LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Month: October 2024

  • Can the Cincinnati Bengals Salvage Their Season?

    Can the Cincinnati Bengals Salvage Their Season?

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio –

    After the Bengals dug themselves into a 1-4 hole to start the season, everyone knew that it would take grit, determination, and focus to lift the team out. Back-to-back games against two struggling opponents helped propel Cincinnati to within one game of .500. But even in those wins, something looked off about the offense.

    Joe Burrow and company scored 30 more points in three straight games in weeks three through five. In each of those contests they had more than 350 yards and put up over 400 against both Washington and Baltimore. The only thing missing was complimentary performances by the Bengals’ defenders.

    The return of defensive tackles BJ Hill and Sheldon Rankins certainly addressed that lack of production. Lou Anarumo’s players needed confidence, and they played like they had plenty of it against the Giants and Browns. The hope was that playing better against admittedly inferior offenses might lead to a positive change of some kind moving forward.

    But Sunday’s matchup against the Eagles made it crystal clear that the Bengals defense is not ready to contend against any of the even remotely competent competition. And what was worse, Zac Taylor and the Bengals’ offense continued their lack of mediocre play and also failed to meet the moment in a game that this team could ill-afford to lose. But then again, when you played as poorly as Cincinnati did to start this year, they are all must-win games going forward.

    The Bengals Defense Takes a Step Backwards

    After their first bit of success at stopping the run last week against the Browns, Saquon Barkley carved them up like a Thanksgiving turkey. He and the Eagles ploughed their way to 161 rush yards, the fourth time this year Cincinnati has allowed over 150 yards on the ground.

    Jalen Hurts had so much time to throw the football that he could have taken some additional time to check out his stock portfolio. Against a line that was porous in giving up pressure and quarterback hits, Trey Hendrickson and company not only managed zero sacks, but they didn’t even register a quarterback hit. It was a stunning indictment against a line that was finally healthy and looking to prove it had the chops to be a factor.

    All in all, Philadelphia pummeled the Bengals to the tune of 397 total yards and 37 points. Though it would have been nice to give the defense the benefit of the doubt, their performance on Sunday makes it nearly impossible to do as the season continues. It’s hard not to paint them as an extreme liability that will force Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense to carry this team in their remaining games.

    Has Zac Taylor Broken the Bengals Offense?

    There comes a time in every coach’s tenure when he has to be honest with himself if times get tough. To his credit this past week, Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski acknowledged how poorly his offense was performing under his leadership. He did what a leader does, and stepped aside from his play calling duties for Ken Dorsey because that was what gave the team a better chance to succeed. And lo and behold the following week his Browns pulled off a win from the cellar, taking down the Baltimore Ravens.

    Joe Burrow is healthy, as is Ja’Marr Chase. The offensive line, a malady for years, is playing better and protecting their franchise quarterback. And yet here we are, watching this team, with all its weapons, go backwards on fourth and a yard, and put up less than 300 yards of offense in back-to-back games. For as bad as the fourth down call may have been, the play that preceded it might have been worse.

    Watching Nick Siriani and the Eagles instantly line up and take advantage of fourth and short situations with such success is all the more galling because it comes from a simple “tush push” concept that isn’t hard to scheme or understand. And yet Zac Taylor, with all of the weapons, speed, and power available to him, can’t scheme up a play that has the prayer of a clean napkin at a barbeque festival.

    How many weeks will the front office allow a Ferrari of an offense to perform like a Ford Fiesta? It is apparent that the Bengals defense is not going to magically unlock any hidden talent and begin to be counted on to limit their opponents to less than 25 points. This makes a functioning offense not only preferable, but a requirement to have any chance at all. It puts a great deal of pressure on Joe and company but it is the reality that we are now living in given the disaster we now are facing under Lou Anarumo’s watch.

    In terms of yards per game, the Bengals still have to face the likes of Tennessee (#1 overall), Los Angeles (#9 overall), Pittsburgh twice (#6 overall) and Denver (#3 overall). These are teams whose offenses are still good enough to run circles around Cincinnati and so there are real questions as to whether Taylor has the ability to help this offense find the form it had earlier this year. Unfortunately, the offense is trending away from the explosiveness and effectiveness that it showed previously.

    We’ve all seen the magic that Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase have managed to show on the field week in and week out. Their talent and ability are not the problem. And yet this offense is nowhere near where it needs to be. It’s fair to ask where the deficiencies rest, and as the head coach and the one who draws up the plays that are supposed to unlock the potential of this offense, Zac Taylor must either improve drastically or step aside from those responsibilities.

    What is the Future Like for the 2024 Bengals?

    There was a lot of buzz about the Bengals making a deep playoff run in 2024 or maybe even making it back to the Super Bowl. But those who are honest with themselves after what they’ve seen so far this year can only shake their heads when hearing such talk now. We are eight games into this year and have seen what this team has and what its players can do. There are likely no surprise turnarounds in store for the defense who have no more players to count on to return, and no indication that they have any signs of life to rush the passer or contain any team with an offensive pulse.

    The hope, then, is the same hope that Bengals fans are all too familiar with: putting faith in Joe Burrow to carry this team as far as he can. It’s unfair in this day and age given the athletic pass rushers that stand ready to demolish quarterbacks who drop back too frequently, or the opportunistic defensive backs who can pick off any pass that is remotely close. But unfortunately, there is no other real path to success apart from what Burrow can manage.

    For as much as the future may look bright for Chase Brown, there is no actual track record that he can have sustained success to put a game on his back like Barkley did on Sunday. The offensive line and the run scheme in general just seem uncapable of gashing big plays on a consistent basis. And the defense is going to leak like a sieve from this point forward.

    Put simply, we can only go as far as Joe Burrow’s arm can take us. And if he cannot manage such a herculean effort essentially on his own, it’s absolutely understandable. That is because he’s been failed by so many around him. From the front office who refuse to sign players, to the personnel department who simply cannot draft key players on defense, to his coaches who cannot put together a game plan to put him in a position to succeed.

     

    ———————-

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

    Also, don’t forget to follow us at The Loveland Sports Desk at the below links:

    For Facebook, click here.

    For X, click here.

    For Instagram, click here. 

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • Attend the Grail’s 80th Anniversary celebration

    Attend the Grail’s 80th Anniversary celebration

    Saturday, November 2, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

    FREE, Casual, & Family-friendly

    Loveland, Ohio – For over 80 years The Grail has been active in Ohio and across the US. In that time, they have enjoyed partnerships and collaborations, supported activities, and shared resources and goals with MANY community-based and nonprofit organizations as well as local businesses.

    YOU are invited to join the party as they celebrate these friendships forged through mutual respect and shared missions.

    This will be a festival-style event with live music, Blossim Donuts food truck, and 20+ of our Friends will be there sharing their story—and what they do to make our world a little better.

    These Friends represent the five key areas of The Grail: women, social justice, environment, faith,  & art.

    History of the Grail

  • Pete Rose Visitation

    Pete Rose Visitation

    Great American Ball Park – Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 – 7 am to 9 pm

    The Reds will host the 14-hour visitation — honoring the number he wore for Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Montreal during his 24-year career in the Major Leagues — on Nov. 10 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. It is free and open to the public.

    Pete Rose Day will be held at GABP on May 14, the statement also said. Cincinnati hosts the White Sox that day. Details will be forthcoming.

    Statement from Fawn Rose on behalf of the Pete Rose Family

    We are deeply moved by the overwhelming love and support from the people of Cincinnati, the entire baseball community, and fans across the world as we mourn the loss of our beloved Dad, Grandpa, and Brother, Pete Rose.

    Baseball was his greatest passion, and he loved playing the game for the fans. We know that bringing “Charlie Hustle” home to Cincinnati, the city where he was born and where his legendary career began, is the perfect way to honor his love and devotion to the fans. 

    With the help of the Reds, our family will host a Visitation lasting 14 hours at Great American Ball Park on Sunday, Nov. 10 from 7 am to 9 pm.

    This free, open-to-all event will be a time for those who admired and loved the “Hit King” to come together, honor his incredible legacy, and say their goodbyes before our family lays him to rest privately.

    We will also celebrate Pete’s life and career with a special “Pete Rose Day” at the Reds game on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. We will share more details about the game and other tributes as the date approaches.

    Thank you for your continued support, love, and understanding as we navigate this difficult time.

    ___________

    Guests will enter Great American Ball Park through the main gates on Crosley Terrace and will be directed to queue lines leading to the Visitation area that will overlook the field from the main concourse.

  • Another private equity group is buying an Ohio coal plant. Will anything change?

    Another private equity group is buying an Ohio coal plant. Will anything change?

     A field of coal is seen near the Gavin Power Plant in Cheshire, Ohio. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

    By:  – Ohio Capital Journal

    Another private equity group is in the process of buying a coal-fired generation plant along the Ohio River that is estimated to be the nation’s most deadly via pollution.

    The prospective owners boast of a focus on helping fossil fuel plants make the transition to sustainability. But it’s unclear that anything will change at the 50-year-old facility.

    Presently owned by Blackstone and ArcLight Capital Partners, the 2,600 megawatt Gavin plant in Cheshire is in the process of being purchased by two other private equity firms, Energy Capital Partners and Javelin. Because the plant is estimated to produce the deadliest emissions in the United States — and because it has a $40 million liability to clean up toxic coal ash — watchdogs are concerned about ongoing health threats. They’re also worried that taxpayers will have to pay for any cleanup.

    Private equity groups have long been accused of the most ruthless moneymaking. They often buy assets in deals that quickly recoup their investments, then frequently sell off the most valuable parts of an enterprise, and then walk away either by selling or declaring bankruptcy. Whether people needlessly lose jobs or consumers lose choices is not a consideration, critics say.

    Such firms are heavily invested in fossil fuel-powered electricity generation.

    Earlier this month, Private Equity Climate Risks — a consortium of clean-energy advocates — published a scorecard. It said the annual emissions of private-equity owned fossil fuel plants exceed those of the global airline industry and is on a scale with the catastrophic Canadian wildfires of 2023.

    Ohio’s Gavin Plant is a particular polluter.

    A 2023 analysis by the Sierra Club looked at coal-plant emissions and weather patterns. It concluded that because it sends a plume of toxins over populous areas in the eastern United States, the Gavin plant is the deadliest in the country, killing an estimated 244 people a year.

    Blackstone, one of its current owners, has ties to the Republican presidential ticket. CEO Stephen Schwarzman in May endorsed former President Donald Trump, and it’s the 10th-largest contributor to Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance’s PAC, Working for Ohio, according to OpenSecrets.com.

    Blackstone in August disputed critics’ assertions that it was seeking political influence to avoid compensating for the harms caused by the plant. To the contrary, it said it had spent $1 billion on air quality improvements.

    But now that it appears poised to be sold to yet another private-equity group, critics continue to worry that the Gavin Plant will keep on spewing toxins and that its $40 million coal-ash problem will go unaddressed.

    “I think we’ve seen over the past several years how unpopular and deadly coal is,” said Alissa Jean Schafer, climate director of the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, a group critical of private equity practices. “You’ve certainly had a front-row seat to that in Ohio. Increasingly, coal is being seen as, A) a really bad investment, and B) a poisonous form of energy.”

    Indeed, companies are retiring coal-fired power plants or converting them to cleaner natural gas even faster than the federal government estimates, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis reported on Tuesday.

    According to its research, 69,000 megawatts of coal generation will be retired or converted between 2025 and 2030 — nearly double the 36,000 megawatts estimated by the U.S. Energy Information Administration in September.

    “Blackstone wasn’t completely able to ignore that, so Blackstone now is following the typical (private equity) playbook where they swooped in, took (the Gavin Plant), tried to see what profit they could get out of it, didn’t respond to any of the pressure to retire the plant or invest in a clean-energy transition,” Schafer said. “Now Blackstone is passing the buck to the next firm. We’ll see what (Energy Capital Partners) does with it.”

    Schafer and her colleagues at the Private Equity Stakeholders Project said the sale of the Gavin Plant is under consideration by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and details of the deal and its timeline for the deal to close are unknown.

    On its website, Energy Capital Partners says it focuses on converting facilities to cleaner generation.

    “Energy Capital Partners (ECP) is a leading credit and equity investor across energy transition infrastructure, with a focus on investing in electricity and sustainability infrastructure, providing reliable, affordable clean energy,” it says.

     A photo of the coal ash pond at the James Gavin Power Plant in Cheshire, Ohio included in documents to the EPA. 

    However, the firm didn’t respond when asked whether it planned to convert or retire Gavin, or what might be done about the plant’s coal ash.

    The scorecard published earlier this month by Private Equity Climate Risks said that ECP is invested in 14 energy companies and that 64% of them have fossil fuel generation. The consortium — which includes the Private Equity Stakeholders Project — gave ECP a grade of C when it comes to such things as transparency in disclosing emissions and political spending, having a clear plan to transition to clean energy, and plans to do its part to meet the global goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius by the end of the century.

    One of the major critiques of private equity firms is that they use average people’s money to invest in things like fossil fuels that harm those same people. That’s so, the argument goes, because much of the money comes from institutional investors such as public pension funds.

    According to data used in the Private Equity Climate Risks scorecard, at least six of Ohio’s public pensions are invested in private equity funds that support fossil fuels. By far the biggest investor is the State Teachers Retirement System at nearly $1.3 billion.

    Already under fire for paltry benefit increases, big staff bonuses and high-fee “alternative” investments, the pension system is invested in at least three private equity funds that support coal or natural gas:

    • $812 million with Ares Management, which owns 14 fossil fuel companies that spew 55 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents each year. The scorecard gave it a grade of C, when it comes to meeting climate and transparency goals.
    • $450 million with Apollo Global Management, which owns three fossil fuel companies that emit 3.5M tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. It received a grade of B.
    • $10 million with EnCap Investments. It’s invested in 34 fossil fuel companies that emit 92 million carbon dioxide equivalents a year. It received a D grade on the Private Equity Climate Risks scorecard.

    At least one official is trying to end investments by public pensions in fossil fuels. On Tuesday, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander proposed ending investments by city employee pensions in fossil fuel infrastructure.

    ________

    Marty Schladen
    Marty Schladen

    Marty Schladen has been a reporter for decades, working in Indiana, Texas and other places before returning to his native Ohio to work at The Columbus Dispatch in 2017. He’s won state and national journalism awards for investigations into utility regulation, public corruption, the environment, prescription drug spending and other matters.

    Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

    MORE FROM AUTHOR

  • Ohio spent nearly a billion dollars on private school voucher scholarships in 2024

    Ohio spent nearly a billion dollars on private school voucher scholarships in 2024

    Getty Images.

    By:  – Ohio Capital Journal

    Ohio spent nearly a billion dollars on private school scholarship programs for the 2024 fiscal year, the first full year with near-universal school vouchers.

    The total scholarship amount for Ohio’s five private school scholarship programs was $970.7 million, according to final data from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Well more than a third that money ($406.7 million) was from Education Choice Expansion scholarships.

    “I think this does have potentially a negative impact on students, on public schools around the margins, as you see those enrollment trends, but then in the big picture, when you have close to a billion dollars in public money that’s going to private schools, that means a billion dollars in state money that’s not available to meet the needs of the nearly 90% of kids that attend our public schools,” said Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro.

    The $970.7 million number is higher than the estimated $964.5 million the nonpartisan Ohio Legislative Service Commission predicted when it came to the scholarship programs.

    The five private school scholarship programs are the Autism Scholarship Program, the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program, the Cleveland Scholarship, the Education Choice Scholarship and the Educational Choice Expansion Scholarship Program.

    Students on the autism spectrum are eligible to receive vouchers up to $32,455 for the Autism Scholarship Program. Students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) from their district are eligible for the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship. The Cleveland Scholarship is for all students living in the boundaries of Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Students living in the boundaries of a low-performing school district are eligible for Education Choice scholarships.

    Lawmakers expanded the Education Choice-Expansion eligibility to 450% of the poverty line last year through the state budget — creating near-universal school vouchers. This means a family of four above the $135,000 income threshold can still be eligible for at least 10% of the maximum scholarship.

    K-8 students can receive a $6,165 scholarship and high schoolers can receive a $8,407 scholarship in state funding under the expansion.

    There were 93,159 applicants for the EdChoice Expansion scholarships and 89,794 were awarded scholarships, according to ODEW data. The amount of EdChoice-Expansion scholarship payments more than tripled from fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2024.

    For the traditional EdChoice scholarships, there were 44,020 applicants and 42,779 were awarded scholarships — totaling $273.1 million, according to ODEW data.

    During this time, nonpublic school enrollment increased about 2%, going from 169,807 in fiscal year 2023 to 173,156 in fiscal year 2024, according to ODEW data.

    Public school enrollment declined slightly — dropping about 6,000 students from the 2022-23 school year to the 2023-24 school year.

    Most of these new EdChoice Expansion scholarships are students who were already attending private schools, DiMauro said. Ohio’s voucher program started with the Cleveland Scholarships back in 1996.

    “This was intended to help students who didn’t have the resources to have options outside of public schools,” DiMauro said. “(The EdChoice Expansion) is clearly intended to benefit people that had long ago made the decision to send their kids to private schools.”

    In some cases, the universal vouchers have allowed private schools to increase tuition, he said.

    GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

     

    “The increased revenue comes at the expense of the state,” DiMauro said. “It’s the private schools themselves that are directly being subsidized through this program, even more than families are.”

    If private schools are going to accept vouchers, DiMauro wishes there was more transparency when it comes to private school tuition.

    The OLSC predicts the five scholarship programs’ payment total will exceed a billion dollars next year.

    Aaron Churchill, Ohio’s research director for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, thinks these scholarship payment figures are sustainable year-to-year.

    “I do think we can walk and chew gum at the same time,” he said. “We can support great public schools. We can provide the resources for them. … We can also empower families with greater choice. And I think that’s the direction that Ohio is moving.”

    Total payments for the five scholarship programs for the past five fiscal years, according to ODEW data:

    • $610.2 million in fiscal year 2023
    • $554.5 million in fiscal year 2022
    • $444.5 million in fiscal year 2021
    • $394.2 million in fiscal year 2020
    • $346.6 million In fiscal year 2019

    Remaining scholarships

    For the Cleveland Scholarship this fiscal year, there were 8,626 applicants and 8,361 scholarships were given — totaling $53.6 million, according to ODEW data.

    There were 5,610 applicants for the Autism Scholarship and 5,385 were awarded for $141.7 million, according to ODEW data.

    For the Jon Peterson Scholarship, there were 9,439 applicants and 9,082 scholarships were awarded, totaling $95.6 million, according to ODEW data.

    Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on X.

    Megan Henry
    Megan Henry

    Megan Henry is a reporter for the Ohio Capital Journal and has spent the past five years reporting in Ohio on various topics including education, healthcare, business and crime. She previously worked at The Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA Today Network.

    Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

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  • Mobile Mammography Nov 27 at Branch Hill Kroger

    Mobile Mammography Nov 27 at Branch Hill Kroger

    Wed, Nov 27, 2024, 8:30 am – 11:30 am

    Kroger
    6388 Branch Hill Guinea

    Miami Township, Ohio – Mercy Health Mobile Mammography offers women screening mammograms in 15 minutes. This screening is covered by most health plans. For the best coverage, please verify that Mercy Health and The Jewish Hospital are in-network providers with your insurance carrier. You may be eligible for financial assistance.

    Please make your appointment by calling 513-686-3300 or 855-PINK123 (855-746-5123).

  • [Video] LIFE Food Pantry cuts ribbon to officially open their new location

    [Video] LIFE Food Pantry cuts ribbon to officially open their new location

    Loveland, Ohio – On Thursday, October 24 the LIFE Food Pantry held an open house and ribbon cutting to officially open their new location. The Food Pantry’s new location is at 677 Loveland-Madeira Road and still in the same shopping plaza, at the other end by ACE Hardware.

    In this LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video you can watch the ribbon cutting and take a brief tour of the new store.

  • Ohio’s six-week abortion ban overturned by Hamilton County judge

    Ohio’s six-week abortion ban overturned by Hamilton County judge

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June 2022 ended federal abortion rights. (Photo by Sofia Resnick/States Newsroom.)

    By:  – Ohio Capital Journal

    The Ohio Attorney General’s Office says state has 30 days to “determine next steps.” The law will remain struck down unless Attorney General Dave Yost appeals the decision

    A Hamilton County judge has permanently overturned Ohio’s six-week abortion ban that had been tied up in court since its inception in 2019, but was put into effect for several months after Roe. v. Wade was overturned.

    Hamilton County Judge Christian A. Jenkins had already temporarily stopped enforcement of the law when the case entered his courtroom in the fall of 2022 several months after the Dobbs decision overturning national abortion rights established in Roe.

    Thursday’s decision means the law is struck down unless the Ohio Attorney General decides to appeal the decision.

    In November 2023, Ohio voters passed a reproductive rights amendment with 57% support.

    “Ohio’s Attorney General evidently didn’t get the memo,” Jenkins wrote. “For even after a large majority of Ohio’s voters … presumably both women and men — approved an amendment to the Ohio Constitution protecting the right to pre-viability abortion on November 8, 2023, the Attorney General urges this court to leave ‘untouched’ all but one provision of the so-called ‘Heartbeat Act’ clearly rejected by Ohio voters.”

    Hours after the Dobbs decision came down in June 2022, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost asked a federal court reinstate the six-week abortion ban law, which was approved by the court quickly after the request was made. The ban included no exceptions for rape or incest.

    GET THE OHIO CAPITAL JOURNAL MORNING HEADLINES.

     

    Just as quickly, though, the law was then shoved back into court by abortion rights advocates. At first, advocates asked the Ohio Supreme Court to rule on the case, but after a period of inaction by the state’s high court, they chose to challenge the law locally, specifically in Hamilton County.

    A separate Hamilton County judge in September eliminated restrictions on telehealth abortion treatment.

    With the approval of the reproductive rights amendment in Ohio, attorneys had a new avenue to challenge the six-week ban. They used the language — which allowed abortion to the point of fetal viability, a determination to be made by the pregnant person’s physician, rather than at a point determined by state law — as a tipping point for arguments that the six-week ban was now unconstitutional. Fetal viability typically comes in a range between 24 to 26 weeks.

    Yost pushed back, saying the reproductive rights amendment could not be used to negate any law or provision that was remotely related to abortion rights.

    However, he also acknowledged it would be quite a battle to argue that the six-week ban did not violate the new constitutional amendment.

    In a legal analysis on the reproductive rights amendment before the vote, that has often been used against him in the year since, Yost said the amendment “will make it harder for Ohio to maintain the kinds of law already upheld as valid prior to last year’s decision in Dobbs.”

    “In other words, the Amendment would give greater protection to abortion to be free from regulation than at any time in Ohio’s history,” Yost wrote.

    He went on to say that “many Ohio laws would probably be invalidated,” and that “others might be at risk to varying degrees.”

    That included the so-called Heartbeat Act, according to him.

    “Ohio would no longer have the ability to limit abortions at any time before a fetus is viable,” he wrote. “Passage of Issue 1 would invalidate the Heartbeat Act, which restricts abortions (with health and other exceptions) after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is usually at about six weeks.”

    Even so, Yost attempted to argue in the case that certain provisions included in the law should be allowed to stand.

    Jenkins disagreed, saying the state constitution “now unequivocally protects the right to abortion” and that “to give meaning to the voice of Ohio’s voters, the Amendment must be given full effect, and laws such as those enacted by (Senate Bill) 23 must be permanently enjoined.”

    He said that if Ohio courts adopted the state’s arguments, Ohio doctors who provide abortion care would continue to be at risk of felony criminal charges, $20,000 fines, medical license suspensions and renovations, and civil claims for wrongful death.

    “Patients seeking abortion-care would still be required to make two in-person visits to their provider, wait twenty-four hours to receive abortion care, receive state-mandated information designed to discourage abortion and have the reason for their abortion recorded and reprinted,” Jenkins wrote. “Unlike the Ohio Attorney General, this Court will uphold the Ohio Constitution’s protection of abortion rights. The will of the people of Ohio will be given effect.”

    ACLU of Ohio cooperating attorney Jessie Hill, who led the legal challenge in the case, called the ruling “momentous” and a show of “the power of Ohio’s new Reproductive Freedom Amendment in practice.”

    Dr. Sharon Liner, medical director for Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region and one of the parties in the case, said the ruling was “an important step in the right direction for access.”

    “The permanent blocking of the six-week ban brings us one step closer to getting our patients the access they deserve,” Liner wrote in a statement.

    A spokesperson for Yost’s office said in a Friday morning statement that the state has up to 30 days to “determine next steps.”

    “This is a very long, complicated decision covering many issues, many of which are issues of first impression,” spokesperson Hannah Hundley told the Capital Journal.

    Ohio Right to Life and the Center for Christian Virtue were contacted and have not yet provided a response.

    Asked if Gov. Mike DeWine had any comment on the ruling, a spokesperson stated, “No.”

    Susan Tebben
    Susan Tebben

    Susan Tebben is an award-winning journalist with a decade of experience covering Ohio news, including courts and crime, Appalachian social issues, government, education, diversity and culture. She has worked for The Newark Advocate, The Glasgow (KY) Daily Times, The Athens Messenger, and WOUB Public Media. She has also had work featured on National Public Radio.

    Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

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  • New Episode: The Queen City Sports Podcast by Chris Ball & Mark Raines

    New Episode: The Queen City Sports Podcast by Chris Ball & Mark Raines

    by Chris Ball

    Loveland, Ohio – With their victory over the Cleveland Browns, the Bengals are within one game of .500. But they face a very tough test this week against a Philadelphia Eagles team that is playing much better than Cincinnati’s recent opponents. On this week’s episode of the Queen City Sports Podcast, Chris and Mark break down exactly what the Bengals need to do to keep their momentum rolling this Sunday, because it’s a must-win game. The guys also hit on the Bearcats’ big win versus Arizona State and a titanic matchup this weekend against Deion Sanders’ Colorado team. And Bearcat basketball is almost back! Mark gives us the latest from their scrimmage against Ohio State. To wrap it up, Chris discusses the real possibly that if he loses to Michigan State this weekend, the Wolverines’ head coach Sherrone Moore might not make it out of this season with his job.

     

    Have a listen and don’t forget to leave your comments and feedback!

    _______________________

    Hey readers… have an opinion about sports? How about a topic you’d like to see written about in Loveland Magazine or a thought about one of our articles?

    Just need to vent and get out your frustration about the Reds, Bengals, or any other sports issues?

    Feel free to share with an email to lovelandmagazinesports@gmail.com!

    We would love to hear from our readers, and we thank you for your support and engagement.

    Also, don’t forget to follow us at The Loveland Sports Desk at the below links:

    For Facebook, click here.

    For X, click here.

    For Instagram, click here. 

    Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

  • Loveland High School’s Robotics teams to visit the Dayton Air Force Museum

    Loveland High School’s Robotics teams to visit the Dayton Air Force Museum

    by Claire Mirkowski-Purdy

    Loveland, Ohio – Mark your calendars for October 26, when Loveland High School’s Robotics teams visit the Dayton Air Force Museum. The two FTC Robotics teams will be there, ready to answer all of your questions regarding Robotics. Stop by anytime, from 10 AM – 3 PM, the team members will be happy to see you.

    Alongside having any Robotics questions answered, there will be opportunities to learn about specific Vex robots and the processes to create them. As we are on the brink of Halloween and candy will also be given out.

    If you are unable to attend on October 26th, don’t fret. There will be many more opportunities to have irreplaceable encounters with Loveland High School’s Robotics teams this year.

    Contact lovelandroboticsboosters@gmail.com if you are interested in helping support the Loveland High School Robotics teams.