Author: Staff Report

  • Loveland Intermediate/Middle campus will be in “Hybrid” when they return

    Loveland Intermediate/Middle campus will be in “Hybrid” when they return

    LIS/LMS Make Temporary Switch to Hybrid After Winter Break 

    Loveland, Ohio – Winter Break began yesterday afternoon for the Loveland schools. Students will return to class on January 4.

    The District announced in their weekly newsletter on Friday afternoon that schedule changes have being put in place for the Loveland Intermediate School (LIS) and Loveland Middle School (LMS) after the return from Winter Break. 

    LIS and LMS will move to hybrid learning from January 4 through January 14. There will be no changes for any other grade levels and no changes for the Remote Learning Academy learners.

    The announcement said that after noticing an increase in community spread of COVID-19 after the Thanksgiving Break, and looking at the results of a recent survey, the decision was made to limit in-person learning for grades 5-8 after Winter Break. They also say that the family survey data did not indicate a need to adjust the learning model PK-4, “Therefore, Loveland Early Childhood Center, Loveland Primary School, and Loveland Elementary School will return on January 4 at the full capacity model.”

    The District COVID 19 Dashboard published on 12/18/2020

    Loveland High School is currently in hybrid, with plans to return to five-day, in-person learning at the start of the second semester on January 19.

    In a “hybrid model”, schools operate at reduced capacity with students alternating between in-person and remote learning activities at home. To purpose is to keep class sizes smaller and increase physical distancing space between individuals.

    The newsletter also included this message from the District’s health services staff

    As your children head home on December 18, please remember it is not only what they do at school that matters, but outside their school day that also counts (actually our data is showing it matters most). Remember “The Bundle” there too – masks, distancing, and hand-washing. January will be our biggest challenge yet and we know that what everyone does in the next few weeks will help determine how things go. Stay aware when you are around others remembering that distance is your friend and that wearing a mask is your way of saying to others that you care. Months down the road, we will have the opportunity again to gather and hang out, but for now, be intentional about this.

  • Changes ahead for Christmas in Loveland 2020

    Changes ahead for Christmas in Loveland 2020

    Loveland, Ohio – Cee Cee Collins told City Council on October 13 that changes to the format of the annual Christmas in Loveland are coming.

    Cee Cee also shared information about Red Ribbon Week.

  • Lovelanders and their trees

    Lovelanders and their trees

    By Joe Timmerman

    “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe,” John Muir, a transcendentalist, wrote of nature’s connectedness in his 1911 book, My First Summer in the Sierra.

    In 1997, Nature journal published ecologist Suzanne Simard’s Ph.D. theses, describing newfound proof of how plants within communities can be interconnected through an underground system, called a mycorrhizal network, to interact with each other.

    This is Part 2 of a series Loveland resident and Ohio University student, Joe Timmerman wrote for The Post in Athens, Ohio. The Post is an award-winning, student-run media outlet that publishes online daily and also prints a weekly tabloid. They cover local and Ohio University news, sports, Athens life, entertainment and everything in between. The series is re-published here in Loveland Magazine with permission of The Post and Loveland High School graduate, Joe Timmerman a frequent contributor to Loveland Magazine.

    “All trees all over the world, including paper birch and Douglas fir, form a symbiotic association with below-ground fungi … They compete with each other, but our work shows that they also cooperate with each other by sending nutrients and carbon back and forth through mycorrhizal networks,” Simard said in an interview with Yale Environment 360.

    In this sense, trees communicate with one another on a deeper level than what is seen in the overstory and the understory of a forest.

    From mothers and fathers sharing memories of trees they have grown to love with their kids to a lifelong woodworker who discovered a new relationship with wood as time went by, people are connecting with nature in new and old ways, as COVID-19 has brought a global feeling of social disconnection. People and their trees alike have a story to be told.


    Phil Ping, 62, and his dog, Bandit, of Loveland, Ohio, with his logs and boards of Maple, Oak, Walnut, Pine on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020. (Photo by Joe Timmerman © 2020)

    Phil Ping and his dog, Bandit, of Loveland, Ohio, with his logs and boards of maple, oak, walnut and pine. Ping has been a full-time woodworker for 35 years and has lived in his home for the same amount of time. The wood in the foreground are boards and slabs he cut from the logs that now have to air dry for one year per one-inch thickness before Ping will make them into tables, benches, shelves and more.

    “The wood in the piles here are just waiting for their project,” Ping said. “Most of the wood I use in my built-in projects is from Paxton Lumber in Cincinnati. I use a lot of poplar, oak and maple. I use a sawmill to custom-cut local wood from dead trees that people bring by the shop. It’s been a great business to be in. Wood is a wonderful thing. I have a degree in agriculture, but I started in botany, so I’ve always loved plants and trees and have a real appreciation for trees and different species. When I first got my sawmill, it really changed my whole attitude for trees, so now not only do I love the outside, but I started to take them apart and learn how to use them in my craft. It’s been an ongoing relationship knowing how to handle the wood from the log all the way to the finished piece that I would sell to a client.”


    Part 3 will introduce you to Iris Wilson of Hamilton Township, Ohio, with her pin oak tree. Wilson takes care of her dad, who still lives in this farmhouse.

    Part 1:

    Lovelanders Pat, Norah Jane, and Becky Hill connect with their trees…


  • Watch Ohio Supreme Court Judicial Candidates Forum 2020 here

    Watch Ohio Supreme Court Judicial Candidates Forum 2020 here

    Loveland Magazine is one of the many media organization in Ohio who have joined to share this one-hour debate by candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court presented by the Ohio Debate Commission.

    ODC Ohio Supreme Court Judicial Candidates Forum program was recorded live-to-tape this past Friday, October 9, 2020

    The Ohio Supreme Court Judicial Candidates Forum was presented by The Ohio Debate Commission, a coalition of news organizations, universities and civic groups that encourage respectful civic dialogue.

    The moderators are Curtis Jackson, anchor at Spectrum News, and Karen Kasler, Ohio Public Radio and TV Statehouse News Bureau Chief.

    The forum was virtual, with candidates joining via the web.

    Four candidates are in races for two seats on the Supreme Court of Ohio.

    Incumbent Justice of The Supreme Court of Ohio Sharon Kennedy is challenged by Judge John P. O’Donnell of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. And incumbent Justice Judi French of The Supreme Court of Ohio faces challenger Judge Jennifer Brunner of the Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals.

  • Lovelanders Pat, Norah Jane, and Becky Hill connect with their trees amid COVID-19 Pandenic

    Lovelanders Pat, Norah Jane, and Becky Hill connect with their trees amid COVID-19 Pandenic

    By Joe Timmerman

    “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe,” John Muir, a transcendentalist, wrote of nature’s connectedness in his 1911 book, My First Summer in the Sierra.

    In 1997, Nature journal published ecologist Suzanne Simard’s Ph.D. theses, describing newfound proof of how plants within communities can be interconnected through an underground system, called a mycorrhizal network, to interact with each other.

    This is Part 1 of a series Loveland resident and Ohio University student, Joe Timmerman wrote for The Post in Athens, Ohio. The Post is an award-winning, student-run media outlet that publishes online daily and also prints a weekly tabloid. They cover local and Ohio University news, sports, Athens life, entertainment and everything in between. The series is re-published here in Loveland Magazine with permission of The Post and Loveland High School graduate, Joe Timmerman a frequent contributor to Loveland Magazine.

    “All trees all over the world, including paper birch and Douglas fir, form a symbiotic association with below-ground fungi … They compete with each other, but our work shows that they also cooperate with each other by sending nutrients and carbon back and forth through mycorrhizal networks,” Simard said in an interview with Yale Environment 360.

    In this sense, trees communicate with one another on a deeper level than what is seen in the overstory and the understory of a forest.

    From mothers and fathers sharing memories of trees they have grown to love with their kids to a lifelong woodworker who discovered a new relationship with wood as time went by, people are connecting with nature in new and old ways, as COVID-19 has brought a global feeling of social disconnection. People and their trees alike have a story to be told.


    Pat Hill, 66, Norah Jane Hill, 9 months, and Becky Hill, 69, of Loveland, Ohio, with their Oak Trees on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020.

    Pat, Norah Jane and Becky Hill of Loveland, Ohio, with their oak trees. Pat Hill grew up in the house next door and used to farm the land across the street.

    “I’ve always wanted to name this property ‘Twin Oaks,’ one for her and one for me,” Hill said. “As a kid, I always liked a good swing, so I had that swing put up by a tree company. The cable goes from one oak to the other. I’ve always thought that the swing hung from the two parents, and it was a symbol of the family that we created. Our boys all thrived and spent a lot of time on that swing. I bought excellent chains and a high-quality steel cable to create that swing because I want it to last for a long, long time. I think the trees are about 60 years old.”


    Part 2 will introduce you to Phil Ping and his dog, Bandit, of Loveland and their logs and boards of maple, oak, walnut and pine.


  • Regal Theater in Deerfield Town Center is temporarily closed

    Regal Theater in Deerfield Town Center is temporarily closed

    Deerfield Township, OhioRegal theatres across the US, including the one in the Deerfield Town Center have temporarily closed until further notice.

    The statement from the Corporate office:

    This is not a decision we made lightly. We did everything in our power to support safe and sustainable re-openings of our theatres and we are so very grateful for our employees who implemented the new protocols, which resulted in lots of positive feedback from customers who visited our theatres and felt safe. We were very proud of the fact that theatres were open for 2 months and there was not one COVID case resulting from visiting the theatre. We cannot underscore enough how difficult this decision was.

    As we have done to date, we will do everything we can to save livelihoods and the company – this is an extremely delicate and tricky balance. We continue to work with the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), to ensure we are lobbying state and local governments to support our employees and the industry which has so much cultural significance.

    We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will communicate our future plans to resume operations once film studios are able to bring their pipeline of major movie releases back to the big screen. We can assure you that once a line-up of movie releases is confirmed, we will be ready to re-open our theatres, as we did in August, with the same safety levels you have already seen while at the same time keeping the great experience that you are used to getting from us.

    A big thank you goes to you, our movie-loving customers; your health and wellbeing has always been our priority during this difficult time and we look forward to welcoming you back as soon as possible to enjoy a full slate of films.

    If you have any questions, please take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions below.

    If you are a Regal Crown Club member or Regal Unlimited subscriber, visit the Regal mobile app and online at regmovies.com. If you do not already have a Regal Crown Club account and would like to receive email updates, you are able to create a free account in one step here.

    We sincerely wish good health for you and your families during these uncertain times. 

    -The Regal Team

  • Skeletor Introduces October “Fright Nights!”

    Skeletor Introduces October “Fright Nights!”

    by Skeletor

    “The Asylum” at Simpson Farm – It’s that time of year when scares and frights are near! Welcome to Loveland Magazine’s Haunted Asylum hosted by me, Skeletor!

    On a spooky October night Loveland Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, David Miller, was held hostage at The Simpson Farm’s Asylum! Over the past couple of decades, The Asylum has been said to be extremely haunted by evil spirits begging to be released from their Asylum cells. I could have decided to save Mr. Miller from his cell in The Asylum but instead, my inner “Skeletor” came out and forced me to keep him in his cell without food and water.

    While torturing Mr. Miller an idea popped into my skull; why not share my favorite scary movies with those in the community that happen to have the same love for Halloween as I do!

    So sit back, turn off the lights, grab some ghostly treats, and take a walk with me, Skeletor, along Simpson Farm’s The Asylum, as I show you where I keep my prisoners and talk about what scary movies I think would complete a perfect October “Fright Night!” Click the video below to start “The Asylum” experience!

    HERE IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MY SPOOKY MOVIE RECOMMENDATIONS…

    • Halloween, 1978, John Carpenter
      • Starring Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis, Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie, and Tony Moran as Michael Myers
      • Rated R
      • You can rent this film on Prime Video for 3.99, Redbox On Demand for 1.99, or watch on Shudder when you download for a free 7-day trial
    • Hocus Pocus, 1993, Kenny Ortega
      • Starring Better Midler as Winifred Sanderson, Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson, Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Thora Birch as Dani, Omri Katz as Max, Vinessa Shaw as Allison
      • Rated PG
      • You can watch this film on Disney + or you can rent this film on Prime Video, YouTube, or Vudu for 2.99 YouTube. You can also visit your local Redbox and rent this film for 1.80 
    • Insidious, 2010, James Wan and Leigh Whannell
      • Starring Patrick Wilson as Josh Lambert, Rose Byrne as Renai Lambert, Barbara Hershey as Lorraine Lambert, Lin Shaye as Elise Rainer, Ty Simpkins as Dalton Lambert, Leigh Whannell as Specs, and Angus Sampson as Tucker
      • Rated PG-13
      • You can rent this film on Prime Video for 2.99 or on Redbox On Demand for 2.99 
      • There are 3 more films  within this series: Insidious Chapter 2, Insidious Chapter 3, and Insidious: The Last Key
      • All of the films are rated PG-13
      • You can rent the 3 other films in the series on Redbox on Demand for 2.99 or if you have a cable subscription that includes Bravo you can watch Insidious: The Last Key on the Bravo Now App 
      • It is recommended that you watch the Insidious film series in the following order: Insidious Chapter 3, Insidious: The Last Key, Insidious, and Insidious Chapter 2

    From all of us at Loveland Magazine…Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

  • Local author offers a holiday recipe collection

    Local author offers a holiday recipe collection

    Cincinnati, Ohio – Loveland native and debut author Laurie Stroup Smith has compiled a collection of holiday recipes from some of your favorite Amish authors.

    Image may contain: text that says 'LAURIESTROUPSMITH.COM Join the List Subscribe to my newsletter and receive a FREE digital collection of holiday recipes from some of your favorite Amish authors!'By subscribing to her newsletter, readers will receive this exclusive digital content for free. In addition to exciting updates about reader events, giveaways, and upcoming book releases, Smith also includes access to the first chapter of Pockets of Promise, Book #1 in The Pocket Quilt Series. Your privacy is protected. She will never give your information to anyone. Visit lauriestroupsmith.com and sign up today.

    Kelly Irvin, award-winning author of Mountains of Grace and a Long Bridge Home, says, “With her debut novel, Pockets of Promise, Laurie Stroup Smith has elevated a lovely Amish romance to a universal coming-of-age story.”

    Smith was named a Finalist in the 2017 ACFW First Impressions Contest for this story and a Semi-Finalist in the 2018 and 2019 ACFW Genesis Contests for additional writing.

    Released by Vinspire Publishing on April 30, 2020, Pockets of Promise is about a young Amish woman—torn between two worlds and two men—who travels to the Amish snowbird community of Pinecraft, Florida, where she receives wisdom and guidance through secret letters tucked into the pockets of a special quilt.

    Kelly Irvin, award-winning author of Mountains of Grace and a Long Bridge Home, says, “With her debut novel, Pockets of Promise, Laurie Stroup Smith has elevated a lovely Amish romance to a universal coming-of-age story.” 

    Vannetta Chapman, award-winning author of Agatha’s Amish B&B Series, agrees, saying, “A fresh new voice in Amish fiction…Smith pulls us straight into the confusion of an Amish rumspringa…touching, authentic, and sweet.” 

    Purchase digital and paperback copies are available. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, BAM, Smashwords, and Kobo.

    Visit lauriestroupsmith.com for more information. Smith looks forward to connecting with readers on Facebook and Instagram.


    Title:    Pockets of Promise, Book #1 in The Pocket Quilt Series
    Author:   Laurie Stroup Smith
    Pub Date:   April 30, 2020
    Paperback and ebook available at:    Amazon
    Barnes and Noble
    Smashwords
    Kobo
    ISBN:    978-1734150742
    Price:   $14.99
    Pages:   200
    Genre:   Amish

  • Coming to a “Scream” near you – October 12th

    Coming to a “Scream” near you – October 12th

    A production of LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV staring Cassie Mattia as “Skeletor the Halloween Guru”.

  • Loveland’s Fall Brush Pickup Program

    Loveland’s Fall Brush Pickup Program

    Loveland, Ohio – The 2020 fall brush pickup program will begin on Monday, November 9. Brush must be placed at the curb no later than Sunday night, November 8.

    Guidelines

    The following are guidelines established for the brush pick-up program:

    • Brush must be placed at the curb or edge of roadway. Do not place brush in the roadway, gutter, ditches, or on sidewalks. Do not block fire hydrants.
    • Limbs cannot exceed 10 inches in diameter at the cut section.
    • Limbs should be placed at the curb with the cut section facing the street and all limbs should be facing the same direction. This makes it easier and faster to handle.
    • No leaves, pine needles, grass clippings, or other yard waste will be collected.
    • Small twigs and sticks should be bundled with twine in bundles 12 inches in diameter. Twigs or sticks can also be placed in a container at the curb, but no other yard waste should be in the containers. Please, no loose piles of sticks and debris.

    Please Note

    • The 2021 spring brush pickup program will begin on Monday, March 22.
    • Any material not meeting these requirements cannot be collected and will be left at the curb.
    • Outside the regular pick-up schedule, residents are encouraged to come to City Hall to get a free voucher to drop off any yard waste to Evans Landscaping.
    • Wood chips will be available again this year. Anyone in the City who would like a full load of wood chips should call 513-707-6115.