(upbeat music) - Coming up next on "NewsDepth," the House of Representatives impeaches President Trump, again.

And Disneyland might be closed, but these folks are excited to be there.

Why do some spots in Ohio get more snow days than others?

We'll tell you.

We've got sledding safety tips for you when you do get a break from school.

"NewsDepth" is now.

(upbeat music) For the first time in history, a US president's been impeached twice.

Hello, everybody, I'm Rick Jackson.

Thank you for joining us.

On January 13th, the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald J. Trump for the role he played in a mob attacking the US Capitol Building.

Lawmakers inside were certifying votes for Joe Biden to be the 46th president.

The vote fell mainly along party lines.

Only 10 Republicans joined Democrats in voting yes for the impeachment.

Among those 10 was one of Ohio's own, Representative Anthony Gonzalez, who serves the 16th district on the western outskirts of Cleveland and Akron.

Nadia Romero is in Washington to explain the vote, and what happens next.

- [Nadia] Thousands of armed troops keep guard both outside and inside the Capitol, all to protect lawmakers on a historic day, the second impeachment of president Donald Trump.

- Today, in a bipartisan way, the House demonstrated that no one is above the law, not even the president of the United States.

- [Nadia] Exactly one week after the deadly siege on the Capitol, a bipartisan majority in the House impeached President Trump on one count, inciting an insurrection.

- We are debating this historic measure at an actual crime scene, and we wouldn't be here if it weren't for the president of the United States.

- I cannot think of a more petty, vindictive, and gratuitous act than to impeach an already defeated president a week before he is to leave office.

- [Nadia] President Trump denied responsibility for the riot.

- Mob violence goes against everything I believe in, and everything our movement stands for.

No true supporter of mine could ever endorse political violence.

- [Nadia] Unlike President Trump's first impeachment in 2019, this time a handful of Republicans voted with Democrats to impeach.

- With a heavy heart, and clear resolve, I will vote yes on these articles of impeachment.

- [Nadia] Yet, most House Republicans argue that impeachment will ultimately do more harm than good.

- A vote to impeach will further fan the flames of partisan division.

- [Nadia] Although the House has the power to impeach, it's the Senate that holds a trial, and can ultimately remove Trump from the presidency, and potentially bar him from ever seeking office again.

- Thanks, Nadia.

The senators are scheduled to return from their break January 19th, the day before Joe Biden's inauguration.

That means the trial of President Trump will most likely not happen until the early days of the Biden administration.

Speaking of the Biden administration, last week we told you about some of the folks Biden's chosen to be in his cabinet.

Then we ask you to tell us who you would choose to be in your cabinet.

Let's hop right into those letters by opening up our inbox.

Izzy from Stranahan Elementary in Sylvania wrote, "If I were a president, my cabinet member would be "my friend Elise, because she is smart, hardworking, "and cares about everybody around her.

"She would be the secretary of commerce, "because me and her made a business of selling bracelets, "and she was very good at it, "and she's also very fair."

Delaney from Claggett Middle School in Medina wrote, "If I had to pick one person to be "in my presidential cabinet, it would be my mom.

"My mom is an educator for elementary teachers "and students in Medina, "so I would elect her as the secretary of education.

"My mom is such a great person and I love her so much.

"She is hardworking, "and I think that she is a good educator, "because she helps me a lot with my schoolwork "and online learning.

"For my presidential cabinet, I would choose my mom, "because she's a great person all around."

What a loving tribute.

Damian from Barberton Middle in Barberton also chose his mom.

"I would pick my mom for secretary of transportation.

"She always finds a way to get me to school."

I hope you don't make it too difficult on her, Damian.

Jamere at J&G Snow School in Berea chose someone we're all celebrating this week.

"If I had to pick a cabinet member, "I would pick someone who was like Martin Luther King, Jr. "I like that Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for the rights "of African Americans.

"Having someone like him will help give me good advice.

"I feel that with this good advice, "I can run a great country."

Finally, Katie from Eastwoods Elementary in Hudson wrote, "I choose my twin Annabelle, "because she's very good at deciding things, "and has very good ideas.

"Annabelle is also smart, brave, and kind, "and that is why I think that she should be "in the presidential cabinet."

Wow, it sounds like you all have some wonderful people in your lives to lean on and to ask for advice.

Well, let's put politics to the side, and have an update on the COVID vaccine roll-out.

Back in the fall, we told you how the pandemic shut down Disneyland in California.

The famous amusement park is now inviting guests back, but not for a visit with Mickey and Minnie.

They're allowing their parking lot to be a massive distribution site for the vaccine.

Tina Patel reports on the first day of distribution at Disney, Tina?

- [Tina] Carol Jendreas got up at 4:00 a.m., hoping to be one of the first seniors in Orange County to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

She says she's been waiting a long time for this chance.

- It's been terrible.

I have not seen my family at all.

I've dropped off Christmas presents at the door, and then we Zoom-ed to open them.

- [Tina] Katherine McKinney has also been missing her family, so she was excited when she heard people over the age of 65 are now eligible for the vaccine.

- I decided to get here early, (laughs) so I wouldn't have to be, I expected lines and lines of people.

(car horn honks) - [Tina] Lines of people did show up outside the new vaccination site near Disneyland- - [Man] The lot does not open up until 8:00 a.m. - [Tina] But police made them move, because of traffic concerns.

Then when the site finally did open, many drivers were turned away, because they did not have appointments.

- I know people really want, are excited to get the vaccine, which is thrilling to me.

But at the same point in time, we can't have them line up and come down if they do not currently have, fit in the Tier 1A and have already made a reservation.

- [Tina] This site, the first mass vaccination one in the county, will eventually be able to accommodate thousands of people a day.

But because vaccine doses are still limited, Orange County officials say seniors may have to wait a while for an open appointment.

- It's gonna take a little bit of time for us to catch up.

We're the sixth largest county in the United States with 3.2 million people.

We have a lot of folks that are obviously interested in getting this vaccine.

It's a lot of logistics that come into play.

- [Tina] It's disappointing for those who thought the county had finally put them next in line.

- I think it's a step in the right direction.

I think we have a long, long way to go.

- Thanks, Tina.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 10 million people in the United States have received the first dose of the vaccine so far.

Nearly 330,000 of them are here in Ohio.

With more and more shots being given every day, people are looking forward to attending large gatherings again, but how can we do that safely?

As Maddie White reports one company thinks they have the solution, Maddie?

- Forward- - Welcome!

Your temperature is normal.

- Thank you.

- [Maddie] You may have seen devices like these- - [Device] Step closer, please.

- [Maddie] That use thermal screening- - [Device] Temperature is normal.

- [Maddie] To ensure you don't have a fever upon entering.

- [Device] Wear a mask, please.

- [Maddie] But have you ever considered these same machines could also be used to do this?

- You know, depending on the policy of any facility, if they require a vaccine, all someone would have to do is either hold up the card, their vaccine card, this machine can check it, and verify right away if someone is up-to-date.

- [Maddie] Monitoring your vaccine status in a contactless way, it's a vision these Las Vegas-based tech innovators have for public gathering entry, once widespread vaccinations are rolled out.

- Just like an ID card that you can scan with your phone, like a QR tag, these cameras have the ability to scan a QR code.

- [Maddie] A QR code of our very own could be in our futures, just like those ones you use to pull up a menu on your phones in restaurants.

- What we do know is the DoD is going to issue a card to every person that received the vaccine.

There's also going to be a digital record from the state and that should be accessible for, you know, computer software companies to be able to pull that information.

- [Maddie] Companies like theirs, eConnect.

The Las Vegas native says his company's eClear software with the vaccination checkup date could be a game-changer for tourism on the Las Vegas strip, for example.

- A lot of the people that visit casinos are maybe up there in age.

So they may want a certain area that they know everyone that's working in the casino and everyone that's in that area has a vaccine.

- [Maddie] He hopes by digitizing the entire pre-screening and contact tracing processes they can ensure the well-being of staff and customers, not just in casinos, but in assisted living facilities, churches, and beyond.

- Thanks, Maddie.

Now, we've talked a lot about folks who are eager to get the vaccine, eager meaning wanting to do or have something a lot, but some folks aren't ready to roll up their sleeves just yet.

Maybe they still aren't sure that it's safe, or they think that they're strong enough to fight off COVID without it, or getting a shot is just too cumbersome.

To motivate their employees to get vaccinated, Dollar General's announced an incentive.

An incentive is something that motivates a person to act.

In this case, it's a bonus.

The chain says it will give workers a one-time payment equal to four hours of pay.

The company notes its hourly employees face hurdles to getting vaccinated, such as travel time, gasoline mileage, and childcare needs.

Dollar General was deemed an essential retailer, and has stayed open throughout the pandemic, so being vaccinated could be helpful for the thousands of workers they employ.

It called getting a vaccine a personal decision and said it will not be required.

They aren't the only employer that's offering such an incentive.

A Texas hospital system with more than 26,000 employees is offering a $500 bonus to workers who choose to get vaccinated.

For this week's poll, we wanna know do you think people should be paid to get the vaccine?

Head to our online poll to vote either yes or no.

Now, last week we asked you to vote on whether or not you thought the Olympics should still be held this summer.

That would be in Japan.

Big number, 88% of you said yes, they should still be held this summer.

Well, if the Summer Games get pushed back again, they might end up getting pushed right into the Winter Games, which are set for February of next year, 2022.

Those are supposed to happen in Beijing, China.

Now, a favorite sport to watch during the Winter Games is snowboarding of course.

With the pandemic limiting access to regular slopes, many people are venturing out to other areas to ski and to snowboard.

This, though, can be risky, especially if an avalanche happens.

Now, an avalanche is when a large amount of snow, ice, and rocks are falling down a hill.

Avalanches can happen when the snow becomes too heavy to stay in place, or if the snow is disrupted by any sort of movement, think about animals, or people, or even earthquakes.

Liz Gelardi has the story of a Colorado snowboarder recently caught in an avalanche, and the training that saved his life - [Liz] A beautiful day in the backcountry.

- Friday was beautiful, it was golden.

We had actually been planning all week to go ski this line.

- [Liz] Maurice Kervin and his friend hiked two hours to the spot called No Name near Loveland Pass.

- At the beginning of the day, everybody was really excited that the avie level had actually gone down, and that things have been getting better.

- [Liz] Before they dropped in- - [Maurice] Drop in!

You ready?

- [Liz] They planned their route, and tested the snow along the way to make sure it was stable.

- At that point, I was somewhat nervous, for sure.

Standing on top of the peak, we were taking a very big risk skiing this line.

I dropped in, everything was going very well.

- [Liz] This video from his helmet shows the moment everything changed.

- [Maurice] And at that point it released below me, and the whole slab started to go underneath me.

- [Liz] The avalanche happened incredibly fast.

- [Maurice] So in my video, you'll see that I look up and around and I watched the snow started coming down from above me.

- [Liz] Soon, he was swept off his feet.

- You can hear me pull my airbag, and it like (hisses) blows up.

- [Liz] When Maurice felt like he was going under, (airbag hisses) he deployed this avalanche airbag in his backpack.

- And I started to do a backstroke, and tried to kick my feet up to stay on top of the snow.

You float on the snow easier, instead of being sucked down into the washing machine, so-called.

- [Liz] He fought to say above the snow while dropping 1,000 vertical feet.

- [Maurice] And then you'll hear some bumping.

It's like being in rapids essentially is what it almost looks and felt like.

Then you'll hear my board hit the rock, and me and the air.

- [Liz] When Maurice came to a stop on top of the snow, he knew he was incredibly lucky.

- [Maurice] At first, I'm just looking up in awe.

- [Liz] Maurice says although he was shaking, he felt calm.

- [Maurice] I'm fine, I'm not hurt at all!

I'm good, I'm good!

- [Liz] He says his airbag and avalanche safety training likely saved his life.

He wants others to know the risk of heading out into the backcountry, especially as calls for search and rescue are on the rise in places like Summit County, where this avalanche happened.

- [Maurice] I knew what we were doing, and I knew what the possibilities were, and the possibilities that I had feared came true.

I'm fine, buddy!

- Thanks, Liz.

Well in Ohio, you're probably more likely to sled down a hill than encounter an avalanche, but it's still important to know how to sled safely.

Even this frosty fun can cause some serious injuries, though.

Anna Huntsman has that story.

- [Anna] Huge helpings of snow call for a trip to the sledding hill.

But a slide down the slope can wind up in the hospital if you're not careful.

- We just wanna make sure that they are aware of the risk and to make sledding as safe as possible.

- [Anna] That's why Rebecca McAdams with Nationwide Children's Hospital coauthored a study published in the "Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine."

The researchers collected data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.

They estimate more than 220,000 patients went to the emergency room after being hurt while sledding between 2008 and 2017.

Nearly 70% were 19 or younger.

Most injuries happened in a collision.

- They falling off the sled, and hitting the ground, or they were also hitting into a person.

- [Anna] McAdams says many of those were head injuries.

Here are a few tips to keep your sledding safe.

Wear a helmet.

Pick a sled that you can control, one that can be steered or stopped.

Check your surroundings, making sure the area is obstacle-free.

Have an adult present to make sure everyone is staying safe.

And don't use a motorized vehicle to pull a sled.

- Most times, people were actually colliding into the ATV itself, and a lot of those people had head injuries, and 3/4 of those people were actually children.

- [Anna] So have fun in the snow, but stay safe.

- Thanks, Anna.

Speaking of sledding, Dean Conklin knows a thing or two about it.

Folks in his Minnesota hometown recently named a new sledding hill after him to honor his generosity and community involvement.

Even at 91 years old, he was still willing to grab a sled, and give the slope a try.

John Lauritsen has the story.

- Everybody in town knows Dean, loves Dean.

You can't go a day without seeing Dean and Molly going down the street.

- [John] Teacher, council member, and owner of a garden center, those are just some of the hats Dean Conklin has worn over the years.

- Winthrop is a jolly good time.

I think I know everybody, just about.

- [John] And they know him for his generous nature.

A while back, he gave some land to Steve Saxton, one of his former students.

- When he retired, he gave this five-acre piece to me, and other than bale some ditch hay for the cattle down below, we didn't know what we could do with this.

- [John] But then an idea hit them like a January snowball.

- Hey, you gotta go.

- Steve and other volunteers decided to turn the property into a city sledding hill.

Within a few weeks, they had the tree stumps removed, and all the brush cleared out, and then there was little doubt about who they would name the sledding hill after.

- [Dale] He's a special guy, so that made it a no-brainer, and to do it, absolutely.

- I thought, "What, what?"

(group shouts) (group cheers) - [John] So last Saturday, more than 100 people turned out to watch Dean Conklin himself go down Conklin's Hill.

It was perhaps his first time down a snowy hill in half a century.

- It was exciting being at the bottom and seeing everybody at the top, and then he got down, and he said, "What a ride!"

- I'm over 90.

So as a 90-year-old guy to go down that hill, kind of, kind of exciting.

The kid came out of me.

- Thanks, John.

Well, it's not just Minnesota that gets a lot of snow in the winter.

The white stuff can pile up right here in Ohio too, especially in the northeast part of the state.

Margaret has the scoop about that in this week's Spot on Science.

(electronic music) - Ever wonder why some schools in Ohio seem to get more snow days than others?

Turns out Old Man Winter serves a bigger helping of the frosty flakes to areas in the northeast corner of the state.

We call it lake effect snow, and its recipe was just two ingredients, a warm lake, and cold air.

The lake needs to be somewhere over 35 degrees, and the air needs to be around 10 degrees, or cooler.

When the cold air from the north and west moves across the lake, it catches water vapor rising off the lake, and turns it into clouds, piles of snow, and maybe a snow day or two, for some lucky kids.

Sometimes, the lake effect snow is so powerful and sudden it can look like a wall of clouds moving in.

So yeah, the lake makes those of us living nearby keep our shovels close.

These areas of Ohio that are snowier than others have a unique name, the Snowbelt.

Ohio has a primary and secondary Snowbelt centered around the northeastern part of the state.

What's impressive about lake effect snow is that one part of a county can get pummeled with snow, while a neighboring community only a few miles away gets barely a snowflake.

Here in Cleveland, we see it all the time.

The southeast side of the city is a winter wonderland, while the northwest side gets only a dusting.

Lake effect snow is also responsible for some of the most fantastic winter weather nightmares, like this house disguised as a snow mound, or this house turned into an igloo encased by ice on the shores of Lake Ontario.

So if you get a hefty helping of Old Man Winter's lake effect entree, be sure to add lots of salt, rock salt, that is.

(light music) (logo whooshes) (ball bounces) - Thank you, Margaret, stay safe out there.

Now, all this snow talk makes me wanna curl up inside, maybe pour a cup of cocoa, and grab a book.

Anyone else?

If you agree, maybe consider picking up a book by the author we're about to meet.

In the early 1980s, Thrity Umrigar came to the United States from her home in India.

Her move reminded her of a folk tale she heard as a child.

A folk tale is a story passed down from one generation to the next, usually by word of mouth.

Decades later, she decided to turn that tale into a children's book.

Folk tales usually teach important lessons and values, so see if you can figure out the lesson to Thrity's latest book in this week's Sketchbook.

Take a look.

(paper rustles) (notebook whooshes) (pencil scratches) (light music) - Hello, my name is Thrity Umrigar, and although I mostly write adult fiction in the last few years, I've segued into writing children's books, and I was lucky enough to have two of them come out this fall.

One is called "Binny's Diwali," and the other is called "Sugar and Milk."

"Sugar and Milk" I wrote because it's, what I've done in this book is I provide an ancient Persian-Indian legend, and I've sort of modernized it, because it's a story about timeless things, like kindness, and generosity, and hospitality, and immigration, and welcoming people into their new homes.

And frankly, it's a story that I used to tell my adult audiences on book tour very often.

And every time I ended my talks by telling that story, I would sense this softness that would come over the audience.

People would smile.

They would sigh.

They would clap their hands in delight.

It was clearly a story that worked with adult audiences.

And then one day I woke up, and I thought, my goodness, I think I've been telling this story to the wrong audience, because the people who really need to hear the story, who I imagine will truly, truly get the meaning of the story and respond to it are children.

And that same afternoon I sat and I wrote "Sugar and Milk."

(light music) "Sugar and Milk" begins by this young child coming to America to stay with her aunt and uncle.

We don't know why.

All we know is that she's terribly homesick, and she has no friends in this new country.

And then one day auntie says, "Let's go for a walk," and they do, and while they're walking, auntie tells her about this ancient legend, and this is a story about how people from what used to be Persia arrived in India.

(light music) So when the Persians landed in India, they were met at the seashore by this Hindu king, who had absolutely no reason or no desire to give them refuge and let them in.

But of course, there was a language barrier.

So the story goes that the king asks one of his men to bring him an empty glass, and he proceeded to fill it all the way to the top with milk.

And he pointed to it as a way of saying, look, I'm sorry, but we are full up here.

We have no room for strangers.

We have no room for more people to come into our country.

(light music) The story continues that the Persian leader of this expedition was a very smart and quick-witted guy and he proceeded to take out some sugar and he dissolved it very, very carefully into that glass of milk, and then in turn, he pointed to it as a way of saying, look, if you do let us stay, not only will we not disrupt your way of life, but we will actually add sugar to it.

We will sweeten it with our presence.

And the story ends by the Hindu king being so moved by this gesture and by the wit of this other guy that he flings his arms open, and welcomed them into the country.

And I should add that this is indeed the story of my ancestors who came from Persia and were let into India almost 1,000 years ago now, as what we would today refer to as refugees.

(light music) (logo whooshes) (ball bounces) - Very cool hearing from the author herself.

Well, for this week's write-in question, we want you to give us a book recommendation.

Tell us about one of your favorite books.

Be sure to include the title and the author in your answer.

Now, while I wait for those letters, why don't we hand out this week's NewsDepth A+?

Joke for you.

Why did the cow across the street?

Give up?

To get to the other side safely.

Okay, maybe it wasn't very funny.

Margaret wrote it, but crossing the street safely is no joking matter.

This week's "NewsDepth" A+ goes to the Traffic Cows.

Yeah, that's the name of the robotics team at Mansfield Seventh Day Adventist School.

They created a device that helps students cross the city streets safely.

The Traffic Cows participated in the first LEGO League, which is an international robotics competition for students in elementary and middle schools.

Teams are presented with real world problems to research and to solve.

For the Traffic Cows, that was improving city life.

The Traffic Cows heard about a crossing guard in another city who was hit by a car.

They decided to research how dangerous cars can be to pedestrians and learned that crossing streets can be very dangerous for kids walking to school.

That was shared by Christina Dotson, the team's coach and the school's principal.

The group of fourth through eighth grade students learned that visibility was a key factor in safety for children crossing the street.

"I really enjoyed learning about crossing the street safely "for school," Samantha Bittner said.

They used problem solving and design skills they learned in their STEM class to build The Cross-Walker.

It's an accordion fence that draws attention to students as they cross the street.

"We made this to protect kids from getting hurt," Huck Fuller shared.

Mikey Fuller added, "We were hoping to make "school crossing safer with our design."

The team built and tested a working prototype with help from Officer Gary, a local cop from the Richmond County Sheriff's Office.

This week's "NewsDepth" A+ award goes to Traffic Cows from Mansfield Seventh Day Adventist School for researching, designing, and building a safer way to cross the street.

Just remember, always look both ways.

So why did News Cat cross the road?

To get a better story, of course.

Let's see what she's pawed up for this week's Petting Zoo.

(rhythmic music) (cat meows) Here, kitty, kitty, oh, okay, sorry.

I know, you don't like that.

Well, she's off to work anyway.

Check those typing skills.

(keyboard clicks) Ah-ha, she found a story.

It's about goats helping to recycle Christmas trees.

To watch the goats gobble up the old decorations, click the Petting Zoo button on our website.

(bright music) (logo whooshes) (ball bounces) Thank you, News Cat.

Well, that's gonna wrap it up for us, but of course, you know the drill.

We wanna hear from you, and there are plenty of ways to stay in touch.

Write to us.

We're at 1375 Euclid Avenue.

It's Cleveland, Ohio.

Our ZIP code is 44115.

You can email us at newsdepth@ideastream.org, or you can tweet us.

Our handle is @NewsDepthOhio.

In the meantime, thanks for joining us.

I'm Rick Jackson.

We'll see you right back here next week.

(upbeat music) - [Child] "NewsDepth" is made possible by a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.

(upbeat music) (bright music)