Latest news with #ODNR
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
SEE IT: Unique deer making rounds in local community
NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (WJW) — A unique fawn appears to be making its rounds in North Olmsted. FOX 8 viewer Mat Hendricks sent us video of the baby deer, which is nearly all white except for a few dark patches around its eyes. Hendricks said the fawn was spotted on Tuesday, July 15 near Lorain Road. STEP INSIDE: Ohio's most expensive home needs a buyer A few weeks earlier, another FOX 8 viewer submitted a similar video of what appears to be the same young deer, spotted nearby along Gessner Road. Both viewers said the eye-catching deer was with its mom and sibling. The unique genetic trait may be getting passed along through the generations of deer in the area. Ominous cloud over NE Ohio: What was it? In November 2024, a similar deer was spotted, also along Lorain Road. At the time, FOX 8 reported that, according to ODNR Wildlife Communications Specialist Monika Bowman Bell, the deer most likely has a pigmentation anomaly called leucism, or the partial absence of melanin in the animal. According to Bell, unlike albinism, which is a complete lack of melanin, including the eyes, leucistic animal eyes are typically unaffected and they may have dark hooves or other coloration, like spots. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Yahoo
How to stay safe at Ohio state parks this summer
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — ODNR wants people to get outside this summer to enjoy a nice hike in the woods, a swim in the lake, or go boating on the open water, but they want you to do so safely. 2 NEWS spoke with an officer with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to learn more about how to stay safe while enjoying the summer weather. One of the easiest ways to protect yourself if you are on the water is by wearing a life jacket. ODNR officer Garrett Heasley says just a few months ago, they added 32 life jacket loaner stations around the state.'It's a safety thing. Life jackets are going to help you float,' said Heasley. 'You know, you might have a sudden medical condition, an injury, something like that, where you're not able to swim. So having a life jacket on will keep you afloat and keep you safe until you can get rescued.'Before you head to the water or the woods, let a friend or family member know where you will be hiking or swimming, and when you expect to return from the park. Heasley says if something were to go wrong, this helps locate you faster. 'Search parties or rescue personnel can assist and better make it to you in a more timely manner,' said Heasley. Bring enough water, and be sure to leave the alcohol at home, as consumption is not allowed in the parks, especially when boating. Heasley says operating any vehicle under the influence is illegal. 'Operating under the influence of alcohol in Ohio is illegal. There's no open containers allowed of alcohol on our state park waters,' said Heasley. 'There's very stiff penalties for operating under the influence of alcohol.'ODNR recommends you check out park maps to find out where the no wake zones are located, which are in place to protect beachgoers and the shoreline. To learn which state parks are near you, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Yahoo
State uses Portage County park to promote Ohio tourism
Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park is featured in a commercial promoting tourism in Ohio. The video features a family throwing a dart at a map, deciding to go on vacation wherever the dart lands. When it lands on Ohio, the family visits Headlands Beach State Park in Mentor, Put-In-Bay, Mill Creek Park in Youngstown, Brass Eye in Columbus, Aullwood Audubon in Dayton, the Christmas Story house in Cleveland and the End of Appalachia Preserve in West Union, in addition to Nelson Ledges. While the park is located in Nelson, it is depicted in the video as Garrettsville, which is its mailing address. Nelson Trustee Anna Mae VanDerHoeven said the state of Ohio is making a big effort to promote tourism in its state park. Trustees, she said, were among the first to visit a glass walkway that opened over Memorial Day weekend after two years of construction. The 137-foot walkway goes over Sylvan Creek Gorge in the park, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources states on its website. Those walking over the bridge can see the water 50 feet below. The walkway ends in a platform overlooking Minnehaha Falls. ODNR recently told WEWS Channel 5 in Cleveland that the bridge was one of the most unusual structures ever constructed in a state park. VanDerHoeven recalls having some sticker shock over the $1.68 million cost when she visited. "You could feed a lot of people or serve a lot of veterans with that money," she said. She said the overlook is "just gorgeous." Since the bridge was dedicated, a school bus of students from James A. Garfield Local Schools visited the trail, and one man told her he visited from Wisconsin. The privately owned Nelson Ledges Quarry Park has put up a sign to let visitors know that it's not the state park, VanDerHoeven said. The state, she said, also featured the park in a state magazine to promote tourism. "It has attracted so many people," she said. But those people, VanDerHoeven added, must travel to Garrettsville or Middlefield in Geauga County to grab a bite to eat or visit any businesses. "It brings people to the township, but we don't get anything out of it," she said. "We just get the traffic." Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at dsmith@ This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: State uses Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park to promote Ohio tourism
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Yahoo
Governor DeWine shares update from Ohio workers in Texas
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WJW) — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine shared an update Saturday about the work the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Ohio Department of Natural Resources are doing in Texas following the devastating and deadly flash flooding over the Fourth of July weekend. Tick-related emergency room visits have doubled: Cleveland Clinic DeWine announced July 7 he'd directed the Ohio State Highway Patrol to send a team of 20 troopers from the agency's Mobile Field Force and several of ODNR's K-9 teams, along with their handlers, to assist with search and recovery missions in hard-hit areas of Texas. The teams updated the governor as they were preparing to begin their fourth day of recovery work along the Guadalupe river. 'Crews from the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Ohio Department of Natural Resources are embedded with the Texas Department of Public Safety in three separate units, combing through the devastation left behind by last week's catastrophic flash floods,' DeWine wrote. 'Our teams – including several ODNR K-9s trained for search, rescue, and recovery missions – have been working long hours in hot temperatures, and I couldn't be more proud of those who volunteered for this mission.' According to DeWine, troopers told him the destruction is unlike anything they've seen, especially in the area of Camp Mystic where nearly 30 campers and counselors were swept away by fast-moving flood waters. Former dispatcher faces charges for 'cruel' call made to citizen 'I thank our Ohio teams for their selfless dedication to the citizens of Texas, and Fran and I continue to pray for everyone impacted by this tragedy,' DeWine's statement said. More than 100 people across central Texas are confirmed dead, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday more than 160 people are believed to be still missing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Black bears reported in Greater Cincinnati
At least one black bear was spotted early July 7 in Greater Cincinnati. A FOX19 viewer shared videos of the bear walking outside their home on Aspenhill Drive in Springfield Township around 4:15 a.m. A Greenhills police officer also spotted a black bear on the Commons the same morning. The bear was last seen behind Our Lady of the Rosary Church at 17 Farragut Road. It's possible they saw the same bear. The two locations are about an hour apart by foot, according to Google Maps. Hamilton County dispatch said someone also reported a bear around 6:45 a.m. July 5 on westbound Interstate 275 in Sharonville near Mosteller Road, but officers didn't find anything when they arrived. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has tracked black bear sightings in the state since 1993. Most bears spotted are young males, wandering long distances in search of a mate and territory. Reports are growing, according to ODNR, with most observed in northeast and southeast Ohio. In 2022, the most recent year data is available in the monitoring report, Ohio had both the highest sightings and confirmations of black bears on record. Here are the numbers dating back to 2019: 2019: 176 sightings, 77 confirmed. 2020: 154 sightings, 76 confirmed. 2021: 159 sightings, 61 confirmed. 2022: 285 sightings, 161 confirmed. Black bear attacks are rare. They are usually fearful of people. As long as they are given space and not cornered, bears do not seek to attack or kill children or pets. The bears are generally not aggressive and prefer to flee if they are aware of your presence. If you see a black bear, remain calm. If it hasn't noticed you, back away slowly and leave the area. If it is aware of you, avoid direct eye contact and give it an easy escape route. Don't run away or climb a tree, which may provoke a chase. State wildlife officials recommend remembering this using the acronym AWARE: Act calm and do not run. Warn the bear that you are near. Talk in a firm, calm voice. Allow space between you and the bear. Step aside and back slowly away. Do not make the bear feel trapped or threatened. Raise your hands above your head to appear larger if the bear approaches. Clap your hands or shout to scare the bear away. Exit the area. Did you see a bear? The state Division of Wildlife wants to know. Report sightings online at or the Wildlife Species Sighting Report. You can also contact your local county wildlife officer or regional District Wildlife Office. Enquirer media partner FOX19 contributed this report. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Black bears reported in Springfield Township, Greenhills and on I-275
