Loveland, Ohio– Here is the virtual tour of the White House you’ve been hearing about.
First Lady Jill Biden launched a new virtual tour of the White House. The White House, Google Maps, and Google Arts & Culture have collaborated to create a new virtual tour of the White House using Google Street View technology. It will live on WhiteHouse.gov/VirtualTour, as well as on both Google Maps and the Google Arts & Culture page.
“Since day one of this Administration, the First Lady has worked to open the doors of the White House wider and wider, using technology and digital platforms to bring the “People’s House” to as many people as possible. Not everyone can make the trip to Washington, DC to tour the White House, so she is bringing the White House to them. We especially hope teachers everywhere can use this in their classrooms as a new interactive tool to educate their students about the White House – both past and present,” said Elizabeth Alexander, Communications Director for the First Lady.
This is the first Google virtual tour of the White House with available Spanish translation and audio captions for those with disabilities. Audio captions were narrated by White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo. The opening video on the virtual tour of the President and the First Lady is the same video that plays at the White House Visitors Center, so those who come for the virtual tour will get the same experience and message as those who come in-person.
TAKE THE TOUR
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The holiday theme at the White House in 2004 was “A Season of Merriment and Melody” which featured holiday songs that have been favorites for generations of Americans.
These photos were taken by Loveland Magazine Managing Editor David Miller during a Holiday Open House during the administration of George W. Bush in 2004.
Loveland, Ohio – The City of Loveland is building a new parking lot in Historic Downtown, and residents are invited to suggest names for consideration.
The parking lot will be built between First Street and State Route 48. The lot will feature 147 parking spaces and create a new access point into the downtown district from State Route 48.
To engage the community, the city is hosting a campaign now through Nov. 28 to brainstorm name ideas. City residents age 12 and older are encouraged to submit their most creative idea.
Entries can be submitted via the online form, or a PDF can be downloaded to mail/drop off to City Hall. One entry per person.
If suggesting a name in honor of an individual, the individual should be specific to the City of Loveland.
A proposed name must reach beyond a single or special interest group.
No culturally/religious/race/gender insensitive, profane, or non-sensical names will be considered.
The name may not be under copyright, trademark, or other legal restrictions.
Any submissions deemed vulgar, unprofessional, or maliciously motivated will be disqualified.
Any submissions named after an existing business will be disqualified.
The city reserves the right to select a name most appropriate for the parking lot based on geographical location (such as street names or adjacent landmarks); historical significance; active contributor(s) to the community; or other reasons.
Selection Process
All entries will be reviewed by city department administration, which will evaluate the names against the considerations mentioned above. A narrowed down selection will be given to City Council to make the final decision.
By participating, each contestant grants the City of Loveland a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, and irrevocable license to use and display publicly all parts of their submission. The City of Loveland will have the right to publicize the contestant’s name. The City of Loveland will not reimburse contestants for any costs associated with preparing or submitting a contest entry. Participation is voluntary. The City of Loveland reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and/or modify this contest, or any part of it, for any reason.
Left to right, forum moderator, Bloomdaddy from WTAM Radio, Bernie Moreno, Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, OH Sec. of State Frank LaRose. (Photo by Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal.)
Frustrated former employees told the press that in their office “everything revolved around” Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s run for U.S. Senate. Now LaRose appears to be using the taxpayer-funded office’s newsletter in that campaign.
As a state official, LaRose isn’t supposed to use state resources in his political campaigns. And as secretary of state, it’s especially important that he wall off politics from his official duties because LaRose administers elections — including those in which he’s running.
However, as he seeks the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown next year, LaRose has become an increasingly hard-edged partisan as he seeks the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, who continues to attack the underpinnings of democracy itself.
In addition to ignoring state Supreme Court orders regarding partisan gerrymandering, LaRose championed a measure in an August special election that would have made it almost impossible for citizen-initiated amendments to make it onto the ballot, much less into the Ohio Constitution. The measure failed badly, but LaRose and his allies tried to force it through ahead of a vote on an amendment protecting abortion rights that takes place a week from tomorrow, and an anti-gerrymandering amendment that is expected to be on the ballot in 2024.
Substantial ethical questions also have arisen as LaRose juggles his senatorial ambitions with his duty to conduct secure, fair elections in Ohio.
The Columbus Dispatch earlier this month reported on high staff turnover, with one former staffer telling the paper “Everything (in the secretary of state’s office) revolved around the Senate run.”
LaRose refuses to answer questions about such activities. But he claims to have no campaign headquarters while he soon will be running his state office from the building where his campaign is registered.
If LaRose uses people working on state time or uses state offices in his campaign, it could violate a section of Ohio law prohibiting the use of state resources to raise funds for a campaign.
Paul Nick, executive director of the Ohio Ethics Commission, this week said his agency needs to know more about LaRose’s new office arrangements.
“The Commission doesn’t pass judgment without first gathering and evaluating all of the facts,” Nick said in an email. “Determining whether a public official’s agency may relocate to the same office building as that official’s campaign headquarters requires deeper inquiry. We would encourage the Secretary of State to contact us for guidance on such questions.”
Philip Richter, executive director of the Ohio Elections Commission, said his agency would have to be asked in order to look into the matter.
“The only way for the Commission to take action on the statute is if an affidavit of complaint is filed with the Commission that would start the Commission’s processes on addressing those types of allegations,” Richter said in an email Thursday. “The Commission cannot simply commence an investigation without the filing of a complaint.”
Now LaRose appears to have used his office’s newsletter to promote his campaign.
The Oct. 20 edition of the Secretary of State’s “Week in Review” offers updates about the coming election and it notes that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. There are also blurbs about LaRose’s travels and activities during the week.
But the newsletter also has an “In Case You Missed It” section. It contained the top of an article by The Marietta Times that prominently featured the political message LaRose wants to convey to people who will be voting in the GOP Senate Primary.
The second paragraph said LaRose “also confirmed his credentials as a conservative Republican who wants to make Sherrod Brown a former U.S. Senator, not the incumbent. Brown has been Ohio’s senior U.S. senator for a dozen years and the only Democratic statewide elected official in Ohio, with the exception of a few nonpartisan judicial races.”
The newsletter then linked to the full story, which quoted LaRose bashing Brown for allegedly helping to make the country “weaker, poorer and less secure,” and the Biden administration over the economy and border security.
LaRose’s office didn’t respond to questions about the newsletter.
The state auditor is responsible for policing misuse of state resources. A spokesman said Thursday that a law regarding politicking in taxpayer-funded newsletters applies only to officials with “political subdivisions” such as counties. The law prohibits them from publishing a newsletter that “supports or opposes the nomination or election of a candidate for public office.”
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.
This message is brought to you by the Boards of Developmental Disabilities of Butler, Clermont, Greene, Hamilton, and Warren Counties. With support from their local self-advocacy groups, they have created this message that is so important and easily forgotten. People with developmental disabilities deserve to be a part of the conversation. If you’ve got questions, just ask.
It’s likely you know someone with a developmental disability—a friend, family member, or neighbor. If you’ve ever wondered how best to communicate with them, the answer is simple: with respect. We all have a voice and want to be heard. So, if you’ve got questions, just ask.
We’ve created this helpful guide to share communication tips, advocate stories, and important, local resources.
At the end of the day, it’s all about respect.
Here are some helpful tips:
Speak directly to me; I can speak for myself.
It’s okay to ask me if you don’t understand what I said.
You can shake my hand.
It’s okay to be curious about my disability as long as you’re respectful.
I am a person; get to know me.
Our Stories
“I’m smart and a good person. I’m nice and I get along with people. I don’t like to be called different names,” said Danny Crews. “I work hard and do good work, just like anyone else.”
Before the pandemic, Danny was employed at Kroger in Oakley. He worked at least two days per week, making sure the store shelves and displays were always neat to make it easier for customers to shop. Danny now chooses to participate in Ohio Valley Goodwill’s work training program at its corporate headquarters in Woodlawn.
“I really loved my job at Kroger, but I also have a lot of friends at Goodwill and it’s important to me to see them, too,” he said. “Just because I only have the use of one arm doesn’t mean I can’t work hard and do a good job. It hurts me when people tease me or act like I’m not working hard. It’s about being treated with respect.”
Melinda Gabelman is a long-time self-advocate who has received multiple awards for her advocacy efforts in teaching others about Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects many parts of the body and may coincide with intellectual functioning.
“As a person with Prader-Willi Syndrome, it is important to me that people understand what it is and how it affects me and others,” she said. “I like to be treated with respect. I work on my communication skills, and I work with others to help them to speak up for themselves in different situations.”
She has testified before Cincinnati City Council in support of accessible and affordable transportation, as well as supporting and advocating for initiatives that benefit all citizens with disabilities.
“People need to try to understand people with disabilities point of view and listening is very important,” she said.
Patrice McHale has been an advocate for herself and others for her entire adult life. For decades, Patrice visited schools to educate students about Down syndrome.
“Everyone is different, and everyone is smart in his or her own way,” she said. “I like to let people know that I can do things on my own and think for myself. I like to make my own decisions. Down syndrome is just a small part of who I am.”
Patrice has been published in a book called “Writing Our Lives,” which included short stories and poems about individuality, and continues to be engaged in The Tall Institute.
Patrice says employment is very important to her as she has worked at the YMCA, the Cincinnati Public Library, and the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati.
Jennifer Holladay is the manager of Volunteer Services for the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI), where she has worked for more than 15 years.
“When I am doing my job or interviewing people who would like to volunteer for the organization, I am also educating people about how to interact with someone who is blind or visually impaired,” she said. “As a sighted person, it is always good to introduce yourself and offer assistance without assuming that someone with vision loss needs your help.”
Jennifer has not let her visual impairment stand in the way of her personal growth and absolute independence as she earned a master’s degree from Northern Kentucky University.
“If a person who is blind or visually impaired needs help, it is a good idea to ask that person how you can best assist them. People with vision loss are always people first and it is good to think of them as being capable, independent and empowered,” she said.
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Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities
Our Mission: Support individuals to successfully live, work and learn in the community.
Hamilton County Board of Developmental Disabilities Services
Our Mission: Promote and support opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to live, work, learn, and fully participate in their communities.
Loveland, Ohio – Join us on November 16 at the Oasis Conference Center as we roll out the red carpet and celebrate the “celebrities” of Loveland’s businesses – the real stars who work hard to make this a great place to work, play, and live!
The Little Miami River Chamber Alliance Annual Awards Dinner is an evening for all area businesses to come together and celebrate their successes and community contributions.
Each November, The Little Miami River Chamber Alliance says “Thank you” to our businesses for all they do for our community and honor them for enhancing our community and making it a better place to live.
The event includes cocktails, networking, a silent auction, dinner, and awards. It is a great networking opportunity!
Congratulations to this year’s 2023 Annual Award Nominees!
Business of the Year
2020 Eye Care, All the Ingredients,Bishop’s Quarter, Flavor Catering and Bar Service, Garden City Chiropractic, GiGi’s Playhouse Cincinnati, LaRosas, Mile 42,Mimi’s House Residential Assisted Living and Memory Care, Monarch Financial Advisors, Paxton’s Grill, Premier Dance and Tumbling, Railway Barber Shop, The 1859, The Works Brick Oven Pizza, Time Savers Heating and Cooling LLC, Whistle Stop Clay Works
Emerging Business of the Year
2020 Eye Care, Activate Brain + Body, AFC Urgent Care, All the Ingredients, Amaezing Sweet Shoppe, Branch Hill Ohio Post VFW Post 5354, Flavor Catering and Bar Service, Fleurish, Garden City Chiropractic, GiGi’s Playhouse Cincinnati, Gray Nutrition, Hops and Berry, Juno Med Spa, Numbers by Jen, Pet Wants, Railway Barber Shop, The 1859, The Outsourced COO, Zoomin’ Groomin’
Non-Profit of the Year
Epiphany United Methodist, GiGi’s Playhouse, Life Food Pantry, Love Our Land, Loveland Learning Garden, Loveland Legacy Foundation, NEST CLC, The Care Center, The Grail
Beautification Award
City of Loveland, Hops and Berry, Infinity Wealth Counsel, LLC, Lemons & Limes Loveland Canoe Paddle Sports, Quilters Workshop, Railway Barber Shop, Symmes Twp Parks, The 1859, The Works Brick Oven Pizza, Whistle Stop Clay Works
Community Involvement Award
Ashley And John Zielke, Becky Giver, Brian Maxson, Brittney Frietch, Donna Barnes, Garden City Chiropractic, JL Aerial Views, Kevin Egan, Mayur Kadakia, Peggy Goodwin, The 1859, The Works Brick Oven Pizza, Whistle Stop Clay Works, Randy K. Stanifer Health, Wellness & Fitness Business of the Year Award,Activate Brain + Body, Athletico Physical Therapy, Grail (Grailville), Gray Nutrition
Business Community Advocate Award
Flavor Catering and Bar Service, JL Aerial Views, LIFE Food Pantry, Loveland Lifestyle Magazine, Paxton’s Grill, Premier Tumbling & Dance, Railway Barber Shop, Whistle Stop Clay Works, William Re (Bush-Re-Shea Insurance)
Young Professional of the Year Award
Cameron Collins, Garden City Chiropractic, Mat Hoekzema, Spencer Stacey, The grail: Caroline DiGiovenale, Katie Taylor–The Outsourced COO
Woman Owned Business of the Year Award
Amazing Sweet Shoppe, Exquisite Design Salon and Spa, Gallery Veronique, Garden City Chiropractic, Gertz Law Firm, Gray Nutrition, Juno Med Spa, Loveland Lifestyle, Numbers by Jen, Old School Pix, Premier Tumbling & Dance, Quilters Workshop, RODI Italian, Suzi Cree-Keller Williams, The 1859, The Grail, The Outsourced COO, Whistle Stop Clay Works
Community Responder Award
BF Realty, GE Credit Union, Hometown Café, LaRosa’s, Life Food Pantry, Love Our Land, Loveland Legacy Foundation, Loveland Lifestyle, NEST CLC,The Works Brick Oven Pizza, Whistle Stop Clay Works
Best Customer Service Award
2020 Eye Care, BF Realty, Bush Re Shea, Flavor Catering and Bar Service, Hometown Cafe, Juno Med Spa, LaRosa’s, Mile 42, Monarch Financial Advisors, Paxton’s Grill, Premier Tumbling & Dance, Railway Barber Shop, Ramsey’s Trailside, The 1859, The Works, Time Savers Heating and Cooling LLC, Whistle Stop Clay Works, William Re (Bush-Re-Shea Insurance)
Hidden Hero Award (Business or Individual)
Angels by the Trail, Flavor Catering and Bar Service, GiGi’s Playhouse Cincinnati, LIFE Food Pantry, Loveland PaddleSports, Monarch Financial Advisors, Paxton’s Grill, The Grail: Elizabeth Baubach, The Works Brick Oven Pizza, William Re (Bush-Re-Shea Insurance)
Members of the Jewish community have spoken out against abortion bans in Ohio, saying it infringes on their religious freedom. Photo by Morgan Trau, WEWS.
Religious variations abound in the state of Ohio, and some members of different churches are taking what they’ve learned in their lives and through decades of experience into the ballot box as they vote on Issue 1, the reproductive rights constitutional amendment.
For Catholics like Alexandra Belcher and Jennifer Perry, Issue 1 is a choice between the opinions of their religious leaders and their experiences with bodily autonomy.
For Perry, a physician assistant from Tiffin, growing up Catholic meant she believed in pro-life messages up until she voted in her first election.
“I voted Republican because that’s what the religious leaders said supported pro-life values,” Perry said.
Now that she works in medicine and has gone through multiple complicated pregnancies, Perry developed a perspective built on her experiences and not the values of far-away leaders.
“My view of what defines pro-life and what defines pro-choice has become just so much broader, and it’s not a black and white issue at all,” Perry told the OCJ.
With the “narrow” view that life begins at conception, Perry said she felt her belief system did “a disservice” to her in preparing for the future.
“We weren’t given both sides of the coin,” she said. “We weren’t given both perspectives.”
Struggling with infertility, and losing a “desperately wanted” child in a second-trimester miscarriage brought her new light on the struggles even individuals who want to become parents must go through.
“I desperately wanted that child, my husband desperately wanted that child, and I had to go through labor and delivery knowing that child wasn’t going to be ours,” Perry said. “To think that a mother … would have to go through that out-of-state, not with her family and friends or her chosen doctor, that’s just excruciating to me.”
Perry is still a practicing Catholic, and feels strongly that she and those like her should stay in the church and help bring those perspectives to fellow parishioners, in hopes of bringing change to the opinions of the religion.
The Catholic Conference of Ohio, which calls itself “the official voice of the Catholic Church in Ohio on matters of public policy,” has taken a strong opposing stance on Issue 1. The conference produced a letter signed by nine leaders in Ohio dioceses including Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, Steubenville, Columbus, Youngstown, Canton and Parma.
“The Church must not be silent and cannot remain on the sidelines when confronted with such a clear threat to human life,” the letter from Feb. 28 stated.
COLUMBUS, OH — MAY 14, 2022: Hundreds gather at a rally to support abortion rights less than two weeks after a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion showed a likely reversal of Roe v. Wade, May 14, 2022, at the Ohio Statehouse, Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for the Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.)
For Cleveland-area pharmacist Alexandra Belcher, she has no problem ignoring the opinions the church has on abortion, but remains open to talking with her friends and fellow parishioners about the nuances of reproductive health.
“The more I grew up, the more I realized this can not be up to somebody else,” Belcher told the OCJ.
Belcher went to Catholic school for 12 years, and is still a practicing Catholic, but nothing could have prepared her for her ectopic pregnancy, an unviable pregnancy that can be life-threatening for the pregnant person.
“In my medical chart, the resolution is coded as an abortion,” she said.
But that resolution involved medication that was administered in a hospital, so Belcher could be monitored by a doctor.
“The awful thing about those drugs is that they take you into labor and delivery,” she said. “So all you can hear is crying babies, the song they play (when a baby is born), and I sat there for hours while they made sure everything was going well with my medication.”
Even after leaving the hospital, Belcher suffered “excruciating” pain, so much so that when she went into labor in her next pregnancy, she was surprised to find how much less severe the pain of childbirth was for her.
“Nobody is going into a decision to have an abortion joyfully, whatever has happened to get them to the point of an abortion,” Belcher said. “It’s still not a joyful decision.”
Members of other religions, including faith leaders, are thinking about Issue 1 with a focus on the freedom to decide rather than the wrath of a higher power.
Rev. Timothy Ahrens showed his support for Issue 1 in an ad by Ohioans United For Reproductive Rights.
“As a pastor I’ve counseled families on the most important personal decisions, even abortion,” he said in the 30-second ad. “Abortion is a private family decision. Government needs to stay out of family decision making.”
Ahrens is the senior minister of the First Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ in downtown Columbus, a role he has served in since 2000. He has been a pastor for nearly 40 years.
“The laws of Ohio right now hurt my mother, my sister, my sister-in-law, my wife, my daughters, my daughter-in-laws and my granddaughters,” Ahrens said. “I feel very strongly that the government needs to get out of trying to manage people’s lives in relation to reproductive freedom.”
Ahrens acknowledged that other Christians denominations disagree with his stance on abortion.
“Those who stand against abortion do so based on biblical, foundational thoughts,” Ahrens. “I don’t look at what they’re saying as groundless.”
He mentioned Psalm 139 as a passage that mentions God “knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
“It never says I knew you at the moment of conception,” Ahrens said. “This has a range of perspectives, if we really sat down and boiled it down to the moment of conception.”
While it’s clear what most religious denominations think abortion, it’s ultimately up to the individual members of a congregation to cast their ballot on Issue 1.
“It comes down to how closely people who are part of religious congregations are listening to the cues that they are being given,” said Kim Conger, University of Cincinnati’s director of the masters of public administration, who studies how religious advocacy groups impact politics.
“There seems to be more variation across different parishes about how strongly a priest is pushing on the idea of not just that abortion is a sin, but voting for issue 1 would be a sin,” Conger said.
The idea of one religion stepping up to tell individuals what they should believe about reproductive health doesn’t sit well with Belcher or Perry, and as medical professionals, they don’t agree with the state getting involved either.
“The reasoning is not because it’s in the best interest, or because there is evidence-based medicine, the reasoning is this magical belief that this group of cells is a person who has rights,” Belcher said.
For Perry, the reproductive debate comes down to American roots in religious freedom and the necessity for separation of church and state.
“Because we allow for so many different expressions of religion, or at least we’re supposed to, if that starts to crumble, I feel like the fabric or the foundation of what America was build on starts to crumble,” Perry said.
Watching battles with insurance companies and socio-economic issues for patients having necessary medical treatment, Perry also sees much bigger issues the state could be addressing instead.
“It’s very hard to be in health care right now, and this is another huge burden you’re placing on these providers,” she said.
Having faced these moral and professional questions, Perry and Belcher both hope for a future for their children where medical decisions are made between a patient and a medical provider, without the intervention of either the government or their chosen religion.
“I think that when it comes down to it, if I’m ever faced with the pearly gates, the God that I believe in will understand,” Belcher said.
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.
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.
by Cassie Mattia – (Republished from October, 2021)
Loveland, Ohio – With Halloween right around the corner, it only seems right to take YOU our readers to the Simpson Farm Asylum where you will once again meet Skeletor the Halloween Movie Guru!
Everyone loves a good scary movie, especially during Halloween, but at times it can be tough selecting the one that will be sure to chill you to the bone! Skeletor, who hibernates all year at the Simpson Farm Asylum, located at Loveland Magazine’s office, awakens in October to celebrate all things spooky and to share what 5 Halloween movies you should watch.
Follow me down to the Simpson Farm Asylum where we will meet Skeletor for the Top 5 Halloween Movies! Turn off the lights, snuggle under your favorite blanket, grab a bag of candy, and prepare to be creeped out!
Skeletor’s Top 5 Halloween Movies and Where to Find Them!
Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984, Supernatural Slasher, Rated R, Watch on HULU or HBO MAX
The Hills Have Eyes, 2006 remake, Horror, Rated R, Watch on AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
Goosebumps The Series, 1995, Children’s Anthology Horror Television Series, Rated PG, Watch on NETFLIX
Fear Street The Trilogy, 2021, Horror Film Series, Rated R, Watch on NETFLIX
Child’s Play, 2019 remake, Slasher, Rated R, Watch on HULU or AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
Here is a collection of still photos from the Skeletor video shoot taken by David Miller.
Take a Look at my Skeletor Photo Album!
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Columnist Cassie Mattia is a resident of Historic Downtown Loveland and the Public Relations Coordinator at Butler County Board of DD. Cassie was awarded the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance 2021 Young Business Professional of the Year. She is the President and Publisher of Loveland Magazine.
Loveland, Ohio – Residents and businesses in eight counties across the greater Cincinnati area will soon be able to add a wide array of hard-to-recycle plastics to their curbside bins.
Starting in November, Rumpke Waste & Recycling, headquartered in Cincinnati, will offer the Hefty ReNew program to customers in Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties in Ohio; Dearborn County in Indiana; and Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties in Kentucky. The program is not mandatory.
“Finding the highest and best use for material has always been Rumpke’s mission,” Molly Broadwater, corporate communications manager at Rumpke, tells Recycling Today. “We are pleased to be able to offer our customers an opportunity to expand their recycling efforts.”
Developed in collaboration with Midland, Michigan-based Dow Inc. and other program supporters, the Hefty ReNew program began in 2018 and has continued to grow, reaching nearly 800,000 households with curbside recycling to date. Hefty, a brand under the Reynolds Consumer Products umbrella, says ReNew has diverted over 2,500 tons of hard-to-recycle plastics from landfills across Georgia, Idaho, Nebraska and Tennessee.
Users can place their hard-to-recycle plastics inside orange ReNew bags, which Rumpke says will be available to purchase at Kroger supermarkets and online at www.kroger.com in the participating counties starting in November.
Residents within the Greater Cincinnati area participating counties can use this LINK to request a starter kit. The kit includes an orange bag for the program and information about how to participate. Limit one per household
Businesses can order commercial size bags directly from Rumpke.
Broadwater says other retailers will start selling the bags in the spring of 2024.
Each orange bag features a list of hard-to-recycle items that can be collected in the bag for recycling. Once a bag is full, program participants can tie it up and place it in a Rumpke Recycling bin or public recycling drop box for collection. When recycling loads reach Rumpke’s Cincinnati material recovery facility (MRF), Broadwater says team members will pull the ReNew bags from the line in the presort stage of the plant, bale the material that is still contained inside the bag and ship it to end users.
According to Hefty, the bags will go to specialized recyclers that will use the materials to create new and useful products.
“We’re thrilled that the Hefty ReNew program will now be available to residents and businesses in greater Cincinnati, providing more people with the opportunity to make a difference in their community,” says Lynnette Hinch, senior marketing director for Lake Forest, Illinois-based Reynolds Consumer Products, in a news release. “With counties in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky now taking part, in addition to the success we’ve seen in other participating communities, we’re that much closer to our goal of diverting the most hard-to-recycle plastics from landfills and converting them into valuable resources.”
ReNew bags can be used to recycle items from a variety of categories:
Kitchen and pantry. Accepted items are candy wrappers; cereal box liners; chip bags; cookie and cracker box liners; dry mix liners (cake, powder mixes); foam egg cartons; fresh/frozen vegetable and fruit bags; granola and energy bar wrappers; plastic pet food bags; salad bags; shredded cheese packages; snack food bags; and stand-up pouches.
Storage and cleaning. Accepted items are dry and wet disposable cleaning cloths; food storage bags; plastic food wrap; plastic grocery bags; and plastic wraps on paper towels and toilet paper.
Office and shipping. Accepted items are bubble wrap; clear plastic overwraps; foam block packaging; foam peanuts; and plastic air pillow packs.
Dining and eating. Accepted items are foam cups; foam to-go boxes; colored plastic cups; plastic or foam plates and bowls; plastic straws and stirrers; and plastic utensils.
Broadwater says Rumpke’s hope is to continue growing the program in its Cincinnati MRFshed and beyond. The company currently provides residential and commercial trash and recycling services to Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana and operates 12 MRFs and 25 transfer stations.
In a news release, the company’s Director of Recycling Jeff Snyder says, “Rumpke continues to invest heavily in our recycling programs to ensure our customers have access to the best available technologies and can recycle the most amount of material possible. The introduction of the Hefty ReNew program will further help our customers with their own waste reduction efforts and help us recover even more plastic material to be converted into new and useful items.”
Rumpke notes the ReNew program is intended to complement, but not replace, current recycling routines, and recommends customers continue putting paper, cardboard, cartons, glass and plastic bottles, tubs, cups, aluminum cans and steel cans in their recycling bins loose and unbagged.
EASY EFFORT. ENORMOUS RESULTS.
Participants can add the Hefty ReNew™ program to their regular recycling efforts. All it takes is a few simple steps to help keep hard-to-recycle plastics out of the landfill and turn them into something more valuable.
FILL UP
Fill the Hefty® ReNew® orange bag with acceptable, hard-to-recycle plastics.
DROP IN
Tie up the full orange bag and place it in your curbside recycling cart or at an approved drop-off location, along with normal recyclables.
RENEW
The orange bags are sorted at your local recycling facility and acceptable contents are sent to a facility to be converted into valued resources.*
*Particular valued resources may vary by geography.
Cincinnati, Ohio – Guests with a valid food assistance card and photo ID or a valid Medicaid and photo ID will receive free parking and $2 per person admission with a Cincinnati Museum Center admission ticket for up to ten guests.
Museums are places for learning, but they’re fun, too! Come learn with us in new and exciting ways. We invite families to learn and explore together to build strong individuals, strong families and strong communities.
All SNAP and Medicaid cards accepted.
Guests with a valid food assistance card and photo ID or a valid Medicaid and photo ID will receive free parking and $2 per person admission with a Museum Admission ticket for up to ten guests.
Museums For All rates for The Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center
Admission: $2 per person
Students: Free
Museums For All rates for Bricktionary: The ultimate LEGO® A-Z
Admission: $9 per person
Cincinnati Museum Center accepts:
Food assistance (EBT) cards
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
Medicaid cards
Please note, we no longer accept PEBT cards.
Valid cards from all 50 U.S. states will be accepted. Cards must be presented at the Box Office. Museums for All tickets cannot be purchased online. Call (513) 287-7001 to reserve your tickets in advance.
Bus #49 stops at Union Terminal. Bus #27 stops in front of the West End Library.
Museums for All participants are eligible for a discount on our Home School Monday classes. For more information or to book a class please call 513-287-7001.
About Museums for All
Museums for All is a national program that provides discounted museum admission for families presenting a food assistance (EBT) card. Museums for All is a cooperative initiative between the Institute for Museum and Library Services and the Association of Children’s Museums that offers access to children’s museums for people of all backgrounds, regardless of income. Museums for All will make CMC available to a larger number of families more effectively by offering greatly reduced admission during the entirety of the museum’s operating hours.
Loveland, Ohio – Have you perused the “Local Art Wall” lately at Paxton’s Grill? There are some extremely talented artists in Loveland and you can add a splash of fall to your home when you purchase one of these pieces and support our local artists too.
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Columnist Cassie Mattia is a resident of Historic Downtown Loveland and the Public Relations Coordinator at 
About Museums for All
