Feature - 1st placeOhio State student Marston Bender hangs from a tree at the Ohio State Oval. Bender, of Dublin, is a member of the OSU Slackliners Club. He and two other members said they were taking advantage of the nice weather on Monday. They were balancing on a slack line set up between two trees. They also worked on the rings, but the rings aren't part of slacklining; they said that the rings were set up for fun and exercise. (Fred Squillante / The Columbus Dispatch)
Feature - 2nd placeSixth-graders Fawzi Abdul, 11, (left) laughs as her classmate Nikiyah Simpson, 11, tries to perform the drumming sequence correctly on "djembe" drums at Citizens Leadership Academy. West African musician Sogbety Diomande, originally from Cote d'Ivoire, has been an artist in residence with Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio and has been working with the sixth-graders for about four weeks now on West African drumming. His workshop is called "Discover West African Rhythm and Culture". Local schools have been celebrating Black History Month through theater, song, poetry, dance and art. (Lisa DeJong / The Plain Dealer)
Feature - 3rd placeHamilton Elementary kindergartner Lynnzi Pack thinks about what she wants to write while she and her classmates take turns writing things that they love during a Valentine's Day celebration. (Shari Lewis / The Columbus Dispatch)
General News - 1st placeSummer Dush, 7, rides by graffiti of swastikas painted on the bridge on Calumet Street between Olentangy Street and Arcadia Avenue in Clintonville. Graffiti was painted on garage doors and store walls in and around Clintonville, late last night or early this morning. (Neal C. Lauron / The Columbus Dispatch)
General News - 2nd placeUncertainty, fear and sadness fill the faces of the people of Chardon as they hold candles while mourning the loss of three high school students shot at Chardon High School during a vigil outside of St. Mary's Church across the street from Chardon High School. Three boys have died since Monday morning's shooting. Thousands of people filled the grounds of St. Mary's after the inside was full. (Lisa DeJong / The Plain Dealer)
General News - 3rd placeAngi Lee, of the Department of Rehabilitaion and Correction salutes Mason Holden, 23 months, who was dressed like a State Trooper in honor of his dad's graduation at the 151st Academy Graduation. His dad Bryan Holden was sworn in as a State Trooper during a ceremony at the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy. Mason and his dad are from Willard. (Fred Squillante / The Columbus Dispatch)
General News - HMWesterville North junior Noel Hilling uses her mobile phone during Damon Mollenkopf's AP U.S. History class to tweet about the day's lesson Tuesday. Mollenkopf encourages to use twitter as a discussion board for his classes. (Shari Lewis / The Columbus Dispatch)
Portrait - 1st placeVillage Academy basketball player James Driesen poses for a portrait in the school's gym. (Fred Squillante / The Columbus Dispatch)
Portrait - 2nd placeKeynote speaker Jane Pauley before the Menu of Hope / Children's Hunger Alliance fundraiser. (Jeff Hinckley / The Columbus Dispatch)
Portrait - 3rd placePhil Germani, 54, feels he is among the forgotten people. Germani moved back into the house he grew up in (in background) where his father still lives in the Westpark neighborhood after being laid off. Germani who used to be a lawyer and working in human resources said he has sent out over 900 resumes over the past year. Germani is thrilled to be starting a job as a security guard paying $10.50 and hour, considerably less than the $90,000 he made as a human resources worker. (Lisa DeJong / The Plain Dealer)
Portrait - HMZach Scott Franklin County Sheriff in the jail area at the Franklin County Courthouse. The sheriff faces continuing criticism for a budget overrun on facilities. (Eric Albrecht / The Columbus Dispatch)
Spot News - 1st placeWhitehall Police Department crash investigator John Dickey takes pictures at the scene where a man crashed into a business called Home Health Agency. Scottie Johnson was driving the car. He got gas at Speedway and the last thing he remembers is thinking about putting air in the tire. He woke up in the car after about 15 minutes with only a cut on his elbow and head. He said he has been under a lot of stress with a separation from his wife and a sick father and he has not slept in three days. He had also taken two benadryl today. When the police arrived at the scene they ordered everyone back because they did not know Johnson's intentions and hazmat was called in. Once Johnson came to, they realized he didn't mean any harm. He was treated at the scene for his cuts. (Shari Lewis / The Columbus Dispatch)
Spot News - 2nd placeParents from the Chardon school system pick up their children after a shooting at Conneaut High School that left one person dead and four injured Monday morning. (Warren Dillaway / Ashtabula Star Beacon)
Spot News - 3rd placeLisa Evans (right) returned from the store to find her trailer burned up and fire investigators in her bedroom (left) on at 3527 Edson Drive on the West side. Evans said her 6 year old was not home at the time and that she is a single mom with no insurance and had just lost everything she had worked for. (Tom Dodge / The Columbus Dispatch)
Sports - 1st placeOhio State forward Sam Thompson (12) blocks a shot of Illinois guard D.J. Richardson (1) in the 2nd half of their NCAA College Basketball game at Value City Arena in Columbus. (Kyle Robertson / The Columbus Dispatch)
Sports - 2nd placeMichigan State center Adreian Payne (5) dunks over Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger (0) in the 1st half during their College Basketball game at Value City Arena. (Kyle Robertson / The Columbus Dispatch)
Sports - 3rd placeOhio State center Darryce Moore (22) fights with Wisconsin guard Morgan Paige (5) for control of the ball in late first half action at Value City Arena. (Chris Russell / The Columbus Dispatch)
Sports feature - 2nd placeBishop Hartley's Andrea Cottrell (left) celebrates with her good friend and Columbus Academy swimmer India Sherman after winning the Women 100 Yard Breaststroke Division II Finals with a time of 1:03.32 at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton. (Kyle Robertson / The Columbus Dispatch)
Sports feature - 2nd placeGlenville's Keesha Henderson starts the party after the Tarblooders defeated John Hay for the Senate Athletic League girls basketball crown. (Lisa DeJong / The Plain Dealer)
Sports feature - 3rd placeFans argue a call on behalf on behalf of the OSU Buckeyes at Value City Arena. (Eric Albrecht / The Columbus Dispatch)
Story - 1st placeBishop Hartley's Andrea Cottrell (left) celebrates with her good friend and Columbus Academy swimmer India Sherman after winning the Women 100 Yard Breaststroke Division II Finals with a time of 1:03.32 at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton. (Kyle Robertson / The Columbus Dispatch)
Story - 2nd placeSteven Newell (10) of Wittenberg is mobbed by fans who rushed the floor after the Tigers beat rival Wooster 68-62 in overtime at the Pam Evans Smith Arena in Springfield. (Barbara J. Perenic / Springfield News-Sun)
Story - 3rd placeRepublican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, with his wife Callista, speaks to a small crowd at the North Bank Park Pavilion. (Jonathan Quilter / The Columbus Dispatch)
