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OSCAR LEWIS AND ALISHA GAINES say it was no accident that Lewis wandered into the wrong Wednesday night class at North Cleveland Church of God in September 2012. The couple started dating in October, and Lewis proposed on Dec. 21. Lewis and Gaines plan to be married in June at North Cleveland Church of God’s Dixon Chapel.
Local couple believe destiny played matchmaker
Oscar Lewis was just trying to become involved with a ministry at North Cleveland Church of God when he accidentally sat in on the wrong Wednesday night class one September evening last year. He c...
Feb 24, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 17 17 recommendations | email to a friend
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THE VOODOO LILY plant, also known as Amorphophallus konjac, is one of the most unusual exotic plants Donald and Cynthia Humes have grown in more than three decades. The plant can be found in West Africa, China, Japan and Vietnam. Not only is it edible and ornamental, the voodoo lily is used medicinally for its weight-loss properties.
Voodoo lily: A spellbinding plant
Having an exotic plant that grows in West Africa and suddenly blooms during Black History Month was only part of the surprise for gardening enthusiasts Donald and Cynthia Humes. Cultivating a plant...
Feb 20, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 32 32 recommendations | email to a friend
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NORMA FERGUSON HILL graduated from Lee University with a bachelor of science degree in Christian education in 1994, and earned a master of arts degree in leadership ministries from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary in 2005. The mother of two grown children and wife of Eric Hill stays busy with a television and radio broadcast about the importance of prayer and reliance on God and His Word.
Norma Ferguson Hill: A woman of faith and works
It takes only seconds to discover what is in the heart of Norma Ferguson Hill, a woman who manages to introduce the Word of God in most of her conversations with relative ease. But moving south to...
Feb 20, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 57 57 recommendations | email to a friend
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SISSY HILLIARD, owner of Sissy’s Salon, uses a mirror to show Richard Roberts his newly shortened ponytail after having a nearly 12-inch braid cut off to donate to Locks of Love. Banner photos, CHRISTY ARMSTRONG
Sports editor loses his ‘trademark’
Losing all their hair because of an illness can be a traumatic experience for children, especially for young girls. To help soften the blow, organizations like Locks of Love make it possible for ch...
Feb 17, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 5 5 recommendations | email to a friend
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MITCH GRAVITTE, who works as a lineman for Cleveland Utilities by day, founded Marvel Ministries and travels to various venues putting on magic shows to share his faith with others. Contributed Photo
Trick and truth: Magician tells stories of faith
Many people might not expect magicians to tell the truth while they are performing because their illusions are meant to make things appear different than they really are. But Mitch Gravitte spends ...
Feb 17, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 7 7 recommendations | email to a friend
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ANDY AND MARGARET ANDERSON still capture the fun of family life with the humor of raising children after more than three decades of marriage. The Cleveland couple who met and married in Michigan posed with their five children above. Front row, from left, are Abraham, Sarah and Jacob. At back are Rebecca, Isaac, Andy and Margaret.
Confessions of a happily married couple
Marriage may be a fusion of the real with the ideal, engaged in by many who see love through rose-colored glasses. But as seasoned couples will tell you, marriage is what you make it. It can be wo...
Feb 13, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 32 32 recommendations | email to a friend
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Cook posed for this photo after her recent marathon runs that totaled 39.3 miles over the course of two days in honor of her disabled son, Luke, who is learning to walk again after suffering from brain damage after a seizure. She said her goal was to “be his legs” as she ran and teach her other  children how to achieve their goals.
Local teacher runs marathons for disabled son
Jodi Cook’s oldest son could not run, so she decided to run for him. After many nights running on the treadmill in her home, she logged a total of 39.3 miles as she ran both a 13.1-mile half marat...
Feb 10, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 10 10 recommendations | email to a friend
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LARRY THE DOG rests while girls who have taken part in Helping Paws Healing Hearts’ weekend camp for children who are grieving the losses of loved ones discuss their experiences with the organization’s founder. From left to right are Amy Hicks, Elliot Brock and Anna Sherrill. Banner photos, CHRISTY ARMSTRONG
Weekend day camp helps children deal with grief
Kids grieve in different ways than adults when they lose loved ones, said Amy Hicks, a counselor within the Cleveland City School system and founder of Helping Paws Healing Hearts. That’s why she...
Feb 10, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 6 6 recommendations | email to a friend
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CHRISTINE SNEED is a patient advocate, childbirth educator and international board-certified lactation consultant, who promotes the benefits of breastfeeding. She is also on faculty with the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association, training health care professionals to become certified lactation educators, or CLE, in the United States and Europe. Sneed, who works with LifeCircle Women’s Healthcare in Cleveland, is encouraging more mothers to breastfeed for healthier, happier babies.
The benefits of breastfeeding: Local advocate explains the advantages for mothers with newborns
Research has long shown that formula-fed babies are more likely to become ill and require medical care than breast-fed infants. That means mothers who formula feed also tend to miss work more often...
Feb 06, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 51 51 recommendations | email to a friend
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PAUL ERVIN is the official “hang around” guy at R&B Barber Shop on Inman Street. Ervin, 58, says it is a place where he can come and go, share stories, laugh and enjoy the company of old friends.
Paul Ervin offers unusual service to local small business
Paul Ervin is one of those people who can make you laugh, make you think and make you his friend in as little time as it takes for him to walk into a room and create a certain ambience. The 58-yea...
Feb 06, 2013 | 0 0 comments | 28 28 recommendations | email to a friend
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