(upbeat music) - Coming up next on Newsdepth, a snowstorm sparks danger and delight in the south.

A food pantry in Maine, is helping struggling college students.

Anna shares foods from Ohio that can tell us our state's history, and we learn about a fashion designer from Ohio who wanted people to feel their very best.

Newsdepth is now.

(upbeat music) A once in a generation snowstorm is delighting some people and animals in the far south, who have never ever seen snow before.

Hello everybody, I'm Gabriel Kramer.

Thank you for joining us.

A historic winter storm in the southern states caused the usual dangers like slippery roads and power outages.

It gave air travelers the usual headaches with hundreds of flight delays.

But this storm is so unusual, meteorologists are calling it a generational event.

That's because it's happening in some of the southernmost areas of the country.

Amy Kylie reports on Americans experiencing snow for the very first time.

- My first snowball.

- [Amy] A once in a generation winter storm in the far south.

- Woo.

- [Amy] Is delighting some people who have never seen snow.

Brutal cold is the reason for the storm in Gulf Coast states and the Southeast.

Most winter weather alerts are expiring or expired by now, but not without making history first.

(crowd singing) Southern Louisiana has its first ever blizzard warning in the history books.

- We can do this, to NOLA.

(laughter) Like I'm from Texas, so it don't snow like that down here, it don't snow.

It barely even snows.

So seeing all this snow something like new, it's magical to me.

- [Amy] Florida likely has a new all time statewide snowfall record.

- This is a blizzard in terms of Florida weather.

- [Amy] Parts of Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama, are covered in white too, and it's not just humans in awe of the snow, some animals also seem to be experiencing it for the first time.

- [Aletea] She didn't like the snow at first, but now she loves it.

She just licks it off the ground as y'all can see it.

- That looks awesome, I love playing in the snow.

Thank you, Amy.

While public safety on the roads and inside homes is the number one priority when it comes to winter storms, it's not the only cause for concern.

Some small businesses across Arkansas faced significant setbacks during this month's winter storms.

For small business owners, weekends are crucial for revenue, but the weather forced closures and limited hours.

Revenue is the total amount of money brought in by a company and their revenue was affected as the storms disrupted deliveries and kept both staff and customers off the roads.

Cayla Christian has the story - Every time it gets around this time, I just freak out a little bit.

- [Cayla] Small businesses across the state facing setbacks due to the snow, the conditions preventing deliveries and keeping staff and customers from being on the roads.

- Weekends for small businesses are typically like that's the lifeline of a small business.

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and most of the time Sundays.

It affects a lot of small businesses when you have to close down on your major days of the week.

- [Cayla] Certified Pies was forced to close their doors for one full day and limit the hours for others.

While the Healthy Chew kitchen owner had to close his spa until the snow clears, he even slept in his office to prevent further delays for his meal prep business.

- We were really put behind and stuff and some people didn't even order because they didn't know if we were gonna be able to get to them.

- [Cayla] When stresses, these events can make or break small businesses.

With Certified Pies saying they're already down 30% in comparison to their normal operations, - We still have bills to pay.

So those don't really stop because we had to close the store down.

But so it just makes you have to kind of shift or maybe have to go short staff for a couple of days to try to kind of make up the difference in what those days would've brought in.

- We have bills to pay.

(laughter) I was like, no matter what, like the business is always like running and stuff.

So anytime the business is closed, then you know, we're over here trying to figure out like how we're gonna pay our light bill, how we pay our employees.

So yeah, we kind of depend on each day to be open.

- [Cayla] Through it all, Stewart had one message.

- Tough times don't last, tough people do, so you just gotta keep going no matter, no matter what.

- Thank you Cayla.

And that brings us to our Write To Us for this episode.

We wanna know how has the cold weather impacted your community?

Did your school have a snow day?

Did your neighborhood have power outages?

Was it dangerous to drive?

Students can use our inbox form on our website or send us an email to Newsdepth@ideastream.org to share their answers.

On our episode last week, we learned about a group of students in Colorado who worked together to update their school's playground with ADA accessible equipment.

And we asked you, why is accessibility important for kids?

Let's see what you had to say by opening our inbox.

(mouse clicks) Asher from Mulberry Elementary in Milford, thinks it's important for everyone to be on an even playground.

Not everyone has the same chances as other people.

Accessibility gives everyone a chance no matter what anybody is going through.

Giving accessibility makes people feel special and feel known, and that's important.

People with disabilities need to have a chance too.

Natasha from North Canton Intermediate School in North Canton, would love to see all kids playing.

Dear Newsdepth, I think accessibility is important for kids because not all kids could go on the things the other kids can.

It is also not fair to kids in wheelchairs who cannot go up the stairs or go on the swings like the other kids can.

That is why I think accessibility is important for kids.

Caleb from Marion Local schools in Maria Stein, wants to give a shout out to a teacher.

Dear Newsdepth, I don't know what kids could do at my school that have disabilities without our special swings and helpful teachers, Mrs. Ranly, a very helpful teacher, should be recognized for helping students at my school Marian Local.

For example, she'll push them on the swings so they can go back and forth faster.

Also, she'll help them walk around, so we need more accessibility for some students so they can have fun at recess, otherwise, they would be so bored.

Brooklyn from Eastwoods Intermediate School in Hudson, thinks accessibility is important in academics.

Dear Newsdepth, accessibility is so important for kids and for many reasons, it can help them discover and grow more curious in learning.

Just like making the playground, they get hands-on experience at school that can help them feel more willing to learn.

And Manshuf, from Pleasant Run Elementary School in Cincinnati, thinks students feeling comfortable on the playground will lead to more success.

Dear Newsdepth, I think accessibility is important for kids because they can feel more comfortable that they can move and have some free space.

They will feel like they can do stuff on their own.

Thank you all for writing.

I do have another letter to share with you.

This one comes from my friend Finn at Gilliessweet Elementary in Fairview Park.

Finn had an answer to our previous inbox question, how can social media affect others?

He wrote, I think that social media is not great.

Social media can cause memory loss if you use it for too long.

P.S.

Newshound is the best.

You're right, Finn, Newshound is the best.

Thank you for sending in that letter.

Okay, let's get back to the show.

Food insecurity among college students is a growing issue with many struggling to balance the costs of tuition, housing, and basic necessities like food.

Kristina Roscoe is a student at Southern Maine Community College and she volunteers at the Captain's Cupboard, a campus food pantry serving up to 500 students a month.

A food pantry is a distribution center that provides food to people in need.

Kristina speaks to reporter Brad Rogers about the widespread issue of food insecurity among her peers.

- A lot of my friends and the people that I know deal with food insecurity a lot.

- [Brad] Kristina Roscoe is a student at Southern Maine Community College.

- Any of the money that I have is pretty much going to my payment for the dorms right now.

- [Brad] She also volunteers at Captain's Cupboard, a food pantry on campus, serving as many as 500 students a month, many of them commuters, - They're commuting and they don't have the money to rent an apartment and car payments and food especially.

Usually a lot of people have to choose between one of the other.

- We do our best to try to be accommodating for everyone who we can.

- [Brad] Clara Thompson works at Captain's Cupboard.

- We've been getting a lot more people recently.

Food is very essential, like I went through a lot of like food insecurity, so I know how important it is.

- [Brad] Captain's Cupboard gets most of its food from the Good Shepherd Food Bank, Wayside Food Programs, and South Portland Food Cupboard.

- We do fresh produce.

Eggs, milk, meats.

- [Brad] Director Dwayne Hopkins says over the last year, dozens more people have been coming here for food on a regular basis.

- Seniors, veterans, single family homes, our recipients leave here in tears of joy and just thrilled that they're able to receive the kind of food that we give.

- Nearly all the food you see here has been donated by local food chains and those donations have remained steady.

What's changed though is the demand, which continues to go up.

- Food is an extra.

People have to pay rent, they have to buy medication, they have to pay for transportation.

Food is one of those things that people say, well, I can do with a little less of it today, or I can skip dinner tomorrow and save a few bucks.

So I'm sure that's what's going on with a lot of the students.

- Thank you, Brad.

Finding traditional Native American food isn't an easy task in the United States.

According to North American traditional Indigenous food systems, only 1% of restaurants specialize in the cuisine.

However, take a trip to Arizona, and you'll find a small roadside spot that is one of them.

Mason Carroll introduces us to the women behind the Yummy Shack on Highway 89, - I want a Navajo taco and a bowl of chili.

- [Mason] Recent viral videos on TikTok, show people discussing the lack of Native American food across the US.

Indigenous restaurants can be hard to find in major cities across the country, including Arizona, but in the northern parts of our state, you see fry bread signs and Navajo food shops around major highways like The Yummy Shack.

- Our customers are the ones that named the place for us, say, oh, it's yummy, yummy.

So we just say, oh, okay, well, we're on 89 and we'll call it Highway 89 Yummy Shack.

- [Mason] Matilda Means started the business four years ago when she moved back to the Navajo Nation to help her sick father.

- So I just quit my job and came home.

Before we did this, my mother used to do it before us.

- [Mason] Matilda makes traditional Navajo food like fry bread and Navajo tacos.

A year later, her daughter, Savannah Means, moved back to help with the restaurant.

She says they not only serve food, but also teach people about it.

- So it was like, here, you hear it, you see it, and it's made fresh right in front of you so you can tell, you know the quality of it.

- [Mason] They're located right off of Highway 89 on the way to the Grand Canyon, Page and Utah.

So they say people from all over the world have tried their food.

- [Matilda] And then they come in and they say, oh you, you know what?

You're famous in Europe or you're famous in China.

This is one of our destination points on our trip.

This is where we wanna stop and we wanna experience it.

- [Mason] Now, Savannah says her nieces are getting involved.

So four generations of Means women have helped share Navajo food.

(grill sizzles) She hopes to see their store grow so more people can experience and learn about the food she was raised on.

- [Matilda] Something that's actually not recorded.

So, you know, and having it recorded and put down in the books and saying, you know, especially for Navajo women, yeah.

- Thank you, Mason.

That food looks delicious and it's making me hungry.

Are you all getting hungry too?

Do you feel like looking at more pictures of food while learning about our state's history?

In this edition of Know Ohio, Anna tells us how our state's unique culinary heritage reflects its rich history and immigrant influences.

An immigrant is a person who moves from their native country to another.

Iconic dishes, like Cincinnati Chili, was created in the 1920s by two brothers from Macedonia.

Sauerkraut balls were influenced by German immigrants in the twenties and thirties, and a Cleveland condiment craze was created by a Polish immigrant.

Let's take a bite out of Ohio history.

- Is it lunchtime yet?

My belly is rumbling and my mouth is watering.

As it happens, Ohio has some odd dishes that can tell us a lot about our state's history.

(upbeat music) Take this dish, for example, Cincinnati Chili.

You either love it or you hate it, but no matter what, it is an Ohio icon.

The dish is a meat and tomato sauce with a mix of spices, including cinnamon, cumin, and chili pepper.

Traditionally, it is served on spaghetti with cheese, onions, or beans.

Cincinnati chili originated where?

Yep, you guessed it, in Cincinnati.

In the 1920s, two brothers moved here from Macedonia in Southeast Europe.

Tom and John Kiradjieff opened their Empress Chili parlor next to a theater when they arrived.

Their food sensation started as a Mediterranean stew, but they soon adapted it to the taste of American customers adding the pasta underneath and the cheese on top.

Now there are chili parlors all around Cincinnati.

One of the most recognizable, Skyline Chili, was started by a former Empress employee.

More immigrants to Ohio tweaked other recipes too, like sauerkraut balls.

These round appetizers are found almost exclusively in Akron where they were invented.

They're a mix of ground meat and sour cabbage that is breaded and deep fried.

No one has laid claim to being the first to make these treats, but they were most likely invented by German immigrants who in the 1920s and 1930s, made up most of the population there.

A Polish immigrant is behind a big Cleveland condiment craze.

Baseball fans know that no Guardian's game is complete without a hot dog covered in Bertman Ballpark Mustard.

Joseph Bertman moved to Cleveland in 1902.

When he was just 19, he began a pickle company that soon grew to sell other products like barbecue sauce, sliced pineapple, and in 1921, the iconic mustard.

It is made with vinegar, brown mustard, and spices.

Bertman devised the exact recipe in his Cleveland garage and would deliver to stadiums around the city.

Now let's talk dessert.

Of course, we have the Buckeye Chocolates.

This delightful confection pays homage to the state's nickname the Buckeye State.

These delectable sweets consist of a creamy peanut butter filling, dipped in smooth, rich chocolate, leaving a small circle of peanut butter exposed, resembling the nut of the Buckeye tree.

While there is no single inventor credited with creating Buckeye chocolates, they have become a popular homemade treat in Ohio and are also produced by various chocolate companies across the state.

Mmm, lunch is ready.

Sauerkraut balls are my favorite.

Ohio's culinary landscape is as diverse as its history with unique dishes that reflect our state's rich heritage and immigrant influences.

So, which one of these Ohio culinary delicacies would you wanna try?

(upbeat music) (ball bouncing) - I think I've tried all of these Ohio foods, but I have to say that my favorite, hands down, is the mustard.

You go to a Guardian's game, you put it on a dog, you can't go wrong.

But what about you?

Which of these Ohio foods is your favorite?

Jump over to our poll page to vote.

You can choose between Cincinnati Chili, sauerkraut balls, ballpark Mustard, or Buckeye chocolates.

This week's poll is a multiple choice question.

That means you can select all of your favorites.

Last week we met Lavinia, a high school senior, who started a little locker library at her school, and we wanted to know what is your favorite genre of books?

Let's check out the results of the poll.

First place goes to fantasy books with 31% of the votes.

Coming in second place with 17% of the votes, is horror, that's our producer and Natalia's favorite by a lot.

In third place, we have science fiction with 13% of the votes and a very close fourth place, we have adventure with 12% of the votes.

About 10% of you said mystery is your favorite genre of books.

Another 9% of you said that you love reading romance and 8% of you voted for nonfiction as your favorite.

I think nonfiction might be my favorite book to read too.

Thank you all for voting.

Well, what do you say we check in on Newshound.

I wonder how he's been coping with this winter weather.

Let's see what he's found for this week's petting zoo.

(upbeat music) (dog barks) Hey there Newshound, are you out on a walk?

I hope you're staying warm.

Oh, I like the winter coat.

You even have snow boots.

You're definitely prepared for the cold and having fun out there.

Anyway, what story did you wanna share with us today?

Oh, it's a story about a family in Maine, feeding hundreds of deer in their backyard.

To learn how they're able to dish out almost 30 tons of oats each year, click the petting zoo icon on our homepage.

(logo whooshes) Great story thinks is always Newshound.

I'm always impressed by how great Newshound is at his job.

I mean, have you ever heard of a dog that can type?

It got me thinking, how did he learn how to do this so well?

I asked and found out he was trained by a 10th grader at Kirtland High School in Kirtland named Mary.

We caught up with Mary and the story she told us, earned her this week's A+ award.

You see, Mary didn't only train Newshound, she's also a top ranked dog handler and competes in dog shows all over the nation.

Mary told us that she's been showing dogs since she was two years old.

We didn't believe her until her mom showed us pictures.

She competes in about 100 dog shows a year and usually has a show every weekend.

We learned a lot from Mary.

She explained to us that there are a couple of different classifications in dog shows.

She generally competes in what's called Junior showmanship at All Breed, Group, and specialty shows.

In junior showmanship, the judges rate how the dog and handler interact.

The key to be successful is to have a good relationship with your dog.

In group shows, she competes against all dogs that are considered hounds like Whippets, Fox Hounds, and her favorite Salukis.

Specialty shows require all dogs to be the same breed.

She explained to us that in group shows and specialty shows, the dogs aren't exactly competing against each other, they're graded against what's called a standard for what that type of dog should look like.

A standard is a predetermined level of quality.

Mary told us that Salukis are her favorite dog.

She likes them because they're pretty and they're easy to connect with, and she thinks they're very graceful when they run.

Competing in dog shows has taught her the importance of responsibility, patience, and how to win and lose with grace.

She especially loves to compete in specialty shows because she loves the challenge of competing against professionals.

If you were wondering, Mary has eight dogs at home.

Congratulations to Mary on qualifying for the biggest event in dog sports and winning this week's A+ award.

Great job, Mary.

Do you know what is always in fashion?

Reaching for your dreams.

A woman from South Carolina is proving no matter the physical challenges a person may have, he or she can live out their dreams.

Kim Brock has cerebral palsy, but that did not stop her from modeling at a fashion show in Nashville, Tennessee, Nikki Hauser has more.

- [Nikki] With cerebral palsy, it might take Kim Brock a little longer to speak, - [Kim] And I hope I inspire them to dream big and live boldly.

- [Nikki] But even without her communication device, her smile says it all.

- [Kim] If you spend just a few minutes with me, you'll be able to understand me easier - [Nikki] If you spend more time with her, you'll also know Kim is a budding fashion model.

Fresh off her very first show in New York Fashion Week.

(club music) - [Kim] They say, go big or go home, and I chose to go big.

- See how she turned her chin?

That's how you know Kim, know.

- [Nikki] Kim also won this year's Miss Wheelchair Southeastern USA.

- [Photographer] There it is.

- [Nikki] She'll be making history as the first woman to model in a wheelchair at the Luxe Style Fashion Week in Nashville.

- That one's the one.

(laughter) - [Kim] I felt an overwhelming mix of emotions.

Honored, excited, and deeply grateful.

It's a powerful reminder of how far we've come in terms of inclusivity, and I'm thrilled to be part of that progress.

- I'm just so proud.

I'm so proud.

It's exciting to get to see the journey and I'm excited to be a part of it.

- [Nikki] Candice met Kim at New York Fashion Week.

She's the one who recruited her to be in another show here in Music City.

With her support system, including her two daughters, who definitely take after their mother's talent.

(crowd chatter) Kim wants her modeling to inspire others to embrace their uniqueness.

- [Kim] I want everyone, especially those who feel overlooked or underestimated, to know that their dreams are valid and achievable.

- Thank you, Nikki.

You know, wearing a favorite outfit can be a good way to feel confident, but sometimes you gotta try on some new styles, right?

Find that favorite outfit.

That's what fashion designer Amanda Wicker is all about.

She designed clothes that made people feel their very best and then encouraged others to do the same.

Ideastream Public media's, Carrie Wise, has a look back at Amanda Wicker's life in this week's sketchbook.

Check it out.

(logo whooshes) (upbeat music) - [Carrie] When Amanda Wicker moves to Cleveland nearly a century ago, she put her education to work.

Having studied teaching and sewing, she started her own business out of her home, training others in dress making.

- She's launching this business in basically what is the era of the Great Depression, that's when her business is taking off.

- She started out with a business in her home with a single client teaching them how to sew and turned it into this huge school that taught teenagers, adults.

She taught high fashion design couture techniques, but also if you wanted to be trained in garment industry, factory work, she could train you on machines that way too.

- [Carrie] Wicker moved her business out of her home and established the school at East 89th Street and Cedar Avenue in Cleveland's Fairfax neighborhood.

For decades, Wicker celebrated Cleveland's black fashion scene with annual shows.

The large scale events, featured models wearing the latest designs, live entertainment, and scholarship awards for students.

- She called her fashion shows the Book of Gold, and you get a program with a gold cover, and it was sort of part graduation ceremony for students and then part just a way for locals to display their work.

- [Carrie] Wicker designed clothes throughout her life, from wedding dresses to suits and evening wear.

More than a dozen of those creations, as well as her photograph collection, were donated by her niece to the Western Reserve Historical Society.

- I think like playful is a good word for her style.

So fun, a little bit of sparkle sometimes, fun silhouette.

- [Carrie] Wicker also had a talent for helping the community look its best.

She was an active member of Antioch Baptist Church and the Cleveland NAACP.

She taught her trade for more than 50 years until selling her school and retiring in the late 1970s.

- I think a lot of people don't necessarily think that teaching someone sewing is a form of activism, but it can give you a skill to become something different.

It can help support a community.

- The freedom of expression, I will have to say, associated with fashion, design, and dressmaking, I think that's something that black women, in particular, came to appreciate in the years following the end of the Civil War and certainly something that Amanda Wicker was the expert on, and she taught other people to express themselves in excellent ways.

(logo whooshes) - Thank you, Carrie.

I'm afraid that's all the time we have for this week's show, but don't worry, we will be back next week and until then, there are a lot of ways that you can stay in touch with us.

You can send a letter just like Finn did.

We're at 1375 Euclid Avenue.

That's Cleveland, Ohio.

Zip code here, 44115.

You can also email us at Newsdepth@ideastream.org.

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

Hit subscribe if you're old enough so you don't miss out on any of our new videos.

Thank you for joining us.

I'm Gabriel Kramer.

We'll see you right back here next week.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] Newsdepth is made possible by Grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.

(upbeat music)