ASHLAND, Ohio (WJW) — An Ohio high school band got back into town Friday after a long week at Walt Disney World in Florida.

To get there, the 100 member band worked their tails off. So many fundraisers from car washes to coupon books. And don’t forget what probably seemed like a gazillion of hours of marching and practicing their music.

But all that hard work to get to the Magic Kingdom was almost wiped away after the first night.

“Well, if you picture all of our uniforms were shoved into there, they couldn’t really reach all the big stuff” band director Marty Kral said as he pointed at they partially empty band trailer.

The “they” in that sentence are the thief or thieves that ransacked the band’s parked and locked instrument trailer outside of their hotel near Disney.

Flutes, saxophones, trumpets, clarinets — about 20% of their instruments all gone.

“To have lost that, personally I feel that devastation for them we can replace that instrument but we can’t replace that emotion that story attached to it and that’s what breaks our heart the most.” said Brad Selan, who’s son is a drummer in the band.

The Ashland high band worked hard to get to Disney and Kral says there was no way they were going to perform without everyone.

“Our only consideration was not worrying about the vandalism or finding out who did it, the only concern was how was I going to get instruments in the hands of kids so they could have their moment the following morning,” Kral said.

Kral said their performance on Main Street USA was less than a day away. He said everyone on site and back in Ashland started working the phones. They found a music store that had happened to have an affiliate back home in Ashland that was open on a Sunday.

“We started there and within the next four hours through their stores in Orlando we had acquired everything we thought we needed for the kids to have a successful performance.” Kral said.

The next morning with unfamiliar rented instruments and no practice the day before, the Ashland High School Marching Band rose to the challenged and did its thing and didn’t miss a step or a note.

Kral said they can’t thank their community enough for all their support. He said his kids are one of a kind and he’s so proud that they were able to rise to the occasion.

Meantime, the school district says it’s hoping that insurance will cover the cost of the bands instruments.

They’ve also started a GoFundMe page to help the students who lost instruments.

HUBER HEIGHTS, Ohio — Want an overstuffed barbecue sandwich and a giant bag of Beaver Nuggets? Ohioans no longer have to drive hours to get their fix.

Ohio’s first-ever Buc-ee’s officially opens Monday morning.

The new travel center is located just north of Dayton off I-75, in Huber Heights, about an hour and 15-minute drive from Cincinnati.

Watch: Get a sneak peek at the new Ohio location here

First Buc-ee’s in Ohio opens Monday in Huber Heights

While it may look like a highway rest stop from the outside, the inside offers a different experience.

Spokesman — and showman — Randy Pauly showed what draws people from three states away.

“We don’t want to be just another gas station. We are a family travel center, and we focus on the details,” Pauly said.

Pauly said it’s all about attention to detail, from the souvenir cups to the stuffed beaver toys and freshly made fudge, roast almonds and brisket.

“You’ll notice the difference from that famous smile when you come through the front door, to the clean restrooms to the delicious brisket,” Pauly said.

Fresh beef brisket and pork barbecue are carved and served all day long, in a giant “pit” in the center of the store.

When it is ready, employees yell out “fresh chopped brisket on the board” to alert visitors that it is time to grab a sandwich.

Don’t expect roadside gas station prices, however:

• Sandwiches cost $7 to $14, depending on size
• Sausage on a Stick is $7.49
• The famous Beaver Nuggets are $5 a bag
• Beef jerky is $14 for a half-pound
• Fudge is $3.99 for a square

Firefighter Brendan Cochran drove six hours from Georgia for Buc-ee’s preview day for first responders, where active military, firefighters, police and EMTs received free sandwiches for their service.

Cochran said the slightly higher prices are worth it.

“The bang for your buck … if you get a biscuit sandwich somewhere else, that’s a plate. You are going to spend $15 to $20 for a brisket sandwich anywhere else,” Cochran said.

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Police officer Jordan Alexander also attended the preview event and shared his thoughts on the theme-park atmosphere.

“It can be a little overwhelming — there is a lot going on,” he said. “But it can be a good experience.”

So if you want to get a Buc-ee’s fix or try it for the first time, you no longer need to plan a trip south. Just drive 70 miles up I-75 from Cincinnati, and you can see the excitement for yourself.

As always, don’t waste your money.

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• An Ohio pizzeria named Lievita placed 25th in the world for its cheese pizza at the International Pizza Expo.
• Following the competition, the pizzeria said it has seen a surge in demand and adjusted its hours.
• The official results for the 2026 competition have not yet been posted on the expo’s website.

Tucked away about an hour south of Columbus, one small pizzeria is making big headlines.

Lievita, an Italian-American restaurant in Chillicothe, competed in the 2026 International Pizza Expo Pizza Challenge last week, where it says it beat out hundreds of competitors from across the globe. Its cheese pizza, entered in the Best Cheese Pizza Division, won 25th-best in the world and third-best in the Midwest, according to a Facebook post from the restaurant.

The International Pizza Challenge, which debuted in 2007, is described as the largest and one of the most esteemed pizza-making competitions in North America “and possibly the world,” according to the expo’s website.

The bake-off features 680 of the world’s top pizza-makers baking their signature pizza live at the expo, with pies judged by a panel of renowned and accredited chefs. The competition took place over three days from March 24-26.

This year’s results have not yet been released on the International Pizza Expo’s official website.

A couple days after announcing its victory, Lievita shared that it gained around 700 new followers on Facebook, pushing its audience to over 5,000.

The restaurant, located at 85 N. Paint St., also changed its hours to adjust for the “surge in demand” for its pizza, according to an April 1 post. Lievita will close one hour earlier every day except Sunday to optimize labor hours and better manage inventory and prep to avoid running out of items.