Cleveland, OH
Refugees get to experience snowboarding and skiing in Ohio
CLEVELAND — If you’re from northeast Ohio, you’re probably used to the winter weather and snow. But some refugees who moved here from other parts of the world experienced it for the first time, and learned to enjoy it, thanks to a partnership with Alpine Valley Resort.
Mayada Zakaria is from Sudan and came to Cleveland almost 10 years ago to escape political unrest in her country.
“Technically, our dad brought us here. He’s been in America for like 13 years and thought this was a life he wanted for his family, so he brought us here,” she said.
Zakaria said she never experienced snow in her birth country, but she’s learning to enjoy it here, hitting the slopes for only the second time in her life.
“These are just my clothes that I changed right now. So we got gloves,” she said.
Corner 65, part of Resource Cleveland, helped bring around 20 kids to Alpine Valley Resort and taught them to snowboard. Becky Trout Ashenfelter, director at Resource Cleveland, said this was essential for their wellbeing.
“Keeping kids active and engaged after school makes a big difference for their mental health and also teaches them different valuable skills they can take on later in life,” she said.
Ashenfelter said experiences like this help kids who’ve never seen snow before acclimate to their new homes.
“That’s the whole point of our program is to welcome people into Cleveland, build community and build up their confidence. To me, that is what community is all about and I’m happy to be a small part of it,” she said.
Zakaria said she’s not just learning to snowboard, she’s learning life lessons
“It teaches you patience, confidence, and to be brave in what you do. If you make a mistake, you’ll crash into the woods or worse,” she said.
Cleveland, OH
Jennifer L. Dise Obituary April 13, 2026 – Brown-Forward Funeral Service
Jennifer L. Dise (née Gale) passed away on Monday, April 13, 2026, surrounded by her loved ones. Jenn was energetic, fun-loving, and fearless—meeting life with an open heart and an adventurous spirit.
Jennifer came from an aviation-oriented family, which gave her early exposure to the close-knit aviation community. In 1999, she joined JetLease’s sales team and was soon promoted to an investment banking role, working with the financial complexities of corporate aircraft leasing. It was at JetLease where she met her husband, Russell Dise.
Outside of her professional life, Jenn embraced the outdoors and stayed in constant motion. An avid outdoorswoman, Jenn loved being on the water and in nature. In Florida, she spent countless hours deep-sea fishing off the coasts of Florida and the Bahamas—running the lines and reeling in wahoo, mahi-mahi, and blue marlin while Russ captained the boat.
After living in Juno Beach, Florida, for 25 years, she recently made a new home in Aurora, Ohio, where she adored her dogs and ducks. She raised several Jack Russell Terriers which she and Russ frequently referred to as Jack Russell “Terrorists.”
She also loved staying active and trying new things, from competitive equestrian jumping to tennis, golf, rollerblading, pickup hockey and just about any outdoor adventure. Her woodshop was the source of many beautiful projects.
Born in Middlefield, Ohio, Jenn lived in Chesterland and Beachwood before meeting her husband and moving to Pepper Pike.
Jenn is survived by her husband, Russell W. Dise; her parents: David and Carol Gale of Aurora; her brother and sister-in-law, Scott Gale and Jaime Gale of Aurora and cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.
The family prefers that those who wish may make contributions in her name to the Addiction Recovery Services of University Hospitals: https://www.uhhospitals.org/services/addiction-services/addiction-recovery.
A Funeral Service will be held at 3pm on Thursday, April 14 at Brown-Forward, 17022 Chagrin Blvd, Shaker Hts., OH 44120. To view the service virtually, please click on the link below at the time of the service or anytime afterwards.
Additionally, the family will sit Shiva on Thursday April 16 from 7-9pm, Friday April 17 from 3-5pm and Sunday April 19 from 1-5pm.
A service in celebration of Jenn’s life will be held at the Dise residence at a date and time to be determined.
Cleveland, OH
Corps of Engineers Awards Contract to Dredge Cleveland Harbor in 2026
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District awarded an $11.7 million contract to New York-based DMYLES, Inc. on April 9 to conduct dredging of the federal navigation channel in Cleveland Harbor twice this year.
Dredging of harbors like Cleveland’s ensures accessible depths for large vessels, the continued flow of commodities across the Great Lakes, and nearly $789 million in business revenue and labor income for the region.
Approximately 250,000 cubic yards of sediment are planned to be dredged from the upper Cuyahoga River from May 15 through June 30 and from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, 2026. Sediment will be beneficially used through upland processing and placed in a confined disposal facility.
Dredging of Cleveland Harbor is conducted annually by USACE, based on need and the availability of funding. The harbor was last dredged in 2025, with 255,651 cubic yards of sediments removed.
Cleveland Harbor is a deep draft commercial harbor which handled 13.8 million tons of cargo, including iron ore (64%), limestone (16%) and salt (9%) in 2023. Waterborne transportation facilitated by the harbor supports $646.1 million in business revenue, 2,329 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, and $142.6 million in labor income to the transportation sector.
Operation, maintenance and dredging of harbors like Cleveland by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is critical to the economy of Ohio, the Great Lakes region, and the United States.
Photos are available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/buffalousace/albums/72177720316257661/
The Buffalo District delivers world class engineering solutions to the Great Lakes Region, the Army and the Nation to ensure national security, environmental sustainability, water resource management, and emergency assistance during peace and war. Learn more at www.lrd.usace.army.mil/buffalo.
For 250 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been at the forefront of the nation’s engineering excellence, responding when called. From constructing fortifications during the Revolutionary War, to building the infrastructure that saw America’s strength grow militarily and economically, USACE’s mission has always been to deliver engineering solutions for our nation’s toughest challenges. Learn more about the USACE 250th anniversary at http://www.usace.army.mil/Home/250th.
Cleveland, OH
TRACKING: Rounds of thunderstorms and downpours
CLEVELAND (WJW) – A weakening cluster of thunderstorms will move across the area late tonight. Some small hail and gusty winds are possible in a few thunderstorms. Most of the rain and thunderstorms will move out by 1-2 a.m.
Temperatures will only drop into the lower 60s Monday night, which is warmer than the average high for this time of year.
This stretch of unsettled weather will continue through Thursday. Clusters and complexes of downpours and storms will fire up a slow-moving front across Midwest this week. These clusters will impact Northeast Ohio at times Monday night through Thursday.
One of the wetter and stormier days this week will be Tuesday. A cluster of downpours and storms will drop south across the area around or just after midday. Depending on the rain and cloud coverage in the morning, a few strong storms will be possible Tuesday afternoon/evening. With a line of storms expected, the main threat will be strong to damaging wind gusts. Here’s Tuesday’s Futurecast:
Tuesday will be another unseasonably warm spring day, with high temperatures once again well above 70 degrees. The clouds and rain may impact Tuesday’s highs.
The unseasonably warm spring weather will continue through the start of the upcoming weekend. The next cool down will not come until the end of the weekend.
Here’s the 8 day forecast:
Stay up-to-date by downloading the FOX 8 apps, including the new FOX 8 CLE+ streaming app available for free on Amazon Fire, Roku, and Apple TV.
-
Ohio17 hours ago‘Little Rascals’ star Bug Hall arrested in Ohio
-
Georgia1 week agoGeorgia House Special Runoff Election 2026 Live Results
-
Arkansas5 days agoArkansas TV meteorologist Melinda Mayo retires after nearly four decades on air
-
Pennsylvania1 week agoParents charged after toddler injured by wolf at Pennsylvania zoo
-
Milwaukee, WI1 week agoPotawatomi Casino Hotel evacuated after fire breaks out in rooftop HVAC system
-
World1 week agoZelenskyy warns US-Iran war could divert critical aid from Ukraine
-
Austin, TX1 week agoABC Kite Fest Returns to Austin for Annual Celebration – Austin Today
-
Culture1 week agoCan You Name These Novels Based on Their Characters?




