🌱 Ex-Cleveland Public Power Employee Sentenced + New COVID-19 Variant

Good morning, Cleveland. I'm here in your inbox this chilly morning to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on in town.

But first, today's weather:

A.M. flurries; cloudy, colder. High: 38 Low: 32.

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Here are the top three stories in Cleveland today:

1. Yesterday, Jan. 5, John Pelton, a 55-year-old former Cleveland Public Power employee, was sentenced to two years on federal probation and must pay a $5,000 fine for trying to obtain sensitive information from computers that controlled the city's power grid. Pelton had plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempting to access a protected computer and a felony charge of lying to the FBI. (Subscription: Cleveland.com)
   
2. Northeast Ohio doctors are concerned about a new COVID-19 variant (variant XBB.1.5) and many are bracing for a possible surge. Dr. Daniel Rhoads, head of microbiology at Cleveland Clinic, said, "The data that we do have does suggest that it's spreading quickly, more quickly than other variants." Dr. Rhoads also said people can catch this variant even if they have the vaccine and have had COVID-19 prior. (WKYC)
3. Cleveland is a melting pot with food from all over the world. Hola Tacos is a unique fusion restaurant in Cleveland that specializes in Mexican food with a twist. Customers can eat both pizza and ramen in the same place with menu items, including chipotle chicken egg rolls, birria pizza, and Mexican ramen. (Only In Your State)

Today in Cleveland:

• Feeding Cleveland: Fighting Food Insecurity In Our Communities At The City Club of Cleveland (11:30 AM)
• 4th Annual VIP Holiday Lights & Bar Crawl Tour of Cleveland At TownHall (6:00 PM)
• Into The Blue: Grateful Dead Revival At Beachland Ballroom (9:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The 17th annual Cleveland Botanical Garden orchid show, Orchids Forever, opens Saturday, Jan. 28, and runs through Sunday, March 12! The show includes 100 different types of orchids from around the world. (Subscription: Cleveland.com)
• The Cleveland Crunch will open their home season by playing Detroit Waza on Saturday, Jan. 28 at the International Exposition Center. The Crunch will retire Zoran Karic's No. 16 jersey before the home opener and will retire Hector Marinaro's No. 21 jersey at another game this season. (Subscription: Cleveland.com)
• The Arcade Cleveland has been a favorite shopping center for over 120 years! View the link to learn more about its history as the first indoor shopping center in the United States and its present. (Only In Your State)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right! See you tomorrow for 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.