City of Cleveland Alderman Billy Nowell is revitalizing the City of Cleveland through partnerships with developers, builders, and financing agencies from around Cleveland, the state, and the nation.

Nowell has worked diligently for the past few years with Chartre Consulting Ltd. of Oxford, Mississippi to bring a mixture of market rate housing, commercial development, downtown rehabilitation, and upscale affordable housing. Nowell’s work has already resulted in forty award-winning affordable homes in Cleveland, and, most recently, Nowell has negotiated a contract to purchase and rehabilitate the famed Grover Hotel.

MORRIS'
TALENT
AMAZING

By David Johnson
The Leader

Kerri Morris is an artist, but you won't find her work hanging on anyone's wall or inside a ritzy gallery.

And you likely never will.

That is, unless there is some kind of celebration or party taking place.

Morris, you see, is not your typical artist. She doesn't make paintings or drawings. She doesn't do pottery. In fact, she's never taken a single art class.

But an artist she is.

As for Morris' canvas? Well, it is as unique as her talents.

Not many artists apply their trade to sugar and flour.

But Morris does.

Cleveland awakes to a beautiful Sunday morning snowfall.
Photo by Judy Mitchell of TruDelta Designs

Submit your March 1, 2009 snowfall pictures to snow@clevelandnewsleader.com.

Check the community page frequently for all the beautiful snowfall pictures.

By David Johnson
The CNL

Alderman Maurice Smith wants a drug-free City of Cleveland government.

And so do many others.

Smith, Ward 1 alderman, said he is considering a motion to make drug testing mandatory for everyone involved in city government, including elected officials.

"I know as an alderman, I would be willing to include myself in drug testing," Smith told The CNL. "All the governing body of the City of Cleveland should be willing to step up to the plate."

Frances Pantin Janoush and Pete Walker are intoduced as the King and Queen of the annual Junior Auxiliary Charity Ball held friday night inside the Bolivar County Expo Center. The Charity Ball is a longstanding Cleveland tradition. Photo by Taylor Mitchell, The CNL.

Cleveland businessman presents Bolivar County Community Action Executive Director Billy Joe McCain with a check in the amount of $3,600 on Friday. The donation from Mr. Barfield re-opened the doors of the Bolivar County Homeless Shelter operated by Community Action. The funds are enough for the shelter to operate for one month. The Shelter's funding ran out earlier this year. Mr. Barfield challenged other community and business leaders to help support the shelter until additional permanent funding is received by the agency this spring. Read our opinion here.

A missing Cleveland woman was found safe and unharmed Friday after she failed to return home from a Thursday night outing.

Hann "Myong" Williams, 53, was reported missing by her family late Thursday night when she didn't return home from an evening of playing bingo at a Cleveland establishment.

By David Johnson
The CNL

City of Cleveland Ward 1alderman Maurice Smith has qualified to run for re-election.

Smith, a Democrat, filed his qualifying papers with city clerk Wendy McClain Friday afternoon.

Thus far, Smith is running unopposed. Candidates have until 5 p.m. on Friday, March 6, to submit their qualifying paperwork.

Smith, 55, is seeking his second term as an alderman. He ran unopposed in 2005.

"I want to continue working on some of the projects that we have already started, and I want to continue to work for the betterment of all of Cleveland," Smith said.

By David Johnson
The CNL

Ugly came to Cleveland last week.

It left behind a trail of racist literature on the doors of the city's downtown businesses.

When downtown merchants arrived to open their doors for business last Monday, they were greeted by plain white envelopes hanging on their doorknobs. The envelopes contained racist literature from an organization calling itself the National Socialist Movement.

The group uses Nazi symbolism and subscribes to Nazi ideals and doctrine, evidenced by its website and information contained in the flyers.

"Whoever did this did it late Sunday night or in the early hours of Monday," said Cleveland police chief Buster Bingham. "If you have to give your information out under the cover of darkness, it speaks volumes about what your information is worth."

By Taylor Mitchell
The CNL

There are three new street names in Cleveland now.

Ken Lucas Circle, Floyd Womack Street. and Laura Brown Street were officially dedicated Friday morning in a special ceremony held at United Family Village on South Pearman Road.

“The project took about two or three years,” Ned Tolliver, who presided over the ceremony, said. “When we first turned in the project, we were turned down, but then we got funds and started.”

Ken Lucas, a current member of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, was in attendance Friday.