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Ariel Castro  By Kathy Wray Coleman, Editor, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Kathy Wray Coleman Online News Blog.Com, Ohio's No 1 and No 2 online Black newspapers  ( www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com ) and ( www.clevelandurbannews.com ).  Kathy Wray   Coleman is a former biology teacher and a 20-year investigative Black journalist who trained for some 15 years at the Call and Post Newspaper .  Reach Coleman by phone at 216-659-0473 and by email at editor@clevelandurbannews.com    Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight CLEVELAND, Ohio- Demolition crews on tomorrow morning will tear down the home on Seymour Avenue on Cleveland's west side where convicted rapist and kidnapper Ariel Castro held  Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry  and Michelle Knight captive for about a decade until they escaped earlier this year. Castro turned the home over to the Cuyahoga County Land Bank as part of a plea deal that got him a sentence last week of life in prison

Ariel Castro CLEVELAND, Ohio- Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Michael Russo sentenced Ariel Castro to life in prison without the possibility of parole on August 1 for kidnapping and raping Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight and holding the three women captive for 10 years at his west side home on Seymour Ave in Cleveland, Oh., a celebrated case that has captured the nation's attention. "Nobody should have to go through what I went through," said Knight in a prepared statement. Knight said that her bond with DeJesus  helped her make it through the unprecedented ordeal that she dubbed "11 years in hell." Addressing Castro in the packed courtroom, Knight said that "I will live on, you will die a little every day."   Neither DeJesus nor Berry spoke at the sentencing.  DeJesus' cousin spoke on her behalf and Berry's sister spoke for her. DeJesus was held captive for nine years against her will, Berry 10, and

Cleveland Ward 2 Councilman Zack Reed, who has been speaking out about violence against women in recent months shortly before the rescue last month from capture of Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry, and Michelle Knight, and following the unrelated rapes and murders of Black women in his east side ward in March of this year.  Earlier this week Reed announced pepper spray, compliments of Walmart, for his women constituents, an act applauded by women's groups such as the Imperial Women, who also call for more resources for city, state and federal authorities to help eradicate violence against women.  From The Metro Desk Of Cleveland Urban News.Com and The Kathy Wray Coleman Online News Blog.Com, Ohio's No 1 and No 2 online Black newspapers  ( www.clevelandurbannews.com )  Reach Cleveland Urban News.Com by email at editor@clevelandurbannews.com and by phone at 216-659-0473 CLEVELAND, Ohio- As Ariel Castro was arraigned this week in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas on a n

Amanda Berry (left) and Gina DeJesus (Editor's Note: The rally is at 5 pm and the press conference is at 5:30 pm , Thursday, May 9 at 5 pm  at The Chateau Mansion in East Cleveland, 13124 Euclid Ave, Contact 216-659-0473 for more information. Women are asked to wear Black to the rally) Michelle Knight Jazmine Trotter, 20, raped and murdered in Cleveland in late March. Her lifeless body was found in an abandoned home on the city's predominantly Black east side.  Christine Malone, 45, raped and murdered in Cleveland in late March. Her body was also found on Cleveland's east side at East 93rd. St and Bessemer Ave. days after Trotter's body was found less than a mile away. Malone has eight children and they say that Cleveland police ignored their missing person's report and allegedly said "call us if you find her." Malone's body was found two days later in a field, her family members said.  Eleven  Black women (shown below) wer

Amanda Berry (left) and Gina DeJesus Community activists at the Travon Martin rally sponsored by Imperial Women and other activists groups in Cleveland, Oh. on the  city's east side on April 15, 2012. Nancy Ruiz, the mother of Gina DeJesus, and Peter Schanz of Occupy Cleveland at the April 15, 2012 rally for slain Florida Teen Trayvon Martin. Ruiz would rally with others for justice and fair play and worked day and night with Gina DeJesus' father, Felix DeJesus, and community activists to find their now found daughter who went missing at 14-year's old and is now 23 . By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief,  Cleveland Urban News.Com and The Kathy Wray Coleman Online News Blog.Com, Ohio's No 1 and No 2 online Black news venues  ( www.clevelandurbannews.com )  Reach Cleveland Urban News.Com by email at editor@clevelandurbannews.com and by phone at 216-659-0473 CLEVELAND,Ohio-After being reported missing from the largely White west side of the majorit