A national department store chain wants to cater to local tastes. Macy's will launch the "My Macy's" campaign in its northern Ohio stores this fall. It's already underway with the placement of executives in charge of fewer stores. Macy's officials hope it'll help them keep in touch with regional trends, and translate those trends to products on the shelves.

The annual Avon Duct Tape Festival will stick - literally - to a pirate theme this year. The festival starts tonight, with displays of some 13 large duct-tape constructed sculptures harkening to a pirate theme, with pirate ship parts, a parrot, a big treasure chest and a five-foot-tall duct tape mermaid. The over 40-thousand expected to attend the festival this weekend will get prizes for following "treasure maps" and solving mystery phrases. The festival will also feature duct tape crafts, fashions, games and floats.

The "Sports Dome" will be replaced. The 330-foot white-bubble dome, a landmark visible from local freeways, was flattened Sunday evening in high winds and heavy rain in a storm. Owners of the all-weather sports complex in Valley View say they were already in the process of figuring out how to replace the facility when the storm hit. The dome could be replaced with a metal, rectangular building, or another circular structure.

The Cleveland Clinic is continuing its reputation for taking care of the world's leaders. Clinic officials say the leader of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church is recovering from surgery to repair a broken leg. Pope Shenouda the Third broke his thigh bone this week in a fall at his home. The 84-year-old patriarch will spend a week at the Cleveland Clinic before beginning physical therapy

Emergency cell phone calls can now be tracked anywhere in Cuyahoga County. The county's Emergency Services Department has flipped the switch on a new mapping system that can pinpoint a cell caller's location to within at least 200 feet. The GPS-based system is expected to decrease response times. Cuyahoga County officials say dispatchers received 650-thousand 911 calls from cell phones last year.

Datacore Consulting, a premier Managed Service Provider, is proud to announce that they will be assisting area businesses and organizations in preparing, responding, and recovering from crisis and emergency situations. The local IT consulting firm will be aiding the Red Cross by speaking at their 10th annual BEPA “Business Emergency Planning Association” Conference.

Datacore will be familiarizing conference attendees with the practice of Disaster Recovery and Data Security. This would allow area businesses to obtain the ability of dealing with everyday security issues like computer viruses and hackers to major catastrophes such as floods, fires, theft, and terrorist attacks.

High-flying bikers and splash landings will be part of the fun when a new extreme sports stunt show and the Soak City water park will open for the summer at Cedar Point on Saturday, May 24. A special all-you-can-eat buffet will also be available during the Memorial Day Weekend.

Hot off an 11-year stint in California, the “All Wheels Extreme” sports stunt show will be a brand new entertainment offering that has never been seen at the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort.

Presented in the Extreme Sports Stadium, the 25-minute program will feature bikers, gymnasts, dancers, a rollerblader and a skateboarder in a high-energy show that will captivate guests of all ages with gravity-defying stunts, lively music and colorful costumes. The 12-person cast will use ramps, half-pipes and a trampoline to execute stunts that will keep the audience on the edge of its seat.

Cleveland native Selena Benz, a 12 year old from Charles Mooney elementary school took the national crown for her age and gender bracket.

--24 Regional Competition Winners to Compete at the Finals on May 16--

New York, NY, May 14, 2008—The National Finals of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Skills Challenge sponsored by Singulair will be held at the Orlando Magic’s practice facility -- RDV Sportsplex -- in Orlando, Fla., on Friday, May 16. Hosted by NBA legend Bob Lanier and the Orlando Magic Community Ambassadors Nick Anderson and Bo Outlaw, 24 finalists will have the opportunity to dazzle the crowd during an exciting series of timed fundamental basketball skills tests, which include passing, dribbling and shooting. One competitor from each gender and age group will be crowned national champion during an awards ceremony in Orlando on May 17.

“The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program not only teaches children basketball fundamentals, but also imparts transferable life skills, such as teamwork and sportsmanship,” says Houston Rocket’s forward Shane Battier, who serves as a member of the program’s Advisory Board. “My participation in youth basketball programs gave me a strong sense of self, kept me healthy and active and helped to develop my love of the game, all of which were essential in getting me to where I am today.”

Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Skills Challenge National Finalists

GIRLS

7-8 year olds
Mya Thomas- Orieda, FL
Angelina Coronado- San Antonio, TX
Catti Sydney- Woodlake, CA
9-10 year olds
Shaniqua Tobias- New Orleans, LA
Leanne Ellis- N. Ft Myers, FL
Emily Struck- Mayville, WI
11-12 year olds
Molly McCausland- Millbury, MA
Selena Benz- Cleveland, OH
Shay Colley-Smith- Brampton, Ontario
13-14 year olds
Sierra Contreras- Austin, TX
Elizabeth Manuel- Mandeville, LA
Alexis Prince- Maitland, FL

BOYS

7-8 year olds
Dyllan Young- Gardena, CA
Michael Brandley- Houston, TX
Brendan Martin- South Setauket, NY
9-10 year olds
Brady Huebbe- Peru, IL
Jake Zeitler- Luxemburg, WI
Joe Murphy- Worcester, MA
11-12 year olds
Turrell Pietz-Noble- Mesa, AZ
Jameel Ali- Sicklerville, NJ
Weston Graddy- Fort Myers, FL
13-14 year olds Taylor Loeffler- Peoria, AZ
Theodore Hassan- Fayetteville, GA
Savion Byfield- Richmond Hill, NY

Participants were determined following local and regional competitions held in cities across the country over the past four months. The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Skills Challenge competitions showcased the top boys and girls in four age brackets from 26 markets: 7-8-year-olds, 9-10-year-olds, 11-12-year-olds and 13-14-year-olds. The boy and girl with the best scores from each age bracket in the regional competitions were ranked nationally against those in the other 25 markets. The top three scorers from each age and gender group were then selected as the national finalists.

The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Skills Challenge, sponsored by Singulair is a free program for boys and girls ages 7 to 14 in which they compete in time-based, half-court obstacle-course competitions that demonstrate fundamental basketball skills, which help to promote an active lifestyle. To date, 292 local competitions have been held, reaching more than 52,000 youngsters.

About the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Completing its seventh season, the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA, a program of NBA Cares, has grown the game of youth basketball through recognition programs such as the Gatorade Championship Series, National Skills Competition, Pledge to be a S.T.A.R Summer Camps, Clinic Series, National Team and Coach of the Year. The program has reached more than ten million players, parents and coaches globally, providing a support structure that encourages participation and makes the game fun and rewarding for all. Young players can create a bond with the game while learning what it takes to be successful away from the court, all at no cost.

Also you can find moreinformation at:

http://www.nba.com/jrnba/index.html

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