When Platform Beer shut down local operations in February, it sent shockwaves through the local craft brewing industry.

Why it matters: Platform embodied the passion of the Cleveland craft beer scene — until rapid expansion became its chief focus.

State of play: On Feb. 22, Platform revealed it had ceased operations at its local taprooms and production facilities.

• Anheuser-Bush InBev acquired Platform in 2019 for an undisclosed amount. However, control of day-to-day operations remained in Cleveland.
• Following the local shutdown, Anheuser-Busch said it would continue to brew just three Platform beers: Haze Jude IPA, Odd Future Imperial IPA and Canalway IPA.

Flashback: Platform launched in 2014 as a collaboration between Paul Brenner, a local homebrew supply store owner, and Justin Carson, a draft line operator.

• The original mission was twofold: Create a line of beers for sale at Platform's taproom, and establish an incubator program for local homebrewers to get their private beers to the public.

What they're saying: Platform was attractive to people trying to get a foot in the brewing industry, Craig Young, a former Platform warehouse manager, tells Axios.

• "I believed in what we were doing," Young says. "We were a small, community operation building a culture that could bring strangers in this city together over their shared love of beer."

The other side: Brenner, Carson and Anheuser-Busch did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

The intrigue: The first problem for Platform arose in 2015 when head brewer Shaun Yasaki — who was to lead the incubator program — left to start his own brewery, Noble Beast.

Yes, but: Platform kept rolling. In 2016, the company moved into a 120,000-square-foot building. Production increased from 2,500 barrels per year in 2015 to 30,000 in 2018.

• By 2019, the incubator program was gone and expansion was the focus. Platform had facilities in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati and was producing more than 80 unique canned beers.

What happened next: In August 2019, Anheuser-Busch acquired Platform, which marked the beginning of the end for the company's run in Cleveland.

This is the first in a two-part series examining the rise and fall of Platform. Check back tomorrow for a story on the acquisition, declining sales and the end of the brewery.

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The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) last week confiscated more than 1,000 candy-colored fentanyl pills in a Franklin County drug raid.

Why it matters: So-called "rainbow fentanyl" is designed to resemble candy to drive addiction in young people, according to Ohio attorney general Dave Yost and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

Zoom in: Candy-colored pills have also been found in Cuyahoga County.

• Local law enforcement submitted pills suspected to be fentanyl for testing on April 15.
• Typically, fentanyl pills seized here are "various shades of blue or green," according to the medical examiner's office.

What they're saying: "Do not be fooled by appearances — rainbow fentanyl is death disguised as candy," Yost said in a press release.

• "If you're taking a pill that wasn't prescribed by your doctor, you can't be certain of what you are consuming."

By the numbers: The medical examiner's monthly overdose report is not yet available for April, but through March, 130 people died from fentanyl overdoses in Cuyahoga County.

• Overall drug overdoses for 2023 are on pace to be the highest of the 21st century, surpassing even 2017, when 727 people died from overdoses and carfentanil claimed 191 lives.

The bottom line: "Fentanyl is still killing hundreds of people year after year," Thomas Gilson, Cuyahoga County's medical examiner, tells Axios.

• "Making it look like legitimate medication or candy are just despicable ploys by the cartels to hook more unsuspecting people."

🌳 The Rid-All Green Partnership, a 19-acre urban farm in Kinsman, has added 4,000 trees to its greenhouse in collaboration with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy to help restore Cleveland's depleted tree canopy. (The Land)

🥕 Cleveland City Council authorized spending $10 million in federal stimulus money at the West Side Market, less than Mayor Justin Bibb's request for up to $20 million. (Signal Cleveland)

📚 Visits to city and county libraries are still way down from pre-pandemic numbers. The county system had less than 3 million visits in 2022, compared with 5 million in 2019, while the city system had more than 1 million visits in 2022, compared with nearly 2.5 million in 2019. (Cleveland.com)

🎙️ Rap star Lil Durk is bringing his Sorry for the Drought Tour to Blossom Music Center on Aug. 16. Tickets go on sale Thursday. (Live Nation)

Ten years ago, Cleveland transformed into a superhero version of Washington, D.C.

Flashback: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" began filming downtown on May 17, 2013.

• It marked the second Marvel Cinematic Universe project to film in Cleveland following "The Avengers" in 2011.

State of play: Cleveland won the project thanks to a $9.5 million tax credit and "The Winter Soldier" being directed by Cleveland natives Anthony and Joe Russo.

The intrigue: Cleveland played the role of Washington, D.C., in the film for numerous scenes, including action sequences on West Shoreway and Superior Avenue.

• The kiss between Captain America (Chris Evans) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) was filmed on an escalator in Tower City Center.

The bottom line: All the chaos and street closings were worth it as "The Winter Soldier" brought $80 million in economic impact to Cleveland, according to the Cleveland Film Commission.