Drivers jarred by potholes file damage claims with state

Pothole damage typically is covered under an auto-insurance policy's collision provisions, said Mitch Wilson, a spokesman for the Ohio Insurance Institute. But most damage falls below the standard $500 deductible, he said.

Ohio Court of Claims forms are available online at www.cco.state.oh.us, and the state transportation department allows people to report potholes on its website.

Neither office publicizes the state's obligation to pay for pothole damage, though. A number of people who have filed reports said tow-truck drivers and mechanics advised them to file. LINK

rvitale@dispatch.com

Homeless man with 'golden radio voice' gets his chance

The homeless man with the "golden radio voice" wanted a second chance -- and did he ever get it.
As soon as Ted Williams, a panhandler who became an online hit after video of him begging on an Ohio roadside was posted to the Internet, appeared on a local radio show this morning the offers began pouring in -- including a dream job with the Cleveland Cavaliers and a free house. LINK

Vintage HAM Radios

Diana Eng tours the vintage HAM radios at the flea market at the Hamvention in Dayton, Ohio. LINK: Youtube

US Naval Academy Performance Kings Firecracker

The Kings Firecrackers are a group of elementary and Jr High school girls from Kings Local School District in Ohio who, besides doing their school work and keeping their grades up, practice for 5 days a week, 2 hrs a day jumping rope. And it pays off; they’ve been on Late Night With David Letterman, in the Macy’s Day parade, at one of Bush’s inaugurations as well as in American Girl magazine. LINK, Via: Neatorama, Via: Youtube

Big Game of Scrabble

Jane and Keith Crane of Akron, Ohio created an eight-foot square Scrabble board for their yard!

He fashioned the board from pavers laid in a bed of sand — 225 of them, to be exact. He installed them all in one day and had the back pain to prove it.

Jane Crane painted the bonus square in the proper colors and made letter tiles from craft-store wood plaques. She took apart shelves and reconfigured the pieces to make tile racks, and pavers and tiles were sealed to prevent water damage.

Now Scrabble games at the Crane house are a physical as well as mental pursuit. The players have to get out of their seats to place their tiles on the board and pick new ones from the selection spread out face down in the grass.

Link -Via: mental_floss, Via: Neatorama

Ohio Crybaby Bridge Tour

There are many bridges in the United States known as Crybaby Bridge. Most are named this because the sound of a baby can be, or has been, heard from the bridge. Most are accompanied by a legend of a baby or young child/children being killed nearby, or thrown from the bridge into the river or creek below.

With some variations, most crybaby bridge legends have this in common: park your car over or under the bridge, and you will soon hear the sounds of a person crying.

The Ohio Crybaby Bridge Tour. LINK: Presurfer