Cayman Compass • 27th February 2026

At the cinema: Sci-fi, pirates and a classic coming of age tale

By Cayman Compass contributor Jarett Theberge
March is shaping up to be a great month for sci-fi lovers, as we’ll get three new releases that should scratch that itch of fantastical storytelling for each member of the family.
First, we have ‘Project Hail Mary’ starring Ryan Gosling. This highly anticipated adaption of Andy Weir’s novel of the same name follows a science teacher (Gosling) who wakes up on a spaceship with hardly any memory of how he got there. We uncover he’s enroute to stop an un...

Cayman Compass • 30th January 2026

At the Cinema: Forbidden love, thrills and a day that never ends

By Jarett Theberge
It’s hard to believe it has been well over 15 years since we’ve gotten a true thriller out of American filmmaker Sam Rami and even harder to believe his career trajectory. His landmark 1981 directorial effort, ‘The Evil Dead’, was made with a shoestring budget, litres of fake blood and a dream. Flash forward 40 years and he’s playing with house money directing Marvel movies at an impressive clip.
Rami returns to his horror/thriller roots this month with ‘Send Help’, his first...

Cayman Compass • 28th January 2026

'Saving Buddy Charles': A road trip film with a twist

By Cayman Compass contributor Jarett Theberge

The spirit of the buddy film is alive and well with Grace Wethor’s ‘Saving Buddy Charles’, due in large to directing a script written by her good friend Jillian Shea Spaeder.
‘Saving Buddy Charles’ follows friends Sydney (Spaeder) and Clara (Analesa Fisher) on a road trip to reclaim Sydney’s pet lizard, the titular Buddy Charles, from her ex-boyfriend before they part for college. However, Clara has news regarding her health that could halt the good...

Cision PR Newswire • 7th July 2022

Electronic Merchant Systems Acquires a Majority Interest in Paysley, an Omnichannel Payment Solution

CLEVELAND, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Electronic Merchant Systems (EMS), a leading provider of merchant services and payment processing solutions, is pleased to announce today that it is bolstering its POS software stack with the addition of Paysley.
Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Paysley combines the physical and virtual payment worlds to provide omnichannel capabilities to merchants of all sizes. Paysley allows merchants to send secure, contactless, tap-to-pay requests to customers over text and...

13th February 2026

Most Frequently Asked Questions About Payment Processing

Payment processing is one of the cornerstones of running a business in the 21st century. With more ways to pay than ever before, you need a reliable and cost-effective processing partner to help things run smoothly.

Key Takeaways You Will Get from This Article

1. The cost of credit card processing will depend on the processor, card networks, and industry you’re in.

2. You can normally receive money from your sales within two business days.

3. Find a payment processor with 24/7/365 live custo...

13th February 2026

The Best CBD Payment Processing Companies in 2023

The CBD industry is one of the fastest-growing industries on the planet. While the legality of CBD is becoming more widespread, payment processors may still be hesitant to adopt your CBD business.

Key Takeaways You Will Get From This Article

1. Online CBD sales invite the risk of chargebacks, and its current legal status is somewhat of a gray area.

2. There are processors who want to help you sell your CBD online.

3. Electronic Merchant Systems has been helping merchants find the best soluti...

13th February 2026

6 Signs it’s Time to Switch Payment Processing Vendors

As a business owner who accepts credit card payments, your staff needs to be comfortable with the system you currently use to process transactions. When a solution ceases to be fast, easy, and painless, it might be time to switch your approach or find a new partner.

Here at Electronic Merchant Systems (EMS), we know all the pain points of inefficient payment processing systems. We’ve spent over 30 years helping businesses prevent and avoid them.

Below, we’ll explore six signs indicating it’s t...

13th February 2026

6 Common Payment Processing Problems & How to Solve Them

For a small business, a payment processing partner can give you more ways to do business. But payment processing can still leave businesses to deal with risks and a headache here and there.

Key Takaways You Will Get From This Article

1. To avoid lack of transparency, when signing up for a payment processing plan, ensure you receive an itemized or detailed plan list.

2. To best prevent credit card fraud, ensure your business is PCI Compliant.

3. Making explicit return policies can help your c...

13th February 2026

5 Questions Payment Processors Ask Online CBD Retailers

Business is booming for the CBD industry, and that trend doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop anytime soon. In fact, the CBD market is expected to grow 15-fold in the next decade. Some big players are in the game; this is the perfect time to open up your online shop and sell CBD.

However, getting into the CBD game has its hurdles. One of those hurdles is finding the right payment processing partner. Do you think that any processor will take on your online CBD business? Think again.

For starter...

13th February 2026

9 Best Practices for Processing Payments in 2023

When processing your customers’ payments, you should have two main priorities: ease of use and protection against security risks and fraud.

Key Takeaways You Will Get From This Article

1. When it comes to payment processing for your customers try to be flexible with your payment options, support online account creation, use a recognizable business name and purchase descritpion, and always provide customers with the easy-to-find contact information they can use to reach you.

2. When it comes t...

Camana Bay • 15th July 2022

February new releases at Camana Bay Cinema includes “Sonic The Hedgehog”

In every facet of media in the 21st century, the audience as a collective has seen more power shift their way as social media and the internet have bolstered their voice. So when the first trailer for “Sonic The Hedgehog” dropped, portraying the speedy video-game character as anything but the original likeness, the internet took its rage out on Paramount with one simple request: fix Sonic. Fans got their wish and Sonic will be on the big screen at Camana Bay Cinema on 14 February, looking more l

Camana Bay • 15th July 2022

At the cinema: Remakes, sequels and Christmas classics

Steven Spielberg has nothing else to prove. He’s quite possibly the most influential director in the history of cinema with blockbusters like "Jaws," "Jurassic Park" and "E.T. the Extra Terrestrial," and heart-wrenching dramas like "Schindler's List."

Nonetheless, he has no signs of slowing down after five decades of directing features. With all the experience (and Oscars) under his belt, this December we get to see his attempt at remaking "West Side Story." The beloved 1961 musical that was ad

Camana Bay • 15th July 2022

At the Cinema: Racial justice, feminism and a gonzo western for kids

This month at Camana Bay Cinema comes a period piece about the politics of racial tension in 1960s America titled, "Judas and the Black Messiah."

From director Shaka King, the film tells the story of when long-time criminal William O’Neal is brought into custody and finds himself presented with a choice: either spend more than a decade in prison or take a deal from J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI and spy on the Black Panther organisation in Chicago. He takes the deal, but in doing so, starts to question

Camana Bay • 15th July 2022

At the cinema: Chills, thrills and a famous day off

As the summer line-up of movies is in full swing, let's take a step away from the big budget blockbusters and pay attention to the new thrillers that will meet us this July. Sure, a lot of us have been waiting for "Black Widow" in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest phase that finally comes to Camana Bay Cinema on 9 July, but let's not forget about other projects that spur inspiration, and sometimes terror.

Twenty-five years after the popular "Space Jam" film, the franchise returns with "Spa

Camana Bay • 15th July 2022

At the cinema: Is 'Die Hard' a Christmas movie?

With all the phenomenal technological advances in film, sometimes it's refreshing to get a bare bones western in the mix that allows you to feel like a cowboy — or cowgirl — for a night.

In "News of the World," a Civil War veteran, played by Tom Hanks, finds a young girl who was captured by the Kiowa tribe while on his travels across the country. He vows to return the girl to her family while evading ruthless thugs and natural hazards. This is the latest directorial project from Paul Greengrass

Camana Bay • 15th July 2022

Thank goodness for movies

In this time of social distancing and isolation, people are suddenly spending a lot of time at home. For people who are naturally homebodies, this might not be difficult, but people who lead active, social lives are suddenly faced with the dilemma of what to do.

Movies are still here for us to cuddle up in front of while we try and find a reprieve from the changes in our social lifestyle. If it weren’t for the Internet and streaming platforms like Netflix, dealing with this pandemic would be ha

THE DEVIL STRIP • 6th June 2019

Meet the man behind the Mattress Factory gorilla mask

words and photos by Jarett Theberge


The Mattress Factory Outlet sticks out among all the other buildings and businesses on North Arlington Street. Not so much like a sore thumb — more like a big blue building with popping red lettering and Serta Sheep models standing on top.


Also, the gorilla out front who frequently waves at drivers can’t be ignored.


“Hold up real quick. I have to go put my head on,” says Sim Graham as he makes his way through rows of stacked mattresses to complete h...

THE DEVIL STRIP • 25th July 2019

The Glendale Steps, a lost-and-found monument to the Great Depression

by Jarett Theberge


The Glendale Steps are a memorial to the laid-off workers and stonecraft men of the Great Depression. They have been lost and found over the years as one of Akron’s forgotten monuments. 


Akron’s tire industry took a particularly hard hit during the Depression. With people buying fewer cars, the demand for tires plummeted, leaving more than 25,000 people out of work from 1929 to 1932, according to local historian Dave Lieberth. 


Part of the Works Progress Administratio...

10th February 2026

Filmmaker explores student homelessness in Akron in ‘Doubled Up’

THE DEVIL STRIP • 22nd August 2019

Say hello to the Joy Park splash pad

History is littered with hundreds of conflicts over the future of a community, group, location or business that were "resolved" when one of the parties stepped ahead and destroyed what was there. With the original point of contention destroyed, the debates would fall to the wayside. Archive Team believes that by duplicated condemned data, the conversation and debate can continue, as well as the richness and insight gained by keeping the materials. Our projects have ranged in size from a single v...

THE DEVIL STRIP • 8th August 2019

PorchRokr returns Aug. 17 with headliner The Admirables

by Jarett Theberge


Akron’s summer neighborhood festival PorchRokr is coming back to Highland Square for the eighth time with more bands, food, and activities than ever before. 


The daylong music and arts festival will be held on Aug. 17 as another effort by volunteers, sponsors and the community to put Highland Square “on the map”, says Christian Odadzin, member of the planning committee for PorchRokr. 


Christian has been involved since the second festival and has seen PorchRokr grow in...

Medium • 8th December 2018

A Woman is Born

Six weeks after a surgery, a woman in Cleveland heads into work for a grocery store. She returns to regular customers welcoming her back with smiles and asking how she is doing. Some ask, “Why is it that you appear more female”?

“It’s the glow,” said Michelle Guzowski. Guzowski missed six weeks of work recovering from complete gender reassignment surgery. Born with the male physiology, 61-year-old Guzowski spent her entire life with gender dysphoria and was determined to cure it.

Living in the

Medium • 6th December 2017

For the Thrill of it all

From the time he saw Bret Hart battle Shawn Michaels in Wrestle Mania XII when he was young, Will Burden, 25, knew what he wanted to do with his life; he wanted to become a professional wrestler.

Burden grew up in Lima, Ohio, and he said there wasn’t anybody that was familiar with professional wrestling back where he was from, but if he caught someone’s ear he would tell them all about it.

Now residing in northern Ohio, Burden is in the middle of his second year working as a professional wrest

Medium • 11th December 2016

Four Months After: Where is the Vape Industry Now?

It has been four months since the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) put regulations on the E-Cigarette industry. On August 8th, 2016, the FDA commenced action in enforcing laws which would change the industry , down to the level of how independent vape shops would carry day-to-day operations.

Four Months After: Where is the Vape Industry Now?

The new regulations effect the extent of the service patrons can receive when they visit their neighborhood shop. For example, before the re

Kent Wired • 15th July 2022

University, May 4 Task Force come to an impasse for 50th commemoration

Listen to “University, May 4 Task Force at crossroads” on Spreaker.

As the 50th anniversary of the May 4 tragedy at Kent State approaches, plans for commemoration are underway for the milestone. The university recently passed a resolution to take responsibility for the commemoration, leaving the May 4 Task Force, a student group that has planned commemorations since 1975, with an unclear future.

The victory bell at the trough of Blanket Hill serves as a remembrance for the tragedies of May 4,

Kent Wired • 15th July 2022

Earth Fest celebrates sustainability

More than 50 on- and off-campus organizations and departments set up on Risman Plaza for Earth Fest Wednesday.

The event, hosted by the Kent State University Earth Month Planning Committee and the Office of Sustainability, celebrated all areas of sustainability, including prosperity (economy), people (social) and planet (environment).

At top, David Pereplyotchik, an assistant professor of philosophy, represents the Democratic Socialists of America as he explains the philosophical implications

Kent Wired • 15th July 2022

Kent film students to get hands-on experience at Cleveland International Film Festival

Kent State’s film program will make a recruitment effort at the 42nd annual Cleveland International Film Festival and give students a chance to gain festival experience on Friday.

In addition to the 72 countries that are participating in the CIFF, members of Kent State University Independent Films will be sponsoring three short films at the festival to get the word out about their organization.

Scott Hallgren, assistant professor in Digital Media Production, asked the university for the proper

Kent Wired • 15th July 2022

Graffiti: Art or Vandalism? A look at ‘tagging’ in Kent

When it comes to expressing oneself through the means of visual art, there is an abundance of different media and techniques one can use. Graffiti offers a more adventurous and daring approach, but there is a problem: It’s illegal.

If you walk along the Cuyahoga River in Kent and find yourself underneath the Haymaker Parkway bridge, there is an ample amount of graffiti covering most of the abutment wall and the support pillars.

The question remains: Is graffiti artistic expression or an act of

Kent Wired • 15th July 2022

Pulitzer Prize winning author Art Spiegelman discusses comics and identity

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and graphic artist Art Spiegelman told students and members of the public just how comics, Jews and art align in a post-modernist world at the Kiva Tuesday.

Invited by Chaya Kessel, the director of the Jewish Studies Program, Spiegelman gave his free presentation titled “Comix, Jews ’n Art — Dun’t Esk.”

Spiegelman is best known for his highly acclaimed graphic novel and memoir, “Maus,” which won him a special Pulitzer Prize in 1992.

“I spent 13 years making ‘Maus

Kent Wired • 15th July 2022

Group 10 Gallery hosting biggest show of its type to date

Members of the Group Ten Gallery in downtown Kent will be sharing the space with a total of 30 artists until March 24 for their biggest Members and Friends show to date.

The Members and Friends show is setup to where each of the 15 members of the gallery invite one friend each to exhibit some of their work for six weeks.

Considering the wide range of artists that act as members of the gallery, the addition of outside artists brings in more uses of different types of media to be displayed.

Dan

Kent Wired • 15th July 2022

Downtown bar rocks International Clash Day

A pirate radio station manifested on the second floor of the Zephyr Tavern Wednesday night, as a sociology professor aimed to broadcast a strong message of D.I.Y ideology to the his community and the world.

Zach Schiller, assistant professor of sociology, had been planning to host the first ever International Clash Day in Kent for over a year. He brought the idea up to Mayor of Kent, Jerry Fiala and in 2017, Feb. 7 was made Clash Day in the city.

Inspired the world’s first Clash Day in 2013 by

Kent Wired • 15th July 2022

Local filmmaker wins big at international film festival

A first-time filmmaker won the top prize at an international short films festival in Kent on Saturday.

Hiram College sophomore Charlie Wirfel won the jury’s choice award at the 15th annual Standing Rock International Shorts Festival in their first entry to any film festival.

Wirfel’s film, “Say That Again?,” was made as a side project and beat out the competition from Belgium, Canada, Germany and others.

The short centered around two characters falling in love, except one of them can’t quite

Kent Wired • 15th July 2022

OPINION: Is not testifying a testimony?

On Sunday, Adam Schiff (D-CA) appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and said Democrats will continue the proceedings into the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump without testimonies from crucial witnesses.

Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee Chairman, will not wait on Vice President Mike Pence, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, former national security adviser John Bolton, or Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to testify in public. Ea

Kent Wired • 15th July 2022

OPINION: Why you shouldn’t be afraid of life after graduation

That’s how long a college student has endured the endless onslaught of papers, study sessions, adviser meetings, preparing presentations and every other task that makes them question their sanity over a four year span. And that’s if you graduate on time. For others it’s longer.

My lucky number will be 189,216,000— six years. My college story started in 2013 when I started taking classes at Tri-C in Cleveland. From the ripe age of 15, I started conditioning myself to the stacks of college bookst

Kent Wired • 15th July 2022

OPINION: Impeachment is back — what’s next?

The Washington Post reported that on July 25, 2019, President Donald Trump called the newly elected leader of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, to congratulate him on the victory — at first.

During the half hour call, Zelensky expressed his appreciation for the military aid the U.S. provided his country and mentioned the country is almost ready to buy more defense weapons in the form of Javelins, an anti-tank missile. With the proverbial ball lobbed into Trump’s court, he then asked Zelensky to “do