Cover Story
Shelters in Distress: Greater Cincinnati Animal Shelters are Grappling with a Record-Breaking Increase in Animals
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Feb. 7 print edition. Editor’s note: Taylor McLagan is an employee of Cincinnati Animal CARE. A crisis is unfolding in the heartland of southern Ohio, with county animal shelters in Cincinnati and surrounding areas grappling with an alarming rise in homeless and abandoned pets. A large number of stray…
Cincinnati Native Michael Marcagi Releases Debut EP with Warner Records
On Feb. 9, Cincinnati native Michael Marcagi released his debut EP, American Romance, via Warner Records. The EP includes two singles previously released by Marcagi, “Scared to Start” and “The Other Side,” both of which have earned Marcagi millions of listens on Spotify. American Romance officially introduces listeners to three other tracks by Marcagi: “Savannah,”…
Walnut Hills Donut Shop Announces Closure
A Walnut Hills donut shop that just opened last fall will be closing permanently. Hoity Toity Donut made the announcement on social media Friday. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce Hoity Toity Donut will be closing. It was a wild ride in such a short period of time!” the shop wrote on…
Seminarian for Archdiocese of Cincinnati Arrested on Child Pornography Charges
A seminarian for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati has been arrested on child pornography charges, according to a news release from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Broderick Witt, 28, was arrested on Feb. 9 at his living quarters in Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati’s Mount Washington neighborhood. He’s charged with eight counts of pandering sexually…
Pata Roja Taqueria Opens Permanent Location in Downtown Cincinnati
Another new restaurant has joined the ranks of downtown Cincinnati’s food scene. Pata Roja Taqueria held an official ribbon-cutting Friday morning at its new, permanent location at 52 E. Court St. and will host a series of soft-opening events before assuming regular business hours Tuesday, Feb. 13. Pata Roja got its start in 2019 as…
Review: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Presents a New Take on ‘Dracula’ — From a Female Perspective
The story of Dracula on the mainstage at the Cincinnati Playhouse is not the one you might expect, even though the characters’ names are familiar — Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, Lucy, Mina and of course, the fly-eating Renfield. In this atmospheric, world-premiere production by actor and playwright Vanessa Severo in collaboration with Playhouse Associate Artistic…
DeWine Administration Releases Revised Proposed Ohio Administrative Rule on Transgender Health Care
Adults wouldn’t have restricted access to transgender health care and transgender youth wouldn’t need to get medical consent from a bioethicist before starting treatment, according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s revised proposed administrative rules on transgender care. The Ohio Department of Health released the new proposed administrative rules Wednesday after reviewing the thousands of submitted…
Analysis: Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance Slams “Elites” Despite Shared Backgrounds
While it’s impossible to know what’s in his heart, Ohio Republican J.D. Vance has been taking some positions against so-called elites that would seem to be squarely opposed to… guys like him. They include statements he’s made about people trying to disqualify former president Donald Trump from running again. It’s widely thought that Vance is…
Where Cincinnati City Councilmembers Stand on a Humanitarian Ceasefire in Gaza
Nearly every member of Cincinnati City Council rejected the idea of a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. Councilmember Meeka Owens was the only member to voice support for the resolution during the Feb. 7 city council meeting. “This council for the past four months has done nothing to acknowledge what is occurring…
‘The Taste of Things’ Celebrates Good Food, France and the Ever-Wonderful Juliette Binoche
The film season’s most exhilarating action sequence doesn’t feature bad guys and explosions but simmering sauce pans and delectably steaming plates of veal. In director Tran Ahn Hung’s sublime drama The Taste of Things, the long and elaborate preparation of an ornate meal on the fire stoves of a 19th century French kitchen proves to…
Mexican Fusion Chain Bubbakoo’s Burritos Has Come to Oakley
A new fast-casual Mexican fusion restaurant is now open in Oakley. Bubbakoo’s Burritos officially opened Wednesday at 3694 Madison Road. The franchise is owned by Alex Patel, who also owns the Bubbakoo’s Burritos in Eastgate, which opened last summer. “Bubbakoo’s has built a large following in Ohio over the years, and there has been a…
Cincinnati Agency Creates Taylor Swift-Inspired Ad Campaign for Dude Wipes Ahead of Super Bowl
As if you couldn’t get enough of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce being dumped on everyone’s timelines, capitalism has done it again. A new ad campaign from Cincinnati-based creative marketing agency Curiosity has hit the Las Vegas strip ahead of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium, where Kelce will run his tight end for the…
Legislation Trying to Tweak Ohio’s New Adult-Use Marijuana Law Continues to Be at a Standstill
Lawmakers have yet to bring changes to Ohio’s new marijuana law over the finish line. The Ohio Senate passed a bill in December with major changes to the marijuana law, but the Ohio House, once again, did not bring that bill to the floor to concur during Wednesday’s session and has not moved its own…
Ohio Trans College Students Denounce Proposed Bathroom Ban Bill as Dangerous
Trans students at Ohio colleges are calling a proposed bill from Ohio House Republican lawmakers to ban them from using bathrooms that match their gender identity “dangerous,” “scary” and promoted by a “vocal minority of hate.” Introduced by state Rep. Beth Lear, R-Galena, and state Rep. Adam Bird, R-New Richmond, House Bill 183 would require students at…
Shinedown, Godsmack and Breaking Benjamin to Headline Inkcarceration Festival
On Feb. 7, promoters of the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival, the annual metal festival that takes place at Mansfield’s Ohio State Reformatory, announced that Shinedown, Godsmack and Breaking Benjamin will headline this year’s festival. The festival will feature more than 50 bands on three stages and over 115 tattoo artists at an on-site tattoo convention…
The Good Times Will Roll at The Banks’ Special Mardi Gras Crawl This Weekend
Laissez les bon temps rouler! Bourbon Street is coming to Cincinnati this weekend. Bars and restaurants at The Banks are teaming up for Mardi Pardi, a special Mardi Gras crawl, on Saturday, Feb. 10. The event will feature a Big Easy bar crawl with seven bars, live music, giveaways and specials at participating locations: Fishbowl…
Pendleton’s Hart & Cru Named a “Top Wine Bar” by Pros in Food & Wine
A Cincinnati wine bar is getting some national recognition after being named a top wine bar among professional sommeliers in a recent Food & Wine article. Hart & Cru, a boutique, European-style wine shop and tasting room in Pendleton, made this prestigious list — a list mostly dominated by wine bars in bigger cities like…
CPD Investigating Death of Unhoused Man Killed by Train in Sedamsville
Homicide investigators with the Cincinnati Police Department are investigating the death of a man who was hit and killed by a train in Sedamsville on Feb. 6. CPD said officers responded to the 2800 block of River Road Tuesday afternoon after receiving a call for a man struck by a train. The man, later identified…
Crappy Ex? This Hamilton Animal Shelter Will Write Their Name Inside a Litter Box for Valentine’s Day
Breakups can be crappy, but Animal Friends Humane Society in Hamilton is bringing back a hilarious fundraiser to make things stink less – or more, actually. Now, we don’t want to shit on your ex, but a cat probably will. From now until Feb. 13, donate $5 to the shelter to have an ex-partner’s name…
Campaign Finance Reports Show Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown Far Out-Raising Republican Candidates
In just six weeks, Ohio voters head to the polls to pick their party’s nominees, and the U.S. Senate race is one of the most hotly contested of the March 19 primary election. Last week the candidates turned in their year-end campaign finance reports. The three Republicans running to challenge Democratic Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod…
New Ohio House Higher Education Bill Aims to Protect Academic Freedom on College Campuses
An Ohio House Republican lawmaker is trying to ban public universities from requiring people to commit to a certain belief, ideology or political spectrum. A professor questioned what problem it was addressing, but liked its protection of academic freedom. State Rep. Adam Holmes, R-Nashport, introduced House Bill 394 last week — a bill he said…
