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.

You might be surprised to find out that there's a link between Ohio and the Super Bowl.

The footballs used in the game are made at the Wilson Football factory in Ada, Ohio. Since 1941,every NFL game ball that's appeared in the Super Bowl has been made at the factory.

Molly Wallace, director of corporate communications, says it takes a team to make the hand-made footballs for the Super Bowl.

"The end result is, when we inspect the football for the NFL, it has to perfect each and every time. If a quarterback touches a football or the receiver catches one, it has to feel the same each and every time," said Wallace.

Wallace says they started working on the footballs as soon as the last game ends to determine the NFC and AFC Championships before the Super Bowl.

"...because on the footballs, we have to have the team, date and the location of the Super Bowl. So, for us, it's a huge moment for us to find out who those two teams are and to start producing footballs," said Wallace.

Some factory workers will travel to New Orleans during the Super Bowl and will set-up a small part of the factory on site to show residents and visitors how the footballs are made.

On the web: www.wilson.com

A day after a so-called "Derecho" weather system with very high winds knocked out power to over a million people in western, central and southeast Ohio, both state and federal help is on the way.

President Obama has signed a request to get federal help for infrastrucure affected by the storm.  Power company estimates say some may have to wait five to seven days to get power restored, with forecast temperatures above 90 through most of the week.

The Ohio Emergency Management Agency clarifies that federal help will go directly to infrastructure affected by the storm, and is not meant to go directly to individuals or businesses...and also is not meant to reimburse state or local governments.

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News release - Gov. John R. Kasich's office

OHIO’S FEDERAL EMERGENCY DECLARATION GRANTED
Generators and Water On the Way in Response to Power Outages and Severe Heat

COLUMBUS – Gov. John R. Kasich announced (Saturday night) that President Barack Obama granted his request for federal assistance and declared a federal emergency in Ohio due to the severe weather and extensive power outages across two-thirds of the state.

The Federal Emergency Declaration allows the federal government to support Ohio with direct assistance such as generators and water. Additional resources may be requested as needed.

“As I told the President this afternoon, Ohio is facing a severe situation. I appreciate his quick response and am glad that additional equipment and supplies will soon start arriving. I've already declared a state emergency and activated the National Guard, and will continue to work with the EMA to evaluate the situation to determine our needs going forward," said Kasich.

Chronology

• June 30: Gov. Kasich's request for federal assistance is approved.

• June 30: Gov. Kasich spoke to the President and requested federal assistance to respond to the storm. He also spoke with utility company CEOs and local elected officials to make state resources available to expedite recovery activities.

• June 30: Gov. Kasich declared an emergency for the entire state of Ohio so state agencies can assist local government response and recovery efforts. The National Guard was activated to help deliver needed supplies and conduct door-to-door checks in select areas to identify vulnerable Ohioans threatened by the severe heat.

• June 29: Ohio’s Emergency Operations Center in Columbus was activated to coordinate state and local storm recovery efforts. The state contacted Federal Emergency Management Agency officials to let them know federal assistance may be needed.

• June 29: Severe storms and high winds during evening rush hour knocked out power for approximately one million homes and businesses across two-thirds of the state.

Residents without power can call their local 211 numbers for information and assistance, or 911 in an emergency. Information is also available online at www.ema.ohio.gov and on Twitter at #OHwx and #severeweather.

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News release - The White House

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

News release - Ohio Emergency Management Agency

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney will be bringing his campaign to Medina County Sunday June 17th.

The Summit County Republican Party announced Monday that Romney will attend a Father's Day pancake breakfast beginning at 9am at Mapleside Farms in Brunswick.

Romney and President Barack Obama are expected to make numerous visits to Ohio between now and election day because of the strategic importance of the battleground state.

Five days to go until Super Tuesday, with delegates in ten states up for grabs, including 66 in Ohio. 

Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney split 30 delegates in Michigan earlier this week. Click here to see the latest poll among Ohio voters by Quinnipiac University.

"We feel that this race is now narrowing to a two person race," Santorum said, while joining the 1590 WAKR Ray Horner Morning Show Thursday.

"I think they're looking for someone who's authentic, someone who they can believe, some who they know is not going to go to Washington D.C. and not be a well-oiled weathervane," he said.

Santorum shared his views on energy, pointing out that the county has got to stop saying no to opportunities to get oil and gas out of the ground, disagreeing with President Barack Obama's approach.

"It's an opportunity to create jobs and drive down the price of electricity, drive down the price of gasoline and really put some wind in the back of the economy instead of the face of it," he said.

When Horner asked Santorum to narrow in on Akron, the GOP hopeful described how he would help companies with success by changing tax rates.

Listen to a portion of his interview here:

UPDATE -- The Geauga County prosecutor says the 17-year-old suspect in the Chardon school shootings didn't know his victims. 

Prosecutor David Joyce told reporters after Tuesday afternoon's hearing in Geauga County Juvenile Court in Chardon, " He chose his victims at random. This is not about bullying. This is not about drugs. This is someone who's not well, and I'm sure in our court case we'll prove that prove that, and we'll make sure that justice is done here in this county." 

Joyce said Chardon law enforcement and school officials did what they were supposed to do. " They need to get back to school and realize that justice is going to be done."

The prosecutor said that suspect T.J. Lane has been ordered held for at least the next 15 days and that he would probably face at least three counts of aggravated murder.

Three fellow students were killed in the shootings in the Chardon High School cafeteria.

The latest student to die is Demetrius Hewlin. He was pronounced dead by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Tuesday afternoon.

One student, a girl who was earlier listed in stable condition at Hillcrest Hospital, was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon. A 16-year old boy remains at Hillcrest in serious condition.

Geauga County Judge Tim Grendell ordered Lane to be held in custody even as prosecutors haven't filed formal charges against him.

He says Lane will remain in detention due to the serious nature of the charges against him and for the safety of others as well as himself.

"Detention is necessary to protect the juvenile from any kind of potential threat or harm," he explains.

Grendell imposed a media gag order on both prosecution and defense lawyers and  hearing is scheduled for March 6 for a juvenile court version of an arraignment.

Previous coverage

Chardon and Geauga County officials held a news conference late this morning to update the community and media on what is happening in the aftermath of Monday's shootings at the Chardon High School cafeteria that left three students dead and two others hospitalized.

Geauga County Sheriff Tim McClelland says the community now needs time to recover.  "While the investigation continues and we still look for the why and what, and who, we now deal with a community looking to heal."

McClelland says the Chardon community is getting a lot of support. "Chardon, Geauga County, northeast Ohio is rallying like nothing we've ever seen before. The outpouring of concern, hope, encouragement has been unbelievable ," says McClelland.

Chardon Police Chief Tim McKenna confirmed the death of a second student. McKenna says he was informed by the Cuyahoga County Coroner at 4:30 this morning of the death of 17-year old Russell King Jr. 

Shooting suspect 17-year old T.J.Lane will appear in Geauga County Juvenile Court this afternoon and police and sheriff's officials plan to discuss the charges against him at another news conference late this afternoon (4:30pm).

A community candlelight vigil will be held at 7 tonight.

Previous coverage

A second student has died following the shootings at Chardon High School Monday.

WKYC-TV reports 17-year old Russell King Jr. passed away at Metrohealth Medical Center.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office released information about his death Tuesday morning.

Three students were taken to MetroHealth Medical Center, including 16-year old Daniel Parmertor, who died Monday before 12 p.m. 

One victim is listed in critical condition at MetroHealth Medical Center. Two other students were taken to Hillcrest Hospital. That's where a 17 year-old boy is listed in serious condition and a 18-year old girl is listed in stable condition at this time.

Shooting suspect T.J. Lane was taken into custody Monday morning and is spending this morning in solitary confinement. His first court appearance is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Classes in the Chardon School District have been canceled for Monday.

Previous Coverage:

• UPDATED Chardon High School: One Dead, Four Wounded  

View Larger Map

The housing market across the U.S. is showing improvement in the first month of the year and the same can be said here at home.

Sales were up close to 13-percent when you compare January of this year to January of 2011.

The Ohio Association of Relators reported 6,000 homes sold during the first month of 2012.

"Our market has now posted seven consecutive monthly sales gains, dating back to July 2011,” Association President Robert U. Miller said, in a press release.

"We're hopeful that the housing sector will continue to make progress throughout 2012 and build upon the solid foundation that has been established in recent months," he said.

The average price tag mirrors 2011 numbers at a little more than $115,000.

The association's most recent survey indicates real estate agents remain optimistic about the market in the coming months.

On the web: www.ohiorealtors.org

Flames shot through the roof of a commercial chicken house near Navarre last night.

Five fire departments assisted Wilmot firefighters in calming the blaze that destroyed the 75 foot by 100 foot structure on Lawnfield Street.

Wilmot Fire Chief Nich Schlabach tells the Canton Repository the fire started at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night, and it wasn't fully extinguished until 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.

He says the efforts were "labor intensive" and added that firefighters were able to salvage recently installed milking equipment at the business.

The cause of the fire is not known.

On the web: CantonRep.com

Poverty numbers are rising for Akron, increasing to nearly 3 in 10 residents in 2010.

The Akron Beacon Journal reports poverty is up to 29.4 percent in 2010, comparing to 23.7 percent before the recession in December 2007.

The figures were generated by the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

The report shows that 57,312 residents were living below the poverty line in 2010.

The poverty line for a family of four including two adults and two children was $21,970 last year.

The numbers also showed many families are earning less. 

The median Ohio household income decreased from $49,000 in 2007 to $45,090 in 2010. Those numbers dropped in every major city in Ohio since 2007.

On the Web: www.ohio.com

Many elderly and disabled residents in Ohio will pay more for their prescription drug coverage starting next year.

The Akron Beacon Journal reports that by next year, 1.8 million Ohio residents who are covered by Medicare will be able to select from 33 Medicare prescription plans. That is one less than the current year according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

More than half of the plans will cost those who enroll more each month.

Ohio monthly premiums will range from $15.10 to $110.50 in 2012. Currently, they range from $14.80 to $111.50.

Open enrollment for the prescription drug plans begins October 15 and ends December 7. Changes will become effective January 1.

On the Web: www.ohio.com