🌱 Lakewood City Schools Meal Program Changes + Crisis Intervention

Hello again, everybody! I'm back in your inbox this morning with your fresh copy of the Lakewood Daily. Keep reading for the most important things happening in town these days.

Now, today's weather:

Some clouds, then sunny. High: 76 Low: 65.

Here are the top three stories in Lakewood today:

1. Lakewood City Schools has tweaked its free and reduced-price meal program, as well as various school fees. Because the USDA is no longer offering free meals to students through the National School Lunch Program and Seamless Summer Option, the school is reverting to its previous program. According to Superintendent Maggie Niedzwiecki, "kids can still get free and reduced, but parents have to fill out forms.” The new school year begins on Aug. 16. (cleveland.com)
2. Three people pleaded not guilty to the murder of a Lakewood man. 47-year-old Victor Huff was reported missing to Lakewood police on Aug. 3 and found murdered on Cleveland’s West Side on Aug. 4. Terrence Burnett, 65, Harry Houston, 63, and Tessa Raczynski, 26, have been charged with murder. (Cleveland 19 News)
3. The Lakewood Police Department’s crisis intervention team is successfully handling mental health calls. According to Police Chief Kevin Kaucheck, no arrests were made in any of the team’s 238 calls in 2020 and 2021. Kaucheck said, “The crisis intervention team receives training that helps them to identify the difference between criminal behavior and someone acting out due to a mental health emergency.” (cleveland.com)

Today in Lakewood:

• Drop In & Play Mornings, At Cove Park (10:00 AM)
• Full Sturgeon Moon Ceremony, Harmonic Journeys (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• LakewoodAlive is accepting dog-centric vendor applications for the 15th Annual Spooky Pooch Parade on Oct. 15! The deadline to submit your vendor application is Sep. 16. (LakewoodAlive via Facebook)
• On Monday, torrential downpours flooded the Cleveland-Lakewood border, trapping a huge amount of water underneath a bridge on West 117th Street between Berea and Madison avenue.(Cleveland 19 News)
• Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s baby rhino has made its first appearance! (Fox8)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• GAME ON - A Fundraiser Benefiting Cleveland Area Children (August 11)
• The Dinner Detective Comedy Murder Mystery Dinner Show (August 12)
• Cleveland Summer Beer Fest (August 13)
• The World Is Yours Art Show (August 13)
• Get the BAL Rollin'! Ingenuity Cleveland Fundraiser & Festival Sneak-Peak! (August 13)
• Add your event

That's it for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with a new 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.