(upbeat rock music) - Coming up next on NewsDepth, you won't find candy in this California COVID test vending machine, and Ohio's governor is determined to get kids back in classrooms.

Our state has inspired many a famous poet to pen some pretty verses.

Plus, these teens are using their computer skills to help their community.

NewsDepth is now.

The Senate's working through round two of Trump's impeachment.

Hello, everybody, I'm Margaret Cavalier, filling in for Rick Jackson.

Thanks for joining us.

The Senate officially started the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump on February 9th.

First, they debated whether holding an impeachment trial on a former president was constitutional.

56 of the 100 senators voted that, yes, it is constitutional, and so the trial moved ahead.

The case is set up so that a group of representatives from the House acts as the prosecution.

Prosecution means a party that is bringing charges against someone else.

They argue that Trump should be found guilty of inciting an insurrection, of fueling the mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6th.

On the other side, playing defense are the lawyers hired by Trump to show he is innocent.

Both sides have 16 hours to present their arguments to the Senate, which acts as a jury.

Then there will be some time for the senators to question both sides and decide whether or not they want to bring in witnesses to provide more evidence.

Finally, a vote will be taken on whether Trump is innocent or guilty.

Two-thirds of the Senate would need to find Trump guilty in order to hold a second vote to prevent him from running for office again.

Now, both sides have agreed on the quick trial timeline, and the case may even be wrapped up by the time you're watching this.

Nadia Romero was there for the start of the trial.

Nadia?

(gavel pounding) - [Nadia] A history-making moment.

- Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye.

- [Nadia] Donald Trump is now the first president to face a Senate impeachment trial twice.

- The Senate will convene as a court of impeachment.

- Against Donald John Trump, former President of the United States.

- [Nadia] Trump's title, former president, front and center.

House managers and Trump's team of lawyers debate if the trial itself is constitutional.

- The Senate lacks jurisdiction to conduct this trial of a former president, a president no longer in office and now a private citizen.

- Presidents can't commit grave offenses in their final days and escape any congressional response.

- [Nadia] Senators determined the trial will move forward.

- The yeas are 56.

The nays are 44.

The Senate shall proceed with the trial.

- [Nadia] The single charge, incitement of insurrection, stems from the deadly chaos at the Capitol.

(people yelling) A month later, barricades and troops stand guard outside as senators-turned-jurors hear arguments and watch video inside from the place they were forced to flee.

- We were all witnesses.

- [Nadia] Just like the impeachment proceedings in the House, the Senate trial is expected to be fast.

House impeachment managers hope for conviction and the opportunity to ban Trump from ever seeking federal office again.

- I don't think President Trump will be convicted.

- [Nadia] Especially since it will take a two-thirds majority, 67 senators, to convict.

In Washington, I'm Nadia Romero.

- Thanks, Nadia.

While former President Trump is on trial, current President Joe Biden has said his focus is elsewhere.

Biden has been pouring his energies into a pandemic relief bill.

Relief means help, especially in the form of food or money for someone in need.

Jeremy Diamond has the details.

- [Jeremy] With his predecessor's impeachment trial underway, President Joe Biden is keeping his focus on his administration's coronavirus response.

- I have a job.

My job is to keep people- We've already lost over 450,000 people.

We're gonna lose a whole lot more if we don't act and act decisively and quickly.

The Senate has their job; they're about to begin it.

I'm sure they're gonna conduct themselves well, and that's all I'm gonna have to say about impeachment.

- [Jeremy] Biden forging ahead with his $1.9-trillion COVID relief package.

Meeting with business leaders in the Oval Office, Biden throwing his support behind House Democrats' bill, which would send $1,400 checks to Americans making less than $75,000 a year, rejecting Republicans' $40,000 income threshold.

- He supports that, where the status of the negotiations is at this point, yes, of the $75,000.

- [Jeremy] On the vaccine front, the administration nearly Biden's unofficial goal of one-and-a-half million shots a day.

And officials announced Tuesday that vaccine shipments to states will increase to 11 million doses per week.

- So, that is a total of a 28% increase in vaccine supply across the first three weeks.

- [Jeremy] On a call with the White House, governors still expressing concerns about supply.

- [Andrew] You now have about 10 million New Yorkers waiting on 300,000 doses.

Big question on the call with the White House coordinator by the governors is supply, supply, supply.

- [Jeremy] The administration also boosting its effort to reach underserved communities.

A million additional doses will be allocated and sent directly to 250 community health centers, starting next week.

- Equity is our North Star here.

This effort that focuses on direct allocation to the community health centers really is about connecting with those hard-to-reach populations across the country.

- [Jeremy] The CDC still hasn't released its guidelines for reopening schools, even as Biden pledged to reopen most schools in his first 100 days.

That guidance still expected this week.

- His goal that he set is to have the majority of schools, so more than 50%, open by day 100 of his presidency, and that means some teaching in classrooms, so at least one day at week.

Hopefully it's more.

- Thanks, Jeremy.

You heard mention at the end of that story that Biden wants to get schools back to normal.

Well, so does Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

At the beginning of the month, he added teachers to the list of folks allowed to get a coronavirus vaccine.

He said that employees at more than 1,300 schools will have been able to receive the vaccine by mid-February.

Nearly every school in Ohio signed on to the vaccination plan, with the goal of getting kids back in the classroom by March.

According to DeWine, they are already making good headway in accomplishing that goal.

Ohio students in fully-remote schools dropped from 45% in December to 15% as of February 4th.

I tell you what: When this is all over, I'm gonna need a nice, long vacation, maybe to somewhere warm or sunny.

Turns out the Biden Administration is thinking about travel too and how to make it safer.

They might require passengers to receive a negative COVID-19 test before domestic air travel.

Domestic means within a particular country.

That's according to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, speaking to Axios on HBO.

He says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is looking into the option and that data and science will guide any final decision.

The new CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said screening US travelers for COVID-19 could be helpful, but she didn't expand on the statement.

So, for this week's poll, we want to know your thoughts.

Do you think passengers should be required to have a negative COVID-19 test to fly in the USA?

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

Well, COVID tests are getting easier to come by.

At one California university, students can even get a test right out of a vending machine.

Rina Nakano has the story.

(vending machine beeping) - [Rina] You won't be getting a Snickers bar at this vending machine.

There's only one product inside: a self-administered COVID-19 test kit.

- [Man] This is super convenient.

- [Rina] For students at UC-San Diego, this is the new normal.

- I was uncomfortable at first, but after doing it a bunch of times, I got used to it.

- 20th time since I've been here.

(laughing) I'm not lying.

We get tested every week.

- [Rina] Over the last few months, many students and staff were making appointments to get a test done by a nurse at Price Center.

But now the school has installed 11 of these vending machines on campus.

Most of them are near student residence halls.

- But here it's easier 'cause I can just walk, you know, 40 feet away.

- The steps: Grab a test kit, swab outside, and return the vial within 72 hours.

Results should be back within two days.

The university says eventually these contactless vending machines will be replacing the setup they have now at Price Center.

Students like Citlaly Magana who are returning back to campus after winter break have a much stricter testing protocol.

- I'm currently coming back from LA, so I have to get it done within 24 hours from my arrival and then five days and then 10 days.

- [Rina] So, the vending machines are proving to be a much more convenient and preferable option for many.

- A vending machine's way more accessible and especially if you have something to do and you have five minutes to go do something, come right here and get it.

- Thanks, Rina.

Those students needs to get tested at least once a week.

If they don't, they could be disciplined by the university.

For this week's writing question, we want to know what would you put in a vending machine at your school?

Tell us what you'd choose and how it would help the students at your school.

And speaking of students, two teenagers in Louisville, Kentucky, are using their computer skills to make a difference for hundreds of seniors in their community.

We told you before that the vaccines are being made available to the elderly, but senior citizens might have trouble figuring out how to register online for a shot.

That's where the girls are stepping in.

Lauren Adams reports.

- O-C-R... - [Lauren] In between completing their online assignments for school, cousins Jacqueline Teague and Amelie Beck are helping register seniors for their COVID-19 vaccination.

In less than two weeks, the Sacred Heart students have set up 250 appointments for strangers.

But it all started with two of the people they love the most: Ay-Ay and Jack.

- We realized this was a need and that our grandparents probably weren't the only senior citizens who needed help doing it.

So then we kinda stepped in and decided to help other people.

- [Lauren] So the girls logged onto Facebook, posted a phone number, created an email, and they've been busy ever since.

- We've got like, I think, seven more we need to call and then about 12 we need to email back.

- [Lauren] Some questions can be answered easily with the click of a mouse.

But others, in particular for older clients- - I wanna say 95.

- Yeah, I think 95.

- I think 95.

- [Lauren] It takes a little time and more than just one phone call.

- I'm gonna send you some screenshots of where to go next and what buttons to click.

- Thanks, Lauren.

Jacqueline and Amelie aren't the only youngsters lending a helping hand during the pandemic.

In Rhode Island, when the snowstorm we talked about last episode hit, a 10-year-old and his friend decided to help out some essential workers.

They headed to their hospital parking lot to clear the snow off of cars for the workers so that they could get home to their families faster.

Sam Read has more on the kind gesture.

- [Sam] While many people were indoors during the height of the storm last night, 10-year-old Christian Stone and his mom's friend Abbey Meeker braved the bitter cold.

- We're brushing, cleaning off the snow from the cars of the nurses and stuff.

- [Sam] Monday afternoon, the pair took on the parking lot of the Westerly Hospital- - So, we probably did 20 here, 30 there, and another 20 until we called it quits.

- [Sam] Removing unwanted snow from the cars of essential employees so that while they took care of people inside when they were done with their shift, they were also taken care of.

- We want them to be able to go home, see their family after a long day of work, you know?

- [Sam] Christian came up with this idea after the last snowstorm.

- I was just thinking, they help us a lot.

They've been helping us a lot through this whole pandemic.

And I figured, why don't we help them?

- [Sam] Abbey agreed to help.

- It sucked.

(laughing) I hate the snow.

But being out here with him 'cause this is what he was passionate about, I did it because he wanted to do it.

- [Sam] While the winds were whipping in Westerly and the snow continued to fall, the gesture ever appreciated by dozens of people- - Some of them say, "Thank you so much," and, you know, it's just really happy to see them happy.

- [Sam] Who even offered to pay them.

- And we just said that we're doing this for you guys 'cause you're here for us.

- I feel that I've actually helped someone out, and that's a really good feeling when you know someone's been helped out.

- Thanks, Sam.

I love that!

So kind of them to brave the cold just to show a little kindness.

And speaking of the cold, let's check out our poll results from last week.

We asked, "Which winter activity is your favorite?"

Well, 48% of you said you like shoveling the driveway.

Really?

I'm not sure I believe you, but you're always welcome to come on over to my place and clear it off.

Now, there's a guy in New Jersey who is big on making snowmen, and not the round kind with carrot noses that you and I are used to.

You're just gonna have to see what I mean.

Kevin Rincon has the story.

- [Kevin] It's not just the size of this sculpture, it's the detail: from Abraham Lincoln's face to his arms on the chair to the way his legs are situated on top of the pedestal.

This piece of art a labor of love for Robert Schott.

- There's been art in the family, and this is my annual outlet to get something done.

- [Kevin] He's amazed neighbors here along Springfield Avenue over the years with things like this oversize sculpture of the character Olaf from the movie "Frozen."

He carved a Snoopy out of snow laying on top of his doghouse.

He even made a replica of a car with Thelma and Louise.

One year, he made this pumpkin, used the windows to highlight his design.

He did much of the same this go-around with Honest Abe, using American flags in the background.

- I've been locked in since last March.

And to come out and see something like this, it's a tremendous uplift, not only for me, but I know for the community.

- [Kevin] And there have been plenty of people embracing this display, many pulling over to take pictures.

- Today, we all need him, (laughing) so it's just the perfect sculpture to have.

- [Kevin] The emotion and excitement from passerbys the reason Robert has been doing this sorta thing for the last 18 years.

- I'm always asked why do I do this.

One is I like to create, but I think more importantly is the joy it brings the people that come to see it.

- [Kevin] And it goes beyond joy.

There's a genuine connection with the neighborhood.

- He doesn't do it for himself, he does it for the community.

- The last few winters, he couldn't do anything, so it's nice that we're able to do this.

- Thanks, Kevin.

Robert Schott estimates it took him 60 hours to sculpt his Lincoln Memorial masterpiece.

He sure must love snow.

Last week, we asked you to show your affection for snow by writing some valentines.

Let's see what you came up with by opening up our inbox.

(whooshing) (mouse clicking) Colleen from Olmsted Falls Intermediate wrote, "Roses are red, violets are blue.

"I can't see them because of you you you.

"Oh well, what can I do?

"You make it fun, so fun to you.

"Snowman and snowgirls to it is fun too, "but I love you more than rain and sun.

"You make it so much fun."

Here's one from Blake at Meadowlawn Intermediate in Sandusky.

"Dear snow, I think you know what you do.

"You freeze the pool and give us no school."

Jacob from Barberton Elementary in Barberton got a little Dr. Seuss on us.

"Snow, oh snow, the places you'll go.

"To Antarctica, to Ohio.

"I shoveled you out of my driveway just last Tuesday.

"It took an hour for it to get done, "but when it did, it was kinda fun.

"Oh snow, oh snow, the places you'll go.

"The things you'll be: "a snowball, a wall, maybe even a baseball.

"The wars you've been and I'm sure plenty, "but one day you'll melt and maybe be all empty.

"Oh snow, oh snow, the places you'll go."

Della from Independence Primary School in Independence kept it short and sweet.

"Snow, love your cold and frosty chill.

"You ask me to marry you, that I will?"

Finally, here's one from Alex at Mulberry Elementary in Milford.

"Snow, will you be my valentine?

"I know you look so beautiful, "so just please be my valentine.

"I will give you money and chocolate.

"I will also keep you in a freezer "so when spring comes you will be safe.

"Well, that's all I wanted to know.

"Text me if you say yes."

(laughing) Very creative, everyone.

Ohio in the winter certainly can be lovely.

And in fact, our state's beauty year-round has inspired plenty of well-known poets.

In this week's Know Ohio, Mary shares the prose of a few famous Ohio admirers.

Check it out.

(light folk rock music) - It could be our remarkable history, our breathtaking landscape, or our diverse cities.

But whatever it is, there's something about Ohio that inspires creativity.

The Buckeye State has been the muse of many notable poets throughout the years who've used the written word to try to capture Ohio's one-of-a-kind spirit.

One famous poet who seemed to frequently have Ohio on his mind was Carl Sandburg.

Born in Illinois in 1878, Sandburg became one of America's most celebrated poets during his lifetime.

Sandburg developed a unique form of free verse that reflected the rhythms and color of Midwestern speech.

He's well-known for his poems about Chicago, but the poet also captured Ohio's multifaceted scenes.

In his poem "Honky Tonk in Cleveland, Ohio," published in 1920, Sandburg describes the sound of a big-city jazz club almost like a zoo, writing, "It's a jazz affair, drum crashes and cornet razzes.

"The trombone pony neighs and the tuba jackass snorts."

But in a calmer poem, "Crossing Ohio When Poppies Bloom in Ashtabula," Sandburg paints a different Ohio, a more rural one, as he describes the transition from spring to summer.

"Pick me poppies in the backyard in Ashtabula.

"May going, poppies coming, summer humming."

Of course, Sandburg is far from the only poet to get his creative juices flowing in Ohio.

In 1854, accomplished poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote about another kind of flowing juice: Cincinnati's famous Catawba wine.

The wine was made from Catawba grapes planted in the city's vineyard.

And in his poem, aptly named "Catawba Wine," Longfellow celebrate Cincinnati's nickname, the Queen City, writing, "And this song of the vine, "this greeting of mine, "the winds and the birds shall deliver, "to the queen of the west, in her garlands dressed, "on the banks of the beautiful river."

While Sandburg and Longfellow were just visitors who happened to find inspiration here, Ohio also claims its fair share of poets.

Perhaps the most famous is Dayton, Ohio-born Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Growing up in the 1800s, he began writing poetry as a very young child and eventually grew to become the most famous African American poet in the country.

His poems were often about the difficult African American experience of the time.

And he differentiated himself from other poets by writing in a type of speech common to African Americans.

Another Ohio-born poet, James Wright, frequently found inspiration in his home state.

In his poem "Beautiful Ohio," Wright paints a picture of his hometown, Martin's Ferry, along the Ohio River, writing, "Sixteen thousand and five hundred more or less people "in Martin's Ferry, my home, my native country, "quickened the river with the speed of light.

"And the light caught there "the solid speed of their lives.

"In the instant of that waterfall, "I know what we call it most of the time.

"But I have my own song for it, "and sometimes, even today, I call it beauty."

The beauty Wright speaks of is found throughout the state and in different places, from a jazz club in Cleveland to a vineyard in Cincinnati.

It's these diverse scenes that make Ohio such a powerful muse, even if finding the right words can be tricky.

(spring bouncing) - Thanks, Mary.

Let's turn from famous poets to a famous fiction author.

Fiction means a work of writing that is not based on true events.

Stephen King is, well, the king of horror, fantasy, and suspense fiction, but he recently stepped in to make a real-life dream come true.

He donated $6,500 to help a group of young authors in his home state of Maine publish their very first book.

Meghan Torjussen has the details.

- [Meghan] From young writers- - When we were making the thing, I never thought this would actually happen.

- [Meghan] To published authors.

- It was mind-blowing.

- [Meghan] The students in Farwell Elementary School's Author Studies Program will have their 290-page manuscript printed and published.

- It's just really exciting to see Author Study grow in popularity as time goes on.

- [Meghan] The group started a Kickstarter campaign for the money, but these kids and their dedication of love in writing caught the attention of the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation.

They agreed to fund the $6,500 the students needed to turn their manuscript into a printed novel.

- I was really excited to hear that Stephen King picked up the funds for the program, especially since he is my favorite author and I love his work.

- [Meghan] And students say what comes next is exciting too.

The book, "Fletcher McKenzie and the Passage to Whole," will be able to reach readers everywhere.

- I've been in it for the past four years and only the people in my school have ever got to read what I've written.

It's really cool to think that pretty much anyone can read anything you write.

- [Meghan] Farwell Elementary School's principal says she's proud of these students and the dedication of the advisors, librarian Kathy Martin, and author Gary Savage.

She says together these students have created more than a book, but also an excitement about learning.

- The kids talk to one another in the hallway about this.

They talk to me about it.

They talk to their teachers about what they're doing.

And it's just, it's really wonderful to see this much effort and support being put behind their writing.

- Thanks, Meghan.

Money made from selling the students' book will go to their school's library.

All of these young folks up to impressive work, just like our NewsDepth A+ recipient this week.

Our A+ award goes to 16-year-old Chloee Howard, who won a scholarship to learn how to build a beehive and keep bees.

The Black River High School junior won the scholarship through the Ohio State Beekeepers Association and the Medina County Beekeepers Association.

Chloee lives on a farm with her family, has a deep love for animals, and has always been involved in agricultural clubs like the Future Farmers of America and 4-H. She's shown horses, hogs, rabbits, turkeys, you name it.

Recently, Chloee started a vegetable garden, and she said she could see the bees working and understood they're an essential part of her garden.

She thought it would be interesting to get a hive and explore a side of agriculture that she didn't know a lot about before.

As it turns out, Chloee's mom, Christina, is her agriculture teacher and the advisor of the local FFA chapter.

She told the kids about the beekeeping scholarship.

Chloee had to answer questions about what she knew about bees and their impact on the ecosystem, and she won!

Bees are vital to a healthy environment.

The most important thing they do is pollinate.

This helps plants grow, breed, and produce food, and they keep the cycle of life turning.

Chloee's already attending some beekeeping trainings through the scholarship and has started work on building her beehive.

She's excited to learn more.

Chloee's mom says she's proud of her daughter and she says she's hardworking, likes to finish a project, but most importantly is well-rounded.

And this might not come as a surprise, but Chloee loves animals so much she wants to be a big-animal veterinarian when she's older.

Keep doing what you're doing, Chloee.

We're proud to award you with this week's NewsDepth A+ for your beekeeping scholarship and all the work you're doing with animals to make our planet a healthier one.

Speaking of animals, it's NewsCat's turn to share her animal story of the week.

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

(rhythmic bongo drum music) (cat meowing) What's up, NewsCat?

Oh, you're dreaming of a vending machine full of treats?

(laughing) Okay.

That's better.

She's up and at 'em.

What'd ya find?

(computer keys clicking) Oh wow, a dog rescued from icy waters?

That's a good reminder to not play on the ice.

To find out how this frosty pup was saved, click the Petting Zoo button on our website.

(spring bouncing) Thank you, NewsCat.

Well, that's gonna do it for us.

But of course, we want to hear from you, and there are plenty of ways to stay in touch.

You can write to us.

We're at 1375 Euclid Avenue.

That'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.

Plus, you can catch all of our special segments on YouTube.

If you're old enough, hit subscribe so you don't miss out on any of our new videos.

Thanks for joining us.

I'm Margaret Cavalier.

We'll see your right back here next week.

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

(soft ambient music)