With Back to School shopping on the horizon, saving money is always helpful and those big ticket purchases like Glasses and/or Contact lenses can be a very expensive necessity, so this should help a little. 

As of July 1st of this year, the State Of Ohio has added prescription Glasses and Contact Lenses to a list of items that are exempt from Sales Tax that includes Hearing Aids, Prescription Drugs, and other medical supplies, and that should save taxpayers between $20-30 million dollars a year.

Ohioans are expected to spend nearly $400 million dollars on glasses and contacts next year.

For more information, CLICK HERE

(Courtesy News 5 Cleveland, WEWS-TV 5, news5cleveland.com)

This year instead of loading everyone up in the car for a long road trip to the beach or some other far-away destination, we decided to explore some closer to home destinations along the North Coast.  Port Clinton and Put-In-Bay are on our list of stops, so when I saw this story on the news Sunday evening, I decided to share it with you and offer a friendly reminder that if you are planning to head to any of the tourist areas along the Lake, you may want to call your hotel or local law enforcement to inquire about any type of road or business closures in the area before you head out. 

Keep in mind, in many areas that have been affected by the severe weather and heavy rains, closures could be day-to-day and may not affect all activities in an area you may be planning to visit.  While an hour or two drive is no big deal for a day of fun along the Lake, it can quickly turn into a scramble to find an alternative (affordable) destination or activity, especially if you have little ones.   Be safe out there and have Fun this Summer!

Here's a LINK to read about the latest issues facing residents and visitors of Port Clinton this past weekend, Courtesy of News 5 Cleveland, WEWS-TV 5, news5cleveland.com

Beginning next week, Summit County residents that are in danger of losing their home to foreclosure and qualify, may be able to receive some assistance in learning how to save their home.

"Summit County Save Your Home" is a partnership between the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, the Akron-Summit County Library, and Community Legal Aid.

For more of the story and the details on the program you can CLICK HERE

(Courtesy News 5 Cleveland, WEWS-TV 5, news5cleveland.com)

Thanks to the folks from NorthEastOhioFamilyFun.com for putting together this great compilation of places in NEO to watch Independence Day Firework Displays!!

Keep in mind that these events and times are always Weather Permitting, but you can find displays in your area when you CLICK HERE!

Summer has finally arrived and with it have been some very high temps that can cause some serious health issues that put us, and those we love, at risk for heat related illness or death.

Officials for the City of Cleveland have released some Tips to help you and those you care about to stay safe during Summers' extreme temps and the folks at Fox 8 Cleveland have the list and some other helpful links for you HERE.

Please remember to check on older family members when temps are high and of course, NEVER leave children, loved ones or pets inside any vehicle unattended as it only takes minutes for temperatures to reach life threatening levels in a closed car on a hot day.

(Courtesy FOX 8 Cleveland  and the CDC)

For the second year in a row, the Summit County Prosecutor and the ride sharing app, Lyft, will team up to provide a safe, FREE ride home to folks that need one over the Independence Day Holiday with the "Arrive Alive" Program.  

The service will be available to users of the app from 6PM on July 3rd until 6AM on July 5th of this year and was used by nearly 200 Summit County residents in 2018.

To take advantage of the service, users will just need to enter the PROMO CODE: SCPO7419    (To help you remember the code, its the initials for: 'Summit County Prosecutor's Office' and the date of '7-4-19')

If you don't use the Lyft app, and find yourself in need of a ride over the Holiday weekend, there are other services to get you home safely and free of charge as well, like LIFERIDE, and we'll have details on that for you here at WQMX.com and on the air for you very soon.

(Courtesy News 5 Cleveland, WEWS-TV 5, news5cleveland.com)

Want to live in a house with nearly 30 other women?  Want to travel around the world with the man of your dreams and his 15 other potential brides??  Do you enjoy drama, crying and jealousy???  Well, from 1pm til 5pm on July 27th, you may want to drop in to the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center to audition for an upcoming season of ABC's The Bachelor when producers stop in Cleveland in hopes of finding a suitable contender to battle for the heart of some guy that was rejected by a previous contestant on one of the shows from 'The Bachelor' franchise.  Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy watching these shows and if I wasn't married and I was twenty years younger I would be trying to get in on The Bachelorette, Big Brother and allllll the reality shows.  

If you are a SINGLE woman, with an outgoing personality who's in search of love (and you don't mind millions of people knowing your business and watching your every move)... you can find out more HERE

(Courtesy of News 5 Cleveland, WEWS-TV 5, news5cleveland.com)

Pop-Up Bars are pretty popular these days and this one seems pretty cool!  A Pop-Up Bar usually has some type of theme or is based on a TV show or movie or some kind of event, like a Holiday.  Well, there's one of these temporary watering holes opening up in Cleveland this Fall and it's calling out to 6 year old me pretty loud - it's for adults only and its a Ball Pit - like the one at your fave fast food restaurant as a kid but with a Half-Million LED lit plastic balls... a live DJ... and Adult Beverages!!  You'll have to buy tickets for a designated time slot and you can 'swim' all you want during your 'turn'. 

The Location is still being kept under wraps, so click this link to FOX 8 Cleveland for updates and some more details. 

CLICK HERE for more about the company putting it together AND for notifications of PRE-Sale Tickets when they are released, as it is expected to sell out nightly.

One of my favorite ad campaigns in the last decade or two had to be the "Real Men of Genius" ads from Bud Light... you remember, rousing ballads about stuff like the guy who invented a cooler on wheels, and others.  Well, To bring things into modern times and give the ads a fresh coat of paint, they've released 7 new ads on their Youtube Channel about "Internet Heroes of Genius", and some of them are pretty dang funny.  Just like the originals, you have the 'Big Voice' narrator telling you about the 'Hero', but the highlights to me have always been the raspy voiced singer that highlights the often overlooked, but obvious absurdity of said 'heroes'.  You can check them all out HERE

While creeping along (due to higher than normal pedestrian traffic levels more than the water levels) on the Cherry Street Bridge in Canal Fulton Tuesday afternoon, my son Maks and I shot this VIDEO of some of the flooding in our quiet little town.  I've lived in CF for the last 13 years and I've seen this area fill with a few inches of water on many occasions, but never like this.  Please be safe out there and check on your loved ones, neighbors and friends in impacted areas during the next few days.

Click here to view