Those living in the Northeast U.S. are marking the anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall one year ago today.

On Oct. 30, 2012, the remnants of Sandy hit Northeast Ohio, damaging the area with high winds and heavy rain, and knocking out power for several residents.

News-Herald staff photographers and some residents shared photos of storm damage in our photo gallery dedicated to it:

Check out the first few pages of Oct. 31, 2012, News-Herald, with coverage of the superstorm:

The News-Herald from Oct. 31, 2012

Local coverage of Sandy:

• Photo gallery: Storm damage from Sandy (readers can upload their own images)
• Thursday update: Meals, shelter offered to area residents displaced by Hurricane Sandy (Nov. 1, 2012)
• FirstEnergy, road crews still cleaning up aftermath of Hurricane Sandy (Oct. 31, 2012)
• Many area parks, trails remain closed as storm cleanup efforts continue (Oct. 31, 2012)
• Birders head to Lake Erie shores to spot unusual species, like scoters, brants (Oct. 31, 2012)
• Fire in fireplace spreads through Mentor house (Oct. 31, 2012)
• Video: Hurricane Sandy wallops Northeast Ohio (Oct. 30, 2012)
• Sandy: Restoring power in Northeast Ohio might last into weekend (Oct. 30, 2012)
• Effects of Hurricane Sandy expected to be felt rest of the week in Northeast Ohio (Oct. 30, 2012)
• Area blood drives set up to help make up for shortfall caused by Hurricane Sandy (Oct. 30, 2012)
• High school football: South making plans for possible venue change (Oct. 30, 2012)
• High school soccer: Mentor, Hawken girls games postponed (Oct. 30, 2012)
• Great Lakes Mall weathering storm in Mentor, drawing residents without electricity (Oct. 30, 2012)
• Storm closes several Lake Metroparks sites; Cleveland Metroparks, Geauga Park District also assess damage (Oct. 30, 2012)
• Hurricane Sandy's area impact; Road and bridge closures; Eastlake Reverse 9-1-1 (Oct. 30, 2012)
• With Hurricane Sandy approaching, FirstEnergy offers precautions to take (Oct. 29, 2012)
• List of cities delaying Halloween activities, trick-or-treating (Oct. 29, 2012)
• Superstorm Sandy impact felt in Lake, Geauga counties (Oct. 29, 2012)
• Flood warnings issued for Chagrin, Grand rivers (Oct. 29, 2012)
• FirstEnergy, farmers among those bracing for Hurricane Sandy's impact in Ohio (Oct. 29, 2012)
• E-edition available at no charge through Sandy's duration (Oct. 29, 2012)

I remember being without power for a few days, but I had almost forgotten how much the storm affected daily life in the area. (Even trick-or-treating was delayed!) What are your memories of the storm?

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Last week was the two-year anniversary of Colt McCoy's career start with the Browns. Today is the two-year anniversary of Colt McCoy's first career win — 30-17 over the New Orleans Saints:

NEW ORLEANS — For once, and maybe for the only time since pro football returned to Cleveland in 1999, when a road game ended Sunday, the Browns' faithful in attendance were making more noise than the remaining stunned fans of the hosts.
The game did not start out that way. The noise inside the Superdome created by impassioned Saints fans was so loud Browns rookie quarterback Colt McCoy had to resort to a silent snap count after one play.
Things can change, and the Browns changed them. They changed the cheers to boos by confounding the Saints on defense, tricking them on special teams and playing efficiently on offense, especially when McCoy played keepaway on a crucial drive that chewed up more than half of the fourth quarter of a 30-17 victory over the defending Super Bowl champions.
When it was all over, a loud gathering of Browns fans sitting above the tunnel to the Browns' locker room barked like old times and chanted "Here were go Brownies, here we go!" as players trotted off the field. The Browns are 2-5.
"I'm really proud of the guys," Coach Eric Mangini said. "What I said to them in the locker room is, ‘You see what's possible when we play complementary football. When we play together, we win.'
"When we do that, I think anything is possible. I think it was, arguably, our most complete game (in two years)."

Read more from Jeff Schudel's game story: Browns 30, Saints 17: Big and easy.

Below, the front page and Sports section front from the Oct. 25, 2010, print edition:

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

One year ago today, President Barack Obama interrupted Sunday night television programming to announce that terrorist leader Osama bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan.

I had the pleasure of doing the front page for the May 2, 2011, paper. While at work that night, I was happy with how I reworked my page, but after seeing other front pages on Newseum, I'm bummed that I couldn't have come up with something better.

Even before the news broke, May 1 had made for an interesting shift at work. We were switching to a smaller template (from 11.625-by-21 inches to 9.9-by-20.3 inches), and that was the first night we were doing deadline pages in that format. 

My crack team of news-deskers that night included Danielle Capriato and Tricia Ambrose. I would not have been able to get the paper switched around if they didn't jump in immediately to help out with updating our website and sending our other pages to the pressroom.

More coverage from that night:

• Sources: Al-Qaida head bin Laden dead (with video)
• Americans celebrate bin Laden's death
• Obama: 'Good day for America'
• Share your reactions on bin Laden death
• New challenges after bin Laden killing
• World cheers bin Laden's death as victory
• Bin Laden death: Crowds gather in NYC, DC
• Bin Laden death: Pakistani officials describe attack (with map, video)
• Bin Laden death: Politicians, officials react to death
• Crowd at White House cheers bin Laden death
• Bin Laden death: Remarks by the president on Osama bin Laden
• Bin Laden death: Osama took a path of fanaticism and terror

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Nine years ago this week, Columbia became the first shuttle lost on landing. Above, the front page of The News-Herald from Feb. 2, 2003.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Do you remember what happened on Dec. 13, 2003?

If not, this front page from two days later should jog your memory:

Nearly nine months after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces near Tikrit, Iraq.

Do you remember where you were when either of those events happened?

A freshman at Ohio University, I watched footage of the invasion with my dorm neighbors, one of whom was dating someone in the armed forces. On Dec. 14, at home for winter break, I woke to a phone call from my then-boyfriend (who was on his way out of the Army): "Merry Christmas: They got Saddam!"

Did you think then that the U.S. would still be in Iraq eight years later?

On Oct. 21, President Barack Obama announced all U.S. troops would be leaving Iraq by the end of the year, declaring an end to the Iraq war, according to The Associated Press. Watch his announcement below:


On Monday, Obama heralded the end of the Iraq war, according to The AP. Follow along with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq with The AP.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

I didn't grow up in the Cleveland area, so I've never read Ask Hal the Referee. In fact I didn't know much about the legendary sports writer until I started organizing his collection of thousands of sports books.

I've been working (as time permits) for nearly a year on the Hal Lebovitz Collection, which will be auctioned (likely next month), with proceeds going to a foundation in the Lebovitz family name at Lakeland Community College.

I've learned so much about Hal from flipping through his books. I've blogged about the Hal Lebovitz Collection and some of my finds. I now recognize his writing and can decipher his scribbling. Baseball is the most represented sport in his collection, and football comes in second. On several books, he stamped or wrote his name on the side of the text block or within the first few pages. My favorite way he marked one of his books: "STOLEN FROM THE DESK OF HAL LEBOVITZ."

After getting to know him through his books, I'm disappointed that I never met the man or read any of his work before he passed. But I've been thankful for the opportunity to get to know him in such a personal way. After all, book collections are an incredible way to learn about a person, his interests, and what he valued most.

Since the previous incarnation of our website wasn't much to look at, I'm not sure what Hal's last published work was. The latest date I could find was his commentary on the Indians' loss to the Red Sox, which was published Oct. 3, 2005:

It will be interesting to see if they really have won back the fans. The final three sellouts are evidence interest has been rekindled, and it will show in the season-ticket sales. The good news is that it already has picked up. There is much to look forward to for 2006.
Several words can describe the season just past: a tease perhaps. But it was far more solid than a now-you-see-it-now-you-don't peep show. General manager Mark Shapiro calls it a sting, not in a con way, but because the outcome hurt. He is highly encouraged, however, about the future.
We have a good young team returning, the core of a terrific club. There is no question Grady Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, Travis Hafner and Cliff Lee grew before our eyes, and Victor Martinez and C.C. Sabathia continued to mature.

Hal died Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2005. (His wife, Margie, just died Friday.)

The front page from Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2005:

Links from the week of Hal's death:

• Hal Lebovitz dies (10/19/2005) by David S. Glasier
• Farewell to a legend (10/19/2005) by Jim Ingraham
• From one enshrinee to another (10/19/2005) by Jim Ingraham
• Editorial: Hal Lebovitz 1916-2005 (10/19/2005)
• Hal's love of life, game remembered (10/21/2005) by David S. Glasier
• Hal got you the story, no matter what (10/23/2005) by Kevin Kleps

More about Hal:

• Ask Hal - the Hall of Famer Sports Writer from ClevelandSeniors.com
• 1999 J.G. Taylor Spink Award Winner Hal Lebovitz on the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum's website
• Hal Lebovitz article on Wikipedia
• Book excerpt: "Outwitting sign stealers in constant battle", from "The Best of Hal Lebovitz: Great Sportswriting from Six Decades in Cleveland"

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

After the terrorist attacks on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, The News-Herald put together a special afternoon edition detailing what had happened, what was known so far and the reactions of officials in the region, across the country and around the world.
The cover from that special section:

The Sept. 12, 2001, front page looked similar, but included more information about what had happened and a better-quality photo (the coloring on the photo is funky because of the photo scanner I used):

A year later, The News-Herald did a special section look at people who had been affected by the terrorist attacks and where they were one year later:

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl