🇺🇸 Memorial Day Need To Know + Funeral Outpouring + Clowney Dreams

Many see Memorial Day as a day for grilling and chilling and the unofficial kickoff to summertime fun. There's nothing wrong with that — as long as we remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to this country so we can enjoy our freedom. So, we offer 5 things you should know about Memorial Day. We've also got some links to ways to spend your time today and this week. Plus:

• Anastasia Hamilton's senseless murder strikes a chord
• Cleveland is losing a lot of police officers
• Jadeveon Clowney sees real chance for a Cleveland Browns Super Bowl

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5 Things You Should Know About Memorial Day History

Memorial Day honors the men and women who died serving our country. It's come to be known as the holiday that marks summer's start.

1. Originally known as Decoration Day, solemn observances began in the wake of the Civil War. More Americans were killed in this war than any other — an estimated 620,000 — and the number of war dead led to the creation of the first national cemeteries.
2. African Americans freed from slavery are believed to have held the first Memorial Day celebration in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1865 at the Washington Race Course and Jockey Club. The Confederacy had turned the country club into a prison for Union soldiers. More than 260 died there and were buried in a mass grave. In May, more than 10,000 formerly enslaved people turned out for a parade to honor the dead Union soldiers.
3. May 30 became Decoration Day nationwide because of Gen. John A. Logan in 1868. His proclamation: "The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land."
4. Congress declared Memorial Day an official federal holiday in 1971, and the holiday was moved from its traditional date of observance, May 30, to the final Monday in May.
5. During World War I, 1914 to 1918, the holiday began to encompass every war. The tradition of wearing a red poppy on Memorial Day originated during World War I because of a poem.

Learn more at History.com

• Patrick M. McLaughlin opinion: Remember the names of Ohio's fallen warriors, from 1899 to 2013 (cleveland.com)

Things To Do

• Memorial Day weekend dining deals
• What's open and closed on Memorial Day in Cleveland
• 10 ways to have fun in Greater Cleveland this week
• Memorial Day parades in Northeast Ohio

1) $21,000 Raised For Slain Woman's Funeral

Thousands of dollars have been raised to help cover funeral costs for a woman whose cut and bruised body was reportedly found in a vacant, dilapidated home in Cleveland's Slavic Village neighborhood last week. Anastasia Hamilton, 25, a native of Medina, was last seen alive a week ago at the Terminal Tower parking garage, Cleveland police said. She was reportedly with an unknown man, and her car was found parked in the garage.

Dan Hampton reports for Patch

2) With violent crime on the rise, the city of Cleveland is losing police officers. This year to date, more than 50 officers have retired, resigned or been released, leaving the department with 1,383 sworn officers. That's 257 below the level the city wants. Suburban departments are luring away some of the best officers, too.

Cleveland.com

3) Jadeveon Clowney signed a new deal with the Cleveland Browns because he believes the team is a likely Super Bowl contender. He'll line up on the defensive line again opposite Myles Garrett. "We had a great defense last year. We went out and got some more key players on offense and defense, and I feel like we've got a shot," Clowney said on the Browns Best Podcast Available.

Watch the podcast on YouTube

4) After choking his pregnant girlfriend, a Shaker Heights man barricaded himself inside his home on Friday night. Joseph Patterson, 42, eventually surrendered after a massive police response to his home. He faces charges of inducing panic, disorderly conduct and misconduct at an emergency.

Cleveland 19 News

5) Hundreds of motorcycle riders gathered in downtown Cleveland to honor Ohio’s fallen firefighters. Eight Ohio firefighters died in the line of duty in 2021. The Firefighters Memorial Ride started with a ceremony at the Cleveland Firefighters Memorial in front of the Cleveland Science Center Sunday morning.

Fox 8 News

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5 Headlines You Need To See

• Cleveland Orchestra names Daniel Reith assistant conductor, director of COYO (cleveland.com)
• Appeals court upholds $30 million judgment against operator of East Cleveland recycling site (cleveland.com)
• Flat Out Pride in CLE returning for the first time since 2019 (3News WKYC)
• Solon boy, 11, finishes ninth in national chess tournament in Columbus (cleveland.com)
• Ohio gets money to clean up abandoned gas and oil wells in Cuyahoga Valley National Park (cleveland.com)

Enjoy your Memorial Day!