NEW YORK — Franz Welser-Möst is back on the Cleveland Orchestra’s podium, concentrating again on music instead of his health.

“It was not my best year, the last year,” he said Wednesday. “I feel good. You learn to live with the circumstances, and I’m extremely and grateful that I’m back at work.”

On track to surpass George Szell as Cleveland’s longest-tenured music director, the 63-year-old Austrian returned to his orchestra at Cleveland’s Severance Music Center last week and leads it in a pair of programs at Carnegie Hall this weekend. He will be in Austria for five concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic in late February, then leads that orchestra on a seven-concert tour in early March to New York and Naples and West Palm Beach, Florida.

Franz Welser-Möst to retire as Cleveland Orchestra music director in June 2027

Quite a schedule, given his setbacks in 2023.

He had a slipped disk in his neck while conducting Wagner’s four-opera “Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung)” at the Vienna State Opera in June, an injury that caused him to enter an orthopedic clinic in the second half of July and again in August. He was forced to cancel a high-profile new production of Verdi’s “Macbeth” at the Salzburg Festival.

Welser-Möst had surgery Sept. 1 to remove a cancerous tumor from his bladder and came back to Cleveland to conduct the orchestra’s season opener on Sept. 28. After leading two weeks of programs there, he took the orchestra to Vienna and Linz for their 21st international tour together, then had a second operation on Oct. 25.

That was followed in November by six weeks of once-a-week immunotherapy treatment. He is scheduled for additional three-week cycles of treatment in March, July and October.

“The doctors are very happy. So am I, that it seems to work. It has been in my family, so it’s genetic,” Welser-Möst said. “Both my brothers had the same thing a couple of years ago. Both are very well now, so there’s every reason to be optimistic.”

Welser-Möst has been Cleveland’s music director since 2002-03 and has appointed 69 musicians, including 52 of the current 105 members.

“One of the keys to Franz’s success is his incredible discipline. He’s like a great athlete in that way,” said André Gremillet, the Cleveland Orchestra’s president and CEO. “He’s very focused, very disciplined in the way he approaches everything, and I think that has served him well also in facing his health challenges.”

His name at birth in Linz, Austria, was Franz Leopold Maria Möst, and he switched it in 1985 to Welser-Möst in honor of Wels, a nearby city he grew up in. The change was made on the advice of a benefactor, Baron Andreas von Bennigsen of Liechtenstein.

Welser-Möst spent a decade studying the technique of Herbert von Karajan, the Berlin Philharmonic’s chief conductor from 1954-89. He was 19 when he was brought to Karajan in 1979 by Albert Moser, then general director of Vienna’s Musikverein. Welser-Möst was among the 10 finalists of the Karajan International Conductors Competition, though he failed to win.

“I’d been to a lot of rehearsals in Vienna, in Salzburg and Berlin, and that made a huge impression on me because Karajan was highly efficient in rehearsals,” Welser-Möst recalled. “He would just say one sentence and the sound of the orchestra changed completely. And in those days, of course, I was like: How on earth is he doing that?”

Welser-Möst first conducted the Cleveland Orchestra in 1993 and became music director for the 2002-03 season. On the afternoon of his return concert on Jan. 11, he announced he will retire as music director at the end of 2026-27, his 25th season. Welser-Möst maintained he wasn’t focused on topping Szell’s reign, which stretched from 1946-70.

“I’m not into that game. It just happened,” he said.

Welser-Möst’s New York concerts are part of Carnegie Hall’s “Perspectives” series and its focus this winter and spring on the fall of the Weimar Republic.

“It is something that is so important to him and so important to his life,” Carnegie Hall executive director Clive Gillinson said. “I remember doing one Zoom call where he was in his library and he showed me all the books he’s got on Weimar.”

Welser-Möst is proud of extending the orchestra’s flexibility by programming semi-staged operas, with Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)” next this May. He already has scheduled Janáček’s “Jenůfa” for next season, Beethoven’s “Fidelio” for 2025-26 and Strauss’ “Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow)” for 2026-27.

“I’m an old dog when it comes to opera,” he said. “I’ve conducted about 90 different operas in my life. When I was in Zurich for nearly 14 years, I conducted 43 opening nights of a piece.”

His retirement creates another coveted U.S. podium vacancy. Riccardo Muti stepped down from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in June and Gustavo Dudamel shifts from the Los Angeles Philharmonic to the New York Philharmonic for the 2026-27 season.

“Every institution needs once in a while new input and new ideas,” Welser-Möst said. “I’m not saying I’m running out of ideas, but I always tried to live that philosophy here, that music comes first, the institution second, the individual third.”

Smith started OSV Studios, located at 29605 Lorain Road in North Olmsted, as a small offshoot of his father’s video rental franchise.

Since then, he has worked on motion pictures, won multiple awards for his commercials and digitized millions of family photos.

“I basically learned by buying equipment and figuring out how it works,” Smith said. “We still do thousands of film transfer orders every year.”

Smith’s father and grandfather owned Merle Smith Auto Service in Lakewood from 1939 to 1989.

In 1983, Merle Jr. purchased a video rental franchise to diversify his holdings.

After an injury ended his football career at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Smith began working in the store.

Part-time work quickly branched into a $30,000 investment in equipment to do film transfers and photograph weddings.

Then, Smith shot a wedding for an ad executive.

That connection led to hundreds of regional and national spots for Family Dental Centers, Discount Drug Mart, Invacare, LeafGuard, NASA, several area car dealerships and many more.

Smith also works regularly with Cleveland’s professional sports teams and shot both the Major League Baseball and National Basketball Association’s All-Star games.

“Over and over again, I’ve had to adapt this business,” he said, recalling recessions as well as rapidly changing technology. “We use the best audio and the best camera equipment available.”

OSV Studios’ current client list runs over 200, and Smith and a staff of eight produce 50 to 60 commercials each month, with occasional help from subcontractors and freelancers.

Smith also rents equipment and his studio space which includes a fully equipped sound stage, a green screen and more.

Motion picture production companies sometimes rent his equipment to supplement their shoots.

Today’s cameras provide much better images than what Smith started out using.

And, equipment is much lighter and less expensive. Editing has improved as well from tapes that physically had to be cut to digital tools used on computers.

The next wave of changes comes from the much-discussed AI or artificial intelligence.

But, Smith is cautious about how AI is used.

“I like technology that advances the product,” he said, “not that takes away from writers or artists.”

Smith also frequently works to advance his profession by sharing what he knows with the next generation.

He taught in Berea City Schools for 10 years and frequently employs interns.

“For over 35 years, both nationally and in Cleveland, we’ve amassed an impressive client list that we’re proud to have won many awards for,” according to its website. “Our versatile production capabilities cover all bases.”

Smith also would like to offer classes for local business owners since technology to capture video now is ubiquitous.

“We’re excited for the next decade,” he said, adding that he is currently hiring. “It’s been a great 40 years, and I’m looking forward to 40 more.”

In addition to OSV Studios, Smith owns the building he occupies and rents space to several businesses — such as a full service salon.

After raising his family in Westlake, he now lives in Willard where he and his wife operate Sweet Smitty’s ice cream shop, 302 Walton St. East.

3-pointers

Rebounds

Assists

Steals

Blocks

The 46 graduates will assume duties as peace officers for 22 Ohio agencies, the release said.

Graduates include Vincenzo D. Cataldo, Lorain Police Department, and Molly A. Searles, Bay Village Police Department.

The 21-week basic course began in August.

The course was developed by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission and offers comprehensive instruction in more than 150 topics, including criminal law, traffic law, community relations, physical training, self-defense, firearms, emergency vehicle operations, standardized field sobriety testing and electronic speed measuring devices.

Zachary M. Hudson, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Parks and Watercraft, was selected as class speaker by fellow class members and addressed the assembly.

Michael Rankin, first assistant prosecuting attorney in the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, was the featured speaker for the ceremony and addressed the graduates and an audience of friends, relatives and law enforcement officers, according to the release.

In a battle of the Rangers, North Ridgeville’s hot start propelled it to a 63-47 win.

Lakewood’s Charleigh Doxley scored the game’s opening field goal. That was its only lead of the game.

North Ridgeville All-Ohio forward Grace Kingery had another astronomical scoring performance, as she scored 38 points. Her career-high was 45 against Elyria on Jan. 5.

“I didn’t even know how many points (Kingery) had because she was getting them in the flow of the game,” North Ridgeville coach Amy Esser said. “What people don’t know is that Grace is a really unselfish player. She finds the open players and she finds the best looks out there on the court, but when she is on and in the flow of the game. She is pretty hard to stop. That was kind of what she was like today.”

Kingery got the ball rolling with their first four points, which ignited a 17-2 run to lead, 17-6, to start the second quarter, with the help of defensive support.

“We talked about coming out strong, playing well from the get and playing four quarters consistently,” Esser said. “I thought we came out hot offensively and we were playing some really good defense. We were able to counter some things and change some things up on them to throw something different at them, as far as defenses go.”

Kingery scored 36 points over three quarters. North Ridgeville led, 54-28, to start the fourth quarter. Lakewood rallied with an 18-1 run. Kingery was reinserted back into the game and made a pair of free throws.

In Lakewood’s lineup that featured two 6-footers, North Ridgeville held Delaney Garcia and Layla Smith to combine for nine rebounds. Kingery led the team with eight, but Brooke Lime and Cecilia Bouman each grabbed six.

Esser assigned Maddie Eldridge to face guard Garcia, as she was held to eight points. Smith scored 17 points, but 11 of those points were scored in the fourth quarter, in Lakewood’s rally.

“We went to face guard Garcia with Maddie (Eldridge) and it was kind of like we did it with the Rocky River game plan (earlier in the year),” she said. “We relied heavily on ‘C.C.’ Bouman plays pretty good defense in the post. I thought Maddie did a really good job of shutting down Garcia. We relied heavily on our outside defense, which allowed Grace (Kingery) to get some easy rebounds.”

Bouman scored eight points and Lime also chipped in with nine points and four assists.

“I thought, overall, that it was a really good team win and a lot of kids contributed today. That is good to see as a coach,” Esser said.

North Ridgeville won its fifth straight game, as it improved to 11-3. Lakewood suffered its second straight loss, along with a 54-36 defeat to Westlake. Lakewood dropped to 6-9.

North Ridgeville will have a big Southwestern Conference game against Avon Lake on Jan. 17. As two one-loss teams in the SWC, the Rangers handed the Shoregals their only conference loss of the year with a 32-23 road win.

North Ridgeville vs. Avon Lake girls basketball: Rangers’ zone stifles Shoregals in SWC road win

“I think (our recent success) has given us a little bit of confidence and it has given us a little bit of an edge. I feel like we are still figuring out our identity and starting to figure out how to beat good teams. We matched up really well against Avon Lake the first time, which is why we won the game. … It is a matter of not worrying about who we are playing, but also trying to continue to better ourselves. I feel like in the last few games, we have really clicked offensively," Esser said.

Lakewood will have another chance to bounce back as it will host John Hay on Jan. 18.

THE SCORE

North Ridgeville 63, Lakewood 47

The cost of a one-year dog license is $20.

Licenses can be purchased for terms of one or three years and also can be bought for the lifetime of the dog, according to a news release.

The state of Ohio requires that all dogs aged 3 months and older have a current dog license.

Licenses purchased after the deadline are assessed an additional $20 fee, per Ohio law, doubling the price of a one-year license, according to the release.

Lost dogs can be reunited with their legal owner more easily when wearing a dog license, the release said. A dog license also allows for longer stray hold times (up to 14 days instead of 72 hours), should the dog enter a shelter.

Fees for a dog license are $20 for a one-year tag, $60 for a three-year tag and $200 for a lifetime tag.

Cuyahoga County residents can buy their dog licenses at local Discount Drug Mart locations, Pet Supply Plus stores or the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter.

For more information, visit cuyahogadogs.com.

Fees from dog licenses support the Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter and the lost and stray dogs it houses until reunited with their owners or adopted to new homes, the release said.

Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter, which is located at 9500 Sweet Valley Drive in Valley View, is open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and from noon to 4 p.m., Sundays.

Girls basketball

1: (2) Avon Lake 12-2

2: (1) Olmsted Falls 9-3

3: (4) North Ridgeville 10-3

4: (3) Elyria Catholic 10-4

5: (6) Amherst 6-5

6: (5) Rocky River 6-6

7: (8) Midview 5-6

8: (7) Avon 8-6

9: (9) Keystone 13-0

10: (10) Columbia 6-1

Watchlist: Wellington 8-4, Westlake 9-5, North Olmsted 9-5

Crop comments: For the first time since the season-opening crop of the 2021-22 season, a team other than Olmsted Falls has taken the No. 1 spot in the Top of the Crop. Avon Lake knocked off the Bulldogs, 39-35, toppled a 52-game winning streak against Southwestern Conference opponents, including playoffs. … North Ridgeville extended its winning streak to five games, with a 73-37 win over Midview. … Elyria Catholic fell to Smithville, 60-54, but won back-to-back games against Bay and a close game against Rocky River (53-52). … Midview took a tough 73-37 loss to North Ridgeville. However, it bounced back with a 56-52 win over Avon. … Rocky River and Amherst switched places, both teams endured two-game losing streaks. The Pirates lost to Division I powerhouse Magnificat (65-36) and to the Panthers. Amherst followed up a loss to Avon Lake (38-26) with a 67-37 loss to Olmsted Falls. The Comets came into the week with momentum, with a 57-34 victory over Elyria. … Prior to Avon’s loss to Midview, it defeated Berea-Midpark, 49-46. Keystone’s lead in the Lorain County League hung on a thread against Wellington. However, the Wildcats pulled through with a 31-30 home win to remain undefeated. … Columbia won handily against Lorain, 64-20, and Clearview, 59-18.

Note: records as of Jan. 14.

The young Demons went 3-0 in their dual pool matches, beating Bay, Strongsville and Lorain to match up with Hudson in the title dual round Jan. 13 on their home mats. While the Explorers secured the tournament title with a few matches remaining, both the young wrestlers and the veterans took strides forward on the day.

“We were happy to get a lot of good matches in today,” Carpenter said. “(From) Lorain, Bay, and then Strongsville and Hudson, we got a lot of great competition in. Some outcomes weren’t great – a lot of things to work on for both our new guys and our veterans.

PHOTOS: Westlake Coach Ant Classic wrestling, Jan. 13, 2024

“But we saw a lot of good things, too, where they’re wrestling hard, competing hard and the young guys are coming around.”

At the GLC Duals Tournament a little less than a month before, Westlake ran up against conference dynamo Buckeye, with only returning state qualifier Brad Cerankosky (113) and junior Tanner Moore (132) winning matches that Dec. 22 afternoon.

Several matches in the title round with Hudson went full time or deep into second and third periods, especially among the younger middle and heavyweight wrestlers. One example was junior Sammy Salem (215) gutting out a narrow 2-1 decision. Against Buckeye, he was taken down quickly.

Following that slow start, those newer and less experienced wrestlers like Sosa have started to come into their own. It’s perfect timing, too, with the GLC Conference tournament at Westlake just under a month away.

“Sammy has done a nice job. He struggled a little bit earlier on in the season but he’s come around and been confident,” said Carpenter. “He’s won a lot of matches for us recently. Hopefully, we keep improving him and the whole rest of the team – and get a lot of guys hopefully placing and winning conference, get as many guys as we can at districts and see where we can go from there.”

In the third-fourth place dual, Rocky River and Bay were neck-and-neck, with the lead yo-yo-ing from one side to the other. The two sides tied at the GLC Duals, with Bay prevailing on tiebreaker back in December.

With Rocky River up, 36-34, heading into the final match, Bay had their ace in the hole to close things out at 120 pounds – 2023 state placer Anthony Rocco.

The senior Rocket kept getting takedowns and racking up points initially. While he looked set to go for a tech fall, Rocco quickly finished his opponent off via fall to cap off Bay’s day with a 3-1 team performance with a 40-36 win.

“It was good. It was a lot of fun,” Rocco said of the two duals versus the Pirates. “I know a lot of the people, they’re great wrestlers all-around. It was a lot of fun and I wanted to get a high-crotch in… that’s something I need to work on and work on my shots.

“Then I looked up and my coach was like ‘OK, what are you doing?’ and I’m like ‘all right’, that’s basically it. It was a lot of fun though.”

Strongsville came out ahead of North Olmsted for fifth place, with Lorain and Warrensville Heights rounding out the final two spots in the field.

A total of 108 law enforcement agencies will receive funding as part of the third round of the Ohio Body-Worn Camera Grant Program.

Of those agencies, 32 will use funding to create new body-worn camera programs and 76 agencies will dedicate funding toward expanding or upgrading existing technology, the release said.

The agencies receiving the funding include:

• Cleveland Metroparks, $29,446

• Erie County Sheriff’s Office, $31,610

• Lorain County Metro Parks, $14,423

• North Ridgeville Police, $83,549

“Body-worn cameras are important for both the protection of our law enforcement officers and members of the public,” DeWine said in the release. “My administration is proud to support our police departments and sheriff’s offices will the cost of this equipment so that agencies big and small can outfit their peace officers with cameras.”

DeWine created the Ohio Body-Worn Camera Grant Program in 2021.

More than 300 law enforcement agencies have received funding as part of the program, including over 200 law enforcement agencies that received nearly $10 million in grants in the 2022-23 biennium.

The Ohio General Assembly allotted an additional $10 million to the program as part of the current 2024-2025 biennium, $5 million of which will be awarded next year.

Ohio’s Office of Criminal Justice Services, which is administering the grant program, received $10.7 million worth of grant requests for this round of funding. All qualifying agencies that applied for grants to establish new body-worn camera programs received funding, and the remaining funds went to existing programs to upgrade aging cameras, add storage capacity, or hire record-retention personnel.

At Warrensville Heights on Jan. 12, Lorain being able to steal a conference road win would have been a huge boost and put the team back within a game of .500 ball.

While the Tigers had a three-point lead at the half, Chris Brownlee Jr. and Warrensville began to pull away with an 11-4 run to close out the third quarter, eventually downing Lorain, 62-41.

The game was as close as 34-28 with 4:40 remaining in the third quarter when Warrensville Heights went on its run, with the Titans barely mustering any offense to counter the Tigers’ attack.

“We just couldn’t hit shots,” Lorain coach Matthew Kielian stated. “They just weren’t falling. We went down and played defense and (Warrensville) hit a couple of shots and and-ones. An eight-point deficit became a 12-point deficit and we just couldn’t recover.”

Lorain’s Jai’den Guerra-Howard had no problem finding the basket, with 17 points through three quarters of action. But with a 53-35 Tigers lead with a little more than four-and-a-half minutes left to play, the Titans couldn’t quite climb back into the contest.

“Jai’den’s been playing really well for us,” Kielian praised his senior guard. “It’s just tough – I mean, he had 17 (points), tried to carry us. The problem is we needed to figure out a way (to score) and we couldn’t find a way.

The two teams both went back-and-forth in the first quarter, with Lorain winding up with a one-point edge after eight minutes of action at 14-13.

While the Tigers went on a quick 6-0 run to open the second quarter, Guerra-Howard kept the Titans afloat as the lead kept flipping back-and-forth throughout the second quarter, leading Lorain with 11 first-half points.

Brownlee Jr. was able to knock through a few key shots to counter Guerra-Howard, putting the host Tigers up three going into halftime.

Lorain (4-7, 2-3) will return to action Jan. 16 at home against Westlake.

THE SCORE

Warrensville Heights 62, Lorain 41