If you're participating in Akron's curbside Recycling Program, well I hope you are doing it right!  Starting this week, if  you see someone nosing around in your Recycling Bin at the curb, you have nothing to worry about... as long as there are no "contaminants" in yours.  Things like yard waste, food, plastic bags and several other things that are a big no-no in the recycle bin can get you a warning for your first and second offences, and a third violation will result in your bin being taken away.  Officials from 'Keep Akron Beautiful' say it isn't a punishment and won't affect most residents, but repeat offenders and those intentionally using the bins for things like construction waste are the reason for this new system.  For more on the new program, CLICK HERE for more from News 5 Cleveland. 

Courtesy WEWS-TV News 5 Cleveland

I spotted THIS ARTICLE ON CLEVELAND.COM and had to share it with you because being hungry can affect so many aspects of a child's development and well being.  Without discounted school meal programs, Many families will struggle to provide those ever important meals over the summer months.  With great programs like these, children in our area don't have to go without the proper nutrition that is essential to their growth.  There are also many Summer Reading programs to keep their minds active as well!  Free Lunch Starts today, June 3rd, and Free Breakfast will begin tomorrow June 4th.

CLICK HERE to view the Full List of locations that will be providing meals

(Courtesy of Cleveland.com and The Cities of Akron, Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls and Twinsburg)

The students at Lander Elementary School in Mayfield Heights had a "Lil" surprise visitor on Wednesday... current Chart Topper and singer of the #1 song "Old Town Road", Lil Nas X!!  A video of students dancing and singing the hit song was posted to twitter by Principal Evans and was seen by the artist who then decided to drop by and perform to show his appreciation!  

Click HERE for more of the story and some videos from news 5 cleveland

(Courtesy: WEWS-TV News 5 Cleveland and Felicia Evans)

If you want to find someplace new to cool off this summer, I found this great list of outdoor waterparks in North East Ohio on FOX 8 Cleveland... I've been to at least half of these, and the attractions at each range from all ages to the more experienced adventurer.  There are other parks of course if you want to drive a little farther, but if you are in the Akron area some of these may be a lot closer than you think, and most are within a 90 minute drive!  Feel free to comment about your favorite or add another one to the LIST!

I shared this a few weeks ago and thought it might come in handy this weekend for you...

The nice folks at News 5 Cleveland have put together this fantastic list of Free and discounted deals and attractions for our American Veterans over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, and some also include our Active US Military folks as well!  Have a safe weekend and #NEVERFORGET

 Click HERE for the list!

(Courtesy of News 5 Cleveland, WEWS/tv)

A couple cool things happening in NEO for football fans - one you can check out now, the other in 2021

First, If you remember (I know we all try to forget) when Cleveland was not doing so well in the world of Professional Football... so there were special edition"Fridges" installed in area bars that would 'Unlock' after the first Victory of the season so patrons could toast with a free adult beverage.  One of these exclusive refrigerators has been donated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame by the folks at Loby's Grille in Canton and will be on dispaly for the world to see at the Hall. (FULL STORY from Cleveland.com) 

So the other thing is kind of a big deal... if you saw any footage, pics or social media posts about this years NFL Draft that was held in Nashville, TN, andthought it looked like a good time but think 8 hours is a long drive for a party, then you are in luck.  The NFL has announced that the 2021 NFL Draft will be held in CLEVELAND!  The 75th Anniversary of our North Coast team in Orange happens to be the same year, and if things continue to improve on the shore of Lake Erie, this could, and should be, one of the biggest things to happen in Cleveland since that little Championship parade for the Wine & Gold. (CLICK FOR MORE)

Congrats, CLE!  

(CREDITS: ESPN, Anheiser Busch, NFL, Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland.com)

We all like to help, and no one likes to be taken advantage of, that's why it takes a special type of low-life to try and profit from tragedy.  Sadly this is a reminder to always, ALWAYS, make sure to verify that you are donating to the correct or preferred charity if using those on-line crowdfunding sites.  Fox 8 Cleveland reports on a couple of crowdfunding pages that have surfaced after the tragic loss of a 22 year old woman during the annual Cleveland Marathon last weekend.  The Family of Taylor Ceepo had requested in her Obit that in lue of flowers, any donations should be made to Akron Children's Hospital.  Click HERE for more. (Courtesy Fox 8 Cleveland)

All systems seem to be restored and its back to business as usual at Coventry Local Schools after a cyber attack caused the district to cancel Monday classes.  Coventry Schools were the victims of "Trickbot" - a Trojan Horse virus that seeks out a users financial information and passwords, and is one of, if not THE, worst of its kind according to the FBI.  If you want more info on "Trickbot" and some info on how to protect yourself, click HERE for the latest... Courtesy of WKYC TV-3/wkyc.com

No School Monday for Coventry Local thanks to a computer virus, known as "Trickbot," that has caused a nightmare of a weekend for the tech teams at Coventry Local Schools as they put in long hours to restore affected programs. The virus hit last week and the school district is working hard to make sure everything is back to normal before having students report back.  Staff is still excpected to report as usual on Monday and if all goes as planned then the hope is that Staff and Students will both return on Tuesday.  

Click Here for the Official Facebook post from Coventry Schools

Thursday night my wife and I took our two youngest, 7 & 10, to see Double Dare Live at the Historic and Beautiful Akron Civic Theater, and what a fun night out!  It was a smaller than expected crowd, as addressed by Marc Summers at the beginning of the show, but that actually worked out well for many, as Summers directed everyone in the Balcony to come down to the main floor, which they gladly did.  There must have been about 100 kids and adults that participated in a variety of "Physical Challenges" that ranged from simple 'frisbee toss' games to some pretty messy ones, like the 'catch an egg and smash it on your own head as many times as possible in 30 seconds'.  that was the first half of the show, then it was time to watch two families play the game just like on TV, with 2 rounds of questions, dares, double dares and more Physical Challenges resulting in the "Red Team" winning the chance to go to the Obstacle Course and even though there may have been a missed flag along the way, they still won the Grand Prize of the night: $1000 in cash!  

My boys were a little disappointed that they didn't get picked to participate, but it was still a fun, nostalgic and entertaining night for the entire audience.  I hadn't been to the Civic in years and forgot how amazing it is in there, we are lucky to have this Gem here in the Rubber City, so if you haven't been in a while, go to a show and get reaquianted with this Historic venue!  I hope to have some pics up on my Facebook Page for you to check out a little later today... after a nap of course.