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How to stop griping and start embracing winter in Northeast Ohio: Our Best Life

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How to stop griping and start embracing winter in Northeast Ohio: Our Best Life


A rare powder day at Boston Mills. Laura Johnston, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Some Clevelanders hate winter. Once Christmas is over and the new year dawns, they grit their teeth and gripe about the cold and snow until March – or beyond.

But why not embrace what feels like a real January, where snow has transformed the tired brown landscape to a whimsical world of white?

Winter can feel magical, if you take it seriously — unlike my middle schoolers, whom I have to nag to wear a coat to school.

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You can’t love winter if your only interaction takes place in frigorific parking lots, dashing between your car and your destination, without boots, gloves or tuque (a Canadian word for winter hat I wish we would all adopt).

Yes, it’s cold. Yes, I prefer 75 degrees and sunshine.

But we are Clevelanders. Like the classic graphic tee, which I own in pink: “You gotta be tough.”

And you gotta deal with a 10-day streak of temperatures that didn’t break 32 degrees, whether you like it or not. The good news is our daily allotment of snow stayed on the ground.

Unlike cold rain, you can play in the snow. You can ski or snowboard, snowshoe or cross-country ski. You can sled or make snow angels, and if its warm enough make snowpeople or have a snowball fight. Snow days are the most beloved of all school holidays because of their inherent surprise.

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If you get a bluebird day with snow, even better. The sunshine bouncing off the ground can lift your spirit in bounds.

And even if you don’t, extra daylight increases serotonin levels in your brain, helping you regulate mood, sleep and appetite.

Go ice skating at an outdoor rink, like in downtown Akron or Cleveland, or in a flooded pocket park in Shaker Heights.

Hike through the woods in the Metroparks, or a just take walk around the block in the dark. (And while you’re out there, why not be a good neighbor and shovel the sidewalk. if you’re able?)

The snow softens everything; the quiet it creates feels like meditation.

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When you return home, stomp your boots, shake off the flakes and get cozy under a blanket on your couch. If you have a fireplace, take advantage. Make hot chocolate or tea and curl up with a good book. This is gezellig, a Dutch word that captures a cozy feeling of warmth, light and comfort, shared with loved ones.

I made my 11-year-old daughter sled with me a few weekends ago. Because it’s weird if a grown-up sledded by themselves. But I will ski solo any time, doing laps of moguls on North Bowl at Boston Mills.

Winter in Northeast Ohio

Want to enjoy winter in Cleveland? Get out and play in it.Laura Johnston, cleveland.com

I’ve been skiing with my family at the Boston Township enclave (“resort” is way too fancy a word for the cluster of runs) since I joined ski club in third grade. I took my kids when they were still bundled in sleepers in their car seat carrier, plunking them on a table for my dad to watch while my mom and I skied. When they were 2, my mom started teaching them.

It’s an investment to teach your kids to ski. You spend years on the bunny hill, calming tantrums and yelling “Turn! Turn!” and occasionally bribing with hot pretzels, while wishing you were swishing down black diamonds. But like so much of the hard work of parenting, the effort is so, so worth it.

Sharing my hobby with my kids means I get to keep doing it. Because now on winter weekends, we meet up with my mom and my sister’s family for fresh air and daylight and exercise. It’s a sport I hope will improve their winters for the rest of their lives.

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This year, we skiers have lucked out with snow, both natural and manmade. While last year, it was Jan. 17 before Boston Mills opened any of its advanced terrain, this year North Bowl was open before Christmas. And we’ve had real powder to play on.

With climate change, we’re seeing warmer winters and less snow. A 2023 study by the National Ski Areas Association predicts that if climate change is left unchecked, ski resorts in several states, including Ohio, could lose between 61% to 81% of their operational days by mid-century. A group called Save Our Snow (helpfully nicknamed SOS) compiles information on what the ski industry is doing to combat climate change.

Across the globe, 2024 was the hottest year ever, beating the record set the year before and breaching the international goal set in 2021 that aimed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times.

That may be good news to Clevelanders who don’t want to don a parka to walk their dog. But how cute are dogs in the snow, whether they’re romping like my golden retriever or wearing a coat and booties?

With our 64 inches annually, we don’t even rank in the top 10 cities for average seasonal snow totals. We’re bested by:

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Syracuse, New York, 128 inches a year

Erie, Pennsylvania, 104 inches

Rochester, New York, 102 inches

Buffalo, New York, 96 inches

Boulder, Colorado, 93 inches

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Duluth, Minnesota, 90 inches

Flagstaff, Arizona, 90 inches

Anchorage, Alaska, 78 inches

Grand Rapids, Michigan, 78 inches

Worcester, Massachusetts, 73 inches

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Now that Lake Erie has begun to freeze, we’ll have less lake effect snow.

But the next time we get a pile of it, pull on your snowpants, go out and play. Because loathing winter won’t make it pass any quicker.

ice and frozen features on Lake Erie

Ice is starting to form along the Lake Erie shoreline on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, after weeks of below freezing temperatures. The wind blowing across the lake has also led to some spectacular frozen ice features.David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

Cleveland.com content director Laura Johnston writes weekly about life in her 40s in the column, Our Best Life. Subscribe to the newsletter to get the column delivered to your inbox Friday mornings. Find her on Instagram @ourbestlifecle.



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Warren man sentenced for Niles police chase

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Warren man sentenced for Niles police chase


WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) — A Warren man who led police on a chase received his sentence on Wednesday.

Michael Greene, 32, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to make restitution.

Greene pleaded guilty in February to failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and failure to stop after an accident.

Greene was charged following a November 2025 police chase in Niles.

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Prosecutors say that the chase involved speeds of about 103 miles per hour.

It was discovered that the car Greene was driving was reported stolen by a family member.

Patty Coller contributed to this report.



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A unique project asks Ohioans to map Revolutionary War graves

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A unique project asks Ohioans to map Revolutionary War graves


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Ohioans have until May 25 to help document the final resting places of Revolutionary War veterans buried across the state.

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The effort is part of the Revolutionary War Veterans Graves Identification Project, a first-of-its-kind initiative led by America 250-Ohio, the commission organizing the state’s celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The project aims to create a publicly accessible database of veterans’ graves, complete with photographs, inscriptions and GPS coordinates, according to a community announcement.

The public can submit information through the Grave Marker and Cemetery Collection Portal until May 25. Submissions will be reviewed and finalized before the database is released July 4, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Thousands of graves documented by volunteers

Launched on Memorial Day 2025, the project has mobilized about 350 volunteers who have documented more than 4,000 grave markers across Ohio. The database is expected to include information on up to 7,000 veterans believed to be buried in the state.

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Clusters of graves have been found in areas such as Clermont County and regions corresponding to the original Virginia Military and United States Military Districts. The first documented entry was the grave of Nathaniel Massie, a Virginia Militia private who founded the city of Chillicothe.

A window into Ohio’s early history

Ohio is home to a large number of Revolutionary War veterans’ graves, despite not being one of the original 13 colonies. After the war, portions of Ohio’s land were granted to veterans as payment for their service, drawing many to settle and build communities in the region.

Previously, records from organizations like the Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution identified about 6,800 veterans buried in Ohio, but lacked precise locations and current photographs.

How to participate before the deadline

Anyone with a smartphone can contribute to the project. No historical expertise is required. Here’s how to participate:

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  • Visit ohiohistory.org/revwargraves to review instructions and explore the map of cemeteries already identified as likely grave sites.
  • Download the free Survey123 app on your smartphone.
  • Visit a cemetery, photograph the grave marker, record inscriptions, and log GPS coordinates.
  • Submit your entry through the portal before May 25.

Volunteers who do not wish to remain anonymous will be acknowledged by name for their contributions. The completed database will remain publicly accessible beyond the America 250 celebration and will be maintained by the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office and the Ohio History Connection.

A lasting legacy for future generations

The project is led by the Ohio History Connection and its State Historic Preservation Office, with support from Terracon Consultants, Inc. Submissions appear on a live, publicly viewable dashboard at ohpo.maps.arcgis.com.

“These are the very first veterans of the United States of America,” Krista Horrocks, historian, cemetery preservationist, and project manager with the Ohio History Connection said in the announcement. “Documentation is the part that will outlive all of us. Gravestones won’t survive forever, but if we can record their location and story today, that information will be here for generations to come.”

To learn more, view the live dashboard, or submit information on a grave site, visit ohiohistory.org/revwargraves.

This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.



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Ohio governor announces new Medicaid fraud prevention initiatives

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Ohio governor announces new Medicaid fraud prevention initiatives


COLUMBUS — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Wednesday that he is implementing several new fraud prevention initiatives to strengthen and build-upon long-standing efforts to fight fraud, waste, and abuse in the Ohio Medicaid system.

“Ohio has long been a national leader in fighting Medicaid fraud. Ohio has one of the best Medicaid Fraud Control units in the country, and, in 2018, Ohio became the first state to implement Electronic Visit Verification in home health care,” DeWine said.

“Today, we are ready to begin several new initiatives long in development that will enhance this nation-leading work and further protect taxpayer funds from those trying to defraud the State.

“I thank the Trump Administration for their partnership and collaboration that is allowing us to proceed with these reforms much faster than previously possible.”

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New initiatives

DeWine said he is directing the Ohio Department of Medicaid to implement the following:

  • Statewide New Provider Moratorium. The Ohio Department of Medicaid will today ask the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) so Ohio may implement a six-month moratorium on new home-healthcare and hospice businesses being able to become Medicaid providers. This will allow Ohio Medicaid to stop enrollment of new providers and assess existing providers to help remove those at high risk for having committed fraud.
  • Immediate Payment Suspension to High-Risk Providers. Ohio Medicaid will today begin a policy of immediately removing and suspending payment to providers whose billing practices show “red flags” that indicate a high probability of fraud. Ohio Medicaid already has a robust payment suspension protocol that is currently used to stop payments to questionable providers. In January, Ohio Medicaid began the process of implementing new data analytics tools to help identify billing data anomalies that could better identify fraud. To date, this process has identified 87 providers who will be subject to further review and potential payment suspension.
  • Executive Order for Emergency Rules. The Governor will be issuing an Executive Order that will allow the Ohio Department of Medicaid to implement emergency rules to require more frequent revalidation of providers being identified as higher-risk for committing fraud. Governor DeWine sent a letter to CMS on May 1 committing Ohio to partnering with the Trump Administration and using a more stringent revalidation process to better prevent fraud.
  • Mandatory GPS Requirement for Electronic Visit Verification. Ohio Medicaid will file rules to require GPS for all providers using Electronic Visit Verification (EVV). Since March 2025, Ohio Medicaid has begun phasing in EVV as a mandatory requirement for home healthcare provider payment. In December, DeWine authorized Ohio Medicaid to begin the information technology investments needed to make GPS mandatory for EVV. Ohio Medicaid now ready to make this rule change to implement the requirement. Ohio Medicaid has worked collaboratively with Ohio Auditor Keith Faber on identifying solutions to issues identified in the Auditor’s audits of Ohio Medicaid, and this new rule will implement a key recommendation of the audits.
  • Mandatory EVV for Live-In Caregivers. Ohio Medicaid will begin the rulemaking process to require live-in caregivers to use EVV during home healthcare and as a requirement for payment. Currently, family and live-in caregivers are exempt from this requirement.

Ohio’s work in prosecuting Medicaid fraud

Ohio has been a national leader in catching and prosecuting Medicaid fraud thanks to a strong partnership between Ohio Medicaid and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and its Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the governor said. 

Since the beginning of 2023, Ohio has secured 444 Medicaid fraud indictments, 481 convictions, and 146 civil settlements and judgments resulting in $78.4 million in  recovered taxpayer fund.

Under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, the unit received a U.S. Office of the Inspector General’s Award for Excellence in Fighting Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in 2022, and it ranked #1 in the nation for number of convictions secured in 2015 under then-Attorney General Mike DeWine.

Utilizing home healthcare to protect taxpayer dollars

Home and community-based care programs have been a core component of Medicaid services for decades since they were initiated under Ronald Reagan’s Administration.

Ohio is one of 47 states and the District of Columbia that provides such care under a waiver granted by CMS.  

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Ohio’s home and community-based care programs are grounded in data showing that legitimate in-home care is typically safer for individuals and significantly more affordable for taxpayers.

In 2024, Ohio saved more than $600 million in taxpayer funds that would have been expended had patients receiving home healthcare been diverted to skilled nursing or other residential care services, saving several billion dollars over the course of the DeWine Administration.

On average, home health care costs half as much as placement in a nursing facility. 

Ensuring access to appropriate home-based care is both a responsible use of public resources and a critical part of meeting the needs of our most vulnerable Ohioans who otherwise would require placement in higher-cost nursing facilities.

Additional efforts to fight fraud, waste & abuse

Providing care in a home setting requires a robust set of controls to detect and prevent fraud.

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Ohio Medicaid has been proactively evaluating all program integrity initiatives to ensure taxpayer dollars are well spent and that quality care is being provided.

The governor’s office said the department has been engaged in a thorough review of programs and policies to evaluate any risks to the integrity of the program, identify potential gaps that could be exploited, and explore opportunities to leverage new and emerging AI and data analytic tools to stay one step ahead of anyone looking to exploit the system.

As part of that work, since the start of 2026, the Department has initiated new prior authorization requirements for high-risk services to ensure medical necessity. 

Ohio Medicaid launched efforts to build new data analytic capabilities to identify unique outliers in billing patterns, better assess vulnerable business ownership structures, and improve coordination of fraud fighting efforts.

These efforts are designed to improve the early detection of potential fraud and identify future areas of inherent program risk.

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To confirm that billed services are actually rendered, Ohio Medicaid relies on an extensive set of safeguards, including:

  • Comprehensive provider screening and continuous compliance monitoring.
  • Mandatory electronic visit verification capturing date, time, and service location.
  • Advanced analytics that flag unusual billing patterns or service trends.
  • Routine and targeted audits performed by program integrity staff.
  • Coordination with state and federal partners when concerns arise.





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