(upbeat music) - Coming up next on "NewsDepth" a train carrying hazardous materials derails in Ohio.

Rescue efforts continue after an earthquake in Turkey.

Anna talks highs and lows in Ohio weather, and an art student discovers his voice as a painter.

"NewsDepth" is now.

(upbeat music) Residents in East Palestine, Ohio, are demanding answers after a major train accident at the beginning of the month.

Hello everybody, I'm Rick Jackson.

Thank you for joining us.

It has been nearly three weeks now since a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, and sparked a days long blaze.

Derailed is when the train accidentally leaves the tracks.

Officials say the air is safe, but an odor has lingered.

They say the water is safe, but thousands of fish ended up dead.

In a packed community meeting last week, residents aired their frustration.

But the Norfolk Southern Corporation, the transportation company which owns the railway, and is responsible for cleaning up the site, didn't show up.

Jason Carroll was there, and has details.

- Everybody that came here expects a hell of a lot more than what we're getting right now.

(residents cheering) - [Jason] Frustration, anger, and unanswered questions in East Palestine, Ohio.

- Are my kids safe?

Are the people safe?

Is the future of this community safe?

- [Jason] The mayor leading the meeting, at times speaking through a bullhorn to answer questions from distressed residents, still worried about returning to their homes despite evacuation orders being lifted last week.

- The railroad did us wrong.

So far they've worked with us and they're fixing it, but if that stops, I will guarantee you I will be the first one in line to fight them.

(residents cheering) - [Jason] Officials trying to answer the community's questions.

- Now, the evacuation order's been determined by the Department of Transportation, and other subject matter experts, based on previous incidents.

Is everybody satisfied with my answer?

- [Residents] No.

- [Jason] As many residents are demanding more testing of air, water, and soil.

- We're not gonna let 'em stop the testing until you're satisfied.

That's where the testing stops.

(residents clapping) - [Jason] Not present at this community meeting, Norfolk Southern Railroad.

- No, Norfolk Southern didn't show up.

They didn't feel safe.

- [Jason] In the 11th hour, the company that owned the train that derailed sent a statement saying, "Unfortunately, after consulting with community leaders, we have become increasingly concerned about the growing physical threat to our employees."

- Okay, well if you're afraid that somebody from Palestine is gonna hurt your employees, what exactly did you do to us?

- [Jason] You feel the anger and frustration- - I'm scared.

For my family, I'm scared for my town.

I grew up here.

I'm related to 50% of 'em.

- [Jason] Cleanup efforts are underway.

The governor telling residents Wednesday the municipal water is safe to drink.

His statement comes after new test results from the state Environmental Protection Agency found no detection of contaminants.

Officials say the toxic spill was largely contained the day after the derailment, and that tests have shown the air quality is safe.

They are still suggesting those with private wells get their water tested.

- I need help, and I'll do whatever it takes, whatever it takes, to make this right.

- Thank you, Jason.

The Environmental Protection Agency has said the public deserves transparency, and promised to hold the company accountable.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan has also asked that anyone experiencing adverse symptoms, including their pets, seek medical attention.

- I'm very clear when I say, as long as it takes.

We will go through this process with the citizens of East Palestine for as long as it takes.

The federal government will be here for as long as it takes.

Now, we head to the Middle East where a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck in Turkey and Syria, on February 6th.

More than 40,000 people have lost their lives and rescue missions still continue.

The United Nations has pledged $1 billion in relief operations.

Helicopters have to be used to complete supply runs, and for search and rescue.

Sanjay Gupta had a look at these efforts, as well as the medical help that's being provided to people on the ground.

- [Sanjay] The skies over Turkey are continuously pierced with the sound of helicopter blades, still performing crucial search and rescue, but also delivering people and goods to places hard to access, and now, near isolated from the rest of the world.

Like Antakya, in Hatay province.

Look what the earthquake did in just minutes here.

So many buildings razed to the ground.

More than eight days later, too many people still going without even basic supplies.

Donations continue to pour in from all over the world.

To give you an idea, they have things like baby formula, these are safety hardhats over here.

These are the types of things that are coming in.

Over here you have bread, so they have all sorts of dry foods that are coming in.

These are donations that are coming from individuals, things like blankets, and warm clothes.

And really, just as far as the eye can see, there's all sorts of supplies that are now trying to get from this airstrip to the people who desperately need them.

Over and over again, spontaneous supply lines like this one form.

And within minutes, dozens and dozens of tents are loaded onto the helicopter.

Today's mission, to provide cover and protection in Hatay, a province that has lost both.

From the sky it is easy to see why they are so necessary.

(helicopter engine blaring) A group of men can be seen waiting earnestly for their temporary new homes.

They quickly unload the helicopter struggling against the whir of the blades, which never stop.

So they've just unloaded the tents here in Hatay.

This is one of the hardest hit areas in the quake zone.

(helicopter engine blaring) Off in the distance, a floating hospital, a near necessity after natural disasters like this.

After all, as with most other buildings, the hospitals often don't survive either.

These hospital ships provide immediate beds and operating rooms like this one where 37 year old Mehmet received an operation on his leg after falling two stories during the earthquake.

(Mehmet speaking Turkish) Even a maternity ward.

Yes, tragically more than 40,000 people have died, but there has also been new life here.

A beautiful baby girl.

Another benefit the captain tells me, unlike the field hospitals on firm ground, these hospital ships in the water are relatively protected from the numerous aftershocks that continuously devastated the land.

For now, the ground is quiet, but the skies are loud, and that is good, as this part of the world slowly, surely, finds its footing.

- Thank you, Sanjay.

Now, back in the US, many regions have been hit by snowstorms this season.

Colorado collected 27 inches of snow last week, Arizona measured 18 inches of the white stuff.

But of course, winter happens every year and cities have snow removal plans in place.

But what happens when the snowfall is higher than average?

In Alaska, the city of Anchorage may just have to let snow sit in neighborhoods because they will not have a place to haul it.

Getting Anchorage's record snow off the streets has been an ongoing challenge for that city.

Lauren Maxwell has the scoop.

- [Lauren] To say Anchorage snow sites have been well used this winter is an understatement.

- Space is at a premium for sure.

- [Lauren] Record snow means three of the municipality's eight snow storage sites are now at, or beyond capacity, And the others are filling up fast.

The city says that could force some tough decisions if more snow comes our way.

- We're pushing it.

Depending on how much more snow, there may be some snow, we will have to make the decision to let snow sit in neighborhoods or stack it up in neighborhoods, 'cause we simply will not have a place to haul it.

- [Lauren] Even without fresh snow the city is still working to remove old snow in some parts of town, that neighbors say has been there since December.

- It's pretty low maintenance around here, I'd say.

- To make room for it all, there's a plan to expand in one direction.

So at this point, the only way to add extra space is to go up- - Correct.

- Is that right?

- Correct, we have met our boundaries, and now it's time to go vertical.

- [Lauren] The city is working on pushing up snow, breaking up snow, and adding what will be layers of ice so that trucks can drive further up the piles.

At the same time, they're crossing their fingers that we don't get a fresh load of snow on top of it all.

- Thank you, Lauren, and stay warm out there.

Here in Ohio we've heard folks say, "If you don't like the weather, just wait around, it's bound to change."

That's because the Buckeye State experiences the full spectrum of weather extremes, everything from blizzards to heat waves.

Up next, North Ohio correspondent Anna Huntsman tells us about some of the most memorable weather events in Ohio.

(upbeat country music) - Here in the Buckeye State, we're lucky to have all four seasons, and we've seen some incredible weather extremes.

Ohio and the rest of the United States began officially recording temperatures and weather patterns in 1870, when the National Weather Service was established.

So, we have weather records that go back over 145 years, but you don't have to go back very far to remember one of the coldest winters.

I for one, am still thawing out after last December.

We saw a lot of snowfall last winter, too, but it's simply does not compare to what Ohioans experienced in January of 1978.

It's been called the White Hurricane or the Cleveland Super Bomb, and for good reason.

The blizzard of '78 was possibly the worst storm to ever hit the Buckeye State.

Over the course of three days, 21 inches of snow buried Northeast Ohio and wind gusts of nearly 100 miles per hour created large snow drifts that shut down just about every major road.

But it was during an earlier blizzard in 1899 that Ohio hit its lowest recorded temperature.

A frigid negative 39 degrees was recorded in Milligan, Ohio, that's about 25 degrees colder than your average freezer.

But enough about the cold, let's turn up the heat.

I bet a heat wave sounds pretty good right about now, but in the summer of 1934, it was just too hot to handle.

During that year, June, July, and August, saw the highest average temperatures ever.

It culminated in the single highest temperature ever recorded in our state.

A balmy 113 degrees, which was recorded in Gallipolis.

Whew!

It's starting to get pretty hot in here.

I better get some air before I have a meltdown.

- Thanks, Anna.

We're not melting yet exactly, but you're right, it has been an unseasonably warm February.

The temperatures and rain make it feel more like spring than winter, but I would say that spring could be my favorite season.

But what's your favorite season?

We want to know in this week's poll, head online to vote between spring, summer, fall, or winter.

Now, last week we asked you if you liked puzzles and I knew I had things in common with a lot of you.

65% of you said you love puzzles, 35% said, "Meh, not so much, too time consuming."

Before you cast your vote this week for the poll, you should consider all the fun outdoor activities each season allows you to do; like swimming in the summer, running in spring, hiking in the fall, and ice climbing in winter.

Well, this park in Winona, Minnesota, is known for just that, ice climbing.

The town which is home to the second largest ice park in the country is proud of the outdoor recreation it offers.

More and more people are starting to discover the unique climbing experience.

Crystal Flintrop has our story.

- [Crystal] Two organizations came together nearly five years ago to create Winona's very own ice climbing park.

- So the Recreation Alliance of Winona partners with the City of Winona to manage this bluff and the adjacent bluff, the Sugarloaf.

So the trails, the ice park, the rock climbing, signage, all of that is the partnership between the two.

It's been super successful.

- [Crystal] Visiting the Ice Park for the first time, one Winona resident says it's a new adventure he doesn't plan on giving up anytime soon.

- It's fun, it's a lot of fun.

I've rock climbed before and this is different, but the same, just set getting over, being comfortable with heights, just trusting your placements of the pic and your crampons.

And I can see doing it more and more.

- [Crystal] And it's not only Winonans using the park.

- The vast majority of people that come here travel from over 120 miles away.

So we get a lot of people who come from Chicago, Des Moines, Dubuque, a lot from the cities.

We had people from North Carolina, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Oregon, California, that people actually come here to climb.

- [Crystal] A Des Moines resident who has ice climbed for more than 40 years says he's impressed.

- It's epic, it's really nice.

(laughs) This is kind of a gem for Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin people.

Iowans.

Yeah, it's really cool.

- [Crystal] And bringing that many people to the area has an impact on Winona's economy.

- The thing I love most about the ice park is it's really like a vehicle for people to find out about this town 'cause it's a cool river town.

There's like really good music, we're starting to see good food here, and they get Airbnbs and hotels, and they go out to restaurants.

- [Crystal] Creating and maintaining the ice park has a positive influence on the surrounding environment.

- This was a kind of a forgotten piece of public land.

It wasn't cared for.

The Prairie up top was being choked out by invasive species like Buckthorn and Honeysuckle, and now the Prairie is being reclaimed.

This is like a park, it's clean, and we're showing that outdoor recreation leads to conservation.

- Now, if climbing isn't your sport, how about calisthenics?

Calisthenics is a type of workout that uses your body and gravity to build strength.

102 year old Jean Bailey stretches her muscles and exercises her body every day, thanks to the workout class she leads at her assisted living center.

Reporter Melissa Fry learns a few new stretches by sitting in on Jean's class.

- 5, 6.

- [Melissa] Jean Bailey is all business.

- [Jean] 7, 8, 9.

- [Melissa] As she leads this class.

- It's a half an hour exercise that does the whole body.

- [Melissa] Jean doesn't just talk the talk.

- [Jean] If you do anything, do it right.

- [Melissa] At 102, she walks the walk.

- [Jean] I just think it's so important to keep your body busy, as well as your mind, and it's very important to keep your mind occupied.

- [Melissa] Four times a week she coaches her neighbors at Elk Ridge Assisted Living Center in Elkhorn.

She's the oldest and toughest.

- They say I'm mean.

- [Crew] You're mean!

(Jean laughs) - Oh no, never.

- [Melissa] Only teasing- - Never.

Yeah, only teasing.

(everyone laughing) - 6, 7, don't get ahead of me.

8, 9, (participants chuckling) 10.

Sometimes they just flap.

- [Melissa] Flapping, lifting, lunging forward.

- It's good for us, we need that.

- [Melissa] Jean says she needs this, too.

- I'm trying to keep everybody walking and able to be on their own.

- [Melissa] And she's not done yet.

- Okay, we'll practice.

- [Melissa] Jean plans to keep coaching as she lives her life to the fullest.

- God, let's stay around like this and I'm not sure why, so, there's things I must have to do yet.

- Regular physical activity is one of the most important things that you can do for your health.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says moving your body every day can improve your physical health and your mental health, as well as reduce the risk of disease.

So for our write-in question this week, we want to know, what are your fitness goals?

Can't wait to read your letters.

Well, hey, I have some letters to read right now.

Last week we ask you what issue you would add to a State of the Union speech if you were our president.

Let's dive right in by opening up our inbox.

Gabby from New Bremen Middle Schools in New Bremen, writes, "Dear NewsDepth, if I were the President of the United States, I would add reducing the healthcare cost.

I think this is because people who are severely sick and have to go to a hospital shouldn't have to pay so much money if that person's life depended on it.

Another reason I think this is because if people can't afford a surgery and that money is all the family has, those doctors are just making more peoples' life so miserable because you never know if those people will end up on the streets afterwards.

In conclusion, if I were to be the President of the United States, I would choose reducing health prices."

Very insightful, Gabby.

Ezra from Powers Elementary in Amherst said, "If I were President and I could add an issue to the State of the Union speech, I would add an issue about gun control laws.

I think there should be something to prevent people from getting hurt.

Also, I really think they need to be controlled better.

That is what I would add to the State of the Union speech."

Molina from Morland Hills Elementary in Morland Hills wrote, "Dear NewsDepth, if I were President, one issue I would add to the State of the Union speech is to stop pollution.

I think because there is so much pollution in the world, and it's very bad for species of animals.

That is what I think we should add to the State of the Union speech."

Carson from Kinsner Elementary in Strongsville is very passionate about freedom for all.

"I would add freedom to the State of the Union speech.

If they talked about the freedom of the US, I feel like it would make the speech a little more heart to heart.

Freedom is important.

If we didn't have freedom, black people wouldn't have rights.

In conclusion, I think they should add freedom to the State of the Union speech."

And Emily from Columbus Gifted Academy knows what impacts all of us.

"Dear NewsDepth, if I could add an issue to a State of the Union speech, it would be global warming.

Global warming is bad for the earth in many ways, such as impacting human health.

That is why I would choose global warming."

Thanks for writing, everybody.

You are all so well informed with what's happening in the US, and the rest of the world.

For our last episode in Black History Month, we have one more African American artist we wanted to share with you.

His name is Derek Walker.

He's a senior at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Walker has been commissioned to paint murals at his old high school, the Cleveland School of the Arts.

In this week's sketchbook, we check out how he's taken African American figures and inserted them into classic paintings.

(pen scribbling) - Some of my earliest memories of art included learning from my dad, and my cousin.

They had a lot of different sketchbook pages, and they kind of encouraged me to pretty much learn how to sketch, and do it on a daily routine.

I did a lot of drawings of cars, like Lamborghinis and stuff.

I was really inspired by Leonardo DaVinci and how he was also into drawing inventions and designs, aside from painting portraits, and I pretty much continued doing all that until I got into Cleveland School of the Arts.

One of my teachers that had an impact on me at CSA was Miss Tillich.

- He left drawings on the board every day, which is no surprise, but they weren't just drawings like I get from most kids.

They were hilarious.

When we were reading Hamlet, it would be something about Hamlet's interactions with Ophelia or Hamlet's interactions with Claudius, and it would always just say something hilarious.

You could see even at that time that his creative thinking was understanding history kind of in this context, and then also creating this empathetic way of understanding people and presenting it, and then creating a story.

And I think he does that through his artwork.

- My class of students were one of the first students to actually enroll into the building because it was newly built, and they wanted to make the school a bit more welcoming to the students.

So they invited several artists of the school to create murals on all of the blank walls.

And I was chosen as one of the artists, and I was working on several different concepts for the piece.

And one that struck me was a piece that kind of resembled the mode of creation that Kehinde Wiley does when he takes African American figures and inserts them into traditional and art historical paintings.

(upbeat funk music) At the beginning of the mural is from a Girl With a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer.

- Which notoriously features a very white woman and he repainted it with an African American.

So in the same way that I saw him reinvent or take history and context, and tell his own story through it, you know, he made a giant mural in Cleveland School of the Arts cafeteria.

- Pretty much every figure in that piece was created from imagination.

I would just use different facial features from anybody walking around.

(slow piano music) So for my BFA, I'm exploring ideas of commuting in Cleveland.

Commuting as far as like taking the bus, or walking from place to place, is something that I do pretty much every night.

- Transportation is a a big reality for him, and I think it's kind of amazing how he transforms it into something to make work about.

- I really like the different visual elements I see at night, where buildings are kind of illuminated, but the sky is pitch black.

So it's all these different glowing elements.

For my piece title, "Late Bus" I wanted to make a painting about a bus being better for it to be late than early, and a figure is looking at his watch, no bus is in sight, and several other figures are in the background just exploring the night.

- [Teacher] I think now he's telling his own story, he's finding what interests him and he's understanding through his own eyes why it's important, and he's communicating that through his art, and he's communicating it to a wider audience.

- So this is my final year at CIA, so I'm going to possibly take up like an art directing job, or a creative directing job, and maybe grad school.

And on the side, I'll be doing a studio practice.

So I'll still be painting.

- [Teacher] You know, I expect that he's going to do extraordinarily well.

Like I think that we're gonna be hearing about him for a very long time.

(music fades) - That is amazing, Derek.

Thanks for being so influential to young people.

Just like the next group of students that have been learning some amazing skills.

It always amazes me when I learned about some of the things students across Ohio are studying.

Really makes me wish I was still back in middle school.

No, not really.

Okay, this week's A+ award winners are great example of something I wish I did have the opportunity to learn about and take part in.

Mr. Ransford's STEM class at Springfield Middle School in Holland is learning about 3D printing.

3D printing is a process for making a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model.

Typically by laying down many successive thin layers of a material.

The students get to use CAD software to design objects and then they print them.

CAD's an acronym by the way, for Computer Aided Drafting.

The students have used the projects to make things like key chains, and name tags, and custom bookmarks, which is pretty cool, right?

Well, it gets way cooler.

Some of the students realized they could put this technology to work, making the world a better place.

The students started doing research on some of the things they could make using the school's 10 printers, and they realized they could make prosthetic hands for children, for about $20.

To do this, the students had to use the engineering and design process to develop prototype hands.

A prototype is a model of something that can be used to test if something works.

The hands that the students are making use a heavy duty fishing line to make the fingers work.

Deonte told us that, "I liked learning more about how my hands work.

I hadn't really thought about tendons and what they do.

I'm learning a lot."

Each hand takes about 43 hours to print, and so far this year they've made an astonishing 16 hands, and they're working on 16 more.

Mr. Ransford told us that the students are learning a lot about trial and error, and he encourages them to fail forward, which means to learn from their mistakes in a way that helps their project to move toward the goal.

The mechanical hands aren't yet ready for people, they still need to go through more testing from an organization called Enabling the Future to make sure they can stand up to the rigors of use.

We think Kaleisha said it best when she said, "I feel good knowing that I'm doing things that will help people."

So this week's A+ award goes to the STEM students at Springfield Middle School for using 3D printing technology to help others.

Okay, the episode's almost over, but before we go, we need to check in with News Hound, see what he's been working on for this week's "Petting Zoo."

(hand drum music) (dog barks) Hey, News Hound, out for a walk.

You must be getting your steps in after watching some of the stories we had earlier.

So what'd you find this week?

Oh, a dog library?

Where you can share toys and treats.

Well, to meet the dog who inspired this neighborhood project, click the Petting Zoo button on our website, and thank you, News Hound.

(upbeat music) Well, that's it for today.

I'm off for my walk as well.

Gotta stay active, you know.

But don't forget, we always want to hear from you and there are plenty of ways to stay in touch with us.

You can write to us, we're at 1375 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio.

Our zip code here is, 44115.

You can email us at newsdepth@ideastream.org or you can tweet us, our handle is @newsdepthohio.

Thanks for joining us.

I'm Rick Jackson, we'll see you right back here next week.

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

(upbeat music) (atmospheric outro) (music fades)