BEREA — Tackles can be a misleading statistic. They don’t always accurately measure production, and the numbers can fluctuate greatly depending on who’s keeping track. But coach Eric Mangini said it’s relevant that nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin leads NFL defensive linemen with 79 tackles. “It’s meaningful. The level of improvement he’s had is impressive,” Mangini said Thursday. [...]

MEDINA — A 25-year-old Harrisville Township woman who scalded her young daughter in a bathtub was sentenced this morning to eight years in prison. Jessica Graham, of 8507 Avon Lake Road, pleaded no contest last month to felonious assault, a second-degree felony, in addition to two charges of endangering children that are second-degree and third-degree felonies. “There’s [...]

COLUMBUS — A group seeking to ban dog auctions in Ohio has failed a second time to gather enough petition signatures and will try again. The Coalition to Ban Ohio Dog Auctions has collected more than 77,000 signatures from registered voters, well below the nearly 121,000 required to submit the proposal to the Ohio Legislature in [...]

S.A. MILLER, Post Correspondent

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WASHINGTON — Rep. Peter King, who next week becomes chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, says he will push legislation to tighten border security and arrest more illegal aliens — challenging what he considers to be President Obama’s lax immigration policies.

“The Obama administration continues to display an obvious lack of urgency when it comes to gaining operational control of the border, which is absolutely critical,” King (R-LI) said.

He said Obama has “done little” in the past two years to keep out illegal immigrants and the country needs a new strategy “that incorporates the necessary staffing, fencing and technology to do the job.”

King’s immigration proposals will include an aggressive crackdown on private companies that hire illegal aliens and increased federal support for local police to help arrest illegal immigrants.

These measures are near the top of a packed Homeland Security agenda that includes efforts to better combat domestic radicalization, stopping Obama’s plans to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees to the US for civilian trials and bolstering national cybersecurity.

The border security initiatives would be a sharp departure from the current Obama administration policy that is focused on deporting illegal aliens who commit serious crimes.

It also underscores the dead end awaiting Obama’s immigration reform proposals when he confronts a new Republican majority in the House and a larger Republican minority in the Senate starting next week.

smiller@nypost.com

By Aisha Sultan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Some kid crazes are unexpected, like cheap, colored rubber bands worn on the wrist. Some are predictable, like cashing in on a fictional character’s popularity or cute baby animals. And, others are simply a product of undeveloped taste, a la anything Justin Bieber.

Here are the top things that captivated our children in 2010:

1. Harry Potter — With the opening of a theme park within Universal Studios in Orlando, the release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” and a new Legos video game, it was an exceptional year for one particular wizard in training and his very, very wealthy creator.
2. Spas for tweens — Apparently, you’re never too young for a mani-pedi. Even more beauty salons targeted at tweens opened this year. Word to the wise: Keep these trips a special rare treat rather than habit-forming ritual. There’s a thin line between pampered princess and spoiled brat.
3. iPad apps — Whether they were wasting time playing Angry Birds or Doodle Jump or learning new words with Montessori Crossword, the iPad was this year’s best grown-up toy for little ones.
4. Baby animals at the zoo — Who can resist a baby born weighing a whopping 136 pounds and standing more than 6 feet tall? The St. Louis Zoo welcomed Desi, a reticulated giraffe, and we’d like to give a special shout-out to his Mama, Susie, who carried and delivered that towering tot.
5. Jeggings — It started with faux-denim diapers and evolved into jeggings for babies. Pretty soon, every girl from preschool to high school was wearing jeggings. They may be questionable on some grown women, but they’re adorable on your daughter.
6. Sillybandz — Why, oh, why couldn’t I have thought of this? Rubber bands in various colors and shapes became so popular they had to be banned in several schools across the country. At $5 a packet, some lucky inventor is laughing all the way to the bank.
7. Kiddie attractions at the mall — There has been an explosion of ways to entertain children at the mall. From jumping rooms filled with bounce houses, to carousels and rock climbing walls, your shopping trip just got a little more expensive.
8. Sequels — Unlike many sequels, “Toy Story 3″ did not disappoint. But even those with less artistic merit ranked high with children, including: “Iron Man 2,” “Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” “Shrek Forever After” and “Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows.”
9. Book installments — Two of the most popular series of books for children and teens published new installments this year, and both were a hit: “The Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth” and “Hunger Games” in the Mockingjays series. As parents and writers, we cheer loudly at reading.
10. Justin Bieber — I suppose no such list would be complete without a mention of the boy whose high-pitched voice has inspired a girlie-boy hairdo and a legion of fanatical devotees. But we can’t help ourselves from noting that inclusion on the list is by no means an endorsement.

Aisha Sultan is a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Contact her at asultan@post-dispatch.com.

Medina County is under a freezing rain advisory through most of this morning. Freezing rain is expected to continue through much of Northeast Ohio and move across the area today, according to the National Weather Service. The freezing precipitation is expected to transition to rain after daybreak, and temperatures are to reach the low 40s later today. [...]

By Emilie Le Beau, McClatchy-Tribune

For new parents, it feels weird to put a baby in a crib without a blanket. It looks so empty in there — won’t the little one get cold?

It may be tempting to give an infant a blankey, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that parents keep soft items such as pillows, blankets, and toys out of the crib of babies 12 months and younger.

The safety commission encourages parents to use a sleeper as an alternative to blankets. Babies can sleep in these sleepers until they are old enough for blankets.

Violet’s Peapod has sleep sacks made from all-natural fabrics. The company was founded by a San Francisco mother of two who learned of sleepers when living in Germany.

Violet’s Peapod offers four fabric options, all machine washable.

During colder months, parents can opt for the uber-cozy sacks which are made with 100 percent cotton shell and have a 100 percent wool filling. There is also a flannel option.

For warmer months, there is an organic knit sleep sack which has two layers of organic cotton. There’s also a reversible sleep sack made with a quilted material.
The sleep sacks are available in four sizes and a variety of patterns. Made in the U.S., prices range from $29-$59, available at Violetspeapod.com.

MEDINA – Highland wrestling coach Paul Casey might not be a big proponent of letting his state runner-up have an 18-day layoff, but he couldn’t dream of a better way for Dan Mirman to return. The 135-pound Mirman hadn’t wrestled since the Ironman at the beginning of December before heading into the Medina Invitational Tournament. Wednesday night, [...]

BRUNSWICK — Avon Lake’s boys basketball team continues to torment its rivals from Medina County. The undefeated Shoremen added another notch to their belt Wednesday at the Brunswick Holiday Hoops Classic, pulling away for a 53-41 victory over the host Blue Devils in the championship game. “You have to give Avon Lake credit because they came into [...]

NORTON — A Norton High School math teacher accused of providing his students with drugs over a two-year period was arrested at his Wadsworth Township home Wednesday. On Dec. 22, a Medina County grand jury indicted Terry Sense, 37, of 10400 Silvercreek Road, on 28 counts of corrupting another with drugs, fourth-degree felonies. Sense allegedly provided students [...]