Sports
Covering Akron, Ohio, I reported on hometown hero and basketball star LeBron James including his school and social services, children’s books, and 2020 NBA Championship.
I reported on the Akron RubberDucks (Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians), University of Akron sports, K-12 and youth athletics, and City of Akron recreation.
My favorite sports story is about the response of Cleveland’s Indigenous community to Cleveland’s major league baseball team changing its name to the Guardians in 2021 after years of protests.
Cleveland’s Indigenous community celebrates Guardians name change and hopes schools with Native mascots follow suit (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | July 23, 2021)
LeBron James to release second children’s book, ‘We Are Family,’ in August (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | April 27, 2021)
Akron City Council approves $2.95 million in improvements to Canal Park (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | March 29, 2021)
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s political website about banning transgender girls from girls sports used photos of Hudson High School girls without permission (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | March 25, 2021)
Watch students at Akron’s I Promise School present LeBron James with championship ring (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | December 23, 2020)
To be open or not, that is the question for Northeast Ohio ice arenas during pandemic (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | November 26, 2020)
Akron’s first pickleball courts installed at Waters Park (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | October 27, 2020)
Akron cancels Friday, Saturday high school football games following shooting at Thursday East-Firestone game (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | September 18, 2020)
University of Akron launches group to consider cost-saving measures for athletics (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | September 9, 2020)
Akron school board reverses course, votes to bring back fall sports (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | August 31, 2020)
LeBron James’ children’s book debuts atop New York Times’ bestsellers list (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | August 21, 2020)
LeBron James’ debut children’s book, ‘I Promise,’ comes out Aug. 11 (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | August 3, 2020)
LeBron James Family Foundation opens transitional housing in Akron for I Promise School students and families (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | July 28, 2020)
University of Akron, faculty union spar over funding for athletics (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | July 6, 2020)
LeBron James tweets about murder of Na’Kia Crawford in Akron (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | June 17, 2020)
Akron to reopen city playgrounds on Wednesday (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | June 8, 2020)
Burglars ransack Akron’s Canal Park offices, steal merchandise, equipment (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | June 4, 2020)
Akron to open pools, splash parks on July 1 (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | May 18, 2020)
Man accused of fatally shooting MMA fighter in Akron (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | April 9, 2020)
LeBron James produces docuseries about Akron’s I Promise School set for release in April on Quibi (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | March 9, 2020)
Skechers partners with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. on line of sneakers (The Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com | February 27, 2020)