Flights to, from Cleveland canceled as snow continues to fall

Flights to and from Cleveland have been canceled as snow continues to pile up from a lake-effect storm that is expected to stick around until Tuesday afternoon.

Two afternoon flights and an evening flight from Cleveland to the Erie International Airport have been canceled, while a pair of afternoon flights to Cleveland are canceled, according to the airport.

Traffic continues to flow on local roadways, but at a slower pace, because of snow that began falling on Sunday night.

Local snowfall totals as of midmorning include 11.2 inches at Canadohta Lake, 3.2 inches in Meadville, 5 inches at Colt Station, 4 inches in North East, 3 inches in Waterford and 1.4 inches at the Erie International Airport, according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland.

Corry Area and Millcreek Township school districts closed their schools today because of foul weather. Erie Day School also canceled classes.

St. Paul Preschool also has closed for the day.

Wattsburg School District transportation is not running today due to weather conditions.

Nonpublic transportation is not running in the General McLane and Fort LeBoeuf school districts.

The weather service this morning issued a lake-effect snow warning that is in place until noon Tuesday. Areas in the snow belt could get 6 to 12 inches of new snow today and another 4 to 8 inches tonight, forecasters said.

Read Also → Flights to, from Cleveland canceled as snow continues to fall

Central New York students are eagerly waiting to see how the first big snow storm of the season shapes up

Central New York students are eagerly waiting to see how the first big snow storm of the season shapes up. It could mean an extended vacation for many of them. The decision to close schools on Tuesday will start well before most of Central New York is awake for the day.

The decision depends on two factors: Road conditions and temperatures.

The North Syracuse School District is always one of the first to make the decision. Its bus drivers have three runs each and they’re on the road by six a.m.

In order to make the proper decision, the acting superintendent starts making calls by 4:20 a.m. He’ll speak with his grounds and transportation directors to see how the school driveways and parking lots are looking.

Then he’ll call the DPW for advice. The roads must be safe.

But it also can’t be extremely cold outside. After all, kids have to stand outside waiting for the bus. In North Syracuse, when the wind chill reaches 17 degrees below zero, that’s when the district will delay or cancel school depending on how long those temperatures are expected to last.

North Syracuse will make the decision no later than 5:30 a.m. Liverpool expects to decide even earlier, around 4:45 a.m.

We’ll track any school closings tomorrow morning. You can get the latest on snow and closings anytime by CLICKING HERE.

You can also sign up for school alerts on your phone by CLICKING HERE.

And as always, tune into the Morning News beginning at 4:30 a.m. We’ll be sure to update you on air as well.

Read Also → Central New York students are eagerly waiting to see how the first big snow storm of the season shapes up

D.C school closings unlikely to be widespread in 2012

After some signals to the contrary, it is likely that no more than a few of D.C.’s many under-enrolled public schools--if that many-- will be proposed for closure at the end of the academic year.

One of them is River Terrace in Ward 7, which was on the chopping block last year before Chancellor Kaya Henderson granted a one-year extension to see if it could grow its population. But River Terrace remains the system’s most sparsely enrolled elementary school, with just 137 students as of October. Students would attend nearby Thomas Elementary. The proposed closure, outlined Friday in the D.C. Register, was first reported Sunday by The Washington Times.

On a couple of occasions in the last year, Henderson warned that DCPS has too many buildings for the number of students it serves. The city operates more than 40 schools with fewer than 300 students, more than half located in Wards 6, 7 and 8.

But any closures on the scale of the downsizing led by former Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee in 2008 is at least another year away.

Instead, Deputy Mayor for Education De’Shawn Wright says the city will spend the first half of 2012 in a round of discussions with DCPS, the D.C. Public Charter School Board (PCSB) and community stakeholders on how to align the city’s school system to create more “quality seats” in areas of the city where there are none.

The goal, according to Wright, is to develop a plan that would trigger major changes effective at the beginning of the 2013-14 school year. If it actually happens, it would be the first serious joint effort by the public and public charter sectors to envision what the city’s school map should look like.

Wright says the discussion will draw on — but not be driven by-- the findings of the IFF school capacity study he commissioned to identify communities in greatest need of more education options. After a two-month delay, caused by a combination of personnel issues at the Chicago consulting firm and Wright’s unrealistic initial timetable, the study is due to be rolled out next month. DCPS also has its own big picture study in the works, from Educational Resource Strategies (ERS), a Massachusetts non-profit that advises school systems on how to better manage and spend their money.

In an e-mail, Wright said he hopes to use February, March and April “to develop a robust portfolio of options” in concert with DCPS and PCSB, and then engage the public.

Under this scenario, a plan would be ready by mid-year.

Read Also → D.C school closings unlikely to be widespread in 2012

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Rashard Mendenhall Injury: Steelers Lose Running Back In Season-Ending Win

Huffington Post - ‎7 hours ago‎

Mendenhall injured his right knee in the first quarter Sunday and had to watch the Steelers stumble their way to a 13-9 win over the Cleveland Browns, who kept it close but again couldn't come up with the big play to pull off the upset. ...

Source: Rashard Mendenhall to get MRI

ESPN - ‎12 hours ago‎

CLEVELAND -- The Pittsburgh Steelers fear starting running back Rashard Mendenhall tore the ACL in his right knee during Sunday's 13-9 win over the Cleveland Browns, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Get all the news and commentary on the ...

Steelers beat Browns 13-9 in finale, but lose running back Rashard Mendenhall ...

Washington Post - ‎9 hours ago‎

CLEVELAND — Rashard Mendenhall leaned on his crutches and bowed his head. The pain wasn't unbearable for Pittsburgh's leading rusher. However, the thought of missing the AFC playoffs might have been too much to handle. Mendenhall injured his right knee ...

Steelers lose Mendenhall in season-ending win

San Francisco Chronicle - ‎7 hours ago‎

By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer Tony Dejak / AP Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) hands the ball off to running back Rashard Mendenhall (34) in the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Jan. ...

Will Rashard Mendenhall's Injury End His Career with Pittsburgh Steelers?

Bleacher Report - ‎3 hours ago‎

Prior to the start of the 2011 NFL season, there was much debate over the value of running back Rashard Mendenhall to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a fumble by Mendenhall in Super Bowl XLV that most people point to as the reason the Steelers now have ...

Steelers RB Mendenhall hurts right knee, could miss playoffs

Washington Post - ‎15 hours ago‎

Rashard Mendenhall was hurt on the final play of the first quarter in a 13-9 win at Cleveland on Sunday, and coach Mike Tomlin made it sound as if the running back could miss the postseason. “It's not good, of course, when a guy goes down in open grass ...

Steelers escape with win, settle for AFC's No. 5 seed

USA TODAY - ‎16 hours ago‎

Redman took over for an injured Rashard Mendenhall and finished with 92 yards on 19 carries. By Greg Bartram, US Presswire Running back Isaac Redman (33) scored the only touchdown in the Steelers' 13-9 win over the Browns. ...

Steelers' Rashard Mendenhall to miss playoff game in Denver

USA TODAY - ‎19 hours ago‎

The right knee injury suffered Sunday by Pittsburgh RB Rashard Mendenhall is serious enough that Coach Mike Tomlin suggested he won't be available vs. the Broncos. NFL insider Peter King of NBC and Sports Illustrated reported Sunday night that ...

Steelers' Mendenhall feared out of playoffs with torn ACL

FOXSports.com - ‎8 hours ago‎

The Pittsburgh Steelers fear Rashard Mendenhall may be lost for the season after he limped out of Sunday's 13-9 victory over the Cleveland Browns with a suspected torn ACL in his right knee. The Steelers were set to learn Mendenhall's fate Monday but ...

Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall injures right knee in season finale ...

Washington Post - ‎17 hours ago‎

CLEVELAND — Pittsburgh Steelers starting running back Rashard Mendenhall has injured his right knee. Mendenhall got hurt on a 5-yard carry on the final play of the first quarter against Cleveland. Mendenhall walked slowly to the sideline, ...

Rashard Mendenhall Injury: Steelers' Playoff Hopes Still High Without Star RB

Bleacher Report - ‎18 hours ago‎

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall was forced to leave Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns with an apparent right knee injury. He carried the ball just eight times before the injury and was unable to return. Now, I'm no doctor, ...

Report: Rashard Mendenhall may have torn ACL

CBSSports.com (blog) - ‎19 hours ago‎

The same can't be said for running back Rashard Mendenhall, who left in the first quarter with a knee injury. During the post-game press conference, head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that Mendenhall may have a torn ACL and likely wouldn't be ...

Steelers stumble into playoffs, beat Browns 13-9

Boston.com - ‎10 hours ago‎

Isaac Redman replaced injured starting running back Rashard Mendenhall and scored a touchdown, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made enough big plays on his sprained ankle and Pittsburgh hobbled into the postseason with a wind-whipped 13-9 win Sunday ...

Dave Richard chat replay (1/1)

CBSSports.com - ‎3 hours ago‎

By Dave Richard | Senior Fantasy Writer News: Pittsburgh RB Rashard Mendenhall may not be available for the Steelers for the Wild Card round of the playoffs at Denver and possibly longer after injuring his knee during the first half of Sunday's ...

Rashard Mendenhall Injury Update: Steelers RB To Get MRI, According To Report

SB Nation - ‎19 hours ago‎

Running back Rashard Mendenhall came out of the game in the first quarter after suffering a knee injury. Mendenhall was helped to the locker room by staff and was replaced in the game by Isaac Redman. After the game, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that ...

Rashard Mendenhall Injury: RB's Knee Injury Will Hamper Steelers in Playoffs

Bleacher Report - ‎18 hours ago‎

After sustaining a right knee injury in Sunday's 13-9 win against the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall may be held out of the Wild Card Round now, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Mendenhall, who has rushed for ...

Rashard Mendenhall Injury: Steelers RB Expected To Miss Encounter With Broncos

SB Nation - ‎19 hours ago‎

By Max Mandel - Newsdesk contributor @AdamSchefter:Steelers HC Mike Tomlin said he does not expect RB Rashard Mendenhall to play the wild-card game vs. Denver @ScottBrown_Trib:Mendenhall could have torn ACL, per Tomlin. He is expected to be out against ...

Rashard Mendenhall Injury: Update on Pittsburgh Steelers Star's Knee Injury

Bleacher Report - ‎20 hours ago‎

1 at 8:45 PM EST by Sam Westmoreland Things have officially gone from bad to worse for Rashard Mendenhall, as head coach Mike Tomlin and the team fear it might be an ACL tear, according to a report from Rotoworld. However, at this stage of the game, ...

Browns end dismal season with another close loss

Boston.com - ‎10 hours ago‎

Isaac Redman replaced injured starting running back Rashard Mendenhall and scored a touchdown, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made enough big plays on his sprained ankle and Pittsburgh survived a last-play heave into the end zone by the Browns (4-12), ...

Mendenhall likely lost for season in Steelers win

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - ‎17 hours ago‎

Rashard Mendenhall may be lost for the season with a torn right ACL. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday after the Steelers' 13-9 victory over the Cleveland Browns that he fears the worst for the fourth-year running back. ...

Rashard Mendenhall Injury: RB's Knee Injury a Bad Omen for Steelers

Bleacher Report - ‎21 hours ago‎

Rashard Mendenhall hasn't had the greatest season, but he's a guy the Pittsburgh Steelers really can't afford to lose. As such, the Steelers should be awfully worried right about now. In the first quarter of today's game against the Cleveland Browns, ...

Steelers have been hit hardest by injuries

ESPN (blog) - ‎7 hours ago‎

By Jamison Hensley There is a strong possibility that the Steelers have lost running back Rashard Mendenhall for the rest of the season. A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the team fears Mendenhall has torn his ACL and will have an MRI today to ...

Mendenhall seriously injured in meaningless win for Steelers

Altoona Mirror - ‎14 hours ago‎

Running back Rashard Mendenhall sustained a knee injury on Sunday during the Steelers' 13-9 victory over the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Steelers open the playoffs next weekend in Denver, and it looks like Mendenhall won't play. ...

Rashard Mendenhall goes down with right knee injury

NBCSports.com - ‎21 hours ago‎

AP The Pittsburgh Steelers are having a bad day in many ways, but the biggest is that they've lost running back Rashard Mendenhall to a right knee injury. Mendenhall was tackled at the end of a carry in the first quarter at Cleveland and immediately ...

Tomlin: Rashard Mendenhall could have a torn ACL

SI.com - ‎18 hours ago‎

Pittsburgh Steelers' starting running back Rashard Mendenhall left Sunday's win over the Cleveland Browns with a knee injury, and head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after the game that he could have a torn ACL, according to multiple reports. ...

PFT: Mendenhall may have torn ACL

NBCSports.com - ‎19 hours ago‎

Coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after the game that running back Rashard Mendenhall could have a torn ACL, and that Mendenhall is not expected to play next weekend in Denver. A source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that an MRI will be ...

Injury roundup: Steelers' Mendenhall likely to miss playoff game

NFL News - ‎19 hours ago‎

By NFL.com » The Steelers were dealt a potentially serious blow to their playoff chances when RB Rashard Mendenhall left against the Browns with a right knee injury. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters he doesn't expect Mendenhall to play next ...

Pittsburgh Steelers team report: Mendenhall suffers possible torn ACL

SportingNews.com - ‎17 hours ago‎

CLEVELAND—Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall injured his right knee near the end of the first quarter in Sunday's win over Cleveland and did not return. The team fears he may have suffered a torn ACL, which would end his season. ...

Ed: Mendenhall is Delusional

Pittsburgh Post Gazette - ‎Jan 1, 2012‎

Rashard Mendenhall is from another planet. He proved that early last year when he Tweeted not only about bin Laden but that he thought the planes packed with jet fuel ramming into the Twin Towers is not what brought them down. ...

Steelers escape with 13-9 win over Browns

SI.com - ‎18 hours ago‎

Isaac Redman replaced injured starting running back Rashard Mendenhall and scored a touchdown as Pittsburgh limped into the AFC playoffs with a wind-whihpped 13-9 win Sunday over Cleveland, the Steelers' 16th victory in 17 games against the Browns. ...

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OMG, Rashard Mendenhall leaned on his crutches and bowed his head

Rashard Mendenhall leaned on his crutches and bowed his head.

The pain wasn't unbearable for Pittsburgh's leading rusher. However, the thought of missing the AFC playoffs might have been too much to handle.

Mendenhall injured his right knee in the first quarter Sunday and had to watch the Steelers stumble their way to a 13-9 win over the Cleveland Browns, who kept it close but again couldn't come up with the big play to pull off the upset.

Isaac Redman replaced Mendenhall and scored a touchdown, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made enough big plays on his fragile left ankle and the Steelers (12-4) survived a last-play heave through the falling snow and into the end zone to beat the Browns (4-12) for the 16th time in 17 games.

Pittsburgh didn't get the help it needed to get a first-round bye and will travel to Denver to face Tim Tebow and the Broncos next Sunday.

And the Steelers will likely be without Mendenhall, who went down after a 5-yard gain in the first quarter and didn't return.

"It's not good, of course, when a guy goes down in open grass and is not touched by anyone," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "Experience tells me that in general that's not good."

Tomlin said Mendenhall would have tests after the team got back to Pittsburgh. But the Steelers already seemed resigned to not having Mendenhall for their wild-card game – or maybe at all.

"You should anticipate that he won't be participating next week," Tomlin said.

Read Also → OMG, Rashard Mendenhall leaned on his crutches and bowed his head

Schefter is reporting that Rashard Mendenhall is likely not going to be able to play next week when the 12-4 Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Mile High to play the 8-8 Broncos in the first round of the AFC Playoffs

Adam Schefter is delivering a piece of good news for the Denver Broncos, who are still reeling from their home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs today even though they still made the playoffs (thanks to a loss by the Oakland Raiders to the San Diego Chargers). Schefter is reporting that Rashard Mendenhall is likely not going to be able to play next week when the 12-4 Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Mile High to play the 8-8 Broncos in the first round of the AFC Playoffs.

Mendenhall is key for the Steelers running game — a staple of Pittsburgh’s winning ways for the last few decades. The Steelers will still bring a playoff caliber defense and the experience that Super Bowl runs will bring, but Ben Roethlisberger is going to have a harder time from keeping the Broncos secondary on their heels given that he’s also dealt with injuries that should keep him from running as well.

Expect the Steelers to hope the passing game is enough to get it done against the Denver defense, and the good news there is that the Broncos secondary has been beat up in recent weeks. Given the Broncos’ performance today, however, the Steelers likely have nothing to worry about.

Read Also → Schefter is reporting that Rashard Mendenhall is likely not going to be able to play next week when the 12-4 Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Mile High to play the 8-8 Broncos in the first round of the AFC Playoffs

Rashard Mendenhall may be lost for the season with a torn right ACL

The Steelers will enter the AFC playoffs as the No. 5 seed but likely without their No. 1 running back.

Rashard Mendenhall may be lost for the season with a torn right ACL. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday after the Steelers' 13-9 victory over the Cleveland Browns that he fears the worst for the fourth-year running back.

"It's not good when a guy goes down in open grass not touched by anyone," Tomlin said. "Experience tells me that's generally not good."

The defense didn't allow a touchdown for the second straight game, and the Steelers won despite their offense today at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The victory in front of an announced crowd of 68,266 means the Steelers finished 12-4 for the second consecutive season. But it did nothing for their postseason positioning, as the Steelers didn't get the help they needed in Cincinnati.

Baltimore beat the Bengals and won the AFC North by virtue of its regular-season sweep of the Steelers.

The Steelers, who surivived a late drive by the Browns in a driving snowstorm, will play at Denver, which won the AFC West with an 8-8 record, in a wild-card game Saturday or next Sunday.

Steelers receiver Hines Ward became the eighth player in NFL history with at least 1,000 receptions. Ward, who caught five passes for 24 yards, reached the milestone early in the fourth quarter.

Ward was thrown for a 3-yard loss after catching a shovel pass from Roethlisberger, but that didn't stop him from triumphantly carrying the ball to the sidelines and accepting congratulations from his teammates.

That qualified as a highlight in a game that had few of them for the Steelers' offense.

The Steelers will limp into the postseason, given the high-ankle sprain that continues to hobble quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the spate of injuries the team sustained today.

Mendenhall and cornerback Cortez Allen (shoulder) were among the Steelers who left with injuries and did not return.

Roethlisberger played the entire game and completed for 23 of 40 passes for 221 yards.

Isaac Redman took over as the feature back in the second quarter and rushed for 92 yards on 19 carries. But he also lost a pair of fumbles in the second half.

Troy Polamalu's interception midway through the third quarter set up the only touchdown of the game, a 7-yard scoring run by Redman.

Shaun Suisham booted a pair of field goals, allowing the Steelers to tie the game at 6 early in the third quarter.

pittsburghlive.com

Read Also → Rashard Mendenhall may be lost for the season with a torn right ACL