News

The struggling U.S. Postal Service says it may combine some of its larger mail sorting centers in Ohio.

The Vindicator newspaper reports the post office will study a possible transfer of its Youngstown mail processing and distribution to facilities in Akron or Cleveland.

The postal service says the consolidation would be a response to a drop in mail volume, due to the economy, and the use of email.

This week's stifling heat across Ohio is about to get hotter.

Highs in the low to mid-90s are in Wednesday's forecast throughout the state, with even more sizzling temperatures to come.

The National Weather Service looks for Cincinnati and Columbus to reach 99 degrees on Thursday, while Toledo could soar to 105.

Counties in the Midwest and South that have a high number of autoworkers have seen a jump in economic stress levels, according to an Associated Press monthly analysis.

But Midwestern states also have seen the largest decreases in economic stress since the recession ended. That's primarily because of growth in manufacturing. Ohio has added 76 hundred factory jobs in the past year.

The AP's Stress index calculates a score from 1 to 100 based on unemployment, foreclosure and bankruptcy rates. A higher score signifies more economic stress.

Poor Will's Almanack for the fifth week of Middle Summer.

The state is setting up a monitoring system at the polluted Grand Lake St. Marys that officials say will help battle the algae that's fouling the water. Four water monitoring stations have been set up at the lake between Dayton and Toledo.

It's the state's largest inland lake and it has been plagued by algae in recent years, prompting warnings against swimming and boating last summer.

In June, the state began spraying the lake with about 3 million gallons of alum in hopes the chemical can neutralize phosphorous in the water that feeds the blue-green algae.