CLEVELAND – University Hospitals (UH) opened a new Urgent Care facility July 25 in Mayfield Heights, as well as has extend hours at several locations throughout Northeast Ohio.

The moves will provide greater access to high-quality healthcare services to residents across the region. They are also part of a plan to open multiple new urgent care locations across several neighborhoods, enhancing the reach of the health system’s comprehensive care network. UH’s goal is to deliver health care closer to where patients live, work and shop.

The new UH Urgent Care in Mayfield Heights is located at 1300 SOM Center Road. This location is accessible by major highways and is adjacent to large retail centers and neighborhoods, bringing care where it is needed most. Hours for this site are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday – Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

Additionally, UH has expanded hours of operation at urgent care centers in Amherst, Broadview Heights, Chagrin Highlands, Concord, Medina, Streetsboro, Twinsburg and Westlake. The new hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday – Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

“Urgent cares are an essential piece of our UH care delivery model,” said UH Chief Operating Officer Paul Hinchey, MD, MBA. “They are a more affordable option than emergency departments for patients who don’t have a primary care physician but need immediate, non-life-threating medical attention.”

The new facilities will be equipped with advanced medical technology and staffed by experienced healthcare professionals dedicated to providing compassionate, efficient and personalized care to patients of all ages.

UH Urgent Care President Lee Resnick, MD, is enthusiastic about the expansion.

“Our primary goal is to prioritize the health and well-being of the communities we serve,” Dr. Resnick said. “The expansion of UH Urgent Care in Northeast Ohio is a significant step towards fulfilling this commitment. By increasing access to urgent care services, we aim to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals and families throughout the region, providing them with the prompt and effective care they deserve.”

Offering more urgent care locations can relieve the burden on emergency departments, allowing them to focus on critical and life-threatening cases. The increased access to urgent care services will also help reduce wait times, ensuring patients receive timely treatment while alleviating strain on primary care providers.

UH Urgent Care is being operated as part of a joint venture with WellStreet. To support the expansion, UH Urgent Care will be bringing hundreds of healthcare jobs to the Northeast Ohio market. It is currently seeking experienced physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other medical professionals, looking for consistent, meaningful work, to join the team. For more information about career opportunities with UH Urgent Care, visit https://www.wellstreet.com/careers-university-hospitals/.

UH is dedicated to improving healthcare accessibility and meeting the evolving needs of the Northeast Ohio community. The expansion of UH Urgent Care will contribute to this mission, ensuring residents have easy access to high-quality care when and where they need it.

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COLUMBUS — With deceptive pricing continuing at Dollar General stores, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost recently asked a Butler County Common Pleas judge to immediately force the Tennessee-based retailer to stop advertising one price on its store shelves and charging another price – typically higher – at its registers.

In his request for a temporary restraining order against the discount retailer, Yost cited ongoing violations of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act. He also requested a hearing regarding a preliminary injunction that would require Dollar General to abide by Ohio consumer laws as this case progresses.

“There’s a mountain of evidence showing that Dollar General simply doesn’t care to fix the issue – and that’s despite numerous consumer complaints, failed auditor inspections and our lawsuit,” Yost said. “The bait-and-switch price games stop now.”

Multiple county auditors, as part of their regular duties, have inspected Dollar General stores and found that many of the product prices displayed did not match the prices charged. Even after Yost sued the company on Nov. 1, 2022,  auditor reports show, some of the same stores continued to fail inspections, meaning they are still charging more than the prices advertised.

Notably, Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano required certain Dollar General stores to apply stickers to their registers warning consumers that they may be charged incorrectly.

In the months since the lawsuit was filed, the Attorney General’s Office has received 116 complaints regarding Dollar General’s shelf-pricing issues.

Ohioans who suspect unfair business practices should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.

Read a copy of the motion: (Part 1 of 2), (Part 2 of 2).

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These scammers call out of the blue and suggest – under the guise of wanting to help remedy the situation – that a large purchase has been charged to your credit card.

“Legitimate companies don’t do business this way, so just hang up,” Yost said. “These impostors want to get you on the line and cause panic so you cough up personal information. My hope is that you will answer by ending the call.”

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), various Amazon impersonation scams – many involving claims that a consumer has ordered an expensive product or service – are filling phone lines throughout the country.

The “representative” then persuades the consumer to give him or her remote access to the consumer’s device so the “representative” can issue a “refund.” Instead, the scammer gains access to the consumer’s personal identifying information.

In a variation of the scam, the fraudster persuades the consumer to buy gift cards as a way of “stopping” the unauthorized purchase.

On Amazon’s website, company guidelines make clear that Amazon would never call a customer to seek personal information or discuss a refund that the customer isn’t already expecting.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office offers these tips to help consumers deal with business impostor scams:

• Hang up if you receive a cold call from someone claiming that you have purchased an item from Amazon or another popular online retailer. Do not call back the number on your caller ID or the phone number mentioned in the message. Instead, if you are concerned about the supposed purchase, contact the retailer using its legitimate phone number or email address. Customer service contact information can typically be found on the company’s website.
• Carefully examine the details of your online account purchases and credit card bills for any unauthorized charges. If you see an unauthorized charge, report it immediately to your credit card company.
• Never allow a stranger to remotely access your smartphone, tablet or computer. If the caller claims to need remote access to process a refund, it’s a scam.
• Be highly suspicious of requests from a stranger to buy gift cards as payment for any product or service as part of a “refund” process or to allegedly help stop fraud from a third party. Know that once you disclose a gift card’s PIN to someone, that person will be able to access the money on the card.  
• To report a scam, contact the legitimate retailer through the contact information on its website and the Ohio Attorney General’s Help Center.
• If you’ve fallen victim to a business impostor scam by disclosing personal identifying information, download the Ohio Attorney General’s ID Theft Basics publication and visit www.identitytheft.gov for help on how to proceed.

Consumers who suspect an unfair or deceptive sales practice should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.

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The settlement agreement resolves 10 pending regulatory proceedings related to 2017-2020 annual earnings tests, a 4-year review of FirstEnergy’s electric security plan, and 2014-2018 energy efficiency audits.

The unopposed settlement agreement is supported by PUCO staff, Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison, Ohio Energy Group, Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, Industrial Energy Users-Ohio, Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy, Nucor Steel Marion, The Kroger Co., Interstate Gas Supply, Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council, and Ohio Hospital Association.

Specifically, the agreement calls for the utilities to refund $96 million (which includes interest) related to the utilities’ 2017-2019 annual earnings tests. Residential customers would receive a one-time bill credit of approximately $27. Nonresidential customers would be provided approximately $2.60 per megawatt hour credit over a six-month period.

The remaining $210 million would be refunded as bill credit as follows:

• $80 million during 2022
• $60 million during 2023
• $45 million during 2024
• $25 million during 2025

The agreement maintains the terms and conditions of its previously approved electric security plan, including FirstEnergy’s commitment to file a base distribution rate case by May 31, 2024.

A copy of the settlement agreement is available on the PUCO website by clicking on the link to Docketing Information System and searching for case 20-1476-EL-UNC.

Case background

Ohio law requires the PUCO to review electric distribution utilities’ annual earnings, called a “significantly excessive earnings test”. The PUCO examines utilities’ annual return on equity compared to similarly situated utilities across the country.

The PUCO must conduct a 4-year review of a utility’s electric security plan to ensure its terms and conditions remain favorable when compared to a market rate option. FirstEnergy’s electric security plan began on March 16, 2016 and will remain in place until May 31, 2024.

The PUCO performs annual audits to ensure charges passed onto customers through its “demand side management and energy efficiency rider” were accurately calculated.

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Hotchkiss had been planning his retirement even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He said that at age 70, it was a good time to get out of the business so he could spend more time with his family. He and his wife Jae have three children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Hotchkiss said he is grateful for the hundreds of customers that have been faithful to the Bedford Floral Shoppe and helped it become a successful business over the years. However, he said the way many people have been buying flowers these days makes it difficult for a small business to survive. He said that the availability of large online vendors makes people sometimes forget about their local options.

Internet purchases would be decades away — in fact, televisions had barely even come onto the market — when Robert’s father, Robert Hotchkiss Sr., launched the Bedford Flower Shoppe in December of 1945. The elder Hotchkiss had returned from World War II, and soon after, opened the shop with a partner at its first location at 711 Broadway Ave. The younger Hotchkiss said growing flowers has always been a part of his family’s makeup, and that his father had experience working at a greenhouse when he was young.

Around the time he started the business, the elder Hotchkiss married Marion Peck and began a family which included Robert Jr., who was born in 1950, and his older brother Doug. Hotchkiss said that while growing up, the brothers would help out at the shop, but he said his parents would never push them to be involved. They were allowed to make the decision themselves of whether they wanted to participate.

In 1962 the family purchased the already established ‘Natalie’s Florist’ in Northfield. They remodeled the building and changed the name to Northfield Florist, thus creating a second place for customers to go to get their floral arrangements.

After years of seeing how much his father enjoyed the business, and how the elder Hotchkiss was able to help others commemorate important events in their lives, the younger Hotchkiss decided shortly after high school, and some time in college, to devote himself to the flower business as a full-time career.

“I learned apprentice-style,” he said.

It was around that time, in 1971, that the family decided to purchase the building at 691 Broadway. At one point in its history, the building was used as a post office, then as a bakery and also an insurance agency. Before they moved in, Hotchkiss said they enlarged the building by adding on to the back, up to 30 or 40 feet. They opened for business at the new place in 1972.

Hotchkiss began to take on more responsibility during the 1970s as his father’s health started to decline. Also at that time, Hotchkiss’ brother Doug was in charge of running the store in Northfield. Hotchkiss’ father passed away at the age of 62 in 1979.

Hotchkiss said that running any retail business can be complicated, and the flower business offers its own challenges and rewards, as well.

One of the challenges can be timing, and sometimes that depends on the flowers themselves. Hotchkiss said they would buy their stock mostly from wholesalers in Cleveland, but it could take one to three days in the shop for the flowers to open their blooms so they could be used. Once the flowers were ready, the design aspect of floral business could begin.

“I enjoyed the designing (aspect) a lot,” Hotchkiss said. He added that they had some templates to work from, but that sometimes he would just create on the spot. He said it was very meaningful to him to help people express their feelings during significant times in their lives, whether it was a wedding ceremony or a funeral.

“Flowers are a funny thing,” Hotchkiss said. “They last a week or so, but the memory of what you send lives on.”

He said people have come back to him after a funeral and expressed how much the flower sprays helped to bring a sense of peace, and assisted them in getting through that difficult time of death.

During the 1970s, Hotchkiss said they had as many as 12 workers at the shop, mostly part-time, to help with the demand for flowers. He said one of the employees handled all of the wedding designs, while the rest would tackle the daily orders.

Since timing is so important with flowers, he said it wasn’t unusual during holidays to stay in the store until 2 a.m. just to turn around and come back within a few hours in order to fill requests. Needless to say, Hotchkiss spent lots of time at the shop.

Despite all the hours, Hotchkiss said he was still able to enjoy watching his children grow up since the business had already been established, and he had so much help at the store. Still, he said he had to make days off and vacations a priority — and even close the store at times — or he could have been at the shop all the time.

Hotchkiss said since the flower shop took up such a large part of his life, he never really had the opportunity for a hobby, so retirement might allow him to broaden his horizons a bit in the area.

He said of retirement. “It’s a bittersweet type of thing. I love my business. I loved my work.” He said it is hard for him not to have the opportunity to go and be of help to people during different occasions, “but I’m with my family, and that’s what I am supposed to be doing.”

Editor’s Note: Northfield Florist remains in business at 9387 Olde 8 Rd in Northfield, Ohio. Here is a link to the website: https://northfieldflorist.net/

The post This year, Bedford said goodbye to long-time floral business (photos) first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

Even though the store has only been open for a few months now, this dress-making star “was born” years ago when she made her daughter’s dress for the Shaker Heights High School prom and soon everyone wanted in.  Trained by her grandmother, Birda Spratt, Starr has been making dresses and guiding fashion for over 20 years. 

Her custom-made designs are in demand and require four to six weeks of preparation.  The clothing line in her store starts at girl’s toddlers (sorry no boys!) and goes through adult and plus-sized fashions. 

But Starr Quality Upscale Boutique is more than an upscale dress shop. Starr has expanded to include her own line of jewelry (Mi’ Amor) and organic cosmetics, including a gentle, aloe-vera based hand sanitizer, lotions, body washes, nail products and make-up.  Top sellers are the banana hand wash and fresh-smelling muscle ache cream.  

Starr’s boutique experience will be expanding this month to include the Beaming White teeth whitening process.  This new service is 100% organic and is a spa-like procedure.  To top it off, Starr offers a full line of weight loss products that focuses on detoxing and replenishing your body rather than depriving it.  These include an all-natural detox tea (Iaso Teas) and the Delgada weight loss line.

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Last week’s jobless claims top the monthly filings of all but Ohio’s worst month on record, December 1981, when claims reached 205,159. The next highest month, December 1982, saw 167,638 claims: roughly 20,000 fewer than reported last week. Those monthly peaks happened during a recession that hit Ohio harder than the one in 2008. Ohio manufacturing jobs never recovered.

These numbers reflect a period just before large portions of Ohio’s economy were abruptly halted by Governor DeWine’s March 22 “stay home order,” intended to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The order mandated the closure of non-essential business activities and urged Ohioans to stay home. The filings show that Ohio employers were already shedding jobs in the midst of school and restaurant closures, and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The specifics of which jobs were affected won’t be available until next month, when the employer and household surveys come out for March. But Moody’s Analytics has classified jobs in five industries as most at-risk: Leisure and hospitality, transportation, mining, employment services, and travel arrangements. Together these jobs comprise 921,000 jobs: a fifth of all private sector Ohio jobs, and $234 billion in earnings. Moody’s released these projections ahead of school and restaurant closures, and stay-at-home orders in Ohio and other states, which will extend to other jobs.

Contact: Michael Shields
330.906.2062

For full article, click here: https://bit.ly/2QN2keR

The post Ohio jobless claims reach historical one-week high last week first appeared on The Bedford Tribune.

Contact: Zach Schiller
216.361.9801

For full article, click here: https://bit.ly/2ZQoPmo

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It’s Saturday in 1977, and your mom is dropping you off at Coconuts at Southgate with your week’s worth of babysitting or lawn-mowing money.  You spend hours there, head bent, sifting through albums looking for your favorite band while hoping to spot that cute girl or boy from your class across the store.  You agonize over buying the comforting and always pleasing Doobie Brothers or the Hotel California album because the cover (yes, the artwork on the cover used to matter) looks so awesome and buying it makes you look intense. Not to mention it will piss off your mom when she hears you playing that “druggie” song.  You secretly worry that someone saw you buying that Barry Manilow album last week, ready with the story that it was a birthday present for your aunt.  

At the Vinyl Groove Records in Historic Bedford Downtown, you can still capture those magical moments from times past.  In 2014, David Wolfe, self-proclaimed music junkie, retired his wrenches and left behind the world of auto mechanics and followed his first passion — music.  Building on his experience collecting records and attending over 400 concerts (his first being The Rolling Stones in 1988) David has created a musical mecca for serious record connoisseurs as well as the casual fan.  He caters to all genres, serving customers from the Ohio area and as far away as China, Norway, and Japan.  

Entering his shop is a step back in time, as you surround yourself not only with the sound of music (no pun intended) but also posters, black concert t-shirts and tour memorabilia. The Groove also carries varieties of vintage stereo equipment, causing you to squeal when you spot an oversized turntable just like the one that was in your basement.  Alongside are racks of the short-lived 8-tracks and cassette tapes. It is like a musical museum for the eyes and ears but one where you can sift through the artwork and walk away with the music that touched you soul way back when.  

What separates The Vinyl Groove from the stacks of albums in your Uncle Joe’s damp basement is not only the quality of the inventory (face it, Uncle Joe had an unhealthy obsession with The Captain & Tennille and you are hoping for Aunt Janie’s sake that it was Toni Tennille) but also for the service and the process that their product is subject to.  

Once received, all stock is put through an intense ritualistic cleaning process by one of the “private militia of highly-trained record monks.” Records are bathed, scrubbed, vacuumed, and rinsed in a detailed process to loosen and remove debris and return the record to its original glory.

After being sheathed in a fresh sleeve, the attendant record monk “lights incense and composes a haiku for the record.” It is then brought to the front of the shop and listened to and scrutinized for pops, ticks, scratches and skips. If the record is found to be wanting, it is either discarded or banished to the dollar bin for bargain hunters.  Only those records that meet the strict standards are offered for sale at The Vinyl Groove.

David and his brother Ben are always willing to help track down obscure records, discuss the local music scene (best places for live music according to David are the Grogg Shop and Beachland Ballroom) or assess the value of a collection.  

Regardless of what your needs, take a sentimental journey with a visit to The Vinyl Groove in Historic Bedford Downtown.  As Edith Piaf sings, you will have no regrets.

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Bedford is a biker town — bicycles that is!  Thanks to Mike and Laura Hulett, the owners of The Broadway Cyclery, Bedford is fast becoming a biker’s paradise.

Providing mountain, touring, cargo, and commuter bikes since 2010, The Broadway Cyclery is a full-service shop perfectly positioned to meet the needs of cyclists, whether they are riding on the Bedford Reservation’s mountain bike trails, or touring the growing network of urban trails in Cleveland and Akron. 

Mike is an attorney, but after years of working with people in the midst of conflict, he turned to one of his earliest joys — cycling, and now he is combining his passion with his livelihood. The Cyclery’s original start was on the other side of the Broadway Avenue, but when the opportunity to buy the historic former drugstore at 665 Broadway presented itself, the bike shop found its permanent home.  

With apartments located on floors above the store, and a Latin dance studio next door, this cozy shop is an active hub of bike enthusiasts, biking beginners and neighborhood visitors — some coming in just to visit Zooey, the Hulett’s spunky cattle dog.

Rounding out the family is Mike’s “biker chick” wife, Laura.  She and Mike were introduced years prior by Laura’s sister in California, but time passed before they found themselves both back East. Fast forward to October 2011 when the Broadway Cyclery turned wedding chapel for Mike and Laura after their planned outdoor wedding was thwarted by rain storms.

Mike is committed to sharing his passion with the community.  The Cyclery was the first corporate member of Bike Cleveland and Mike is working with Cleveland Metroparks hoping to create a bikeable connector between the Bedford Reservation and Viaduct Park.   In addition, they are members of CAMBA, the Cleveland Area Mountain Bike Association.

Of course Mike’s favorite thing is to just ride. He conducts a 10-20 mile group ride every Wednesday at 6:15 pm starting at Egbert Road, occasionally stopping for refreshments at Tinkers Creek Tavern.  All riders are welcome.  

When not servicing or selling bikes, Mike and Laura are busy refurbishing their other Bedford home, a former Russian Orthodox Church.  They hope that their business’ unique spirit will be a spark for other creative endeavors in town like a brew pub or wine bar. Meanwhile, the Hulett’s are enjoying coasting around town and encouraging others to re-experience the joy of the view over the handlebars.

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