Southwest Ohio parents worried about proposed gun range near school
Some parents in southwestern Ohio are upset over plans to open an indoor gun range just 100 yards away from two elementary schools. The proposed gun range  would be located in a now a vacant storefront near Loveland Primary School, which has about 500 students in the first and second grades, and Loveland Elementary School, which has about 700 third- and fourth-graders. City leaders say the range is legally permitted at the proposed site.

Ohio EPA issues road salt storage rules to protect water supply
New Ohio EPA guidelines tell cities and businesses how they should store salt piles used to treat icy roads. The EPA says salt should be stored at least 300 feet from streams and wells. Salt piles that exceed 3,000 tons also should not be built in areas where groundwater is considered especially vulnerable to pollution. The Columbus Dispatch reports the new guidelines stem from a 2009 contamination from a salt pile in Camden, west of Dayton. It was so severe; the village was forced to abandon its wells.  The Ohio EPA has spent the past three years visiting more than 60 salt piles and investigating complaints of road-salt contamination.

Gas prices up ahead of holiday travel
You can expect to pay a little more at the pump if you’re heading out for holiday travel today. The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Ohio is $3.23 in today’s survey. That's 9 cents higher than a week ago, but it's still 31 cents cheaper than this time last month. Prices inched up after some areas of Ohio saw pump numbers fall below the $3-per-gallon mark briefly the week before Christmas. Today,  Dayton and Toledo have the lowest prices, with both areas averaging $3.20. If you’re looking for cheap gas locally, you might want to head to Solon. Gasbuddy reports three stations there are selling regular unleaded for $3.03 a gallon.

OSU looking into whether Alzheimer’s drug can treat autism
Ohio State University is participating in a large clinical research program to determine if an Alzheimer's disease medication can be used to treat children with autism. The Columbus Dispatch reports that children with autism from central Ohio can enroll in the program. The study is evaluating the use of the drug memantine on social interaction and communication among autistic children. OSU is among 85 research sites in the United States. Memantine is used to treat memory dysfunction associated with Alzheimer's disease. A preliminary study noted that autistic children who were given memantine were more open and interactive with other people. The study also found that their ability to interact and communicate with peers improved.

Funding cuts led to fewer teachers in Ohio classrooms
Fewer dollars for Ohio schools has meant fewer teachers in classrooms in many districts across the state. State records show the number of full-time teachers in public schools fell by nearly 6 percent over a decade ending in the 2010-11 school year. Surveys by education associations and The Associated Press indicate that the downward trend has continued. There's little expectation of immediate improvement as districts wrestle with reduced state funding, declines in property tax revenues and voter reluctance in many districts to approve new levies. The results in many schools: more students per teacher, fewer electives and reduced support staffs. Gov. John Kasich has urged schools to tighten their finances and focus their dollars on classroom instruction. Teachers say they're facing increasing demands with decreasing numbers.

Browns beat by Broncos
For the 9th time in 10 years, the Browns have lost 10 games in a season. They fell to the Denver Broncos 34-12 yesterday. And they may have lost more than the game. Quarterback Brandon Weeden left in the third quarter with a right shoulder injury while running back Trent Richardson suffered an ankle injury on the Browns’ next-to-last play. He was carted off the field and x-rays were negative. No word yet on whether they’ll play next week. Before the injury, Richardson broke Jim Brown’s record for the most rushing yards by a Browns rookie. The Browns close out their season in Pittsburgh against the Steelers next week.