore, he was on the front porch covered in blood. Police said there was also blood in the first room of the house, and fired bullet casings were found near Elmore’s body.

Franklin was taken to Cleveland City Jail, but a court date has not been set.

Cleveland DJ Rob Sherwood dies

Rob Sherwood, a Cleveland DJ and dance club pioneer, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 18. He was 54.

According to Cleveland.com, Sherwood’s Cleveland nightlife legacy includes Nine of Clubs, Alterhouse, Aquilon, Lift, U4ia, Trilogy, Metropolis, the Church, Freak and others. He was heavily influenced by the atmosphere of gay bars, and wanted to create club environments which defied sexual orientation.

Sherwood, known by “Jane” amongst friends, contributed to Billboard’s club lists, and travelled the country to club-hop. He was known for his wild party themes and playlists, and was highly regarded as an accepting, welcoming individual.