Congratulations to John Campbell (FNAL theory division) for submitting the only complete solution, and also to Ralf Vogelgesang (Argonne National Lab) for a sterling effort. If you struggled a little then certainly understanding the solutions to this puzzle will help in following puzzles, because now you know a little of how I think ! The next puzzle will appear in about a month (end of May).

Being the first puzzle, I include with the solutions below a brief explanation of the clue.

Across

1. screech. = scream = South Carolina (sc), with, mixed cheer (reech)

2. loop. = circle = bar game (pool) backwards

7. omnipotence. = no pet, income (letters "upset" for the anagram) = power

8. level. = even (backwards too !)

10. single. = chant (sing) "the" French (le) = one

12. even. = true = one of the first (eve) ends north (n)

13. afar. = "center of" leaf art = in the distance

16. the law = "wealth" is strange (i.e. anagram of) = pays not to break it

18. arias = songs = "sara" and "i" mixed (anagram)

19. operational = working = not compulsory (optional), about time (era) [that is, the word optional is surrounding the word era]

21. date = fruit = appointment

22. residue = sounds like you (u) live (reside) around [that is, the word reside surrounds "u"] = what's left

Down

2. remove = withdraw = about (re) shift (move)

3. edible = good = "i bleed" messily (anagram)

4. hoops = hydrogen (H), sounds like a mistake (oops) = basketball

5. lie = fifty (L - roman numeral), that is (i.e.) = fiction

6. presents = offers = gifts

8. last word = keep (last) letters (word) = to end an argument

9. evil = live from bottom (backwards) = bad

11. near = touching = neon (Ne) with argon (Ar)

14. famous = loud (f - means play loud in music), morning (a.m.), without(0) + us = well known

15. ribald = humorous = third of april (r, 3rd letter of april), + i, have no hair (bald)

17. water = hijklmno ("H to O")

20. rue = no-t true (i.e. no "t" in "true") = sorrow