Spring is here! Make your own dry erase board my printing out a checklist for your cleaning projects and frame it. Then, you can use a dry erase marker to check off the list. Easy way to keep organized!

Source: Pinterest

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How many ties do you have laying around the house? Some may have sentimental value and others may just be...well...ugly. So - use it to your advantage. make a quilt using the ties to create a very cool design on a quilt. Scott Wynn on 94.9 WQMX in Akron loved this idea!

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Forget connecting lights on your outdoor walkway or patio. How about glow-in-the-dark painted rocks? What a great idea! Cheap and simple.

Source: www.womenio.com

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A pair of identity scams are targeting individuals who are in the process of making unemployment claims.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family services says a scam artist makes a call and indicates that a job is available - but in order to get hired, the individual must first provide a credit card number and other personal information .

In another scam, individuals get a call from someone provide information about unemployment compensation and then asks for the individual's social security number.

Officials with the department say they will never request credit card information or other personal information over the phone and a representative will always identify themselves by name, title and the purpose of the call.

Ohioans with questions about their unemployment compensation can visit http://unemployment.ohio.gov or call 877-OHIO-JOB.

A new study released ranks Medina County as one of the healthiest in the state with Geauga County leading the pack.

The rankings were released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in a study that examines the health and well-being of of people living in each county in the United States.

Click here to see where your county ranks in Ohio.

Factors that influenced the study included rates of childhood poverty, smoking, obesity levels, teen birth rates and access to physicians and dentists.

Out of 88 counties, Wayne came in at number 16, Portage stands at 20, Stark at 39 and Summit at 41.

On the web: www.countyhealthrankings.org

UPDATE 5:30 p.m. Judge Fuhry responds to criticism for allowing Lane to wear the t-shirt in court. His office released the following statement:

(WKYC) The court was unaware of the shirt. The court did not notice the shirt. Had the court noticed the shirt, the court would have immediately stopped the proceedings, adjourned the court and the court would have ordered the defendant to put on proper attire.

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Chardon High School shooter T.J. Lane has been sentenced to life in prison for the school shooting that left three fellow students dead and three others seriously wounded last year, including a young man paralyzed and in a wheelchair.

Just over one year ago, Lane walked into the Chardon High School cafeteria and fired 10 shots from a handgun. Killed were Demetrius Hewlin, Daniel Parmertor and Russel; King, Jr. Wounded in the attack were Nate Mueller, Joy Rickers and Nick Walczak. Walczak's injuries left him unable to walk.

Geauga County Judge David Fuhry sentenced 18-year-old T.J. Lane to three consecutive terms of life in prison, without the possibility of parole, noting Lane never showed any remorse for his actions. The judge said it was difficult to come up with any sentencing that matched Lane's crime.

Multiple media outlets reported that Lane gave the middle finger to the courtroom during the sentencing. In a profane but short response to victim family impact testimony that, at times, called him "evil" and "an animal," Lane responded by saying the same hand used to pull the trigger he also used to pleasure himself, and for the court to "F-all" themselves.

The unedited video, below from NewsChannel 5, is offensive.

He removed a dress shirt he wore into the courtroom, revealing the white T-shirt with the words "killer" handwritten on the front. Lane continued to smile, laugh and smirk while families of the victims read their impact statements in court. He was not handcuffed for the sentencing but was surrounded by deputies in the courtroom. He was led from the room immediately after the sentence was delivered; deputies did not allow him to put his dress shirt on as he left.

On February 26, one day before the one-year anniversary of the school shooting, Lane pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of attempted aggravated murder and one count of felonious assault.

Three students were killed and three were seriously wounded in the Chardon school shooting.

Previous Coverage:

• TJ Lane Pleads Guilty In Deadly Chardon School Shooting

A dose of winter weather in March left a list of problems for drivers on their morning commute.

The slick roads were a problem in both Summit and Stark counties with delays beginning around 6 a.m.

It was an ice rink for drivers in Norton on I-76 west near State Route 21. Police were forced to shutdown the area for about an hour.

Traffic was backed up on Route 8 and I-77 in Akron and Cuyahoga Falls as crews worked to clear a number of accidents due to the icy roads. Crews blocked the right lanes on Route 8 north near Perkins Street for a portion of the morning.

Near Cleveland-Hopkins Airport, Brook Park police had to block off Snow and Engle Roads where they had to clear a 20-car pile-up.

Roadways began clearing shortly before 9:30 a.m.

 

A new outdoor classroom is making its way to the city of Green.

The city recently announced the construction of an educational wetland, which will be paid in part by a 100,000 grant from the Ohio EPA. The grant was directed toward cities that aim to create a highly visible wetland in a developed area. 

"Our mayor encouraged us to think outside the box in terms on infrastructure and storm water infrastructure," said Sarah Haring, community development administrator.

The educational wetland will be located on Steese Road between Green's Intermediate School and Middle School.

The focus of the project is on water quality where the wetland will intercept and filter surface-water runoff and could also control potential flooding downstream.

Haring says science teachers in the district are looking to attain another grant from the EPA to bring an educational component into the curriculum that incorporates the wetland.

"It's kind of a win-win situation. The grant money is really directed toward water quality, and that's what we focused on," Haring said.

Crews will also construct a walking path around the perimeter of the wetland. It's expected to be completed by the end of this summer.

A Hazmat crew and the Summit County Sheriff's bomb squad responded to a chemical spill at Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems on Massillon Road this morning.

Picric acid, which began to crystalize, was discovered inside the building around 8 a.m., according to Akron fire Captain Al Bragg.

Bragg says there was a potential for an explosion. The building was immediately evacuated.

The hazmat team was also called to the scene. The hazardous material was taken outside to a field nearby where the bomb squaq willl safely detonate the chemical.

No injuries have been reported.

Here is a video that shows the danger picric acid poses from WHIO-TV:

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It's always nice to get a passing grade. For the Akron-Canton Foodbank, it's a little sweeter because their food safety score placed them in the top 5 percent of food banks.

The organization passed its formal American American Institute of Baking International (AIB) audit this week with a score higher than 900 on a 1,000 point scale.

The score is based on how the food bank safely handles, receives , processes and distributes food.

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((Press Release)) The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank passed its first formal American Institute of Baking International (AIB) audit with a superior rating on March 13, 2013. AIB is recognized by food companies worldwide, and mandates high standards of sanitation in food processing and handling establishments.

The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank joined the elite ranks, passing the food safety audit with a score in the top 5% of food banks. The Foodbank is one of ten food banks nationwide to receive a score higher than 900 on a 1,000 point scale. The rating was accomplished because the Foodbank goes beyond required food industry practices in the way it safely receives, processes, and distributes food.

This complex audit is completely voluntary to the 203 Feeding America member food banks across the nation. In the history of Feeding America, only 13 of its food banks have passed the rigorous AIB audit.

“This successful audit means we have among the highest standards of food safety certification in the country, and not just in the food bank industry,” Dan Flowers, President and CEO of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank stated. “This AIB rating is the gold standard of food safety programs. The importance of the Foodbank’s mission compels us to this level of diligence.”

As Feeding America’s 2012 Food Bank of the Year, the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank leads the way for other food banks in the network. The Foodbank, like many others in the past few years has experienced exponential growth, increasing from a distribution of 12.9 million pounds of food in 2007 to 20.6 million pounds in 2012. With more than 5,000 volunteers and a network of more than 500 member agencies, the number of people handling food and the volume of food passing through the facility is greater than it has ever been. The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank is committed to ensuring that food donations are being handled in the safest manner possible as it continues to help those struggling with hunger in our community.
“Few of the member agencies that rely on the Foodbank for food have the capacity to achieve this high degree of food safety certification,” added Flowers. “However the Foodbank is doing everything in our power to ensure that food is safe on their behalf.”