🌱 City Worker Pleads Guilty To Drug Ring + Progressive Field Upgrades

Morning, everybody. It's me, Sean Peek, your host of the Cleveland Daily — here to explain all the most important things happening locally.

But first, today's weather:

A snow shower in the morning. High: 41 Low: 30.

Here are the top three stories today in Cleveland:

1. A former Cleveland city worker has pleaded guilty to running a drug ring that brought 1,100 pounds of cocaine into the city. Christopher Ficklin is a 49-year-old man from Cleveland Heights and was a former waste collection employee. Experts expect him to be sentenced to 12 years in prison as part of a plea agreement. (cleveland.com)
2. Two men are in critical condition after a shooting took place on Cleveland’s West Side. One of the victims was an adult, and the other is a 17-year-old. The shooting happened around 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 15, in the 1300 block of West Blvd. One of the victims was found outside a home, while the other was found inside. Their names are not being released at the time of this writing. (Cleveland 19 News)
3. A local female-owned and minority-operated construction company has been selected as an additional Associate Construction Manager for the Progressive Field upgrades project. The company, the AKA Team, was founded in 2009 by Ariane Kirkpatrick. The AKA Team will help transform the classic ballpark into a modern sports stadium. (News 5 Cleveland WEWS)

Today in Cleveland:

• This Way Out At Beachland Ballroom & Tavern (12:00 PM)
• Happy Hour With Ray Flanagan At Forest City Brewery (5:00 PM)
• The Cleveland Orchestra - Holiday Concerts At Severance Music Center (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• It's the perfect time of year to open your home and your heart to a new furry family member! These adorable adoptable pets, including Keno the Pit Bull Terrier Mastiff mix and Fergie the Domestic Short Hair cat, are now available at these Cleveland-area animal shelters. (Cleveland Patch)
• Heads up, house hunters! These new Cleveland-area properties have now been listed for sale, including a four-bed, two-bath home in Euclid for $199,900 and a four-bed, three-bath home in Lakewood for $252,500. Get the details in Patch's latest real estate roundup. (Cleveland Patch)
• More free COVID-19 tests are now available as part of President Biden’s winter preparedness plan. As of yesterday, all U.S. households are now eligible to order four (4) total at-home COVID-19 tests that will be mailed directly to them. Go to www.COVIDTests.gov or call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) for more details. (cleveland.com)
• Is more snow on the way ahead of the holiday? Check out the full forecast for the week ahead on FOX 8. (WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with another update.

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.