Here are your morning headlines for Monday, Feb. 3:
- ODNR needs help counting bald eagles;
- Ohio students test negative for coronavirus;
- First NE Ohio breast milk donation site opens;
- Cuyahoga County to hold sessions aimed to curb election misinformation;
- Rubber worker stories sought in Akron oral history project;
- 250 LED streetlights to be installed in Akron neighborhood;
- Pro Football Hall of Fame names modern-era class;
ODNR needs help counting bald eagles
The state wildlife agency is asking Ohioans to help count every bald eagle nest in the state. Mary Mertz is director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). She said counting is an opportunity to get outside and see eagles while providing a valuable conservation service. ODNR Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker said estimates are that Ohio hosted more than 350 nesting pairs of bald eagles last year. The bald eagle was removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in 2007 and from Ohio’s list in 2012.
Ohio students test negative for coronavirus
Two Miami University at Oxford students tested negative for the coronavirus, health officials said Sunday night. The students reported flu-like symptoms last week after returning from China. They were placed in isolated housing and tested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been nine confirmed cases nationwide, none in Ohio.
First NE Ohio breast milk donation site opens
Northeast Ohio's first breast milk donation site opened over the weekend. The Repository reports OhioHealth's Mother's Milk Bank in North Canton is the 9th location in the state. Moms can drop off their breast milk after a health screening. The Mother's Milk Bank donated more than 3,000 gallons last year to 14 different states and Canada. One ounce can feed a premature infant for three days. The milk bank plans to open more locations in the Cleveland area and Ashtabula County.
Cuyahoga County to hold sessions aimed to curb election misinformation
The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections plans to clear up misinformation ahead of the March 17 presidential primary. The board will host several Friday sessions at Cuyahoga County Public Library branch locations to help break down rumors about casting ballots, especially absentee ballots or voting by mail. Cleveland.com reports the board hopes it'll make voters feel more confident in the election process. The first meeting is scheduled for this Friday at the Fairview Park library branch at 6:30 p.m. Click here for other sessions.
Rubber worker stories sought in Akron oral history project
A group helping commemorate Akron's role in the rubber industry is asking for stories from workers in the industry and their descendants. Akron Stories has scheduled more than a dozen recording sessions this spring. Audio files collected through the project will be archived with the Akron-Summit County Public Library. Excerpts will be featured on a kiosk installed across from a planned sculpture of a rubber worker.
250 LED streetlights to be installed in Akron neighborhood
The city of Akron is making an area downtown a bit brighter. More than 250 LED streetlights will be installed in the South Exchange Street Corridor as part of the city's Great Streets Initiative. The city said that in other FirstEnergy utility areas, neighborhoods have seen as much as a 10% reduction in crime and a 25% reduction in serious crime after LED streetlights were installed. The South Exchange Street Corridor is the second of 10 Akron neighborhoods scheduled to receive this upgrade as part of the initiative.
Pro Football Hall of Fame names modern-era class
The Pro Football Hall of Fame named its modern era 2020 class over the weekend. Troy Polamalu, Steve Atwater, Edgerrin James, Isaac Bruce and Steve Hutchinson will be enshrined in Canton this summer. Polamalu made it in on his first ballot. He played all 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and won two Super Bowls and four All-Pro honors. There are also 10 senior inductees — former players who have been retired for more than 25 years — and three contributors for the centennial class.
