Dan Gilbert announces the new Horseshoe Cleveland Casino (Photo Credit: Horseshoe Casino)

On February 3, 2011, Rock Ohio Caesars announced its plan to build Phase 1 of the Horseshoe Casino in the historic downtown Cleveland Higbee Building.

(Credit: Horseshoe Casino)

Fifteen months later, 1,600 new jobs had been added to Cleveland, 90% of them filled by local residents. Before opening, all newly-hired team members went through the intensive Horseshoe Table Games Service Academy to make sure they were ready for showtime!

(Credit: Horseshoe Casino)

See all the moments as we count them down.

MWD (Military War Dogs) have served our country in many ways over the years. Unofficially, dogs helped fight in the Civil War. The very first commemorated war dog (a pitbull) was “Stubby” who served in the first World War in 1917. Stubby was smuggled over seas and while there helped capture a German Spy, was also gassed a few times and eventually ended up in a hospital when his master, Corporal J. Robert Conroy, was wounded. The canine hero was then smuggled back home after the war. You can read Stubby’s full story on the Connecticut Military Department’s Website.

One of the most recent canines to assist in military operations is the German shepherd (or a Belgian Malinois), Cairo that accompanied the Navy Seals team that captured Osama Bin Laden.

There is a huge advantage to using dogs as they detect humans hiding, bombs and other various threats better than some of the most expensive technology.

You can even adopt a retired MWD – check out SaveAVet.org.

According to The Wrap, the Idol finalist turned Oscar and Grammy winner is in talks to return to the show as a judge for season 13, but her reps have yet to confirm. Hudson was a finalist in season three, finishing in seventh place, and recently appeared on stage with current Idol winner Candice Glover during last week’s season finale.

Vulture first reported that JHud was offered a judging spot in the show’s plan to rework the entire judging panel with Idol alumni.  Adam Lambert and Clay Aiken are also said to be in the running, though nothing has been confirmed by the network.

“The show’s producers feel they’ve lost their core audience,” an insider told The Wrap. “And they want to bring back former contestants in order to tell their core audience, ‘We love you.’ They know they’ve made some major mistakes over the past few seasons and they want to make it right with their fans.”

Fox Entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly told reporters last week that “everything is on the table” for the next season of the long running competition show, and will likely return to the three judge panel it started with in 2002.

The rumored facelift to the show comes after the remaining original judge Randy Jackson announced he’ll be leaving the show earlier this month. Though, the status on whether new judges Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban and Mariah Carey will be returning next season is still up in the air.

Middleburg Heights officers pulled over a black Chevrolet Malibu on Intersate 71 on Thursday night for a license plate violation.

The man behind the wheel presented license plates from Washington D.C. and a card with his name on it to the police officer.

PHOTOS: ‘CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER’ FILMING IN CLEVELAND

The suspect then admitted he took the car with permission from the movie set near East 3rd and Rockwell after authorities told the him the plates were not on file.

The Cleveland police were notified by the Middleburg Heights police about the vehicle. Cleveland Police said that the car had been stolen and no one had permission to use the car.

The car has since been returned to the movie set along with the prop plate. The suspect has not been charged, but was arrested.

‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ stars Chris Evans as the Marvel Comics character Captain America. Also starring in the film are Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and more. The movie is scheduled to be released in April 2014 in 2D and 3D.

RELATED: Marvel Studios’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier Movie Filming Road Closures

- Carl Harp / CBS Cleveland

“It was nerve-wracking,” Sandé told Radio.com the day after she took the stage. “But I was so excited to be there and to be able to play such an incredible song in front of the person who created it. I mean those nights don’t come around too often.” the Library of Congress.

It was hard to imagine that only a few days before the performance, which will air May 28 on PBS, Sandé was holed up in a little studio in Brooklyn practicing King’s hit, “You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman).” Sandé admitted though that a lot of the rehearsal time was spent gearing up to meet the President. the Library of Congress.

“I think coming from the U.K. it feels like an even more distant dream to be in America meeting the President,” she said. “It was a massive deal and you know, the circumstance was amazing. I’m such a massive Carole King fan, and she’s inspired me as a writer so to be there to honor to celebrate her success.”

Read more at Radio.com

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Marc’s Great American Rib Cook-off and Music Festival returns to Jacobs Pavilion and the Nautica Entertainment Complex this Friday May 24th until Monday May 27th. Friday through Sunday the Rib Cook-off will be open from 12p.m. until 11 p.m. and Monday from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. Along with food from all Rib Cook-off contestants available for purchase, live concerts will be performed at Nautica. The weekend lineup includes: Mega 80′s, Friday, May 24 at 8:30p.m.; Rick Springfield, Saturday, May 25 at 9:00p.m.; Buddy Guy, Sunday, May 26 at 9:00p.m.; and Bret Michaels. Monday, May 27 at 6:00p.m. Admission into the Rib Cook-off is $8 at the door or $5 with a coupon from any of Marc’s Northeast Ohio stores and kids 12 and under get in for free.  Admission to the Rib Cook-off includes admission to concerts being performed at Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica. For the latest event information, visit www.fox8.com/rib.

But wait! There’s even more ribs thanks to Berea’s National Rib Cook-off presented by Yuengling. The Berea Rib Cook-off will be located at Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds located at 164 Eastland Rd Berea, OH 44017. The Rib Cook-off starts Friday, May 24th and goes until Monday, May 27th. The Cook-off will be starting at noon on Friday and goes until 11 p.m. Admission for the first day of the Rib Cook-off is free. The Rib Cook-off will be starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and will end at 11 p.m. and will start Monday at 11 a.m. and end at 9 p.m. Tickets for Saturday through Monday will be $5 per day and will be available at the door. Friday night is Bike Night, sponsored by Cleveland’s Harley-Davidson Sales Company, and all are welcome to bring their motorcycles as well as their bike gear. Along with food being available for purchase at the Rib Cook-off, local bands will be performing throughout the weekend. For details on the lineup visit www.berearib.com. For any other questions about Berea’s National Rib cook-off visit http://www.berearib.com or call their hotline at (440) 234-5181.

Courtesy of Little Fish Records

The 5th annual Rock & Reggae Benefit, supporting the Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland, will be held Saturday May 25th at Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland. The event doors open at 7p.m. and performances will last until 1 a.m. Tickets for admission are $15 when ordered in advance or are $20 at the door. There will be a $2 charge for anyone under the age of 21. This year the Benefit will include 10 local rock and reggae bands including Carlos Jones and P.L.U.S. Band, with The TwistOffs. Other confirmed bands include JiMiller Band, Oldboy, Tropidelic, and Big Ship along with other local favorites. On top of live music the event also includes the artisans from the Arts Collinwood neighborhood. Ticket sales will go towards the Free Medical Clinic of Great Cleveland and donations are welcomed.

Get Hep Swing adds a special theme to this month’s Dance as they announce The Gatsby Gathering! 1920s Swing Dance being held Saturday May 25th. Get Hep Swing, a swing dance lesson studio in Cleveland, hosts monthly dances at Lakewood Masonic Temple every second Friday of every month. There is no need to have previous dance experience or a dance partner but 1920’s attire is encouraged. If you arrive early, Get Hep Swing offers a quick dance lesson and an over view of the jitterbug from 8p.m.- 9. Right after the lesson the bands will kick off starting at 9 p.m. and keep it going until midnight. The Night Owls, a unique 10 piece orchestra, will be the headline act performing songs from the 1920’s – the Golden Age of Jazz! Each dance is $12 per person at the door or $10 for student and senior citizens with valid ID. The Dance will be located at Lakewood Masonic Temple 15300 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. For more information about the dance and others visit www.gethepswing.com or contact owner Valerie at info@GetHepSwing.com.

(Photo credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images)

This weekend will mark the fourth Farmers Market of the summer at Frostville Museum, located at 24101 Cedar Point Road in North Olmsted. The Farmers Market, which started May 4th, runs every Saturday from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. until October 26th. The event features local farmers, producers, artisans and vendors who grow and/or produce their own goods. Parking is free on site and there is no cost of admission. To get more information and to check out which vendors will be at the Farmers Market visit www.olmstedhistoricalsociety.org/Farmers_Market or contact Angie Obbish, Market Manager at aobbish.marketmanager@yahoo.com for additional questions.

- Devon Marti / CBS Cleveland

Damon, who announced his strike in February, stated that those in the effort “won’t go to the bathroom until everyone in the world has access to clean water and sanitation.”

The strike that is led by the Damon and the advocacy group he co-founded, Water.org, are seeking to end the water crisis that is leaving millions without accesses to clean water and sanitation that can lead to illness and even death.

While the idea of the strike is a serious one, Damon and the other celebrities involved have turned to humor in order to get more awareness. In a video posted to YouTube on May 22nd, Wilde, Bono and Branson joke about how Damon crashed their not-so-secret secret meeting.

“I remember when Matt first brought up the idea, it was at a meeting of the Illuminati,” said the U2 frontman.

Wilde joked and added, “Bono was so mad. I only got in because I am an android from the future.”

Branson also added some humor to the video adding, “Bono started beating Matt with a two-by-four.”

However, alongside the jokes, the celebrities cited facts about the water crisis and what people could do to help.

“Millions of people each day spend hours just fetching clean water,” Bono says in the new public service announcement. “780,000,000 people – that’s one in nine – lacks access to safe water.”

Damon appears at the end of the video to encourage others to “join the millions of famous people who’ve already joined my strike. And remember, if you don’t use the toilet, you’re a celebrity.”

For other information about how you can help the “toliet strike” cause or make a donation, visit water.org or strikewithme.org.

- Devon Marti / WNCX