ReportWire

Tag: Around the US

  • USDA continues to fight avian influenza as virus spreads

    USDA continues to fight avian influenza as virus spreads

    COLUMBUS — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working to stop the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

    What You Need To Know

    • Close to 100 million birds have been killed since the HPAI outbreak began in 2022
    • According to the United States Department of Agriculture, HPAI has been confirmed at least 69 times in dairy herds throughout nine states, including Ohio, as of May 30
    • Each week, Spectrum News 1 anchor Chuck Ringwalt and agriculture expert Andy Vance discuss an aspect of the state’s agricultural landscape

    4.2 million chickens were killed this month after an outbreak at an Iowa egg farm.

    The United States Department of Agriculture reports at least 69 confirmed cases of HPAI in dairy cow herds. Three farmworkers have been infected with the virus.

    Since the start of the outbreak in 2022, more than 96 million birds have been killed.

    “Poultry farmers are getting more and more used to dealing with [HPAI],” agriculture expert Andy Vance said. “This outbreak in particular has been more challenging than some we’ve had, but the variance and the spread of these does tend to ebb and flow.” 

    The USDA said it will provide financial assistance to dairy producers affected by the virus.

    The USDA said it will use $824 million from the Commodity Credit Corporation to launch a new Voluntary H5N1 Dairy Herd Status Pilot Program 

    The program’s goals include testing options for producers and increased surveillance of the virus.

    “USDA food safety inspectors are making sure that no animal, dairy cow or poultry that’s infected with this disease is getting into the food supply,” Vance said.

    Vance also serves as the executive director of the Poultry Science Association.

    If you have an idea for the Ag Report, a question for Chuck and Andy or you’d like to send a photo of your farm and the work you do, email charles.ringwalt@charter.com.

    Chuck Ringwalt

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  • Taste of Cincinnati brings bold flavors and family fun

    Taste of Cincinnati brings bold flavors and family fun

    CINCINNATI — Calling all foodies! From main courses to sweet treats, if you’re looking to sample some of the best dishes in southwest Ohio, then Taste of Cincinnati is the place to be.

    One of the best parts about the three-day festival is the amazing food and it gives business owners a chance to reach a totally different customer base.

    What You Need To Know

    • Taste of Cincinnati runs three days over Memorial Day weekend

    • The festival celebrates 45 years as a staple in Cincinnati and more than half a million people are expected to attend

    • It’s a chance to let people try different foods and for restaurants to reach new customers

    We spent some time behind the scenes and inside the kitchen at The Establishment.

    This will be their first time at Taste.

    Keeping a close eye on the day-to-day ins and outs is General Manager David Walters, and driving the menu is Chef Red.

    The kitchen took off during the pandemic and Chef Red has helped navigate the restaurant through it all.

    Kitchen sales have doubled since last year, and new additions like brunch have made a huge difference.

    “Constantly innovating, changing our menu. He’s changed our menu every season, updates, takes things off, adds new additions,” Walters said.

    At Taste of Cincinnati, The Establishment will share signature dishes. They’ll be serving up Nashville chicken sliders, cheeseburger sliders and Amish chicken quesadillas with a chipotle pepper glaze.

    “We’re super excited. It’s been a lot of effort on our end scheduling people, figuring out our costs, how to work this event. It’s a monster event. This is one of the biggest things Cincinnati puts on annually,” said Walters.

    More than half a million people are expected to stop by and see all that the Cincinnati food scene has to offer.

    “We were a little nervous going into it, but we know that we aren’t in over our heads and we’re going to kill it all weekend,” Walters added.

    “It’s celebrating its 45th year this year in 2024. We have over 80 vendors cooking for us this weekend, we have 30 food trucks, over 30 restaurants and 20 vendors from the Findlay Market,” said Chelsea York, the Cincinnati Chamber’s vice president of Events and Experiences.

    As always, you can expect a family fun weekend with tons of food and live music.  

    “We recommend bringing a picnic blanket this year. We do have the Lytle Park picnic zones. So Lytle Park is a newly renovated park right down the street from the footprint so you’re welcome to take your food and drink over there. There are plenty of places to spread out with a blanket and enjoy,” York said.

    For Walters and the team, Taste of Cincinnati is a chance to share their passions and the food that makes their spots so unique.  

    “That’s massive. That’s tons and tons of people that have never heard of us before and we’ll get that exposure and hopefully retain some business from it. Taste the quality, remember the quality, and just come back and see us because of it,” he said.

    Taste of Cincinnati spans four blocks of Fifth Street downtown.

    It runs Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 pm and Monday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

    Alese Underwood

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  • University of Cincinnati population continues to rise

    University of Cincinnati population continues to rise

    OHIO — The University of Cincinnati could become one of the largest universities in the country over the next decade.

    What You Need To Know

    • This past school year, the University of Cincinnati had an enrollement of 51,000 students, making it the largest population size yet 

    • The university is expected to grow in the next few years 

    • Housing is one of the school’s top priorities as it prepares for the spike in population

    This past academic year, the school enrolled nearly 51,000 students, the most in its history. School leaders expect that number to increase to 60,000 by 2034.

    They said they are getting more students from Cincinnati Public Schools and from across the Indiana border. The increased numbers have the school working on ways to add more housing on campus.

    “We’re really moving into a phase in the next couple of years where we will be doing a lot of investment in our housing,” said Jack Miner, vice provost for enrollment management at the university. “We’ve had phenomenal partnerships for years with private developers. We continue to see a lot of private growth in this area.”

    In addition to UC, The Ohio State University also has a large population size. Bestcollege.com lists the university as the third largest in the nation, with more than 61,000 students. 

    Editor’s note: A previous version of this story misspelled Jack Miner’s name. This has been corrected. (May 22, 2024)

    Camri Nelson

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  • Ag Report: Warm soil temperatures aid farmers despite wet weather

    Ag Report: Warm soil temperatures aid farmers despite wet weather

    COLUMBUS — Despite heavy rain, farmers were able to make progress in the fields.

    What You Need To Know

    • According to the report: ” There were 2.0 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 12.”
    • Each week, Spectrum News 1 anchor Chuck Ringwalt and agriculture expert Andy Vance discuss an aspect of the state’s agricultural landscape

    According to the USDA, 1.59 inches of precipitation was recorded for the week ending May 12. The report said this was .8 inches above average.

    “Anyone with a backyard or a dog can identify with it. It feels like here comes .2 of an inch. Here comes .3 of an inch. Just enough rain every day or every two days to keep it from drying out and getting anything done,” agriculture expert Andy Vance said.

    Tornados and extreme weather also prevented farmers from working in the fields.

    According to the report: “Farmers reported damage from either a direct hit of the tornado or from trees being uprooted or branches breaking off the trees.”

    However, warm soil temperatures allowed some farmers the ability to make progress.

    “We’re also well ahead of the five-year average for corn and soybean planting,” Vance said. “We’re running about 3.5° above normal here for example, so when you have above average precipitation and above average temperatures things get to growing pretty quickly.”

    The USDA reported corn and soybean planting was 36% and 27% planted during the week ending May 12.

    If you have an idea for the Ag Report, a question for Chuck and Andy or you’d like to send a photo of your farm and the work you do, email charles.ringwalt@charter.com.

    Chuck Ringwalt

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  • Local chef talks working at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse during Cavs semifinals

    Local chef talks working at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse during Cavs semifinals

    CLEVELAND — The success of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Monsters this season isn’t just good for fans. It’s also good for the restaurants that call Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse home. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The success of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Monsters this season is providing an extra boost for businesses at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
    • Karen Small has been cooking in Ohio almost all her life and runs P Street Market at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

    • Small opened her business at the arena after being approached by Aramark, the vendor that provides food services at the facility

    The Cleveland Monsters led the league in attendance for the fourth time in the last five seasons, according to the American Hockey League, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are drawing huge crowds as they fight for survival in the semifinals.

    Karen Small has been cooking in northeast Ohio almost all of her life. She’s the chef of P Street Café at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. 

    She’s worked as a chef at the arena when LeBron James came back to Cleveland in 2014. She’s been a chef in the city for about 30 years. Early on, she was exposed to the challenges of the food industry.

    “I had a restaurant called the Flying Fig that we closed down. When the new landlord came in, he raised our rent by $7,000 a month, so it made it impossible to continue any longer,” she said.

    Small had a new opportunity to look forward to.

    “At one point I was contacted by Aramark if I was interested in coming here and being that the Cavs were my favorite team of all time, I was like I’m in,” she said.

    Small was discovered by Aramark, the vendor that provides food services at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. It all started when the district manager for Aramark stumbled upon her Flying Fig restaurant.

    Small isn’t just enjoying the added business that comes with the Cavs and Monsters having a longer season than expected. She said she’s also doing what she loves while getting to watch her favorite team compete in the semifinals.

     

    Wiley Jawhary

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  • Weather Explained: Storm surge

    Weather Explained: Storm surge

    Storm surge is when a storm or hurricane causes ocean levels to rise, bringing flooding and destruction to life and property.

    Three factors can determine the severity of storm surge: coastal orientation, the slope of the continental and tides. 

    Watch the video above to learn how these three things affect storm surge and what you can do to keep you, your family and property safe. 

    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Northern Kentucky University soon to offer AI minor

    Northern Kentucky University soon to offer AI minor

    HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Northern Kentucky University (NKU) is introducing an artificial intelligence minor to its list of degree offerings beginning this fall.

    What You Need To Know

    • Beginning in the fall 2024 semester, Northern Kentucky University (NKU) is offering a new artificial intelligence minor 

    • It will be offered through the College of Informatics

    • NKU said the AI minor will provide students with a basic foundation in computing, machine learning and prompt engineering

    • Courses will also cover societal, ethical and legal implications 

    Many believe AI will continue to become a part of everyday life as it advances at a rate that Kevin Kirby, dean of the College of Informatics at NKU, said he has never seen before.

    “I’ve never seen anything change so fast,” Kirby said. “It’s very important to keep our subject matter fresh, and we know students are coming to NKU right now with lots of experience in AI.”

    NKU created the new AI minor through the College of Informatics. The university said according to the Wall Street Journal, AI expertise adds value to a wide variety of careers, which is why it created the minor to pair with nearly any major.

    “When students come here, we want them not to be just users of AI,” Kirby said. “We want them to be, maybe, power users. We want them to understand … this is how it works, this is why it consumes so much data and so much power.”

    “AI is not just tech; it’s not just computer science. It’s about communicating with a new form of intelligence in some way. How do you talk to AI? How do you bend AI to your will?”

    The opposite happening is one of the major concerns some have expressed about AI. It’s a topic Robert Greenleaf Brice said he plans to address in his “philosophy of mind” class.

    “There are issues about consciousness … and of course, that falls right into the full wheelhouse of, ‘What is AI?’” Greenleaf Brice said. “Is it alive in the sense it has consciousness? Or is it just what some philosophers call weak AI, which is just kind of a tool?”

    “My concern is less that there’s a doomsday scenario, the ‘Terminator’ effect, where it will rise and have this consciousness. I’m less concerned about that. My concern is mostly about what it is that we’re putting into these programs. What sort of moral, ethical decision-making process is going into these programs?”

    NKU said the AI minor will provide students with a basic foundation in computing, machine learning and prompt engineering, along with societal, ethical and legal implications. 

    “There are some things to be afraid of with AI, but we want the fear to be informed,” Kirby said. “You are going to be thrown into a world where you’re using AI; your colleagues (and) your students are going to be using AI, so we want to empower you with the ability to deal with that.”

     

    Sam Knef

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  • Muslims join for community prayer on Ohio State’s campus

    Muslims join for community prayer on Ohio State’s campus

    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Hundreds of Muslims came together in prayer Friday on The Ohio State University’s South Oval.

    Some Muslim students on OSU’s campus told Spectrum News 1 they felt their First Amendment rights were violated on April 25, when their prayer service was broken up by police who were responding to the pro-Palestinian encampment set up on the school’s campus. Hundreds of people returned to that same spot where the encampment was and where dozens of people were arrested on campus.

    What You Need To Know

    • A community prayer was held on Ohio State University’s South Oval Friday 

    • Hundreds of Muslims in the Central Ohio community came together to “reclaim their sacred space and stand in solidarity against hate and violence.”

    • Dr. Yasir Qadhi, a nationally renowned speaker and American Muslim scholar, led the Khutbah (sermon) and prayer

    • While their latest community prayer was happening, Ohio treasurer Robert Sprague announced that the state is buying an additional $30 million worth of Israeli bonds

    Friday is considered the most significant day of the week in Islam. Normally, Muslims would be inside a mosque, but on May 3 students, faculty and community members decided to hold the prayer publicly.

    Jamil Aboushaar, a junior at OSU and a member of the Muslim Student Association on campus, said the event was about coming together as a community to advocate for peace overseas and to motivate everyone to stay strong in their faith. 

    Jamil Aboushaar, a junior at OSU and a member of the Muslim Student Association. (Spectrum News 1/Taylor Bruck)

    “Message of unity, a message of peace,” Aboushaar said. “We’re not anti-Semitic. We’re not anti-Semitic by calling for an end to genocide. Rather, we’re advocating for humanity more than anybody else is, more than the other side is. We’re advocating for, you know, just justice and peace for everybody, no matter their religious background, no matter their cultural background, no matter their ethnic background.”

    Yasir Qadhi, a nationally renowned speaker and American Muslim scholar, led the Khutbah and prayer.

    “It is high time that we, not just the Muslims of this land, but people of conscience, people of integrity, people who care about their country and that’s all of us, it is high time that we change the realities of what our country is doing over there,” Qadhi said. “All Muslims, and people of all faiths, we shall not and we cannot tolerate hatred and preaching hatred of another faith tradition. And we will not tolerate anti-semitism…We will not allow voices of anti-semitism or voices of Islamophobia to be given a platform. However, we will not be intimidated when criticism of a country is falsely accused of being anti-semitic.”

    Muslims join for community prayer on Ohio State’s campus on May 3.

    Muslims join for community prayer on Ohio State’s campus on May 3. (Spectrum News 1/Taylor Bruck)

    While their latest community prayer was happening, Ohio treasurer Robert Sprague announced that the state is buying an additional $30 million worth of Israeli bonds.

    The move comes as pro-Palestinian protests continue to ask schools and universities to divest from companies doing business with Israel.

    That decision is not sitting well with Aboushaar, who said he doesn’t want Ohio’s tax money being spent overseas.

    “It’s just as concerning every time I read it,” Aboushaar said. “Where there’s more bills being passed, more money being sent over and, you know, that’s why we’re out here. We’re out here to advocate and to stop that. We’re tired of our money that we put we put into the system to be used against us overseas. And not even just against us, but to all, like all genocides, all killing any, any funding of, you know, weapons or anything worldwide that America takes place in, we’re against all of it.”

    Spectrum News 1 reached out to both the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and Jewish Columbus to get their reaction to the announcement, but neither provided us any comments. Meanwhile, we asked the treasurer’s office whether it has any concerns that this purchase will be seen as an inflammatory move by those who are opposed to investments in Israel during a time of war. They too did not respond.

    Taylor Bruck

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  • Powell student wins prize in C-SPAN’s StudentCam Competition

    Powell student wins prize in C-SPAN’s StudentCam Competition

    POWELL, Ohio — Competition for C-SPAN’s 20th annual StudentCam was tough. Thousands of students from 42 states participated. They took on tough topics while showcasing their video-making skills, and one of the prize winners is from Ohio. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Ben Kurian from Powell, Ohio wins 2nd place in the 2024 C-SPAN StudentCam middle school division and ‘fan favorite’

    • He covered ‘career exploration’ in his winning video submission

    • Kurian shot and edited the entire video, even making the music for it

    • Kurian won $1,500 from the judged competition, and an additional $500 from winning ‘fan favorite’

    Thirteen-year-old Ben Kurian plays piano and chess, oh, and he also placed in C-SPAN’s Nationwide StudentCam Competition two years straight.

    Kurian’s video won first place in the middle school division last year, and this year, his video won second and ‘fan favorite.’

    “I thought I had a decent chance to make it a pretty good video,” Kurian said.

    He picked career exploration as his topic for the video.

    “Twenty-five percent of 15-year-olds could not name what job they wanted to have at 30,” Kurian said. “It creates something called the career exposure gap, and that, that’s something that we really don’t want to see in our youth. It’s really important that we know what jobs are out there and what we are capable of.”

    Kurian shot and edited the entire video, even making the music. 

    “I got the opportunity to compose my own piece and soundtrack for this documentary,” he said.

    In his video, it poses the question ‘Who do I want to be?’

    If Kurian had to answer that, he said, “personally, I want to go into the medical field, a psychiatrist maybe because I think their service is really much needed in our community.”

    As for his future in video editing, he plans to continue making informational videos. 

    But until then, he’ll continue entering the StudentCam competition, hoping for more wins.

    Kurian won $1,500 from the judged competition, and an additional $500 from winning ‘fan favorite’. He said he plans on saving his winnings for college. 

    To watch Kurian’s full documentary, go here.

    Aliah Keller

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  • Young marine honors fallen World War II hero

    Young marine honors fallen World War II hero

    SOUTHGATE, Ky. — For decades, a World War II veteran from Kentucky wasn’t receiving the proper recognition for his heroic efforts. A high school student in northern Kentucky thought it was well past time that changed.

    What You Need To Know

    • Abby Smith knew from a young age she wanted to one day join the military and got a head start joining the Northern Kentucky Young Marines in 2019

    • The group Charging Forward for America recently made Smith aware of Private First Class Edward H. Ahrens from Dayton, a marine who died in World War II at just 22 years old

    • Thanks to a generous donation from Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3186 and other donors, she could put together a plaque and headstone, culminating in a ceremony attended by family members of Ahrens from out of state

    • Through the process of researching Ahrens, Smith said she gained an even greater appreciation for America’s servicemen and women

    “It makes you have a deeper appreciation for your country and what it stands for,” said Beechwood High School sophomore Abby Smith. “And I think all of America’s youth should know that because we were founded on such great principles that are still upheld today.”

    Smith said she knew from a young age she wanted to one day join the military. She got a head start joining the Northern Kentucky Young Marines in 2019.

    “Me joining at 11, I couldn’t talk to you,” Smith said. “I couldn’t talk to anybody, barely even my friends. Now, I can talk to other people. I can lead other kids.”

    “It’s really just changed my entire worldview of what I can do and made me so much better. It really helped me develop my discipline, teamwork, almost all of the skills you use in your life.”

    Her training with Young Marines has also included military and American history and veteran appreciation. Recently, the group Charging Forward for America made Smith aware of Private First Class Edward H. Ahrens from Dayton, a marine who died in World War II at just 22 years old.

    “He protected his company from a Japanese nocturnal attack, and he single-handedly defended them,” Smith said. “It’s really truly inspiring what he was able to do at such a young age. You always hear stories of amazing war heroes; they have books, they have so much about them. But he has gone unrecognized for so long.”

    “He did have a grave, but all that it said on it was that he served, he was in the marines, and it didn’t really say that he earned the navy cross or that he protected his entire company. And I just didn’t think that should go unrecognized for all that he’s done.”

    Smith started fundraising. Thanks to a generous donation from Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3186 and other donors, she could put together a plaque and headstone, culminating in a ceremony attended by family members of Ahrens from out of state.

    “It’s just inspiring to see all of your hard work finally pay off,” she said.

    Her unit commander, Lynne Arnold, said it was no surprise to see Smith take charge on such an important task.

    “Every once in a while, someone like Abby comes along; hard-charging, in it for the right reasons,” Arnold said. “She loves the program; she loves the opportunities given to her.”

    “When people trash or insult kids or teenagers today, I always just say, ‘Come see my kids; just come see my kids.’ They will give you hope for the future.”

    Through the process of researching Ahrens, Smith said she gained an even greater appreciation for America’s servicemen and women.

    “I feel closer,” she said.

    Smith added she plans to attend the U.S. Naval Academy after high school. She’s still deciding whether she wants to go into the Navy or the Marines.

     

    Sam Knef

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  • Woman starts bakery thanks to Apex Fund

    Woman starts bakery thanks to Apex Fund

    CLEVELAND — Starting a small business is not easy, especially if you just moved to the United States from another country.

    What You Need To Know

    • Fereshte Naghvi moved to the United States from Iran less than a year ago
    • Naghvi launched her own bakery thanks to help from the Apex Fund
    • Lida Ahmadi is also from Afghanistan and fled the Taliban two years ago

    Life hasn’t always been easy for Fereshte Naghvi and her family. She’s been in Ohio for eight months and said she’s been trying to make a living and name for herself.

    “When you go to a new country, obviously it’s hard to adjust since you are starting from zero, but we waited six years to get here. It made it worth it,” she said. 

    Naghvi’s family is from Afghanistan, but she was raised in Iran. She escaped the political unrest and left everything she knew behind.

    “Iran is not welcoming to refugees, that was one reason. The other reason was because I wanted my kids to have a good future here,” she said.

    Naghvi said she knows she has to work to keep a roof over her family’s heads. That’s why she recently started her own at-home bakery, thanks to support from the Apex Fund.

    “My husband back at home was always bringing sweets from outside, so I said why not make sweets myself for him. So I went to classes and learned,” she said.

    Naghvi said she makes everything from scratch and credits the Apex Fund, which helped to get her business registered. 

    Apex Fund small business adviser Lida Ahmadi said the fund helps low-income entrepreneurs overcome the barriers that sometimes prevent them from accessing conventional loans to start a business.

    “She’s dreaming of having a coffee shop, I’m trying my best to get her to that dream. I’m planning on making that possible to her through the programs we have,” she said.

    Ahmadi is from Afghanistan. She fled the Taliban two years ago and left the country on the last plane out with the Marines.

    The Apex Fund helps connect people with everything from a photo ID and business plan, to supplies, furniture and equipment to start their small business, as well as working capital.

    Ahmadi has helped Naghvi get the exposure she needs to grow her bakery.

    “Now finally I am at the point where people are starting to know me and I’m able to start my business,” Naghvi said.

    Naghvi said she’s doing this to set an example for her son, giving him a future full of the opportunities she never had growing up.

    Wiley Jawhary

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  • Weather Explained: Why spring allergies have us sneezing

    Weather Explained: Why spring allergies have us sneezing

    Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the United States, according to American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

    Nearly 10% of the U.S. population is diagnosed with hay fever each year, especially during the spring months when the pollen count is quite high.

    Check out the video above for more on how plants and wind can result in those itchy and watery eyes.

    Meteorologist Nick Merianos

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  • ACT scores on the decline

    ACT scores on the decline

    CLEVELAND — ACT scores in Ohio have been on the decline. In 2014, the average composite score was 22, but in 2023 it was 19.2. Now, some universities aren’t even looking at ACT scores anymore for their applicants.

    Adam Smith, the vice president of enrollment for Ohio Wesleyan University, said that OWU doesn’t require applicants to submit their test scores.

    What You Need To Know

    • ACT scores across the state are on the decline

    • Some universities are “test optional,” meaning they don’t require an ACT or SAT scores for admission 

    • Some people believe that taking the exam can give students an advantage

    “We do the holistic approach where we do take the time, we’ll read the application, we’ll read the essays, the letters of recommendation,” he said.

    Smith said that the school stopped requiring an ACT or SAT scores back in 2014.

    “We really just wanted to take into consideration the student as a whole and we wanted to take their work outside of the classroom,” he said.

    Cathy Graham, who works for College Now of Greater Cleveland, explained that she believes every student should take the ACT.

    “These tests create opportunities and I don’t think students are aware of it,” she said.

    College Now helps prepare students for the ACT and SAT. The group that administers the exam said that ACT scores across the country have reached the lowest levels in over 30 years. Graham expressed that she thinks part of the reason is because students don’t care as much about their scores anymore.

    “Because of COVID so many schools have moved to test-optional, the stakes of taking this test have decreased for students so a lot of them are like ‘eh I’ll just try it and if I do okay I do okay and if I don’t it won’t matter,’” she said.

    Graham said that the test is not the end all be all, but that it does give students an advantage.

    Katie Priefer

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  • Wheelchair bodybuilding: inspiring competitors and fans at The Arnold

    Wheelchair bodybuilding: inspiring competitors and fans at The Arnold

    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Athletes from all over the world are competing at the 35th annual Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus this weekend. Among them, elite athletes who use a wheelchair.

    What You Need To Know

    • Wheelchair Bodybuilding has been a competitive event at The Arnold Sports Festival since 2016

    • The event is open to men and women, professionals and amateurs, founded by wheelchair athlete Nick Scott

    • Pro bodybuilder Harold Kelley has won his division every year except 2022 since the contest began

    The wheelchair bodybuilding competition features amateurs and professionals, men and women, in an event that premiered at the festival in 2016.

    “Being that The Arnold opened the door to wheelchair competitors, that put us on the world map,” said Harold Kelley, a Texan who is the defending champion.  

    He had already been competing as a bodybuilder when a car accident took the use of his legs. Since 2016, he has won every Arnold contest except for 2022. He regained the title in 2023 and is defending it this year. 

    “I surpassed where I was before my car accident, so when you see your calling, whatever it may be, you have to accept it,” Kelley said. “Once I accepted it, the doors just opened up.”

    Sharla Peterson won the amateur women’s division Thursday night. She had competed in the bikini competitions until she broke her back and was paralyzed during a workout.

    “I was afraid to go back to the gym because I thought people were going to look at me as a wheelchair wimp you know, like ‘what is she doing in here?’” Peterson said. “That took a lot of courage, and when I went back… they loaded plates for me and then as they saw me getting leaner and they saw me getting trimmed, they were just so excited I was going to compete… and so it became a really inspirational thing for myself and for other people.”

    She gets inspired meeting other competitors here.

    “When you’re in a wheelchair and finding somebody else in a wheelchair who has the same passion as you, there’s just a huge connection,” she said.

    “You meet so many people around the world that come to the Arnold Classic,” Kelley said. “Because this is a world event, and if you are enthused about fitness, you’re going to be here.”

    Nick Scott is the one who brought them together.  The director of the event and founder of wheelchairbodybuilding.com is also a powerlifting and bodybuilding champion and a motivational speaker. 

    He too turned to wheelchair bodybuilding after an accident left him paralyzed in 1998. Since then, he’s worked hard for his sport to grow at the Arnold and around the world. 

    He lobbied for 10 years to get wheelchair bodybuilding added to the program in Columbus. He is grateful for the support of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the bodybuilder and actor who is the sports festival’s namesake. 

    ‘“Arnold’s always been a supporter of wheelchai, of people with all sorts of disabilities,” Scott said. “And on top of that, he’s going to present on Saturday night to the winner of the wheelchair division… At the sports festival, here at the Arnold, we’re like family.”

    Scott has a mission beyond staging a competition and awarding medals to the competitors.

    “It shows that if I can make this dream happen, anything can happen for anybody else,” Scott said. “It’s really about giving hope. Hope is the one thing stronger than fear.”

    Steve Oldfield

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  • Weather Explained: Lightning safety

    Weather Explained: Lightning safety

    By

    Spectrum News Weather Staff

    Nationwide


    PUBLISHED 10:00 AM ET Mar. 01, 2024
    PUBLISHED 10:00 AM EST Mar. 01, 2024

    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • Look for the Full Wolf Moon this week

    Look for the Full Wolf Moon this week

    The Full Wolf Moon rises high in our January sky this week.

    What You Need To Know

    • The January full moon’s common nickname is the Wolf Moon

    • It’ll turn truly full on Thursday

    • The moon rises high during the winter, similar to the summer sun

    • The constellation Gemini appears near this full moon



    The moon will become fullest at 12:54 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 25. While it’ll be below our horizon then, don’t worry–it appears full for a couple nights before and after the time it’s truly full.

    Native Americans’ names for this full moon include the Great Spirit Moon, Ice Moon and the wonderfully descriptive Someone’s Ears are Freezing Moon.

    If those cold weather themes have you yearning for summer, this little nugget may help. Because the full moon resides roughly opposite the sun, it rises high in the winter since the sun’s highest point is relatively low. So, when you look at this month’s full moon, its path is similar to what the sun’s will be in July.

    Simulated sky the evening of Thursday, Jan. 25. (Stellarium)

    While you’re out, you’ll have no trouble finding a couple other night sights. The full moon will appear near the stars Pollux and Castor, which are the heads of the twins of the constellation Gemini. And toward the north, you’ll see the Big Dipper and Little Dipper.

    Since it’s still early in the year, now’s a good time to make note of 2024’s astronomical events.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    Meteorologist Justin Gehrts

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  • Warming temperatures and gender disparities in sea turtles

    Warming temperatures and gender disparities in sea turtles

    Few species have their sex determined by temperatures, but for sea turtles it’s almost a certainty.

    However, this natural occurrence could become a biological disadvantage as global temperatures continue to rise, leading to larger gender disparities.

    What You Need To Know

    • A sea turtle’s gender is determined by the temperatures in its surrounding environment

    • Higher nest temperatures produce females, while cooler temperatures yield males

    • A warming planet will likely upset gender diversity in the sea turtle population

    Temperature-driven gender reveals

    The differences in reproduction between humans and sea turtles extend beyond the obvious ‘one lays eggs while the other does not.’ One key difference between the two is how sex is determined.

    For humans and many other species, gender is determined from the by sex chromosomes when fertilization occurs. But this is not the case with sea turtles and other reptiles, given that they lack sex chromosomes.

    For them, the gender of their offspring is determined after fertilization, and the deciding factor all depends on temperature. This kind of sexual determination is called temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD).

    Building their nest onshore, a female will lay their eggs in the sand, where they will continue to develop before hatching about two months later.

    A baby Olive Ridley sea turtle crawls to the sea past discarded turtle eggs at Ostional beach on the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2007. (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert)

    During that time, the temperature of the surrounding sand can activate an enzyme, aromatase, in the embryos responsible for converting sex hormones, and determining gender.

    Higher temperatures stimulate more aromatase activity. This yields an increase in female hormones and thus, the baby sea turtle will hatch as a female.

    On the contrary, cooler temperatures limits aromatase activity. This promotes male hormones to dominate, and so the sea turtles that hatch will be male.

    (AP Photo/Cody Jackson)

    According to NOAA, sand temperatures of 88.8 degrees or more will yield female sea turtles, while sand temperatures of 81.86 degrees or less will produce males.

    Eggs incubated in sand temperatures falling between these two thresholds will cause a mix of male and female sea turtles.

    A warming world and gender inequality

    Following the world’s warmest year on record in 2023, rising global temperatures will likely upset gender diversity within sea turtle populations in the years to come.

    (NOAA)

    Researchers from Florida Atlantic University Marine Lab announced warmer nest temperatures in recent years have produced more female hatchlings, some years even recorded no male offspring at all. 

    As the male sea turtle populations continue to decrease, growing disparities in gender could ultimately endanger the species’ existence in the future.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    Meteorologist Shawnie Caslin

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  • Weather Explained: Understanding the wind chill

    Weather Explained: Understanding the wind chill

    Learn how wind can affect the outside temperature.

    Spectrum News Weather Staff

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  • 2023 saw a record 28 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters

    2023 saw a record 28 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters

    The U.S. dealt with 28 disasters that each cost over $1 billion last year, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. That’s the most in one year since records began in 1980.

    What You Need To Know

    • The U.S. had 28 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2023

    • 19 of them were severe storms and tornadoes

    • The 28 disasters cost an estimated $93 billion

    • Last year broke the record of 22 such events in 2020



    The average number of billion-dollar disasters since 1980 is 8.5 per year. However, from 2019 to 2023, the average was 20.4 events, including the previous record of 22 events in 2020.

    NOAA adjusts for the Consumer Price Index to account for inflation.

    Here’s when and where 2023’s billion-dollar disasters happened.

    The majority were from severe storms and tornadoes, which made up 19 of them. The rest included four floods, two tropical cyclones (including Hurricane Idalia), one wildfire, one winter storm and one drought/heat wave.

    The year may end up with one more, depending on the tally from the mid-December East Coast storm.

    In total, NCEI estimates 2023’s billion-dollar disasters cost $93.0 billion, above the average of $60.5 billion. They also say these also contributed to at least 492 deaths.

    NOAA’s information on 2023’s costly disasters came the same day that Europe’s climate agency reported the global average temperature last year set a record that was 2.66 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The Lower 48 had its fifth-hottest year on record, according to NOAA.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    Meteorologist Justin Gehrts

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  • Different weather conditions can affect your fireworks show

    Different weather conditions can affect your fireworks show

    Many people are looking forward to the spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks shows. However, everything from snow, wind and humidity can affect not only if you can launch those rockets into the sky, but also what they will look like.

    What You Need To Know

    • Heavy snow can make the fireworks’ colors less vibrant

    • Strong winds during fireworks can endanger the public

    • Lightning can strike spectators and unlit fireworks

    Ideal weather

    Clear skies, light winds and low humidity make for a great show. Extra moisture in the air can distort the colors and make them less vibrant.

    Less humidity also means we can enjoy the show a little more because we don’t feel sticky.

    Snow

    (Bradly J. Boner/AP Images for EUKANUBA™)

    Snow is okay when it comes to fireworks.

    The only problems are heavy snow can obscure the colors, and crews need to keep the fireworks dry in times of heavy snow or they might not light.

    Wind

    We also need to have the right amount of wind. Light wind might not clear the smoke quickly enough, affecting how well you can see the fireworks.  

    Too much wind can blow smoke or embers around, endangering people.

    Fireworks smoke

    Smoke from a fireworks display at Chicago’s Navy Pier filters through the skyline on wind currents from Lake Michigan. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

    Rain and lightning

    Light rain is okay when it comes to fireworks, as long as they are covered or in waterproof bags. A wet fuse will not light.

    Storms and heavy rain can lead to canceled or delayed shows. Lightning can pose a major threat, sometimes striking unlit fireworks or even people.

    (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

    Drought

    Drought conditions can also cause problems. The fallout from fireworks can spark fires when there’s a lot of dry vegetation.

    Each year, fireworks spawn many fires.

    (Photo by Heather Morrison)

    If there is a bad drought happening in your area, avoid setting off fireworks. Often, local authorities will ban the use of fireworks in high fire risk or drought conditions.

    However, bigger shows might launch over bodies of water to accommodate for a drought.

    So, keep these in mind if you plan on setting off fireworks. Check the forecast first and stay safe!

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

    Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade

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