Earlier this week, Democratic Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson announce an ambitious new plan to overhaul the city's failing public schools. Ohio Governor John Kasich, a Republican, quickly announced his support for the plan. The reason these two politicians find themselves in agreement over the plan is because Jackson's school overhaul includes many of the same tenants as the controversial, Kasich-backed Senate Bill 5.

Jackson's plan calls for changes to state law, which would give the Cleveland Metropolitan School District more autonomy. It also plans to eliminate seniority as the deciding factor for employee layoffs and assignments, and will require differentiated pay to attract talented teachers and principals. Furthermore, it would require that Cleveland schools and unions start future contract negotiations without carryover items from previous agreements. The plan would also provide targeted funding for year-round schools, high-performing charter schools and other initiatives.

In his State of the State speech on Tuesday in Columbus, Gov. Kasich said:

“I’m counting on Cleveland to deliver the goods. We can change urban education in Ohio and change the urban education in America. And that is worth fighting for and risking for.”

If you watched the Super Bowl this past weekend from the Northeast Ohio region, you may recall seeing an intriguing commercial by the University of Akron which featured contact lens for diabetics that will change color with blood sugar levels. Researchers at U of A have been working on the diabetic lens since 2003, but they won't be ready for human use for at least three years.

The lens are currently in the prototype phase and are not approved for human use. The model in the advertisement did not actually wear the lens, and the images shown were simulated.

At best, it will be at least three years before such a lens could be made available commercially. As it is dependent upon clearing various funding and regulatory hurdles, the wait could end up being longer.

Jun Hu, an associate professor of chemistry at Akron, has been working on the sugar-sensing chemical that is key to the lens since 2003. He and his lab discovered a molecule known as a probe that binds well to sugars. In order to make it visible, they combined the probe with a dye. So, when sugar concentrations increase, the sugar binds to the probe, knocking loose the dye which will then be seen as a color change. When the sugar normalizes, the probe molecule picks the dye back up.

While L'Oreal announced last week that they'd be shutting down their remaining hair products factory in Solon, Ohio, this week brings better news for the city. Nestle USA announced on Monday that it had decided to move their Hot Pockets and Lean Pockets business teams from Colorado to Solon, which will create new job openings for the Northeast Ohio region.

It is not yet known just how many jobs the relocation will bring to the area, as it is dependent on how many of the 70 or so Nestle employees from Englewood, Colo., will make the decision to move to Ohio.

Some of the positions will be consolidated, and "way more than half" of the team, which includes positions in marketing, finance, and product development, has been invited to transfer to Solon.

Nestle Prepared Foods Co. of Solon also oversees Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine frozen meals, Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough and baking ingredients, Libby's 100-percent Pure Pumpkin, Nestle Carnation milks, and Buitoni refrigerated pastas and sauces.

The Ohio Department of Transportation has asked the state Controlling Board for approval to pay $2.85 million for a controversial study of how Ohio could make money off of the Ohio Turnpike.

According to a state request for funding, ODOT has asked for the money to be paid to KPMG Corporate FInance LLC to help it evaluable its options in leveraging assets of the turnpike, as well as rest areas along the 251-mile toll road.

The Controlling Board is scheduled to meet on February 13 and will consider the request at that time.

Governor John Kasich has lobbied for the leasing of the turnpike as a way to generate money. Statehouse Democrats, however, strongly opposed the idea.

An infestation of hemlock trees in the state of Ohio has led the state's agriculture officials to cut down and burn invested trees. An aphid-like insect native to Asian known as the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid currently threatens eastern hemlock and Carolina hemlock in the eastern United States, and the infestation has spread to 16 states from Maine to Georgia.

The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid was first spotted in the U.S. in 1951. It was discovered in Ohio in January 2012, and at the time just five trees were infected. The state is trying to prevent it from spreading.

The Adelgid attacks of the base of the needles at the tips of branches. Systemic insecticides are applied to protect tens of thousands of hemlocks annually.

There are now 24 universities, seven institutions in both China and Japan, 20 state agencies, four federal agencies, and nine private organizations involved in the effort to combat the bugs.

Photo: An infected hemlock tree.

Ohio lawmakers may soon be voting on a proposal to ban smoking in vehicles where there are passengers aged six or younger.

The bill is being introduced by State Senator Charleta Tavares (D-Columbus). The proposed fine would be $500 for a first offense.

Before it could be come law, however, it would have to go through a number of steps. Right now, it's just a proposal that state legislators will take a look at and consider.

Other states with similar laws make smoking in a car with young children a secondary violation, which means that drivers have to be pulled over for another traffic offense first.

Ohio motorists subject to bi-annual vehicle emissions testing will soon be able to take their vehicle for testing at more locations than the current 23 tailpipe testing centers. Ohio is preparing to expand the number of sites available for emissions testing, and begin offering addition options for drivers beginning in late June.

53 independent testing centers at auto repair shops will launch along with 16 self-serve kiosks that will operate 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.

E-Check is mandatory in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties due to ozone pollution in the area.

Cleveland was infamously named the United States' most miserable city in 2009. In 2010, after much public outcry the year prior, Forbes.com decided to push Cleveland down to the No. 10 spot on its list. Last year, Cleveland fell a couple spots further down the list, coming in at No. 12.

Forbes looks at 10 factors in determining the nation's most miserable cities, including: violent crime rate, property tax rates, commute, political corruption, pro sports team performance, and others.

Miami, Florida, came in as the country's most miserable city in 2011. Forbes.com explains that aside from all the glitz and glamour the city offers, most Miami residents are struggling to make ends meet. Detroit and Flint, Michigan, took the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, which Forbes blames on the decline of the auto industry.

The top 10 Most Miserable Cities for 2011, according to Forbes.com, were:

#1 Miami, Fla.
#2 Detroit, Mich.
#3 Flint, Mich.
#4 West Palm Beach, Fla.
#5 Sacramento, Calif.
#6 Chicago, Ill.
#7 Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
#8 Toledo, Ohio
#9 Rockford, Ill.
#10 Warren, Mich.

Jim Tressel, who has been without a job since being forced to resign amid a scandal at Ohio State University, has been hired by the University of Akron. Tressel was named Akron's vice president for strategic engagement at a press conference held on Thursday by college President Luis Proenza.

Tressel was said to have been helpful to Akron during its search for a new head coach.

Baldwin-Wallace College in Tressel's hometown of Berea was also said to have been interested in Tressel, as well as Wittenburg University. Sources said Wednesday night that Tressel had goals outside of athletics.

Tressel has reportedly sold his home in Upper Arlington to prepare for his new job in a new area of the state.

Ohio's own official groundhog, Buckeye Chuck, is predicting a shorter winter. Chuck failed to see his shadow at dawn on Thursday under overcast skies in central Ohio.

The U.S.'s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, did see his shadow over in Pennsylvania, predicting six more weeks of winter.

According to old legends, failure to see a shadow means an early arrival of spring. The Groundhog Day tradition stems from a German superstition that predicts bad weather if an animal casts a shadown on February 2, which is the Christian holiday Candlemas.