At the end of September, Ohio averaged under 1,000 new cases per day; this week, Ohio hit a record high of more than 6,500 new cases reported in a single 24-hour period.
At the end of September, Ohio averaged under 1,000 new cases per day; this week, Ohio hit a record high of more than 6,500 new cases reported in a single 24-hour period.
In a statewide address to Ohioans Wednesday evening, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called on citizens to recommit to their individual efforts to prevent coronavirus spread as Ohio moves through its most intense, widespread, and dangerous surge of cases to date.
Ohio is currently facing a record number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations and intensive care admissions, with nearly 3,000 people in the hospital, including more than 700 people in the ICU.
During the first week of November alone, 104 Ohioans infected with the coronavirus died.
To reinforce the necessity of wearing masks and slowing virus spread, Governor DeWine announced two forthcoming orders:
Revised Mask Order
DeWine said, “To protect frontline workers and customers, the Ohio Department of Health will reissue Ohio’s mask order and add the following provisions:
Each store will be required to post a sign outlining face-covering requirements at all public entrances to the store;
Each store will be responsible for ensuring that customers and employees are wearing masks; and
A new Retail Compliance Unit, comprised of agents led by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, will inspect to ensure compliance.
A first violation will result in a written warning and a second violation will result in closure of the store for up to 24 hours.
New Social Gathering Order
Ohio’s April order that limits public events and private gatherings of more than 10 people is still in effect, however, there has been rampant spread of the virus as a result of banquets, wedding receptions, and social gatherings following funerals according to DeWine.
“To address the tragedies that have resulted from such events, the Ohio Department of Health will issue an order that will place significant new restrictions on these social activities,” DeWine said.
Specifically, open congregate areas will no longer be permitted to open, and everyone will be required to be seated and masked unless they are actively consuming food or drinks.
Bars, restaurants, and fitness centers may remain open, but this will be reassessed one week from tomorrow for potential closure.
“If the current trend continues and cases keep increasing, we will be forced to make these closures,” said DeWine. “I am very well aware of the burden this will place on employees and owners, but these are places where it is difficult or impossible to maintain mask-wearing, which we know now is the chief way of slowing this virus.”
Concern for healthcare workers
“With this new wave of COVID-19, the onset of flu season, and an already-exhausted group of healthcare workers, there are serious concerns that there won’t be enough people to fully staff our healthcare facilities in the next few weeks,” said DeWine. “If we don’t change this, Ohio won’t be able to provide appropriate care for COVID patients or for Ohioans who require other emergency care for things like accidents, strokes, and heart attacks. Hospitals will again be forced to postpone important, but less urgent, care.”
Although testing capacity in Ohio has nearly doubled, the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus has increased almost four times. At the end of September, Ohio averaged under 1,000 new cases per day; this week, Ohio hit a record high of more than 6,500 new cases reported in a single 24-hour period.
“As we wait for the vaccine, which could come as soon as December, we have so much to protect,” said DeWine. “What each Ohioan does in his or her own life impacts every citizen and every place we desperately want and need to keep open– our schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and businesses.”
This afternoon Ohio Governor Mike DeWine delivered a statewide broadcast address to Ohioans to discuss the “critical stage” Ohio is at in battling COVID-19 and its impact on Ohio moving forward.
Columbus, Ohio – Gov. Mike DeWine hired an attorney to lead the Ohio Department of Health on Thursday, a position that has remained vacant for the past five months of the pandemic.
Stephanie McCloud, who currently runs the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, will take over a position that has been filled on only an interim basis since Dr. Amy Acton stepped down in June.
She will now oversee the quickly worsening COVID-19 pandemic, as measured by spiking case counts, rising positivity rates, a swelling active hospitalization count, and an ever-ascending death toll.
McCloud’s hire is a pivot from the physicians who previously held the post like Acton or Dr. Joan Duwve, who was set to replace Acton but quit the job in September before she officially started. DeWine has said in the past he specifically wanted a medical doctor to fill the post.
“When I was elected governor, I knew that I wanted a Director of Health with a strong public health background, someone who had a passion for public health, and someone who could talk to Ohio citizens in a candid way about health issues,” DeWine said in June.
An about page on the BWC website lists McCloud’s backgrounds in insurance administration and the law, but nothing specifically relating to public health or infectious disease control.
A 1993 state law requires the ODH director to be either a physician or a person who has had “significant experience in the public health profession.”
Dan Tierney, a DeWine spokesman, said McCloud’s work at BWC, which consists in part of evaluating claims of work-related health care claims and finding ways to prevent workplace health issues, meets the terms of the statute.
He also emphasized DeWine’s related announcement of hiring a new chief medical officer, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, and related moves from lower-profile COVID-19 response staff.
“There’s multiple people who need to lead on this,” he said.
McCloud has valuable experience in management but nothing as it relates to public health, according to Micah Berman, a professor of public Health Law at Ohio State University.
“To me, this is indicative of the lack of respect — or understanding — of public health as a field of expertise,” he said. “The Director of Health should have expertise in public health — not just in health care or another health related field.”
The position has proven difficult to fill since Acton left. Acton had been the public face of Ohio’s public COVID-19 response to the newly emergent coronavirus, which included delaying a primary election, closing schools and businesses, and beginning to phase in a mask mandate.
However, Acton faced tremendous public backlash. Protesters gathered and called her out by name in rallies in front of the Capitol and outside her Franklin County home. Some of them carried guns. At least two people hoisted anti-Semitic signs at both locations.
Even after she stepped down, businesses and individuals challenging various COVID-19 health orders have named Acton as a defendant and issued summons seeking to drag her back into the fights. She described to The New Yorker hearing a conservative talk radio host in Ohio say if his key adviser quit during a crisis, he’d want to punch him in the face.
In September, DeWine announced that Duwve would fill in where Acton left off. However, just hours after DeWine announced her hiring, Duwve declined the job.
Duwve cited harassment of Acton as a reason for turning it down.
Announcing Duwve’s hire, DeWine boasted of her “extensive experience in public health” in both government service and academia.
The medical community has started to shine light on increasing backlash against public health officials navigating pandemics with no fixed playbook.
An August viewpoint article with the Journal of American Medicine cited Acton and dog-whistle anti-Semitic remarks thrown her way by a state politician in its argument for more cover for health officials from political leaders.
“The present harassment of health officials for proposing or taking steps to protect communities from COVID-19 is extraordinary in its scope and nature, use of social media, and danger to the ongoing pandemic response,” it states. “It reflects misunderstanding of the pandemic, biases in human risk perception, and a general decline in public civility.”
Piqua, Ohio – A Miami County resident reported to police being recruited to take part in a citizen’s arrest of Gov. Mike DeWine at his Cedarville home a week ago, but the plot evidently never materialized.
The plot is alleged to have involved Renea Turner, a former write-in candidate for governor who ran against DeWine in 2018. A state representative says he recently met with Turner prior to the alleged call and she inquired about the governor’s home, the Ohio Capital Journal has learned.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol, which handles security for the governor and his residences, was notified of the report by local law enforcement and is investigating.
At a press conference Friday afternoon to discuss allocation of CARES Act funding in Ohio, DeWine told reporters he was unaware of the alleged plot and had not been briefed on it to that point.
This report to police came just a week after 13 men were arrested for reportedly planning to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and it follows months of protests against DeWine and state health officials.
According to a Piqua Police Department report from Oct. 16, a citizen told an officer about being called earlier that morning by Turner, a Springfield native who is an outspoken critic of DeWine. Turner reportedly asked if they wanted to take part in an attempt to arrest the governor at his home later that weekend and try him for allegations of tyranny.
The Ohio Capital Journal initially declined to identify Turner as the alleged caller, as law enforcement would not confirm if she had been under investigation or charged with a crime and she could not be reached by the Ohio Capital Journal for comment.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol has been made aware of the police report but would not say if an investigation has been launched.
Since the original publication of this story, Turner has spoken on the record with cleveland.com about the call, which she confirmed took place. She told the outlet that she did speak to the Miami County person about placing DeWine under house arrest, but reportedly denied discussing any specific plans.
The Capital Journal is not identifying the person who reported the incident to police after the person asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, having already followed up with Piqua law enforcement about a threat made against them online.
The person who reported the call told Ohio Capital News that the plot stemmed from anger toward the governor’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The person said they too are a critic of DeWine and claimed to have recently filed a citizen affidavit seeking criminal charges against the governor. State Rep. John Becker, R-Union Twp., who has led an impeachment effort against DeWine in the Statehouse, has urged Ohioans to submit such affidavits about the governor.
“Do I think (DeWine) needs to be arrested? Absolutely,” the person said. “But all that needs to happen within the confines of the law.”
They claimed they were initially excited when receiving the call last Friday, thinking the conversation would be about the ongoing search from DeWine critics to find a prosecutor willing to bring charges against him.
“(The caller) said ‘no, we the people, we’re going to arrest him,’” the source said.
According to this person, the caller described several supposed penalties for a citizen’s trial on tyranny — permanent exile or execution.
According to this person, the caller described several supposed penalties for a citizen’s trial on tyranny — permanent exile or execution.
Soon after the call, they decided to contact the police.
“If I don’t do something about this and something happens, I’m either legally culpable or at least I’m going to feel bad,” they said. “Not that I have any love lost between me and Gov. Mike DeWine. Again, I think he needs to be in prison. But again, if (the caller) had done something … I would have felt ethically responsible, right?”
State legislator says Turner recently asked about DeWine’s home in private chat
Becker told the Capital Journal he met with Turner a few weeks ago in Columbus at her request to speak about theoretical criminal charges against the governor. While his focus has been on locating a willing prosecutor, he said Turner spoke about finding a county sheriff to make the arrest.
“I just kind of shrugged my shoulders and said, ‘good luck with that,’” Becker recalled.
Then came an unusual change in subject: Turner wanted to know more about the governor’s residence in Cedarville. Becker said Turner asked whether the personal residence constituted public property during DeWine’s term as governor.
“It was kind of a strange question,” Becker said.
John Becker aided Turner by providing information about DeWine’s residence and if it constituted public property.
After the conversation ended, Becker asked Turner’s question to the Legislative Service Commission, a nonpartisan group which gives private law research to lawmakers. He learned the home remains a private residence, and passed that information along to her.
Becker did not hear again from Turner after that. Earlier this week, he heard from the Miami County resident about the alleged plot. The person told him about Turner and Becker recognized her name from their recent meeting.
Becker said he informed the Statehouse’s sergeant at arms about the situation when returning to work earlier this week. He later posted a YouTube video about the incident, referring to the person who reported the call to police as a “hero.”
Becker confirmed to the Capital Journal he was contacted by the Ohio State Highway Patrol on Friday. The lawmaker said he described to the Patrol his interactions with Turner and the Miami County resident.
Piqua Police Chief Rick Byron told the Capital Journal on Thursday the citizen’s report was turned over to the Patrol.
“At this point, we have not followed up with them and have no plans to do so,” Byron said, noting the alleged caller is not from Piqua and therefore his department does not have jurisdiction. “We’re pretty confident that (the Patrol is) going to handle this situation.”
Dan Tierney, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, referred questions about the situation to the Patrol.
In a brief statement on Thursday, Lt. Tiffany Meeks told the Capital Journal: “For security, the Patrol does not discuss threats or security operations involving the governor.” The Patrol later confirmed to the Dayton Daily News it was “currently investigating the incident.”
Cleveland.com quoted Turner on Friday as saying officials with the Patrol came to her home that morning “to check out my temperament and what my plans are.”
Since the report was made on Oct. 16, the governor has hosted three press conferences at his Cedarville home: his traditional virus-related updates on Oct. 20 and 22, and the CARES Act press conference with legislative leaders on Friday.
After this story was first published, reporters asked DeWine during his CARES Act press conference about his reaction to the alleged plot.
“I don’t know the details of the so-called plan,” he said. “I can’t really comment on that.”
Asked if he was shocked to learn about such a plot, DeWine answered: “No. I’m not shocked by it. At this point in my life, not much shocks me anymore. It’s a sad thing.”
This is the latest in a series of alleged plots targeting political leaders in 2020 for their responses to the pandemic. In Michigan, state and federal law enforcement foiled a plot to kidnap and try Gov. Whitmer, with seven of the men being charged under the state’s anti-terrorism law.
Police in that case have alleged the Whitmer plot was hatched in a meeting held in Dublin, Ohio this summer. The same groupof men also hoped to target Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam.
There is no known connection between these plots and the one reported in Piqua.
Turner is former governor candidate
Turner, of Springfield in Clark County, campaigned for governor as a write-in candidate in 2018.
Turner encountered DeWine on the campaign trail, later posting a picture of themselves together to social media. A post on her Facebook page claims she pretended to be a supporter of DeWine’s, then told him after the picture was taken she was actually campaigning against him.
Turner received 185 votes in the 2018 general election, including one from the person who later reported her call to Piqua police.
Turner has shared several posts from state Rep. Nino Vitale, R-Urbana, who has made headlines throughout 2020 for posting falsehoods about the virus — such as an April claim that it may have been created by Bill Gates.
Turner received 128 more votes as a write-in candidate for Springfield mayor in 2019 before turning her attention back to DeWine amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Her social media pages are littered with conspiracy theories involving the virus, government microchips and vaccine mandates. Many of the posts have been flagged by Facebook as spreading misinformation.
Turner has shared several posts from state Rep. Nino Vitale, R-Urbana, who has made headlines throughout 2020 for posting falsehoods about the virus — such as an April claim that it may have been created by Bill Gates.
Turner shared one post by Vitale from May 18, in which he accused DeWine of “giving himself total dictatorial power.” Vitale also falsely suggested the governor knew about the virus in March 2019, many months before the novel coronavirus was ever discovered.
In July, Turner posted photos of herself protesting health orders at the Ohio Statehouse with a signs referring to the governor as Hitler.
Turner took to the Statehouse again on Thursday, proclaiming she had removed the governor from office through a self-issued declaration. A video shared to Facebook shows Turner taking an oath of office, with a signed sheet of paper claiming her to be the next governor of Ohio.
Turner did not address the Thursday incident in her interview with cleveland.com.
‘It’s wrong morally, it’s wrong legally’
DeWine reiterated on Friday that the plot against Whitmer was “despicable” and added he denounced any effort by people to subvert the legal system and target public officials.
“We are seeing people out there who believe that,” the governor said. “We have an obligation, each one of us as elected officials, opinion leaders, to denounce that and say ‘that is wrong.’ It’s wrong morally, it’s wrong legally, it’s anti-democratic, it’s anti-everything this country stands for.”
While DeWine has enjoyed widespread, bipartisan support throughout 2020 for his response to the pandemic, his administration has also been the subject of intense condemnation. Four legislators have endorsed his impeachment, and dozens of others have supported various bills seeking to limit the executive’s power to handle an infectious disease.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in a Zoom call with reporters in August outside his Cedarville home. Screenshot by Marty Schladen, Ohio Capital Journal.
Repeated protests at the Statehouse led DeWine to move his press conferences from Capitol Square to a government building elsewhere due to “security reasons,” WKYC reported in April.
That same month, Cleveland.com reported that Ohioans protesting the state’s public health orders were seen “driving by DeWine’s Greene County house, filming it and counting cars.” The outlet quoted a DeWine spokesperson as saying security officials were aware of this surveillance but could not comment further.
In May, protesters repeatedly targeted the home of Dr. Amy Acton, who was then serving as director of the Ohio Department of Health. There were reports that some of the protesters were armed with guns, and one person was photographed carrying an anti-Semitic sign. Not long after, Acton resigned as state health director.
In May, protesters repeatedly targeted the home of Dr. Amy Acton, who was then serving as director of the Ohio Department of Health. There were reports that some of the protesters were armed with guns, and one person was photographed carrying an anti-Semitic sign. Not long after, Acton resigned as state health director.
The state has been without a permanent health director in the months since. A replacement was announced in September, but the person selected withdrew from consideration after learning of the harassment leveled against Acton. The Ohio Department of Health continues to be led by an interim director.
Also in May, Democratic House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes reported a phone call to police threatening to kill her father, state Sen. Vernon Sykes, if she did not “step aside” politically.
(This story was edited by Loveland Magazine)
Tyler Buchanan is an award-winning journalist who has covered Ohio politics and government for the past decade. A Bellevue native and graduate of Bowling Green State University, he most recently spent 6 1/2 years as a reporter and editor of The Athens Messenger and Vinton-Jackson Courier newspapers. He is a member of the BG News Alumni Society Board and was a 2019 fellow in the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism.
Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine and lives in Historic Downtown Loveland
by Cassie Mattia
Loveland, Ohio – A former Loveland Tiger stand-out student-athlete will get the opportunity to showcase his football skills on the CBS Sports Network on Wednesday, November 4th!
Drew Plitt, Loveland High School graduate, and now Ball State University’s quarterback will be facing MAC Champion Miami for their season-opener, as the 2020 season was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, at 7 PM.
On top of being showcased on National television, Plitt was nominated for two very prestigious college football awards. Plitt was placed on the watch list for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award just two weeks after being placed on the watch list for the Manning Award, which recognizes the top-performing quarterback in America.
In a near blizzard, Drew Plitt quarterbacked the Loveland Tigers to a 41 – 23 win over Glenville at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium to win the Div II State Championship in 2013. The temperature was 28 degrees, the wind was 5-10 mph, and steady snow kept plows busy clearing the Canton Fawcett Stadium yard lines throughout the game. Dec. 6, 2013.
Before Plitt headed to Ball State himself to play football he was a top-notch student-athlete at Loveland High School. Plitt was a member of the National Honor Society all while earning multiple awards in both basketball and football. As a Junior Plitt was Team Captain, MVP, and First-Team All-Conference in basketball. In football, Plitt received All-Conference twice as well as Honorable Mention All-District as a Senior. Plitt helped lead the Loveland Tigers to a 2013 state title and still has the school record for career passing touchdowns (42).
It was announced recently the Plitt’s college football team, Ball State University will have their first three games nationally televised! On Wednesday, November 4th you can catch the Cardinals playing their rival Miami on the CBS Sports Network at 7 PM, and then one week later on November 11th you can watch BSU as they host Eastern Michigan at 7 PM. The third game on BSU’s six regular-season game schedule will be played on November 18th against Northern Illinois at 7 PM. This particular game will be broadcasted on ESPN2, ESPNU, or CBS Sports Network.
According to BSU’s website, “The TV designation for the NIU game and designations and kick times for all three of the Cardinals’ Saturday contests to close the regular season will be announced 12 days before each game. The three Saturday games will appear on CBS Sports Network or an ESPN platform. The MAC Football Championship Game will air Friday, Dec. 18 on ESPN or ESPN2. As always, all BSU football games can be heard on the Ball State Radio Network on 104.1 WLBC.”
We wish Drew Plitt the best of luck for the up and coming BSU Football Season! We can’t wait to see all the awards and accomplishments he racks up! Check out BSU’s Football schedule below and what platform each game will be televised on.
2020 Ball State Football Schedule
Wed., Nov. 4 (7 p.m.) at Miami (Oxford, Ohio) – CBS Sports Network (CBSSN)
Loveland, Ohio – After learning from Loveland Magazine of the number of COVID 19 cases at the Loveland Health Care Center (Cumulative cases of COVID 19 at Loveland Health Care go from 60 to 85) and citing that Hamilton and Clermont Counties have returned to the RED “Very High Exposure and Spread” level of the Ohio Public Health Advisory System the Loveland School District has just announced that the return to a full in-person learning schedule for PK-4 students will be delayed. They have decided to “temporarily pause any changes and remain on the blended learning model for now for all students, to allow us additional time to evaluate.”
“Transportation will not change at any grade level including grades 5-8 as has been communicated this week. Next week will operate like this week,” the District said in a release.
The District also said, “The time is not right to take a step toward bringing more students together. Maintaining the schedule that our families, students and teachers have been operating under will allow us to maintain student and staff safety while we await more data.”
The District said in a release. “After the state updates their COVID-19 data on Thursday of next week, a decision will be made about our PK-4 and grades 5-8 students and whether to continue on blended learning or transition to full capacity (5-day) in-person for those grades beginning Monday, October 12,” the release also said.
“We have 11 red counties, which is more than we’ve seen at any point in September,” said Governor DeWine on Thursday. “Although many Ohioans are working hard to keep this virus in check, unfortunately, we are seeing a rebound in some areas of the state. This pandemic isn’t over, so please continue to stay home if you’re sick, wear a mask when you’re out, and keep at least six feet between you and those outside of your household.”
On Thursday DeWine also announced:
There are 155,314 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio and 4,817 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 15,606 people have been hospitalized, including 3,297 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov.
There is no change for the Loveland Remote Learning Academy.
Below is the timeline to return to full capacity (5-day) in-person previously approved (September 22) and is apparently completely put on pause after today’s announcement:
Loveland, Ohio – Three St. Columban students earned Broadcom Masters Top 300 recognition for their science fair projects last year. Mario Ferreri is in 8th grade this year and Jake Terrell and Brendan McPheron are now high school freshmen.
Ben McPheron is the junior high science teacher who guided the students as they created their projects.
Broadcom Foundation and Society for Science & the Public has announced the Top 300 MASTERS in their 10th annual Broadcom MASTERS. The program claims it is the nation’s premier Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) competition for middle school students. They seeks to inspire young scientists, engineers and innovators to solve the grand challenges of the 21st century.
Each of the Top 300 MASTERS will receive a $125 award from DoD STEM. With this new prize, the Department of Defense continues its support of youth in STEM, working towards a more diverse pipeline of highly qualified STEM professionals in the future.
The Top 300 MASTERS were selected from the largest pool of applicants the competition has seen, with 3,476 students from 42 states and Puerto Rico.
Science fairs across the country had to cancel their competitions in the spring of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In reaction, the Society and Broadcom Foundation opened up the Broadcom MASTERS competition to any student who registered to compete in a Society-affiliated science fair. Previously, only students who are named in the top 10% of their science fair were eligible to enter.
“Every Middle School student who had the passion and fortitude to complete his or her science or engineering project with hardships imposed to schooling and research is a hero and heroine in our eyes, and the Top 300 Broadcom MASTERS semifinalists exemplify their remarkable grit,” said Paula Golden, President of Broadcom Foundation. “They inspire us all and give us hope for the future.”
In addition to the $125 cash prize, the Top 300 Broadcom MASTERS received a prize package containing an award ribbon; semifinalist certificate of accomplishment; Broadcom MASTERS backpack; a Broadcom MASTERS decal; a specialized Invention Journal, courtesy of The Lemelson Foundation; a one-year subscription to Wolfram Mathematica software, courtesy of Wolfram Research; a special prize from Jeff Glassman, CEO of Covington Capital Management; and a one-year family digital subscription to Science News magazine. In recognition of the role that teachers play in the success of their students, each designated teacher also will receive a Broadcom MASTERS tote bag; a special edition booklet of Science News for Students’ Invention & Innovation articles from The Lemelson Foundation; and a one-year digital subscription to Science News magazine.
-This story has been corrected to reflect that Halloween is on Saturday October 31.
Loveland Police Chief Sean Rahe
Loveland, Ohio – City Manager Dave Kennedy announced at last night’s council meeting that Halloween Trick or Treating in Loveland is a go. He said that Police Chief Sean Rahe is reviewing an advisory that was issued by the Ohio Department of health and the City will issue a statement after it has been reviewed.
Kennedy said, “We hope to move forward full steam and certainly encourage people to follow the rules. We are not going to mess with changing times or dates.”
Although not announced at the meeting, Trick or Treating hours in Loveland have been between 6 and 8 PM for many consecutive years.
Halloween is on Saturday October 31.
DeWine recommends children wear masks on Halloween!
In Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s announcement of the health department orders he reminded parents that Halloween activities will be different this year than in years past. He encouraged, “parents and children to wear a mask, practice social distancing, avoid large groups, and to stay home if sick.” Dewine also said, “Final decisions on whether to hold or participate in trick-or-treating or other events should be made by local communities, individuals, and parents.”
The state has developed guidance for Halloween and it can be found at coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Celebrating Halloween at Re-Start Ohio
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to use caution and plan ahead for Halloween festivities. Decisions on whether to participate should be made by local communities, individuals, and parents/ guardians.
Always follow current state public health orders and rules/regulations established by your local community, and check the Ohio Public Health Advisory System to determine COVID-19 risk levels in your county before making decisions about Halloween activities. Some communities may choose to cancel Halloween events, so check with local sources before making plans.
This guidance is designed to help curb the spread of COVID-19. It will be reassessed and updated as the situation evolves and we learn more in the weeks leading up to Halloween.
Recommended Best Practices
General Guidance
• It is strongly recommended that hayrides and haunted houses be canceled/avoided.
• It is strongly recommended that Ohioans exercise caution when deciding to participate in trick-or-treating and events that put them in close contact with people outside their households. To lower risk, consider safer, socially distant ways to celebrate, such as:
• Holding a drive-through or drive-in trick-or-treat event, with children in costume and face coverings staying in cars and collecting treats from individuals spaced at least 6 feet apart.
• Holding drive-by costume or car-decorating contests with judges who are physically distanced.
• Leaving treats for friends and neighbors.
• Decorating your home and hide treats as an alternative to trick-or-treating.
• Holding costume parties or pumpkin carving events or contests online, such as by video conference.
• Do not hold large in-person Halloween parties. If holding smaller parties, limit attendance to 10 or fewer people and hold the event in an outdoor area where social distancing is possible. Avoid activities, such as bobbing for apples, that foster the spread of infection.
• Always wear a face covering and stay 6 feet away from people who are not from your household, whether trick-or- treating, passing out treats, or attending attractions or events. Stay home if you are sick. (NOTE: Face coverings should never be placed on children younger than 2 or anyone who cannot easily remove them.)
• Carry hand sanitizer and use it often, especially after coming into contact with frequently touched surfaces and before eating candy.
• Select events/attractions that are held outdoors and allow attendees to stay in their cars (such as drive-through event with displays) or socially distance. Avoid events that involve being crowded in a small area or coming into contact with/being touched by others.
• Consider the people in your household who may be at greater risk of complications if COVID-19 is brought into the home, such as those with certain health conditions, women who are pregnant, or older family members.
For Parents/ Guardians
• If taking your children trick-or-treating, limit the number of houses you visit and ask your children to stay as far from treat-givers as possible. For small children, consider holding the bag for them.
• Wipe off candy wrappers with sanitizing wipes when you arrive home. (NOTE: Never wipe unpackaged food with wipes.) • Allow children to eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid homemade treats made by strangers.
• If your child is at greater risk of complications from COVID-19, contact your doctor before allowing participation in Halloween activities.
For Community Members
For trick-or-treating, reach out to neighbors to discuss ways to ensure 6-foot social distancing, how candy can most safely be distributed, and the need for face coverings.
Refrain from having children select their own treats from a bowl/common container or set up a hand-sanitizing station. Consider placing treats on porch steps or a table in the driveway with a sign asking children to take only one. Or use other creative ways to distribute treats, such as using a candy “slide” made of PVC pipe, or hanging treats from a wall or fence.
Cassie Mattia lives in Historic Downtown and is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine
by Cassie Mattia
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland’s very own food pantry is now open for business!
On Thursday, September 10th, LIFE (Loveland InterFaith Effort) Food Pantry showed off their beautiful new space located at 541 Loveland Maderia Road in the Shopper’s Haven Plaza to the Loveland community with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Although invites to the ceremony were limited due to the COVID-19 stipulations many community members, as well as the Mayor of Loveland, Kathy Bailey, and the Little Miami River Chamber of Commerce President, CeeCee Collins, rallied around to get a look at the food pantry’s new location.
Luckily Loveland Magazine TV got a personalized tour by one of LIFE Food Pantry’s top volunteers after the ribbon was cut and the doors were opened!
The tour showed the 2,000 square foot space filled with donations from Walmart, Kroger, Fresh Thyme, the 13 congregations that support the pantry, and several different food drives.
Unlike the food pantry’s previous location at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church clients will now be able to feel as though they are shopping at their local “Corner Store” because of the added space and organization.
Aisles within the pantry include proteins, pasta, prepared meals, veggies, fruits, baking supplies, soups, and much more! Each aisle is separated by the size of the family in need making it that much easier for clients to look at their choices and shop for themselves. This is what LIFE Food Pantry calls a “Choice Pantry.”
The pantry’s new space also includes what they refer to as a “Tiger Closet,” which is specifically for Loveland students who are in need of food and other supplies. To see the full Loveland Magazine TV video of the LIFE Food Pantry’s opening day and ribbon-cutting ceremony click below!
Coincidentally enough LIFE Food Pantry’s opening day happened to be on the same day as World Hunger Day making the day that much more important to everyone involved.
Since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic LIFE Food Pantry’s clients have increased by 1/3. Currently, LIFE serves 250 families (nearly 500 people a month) and they plan on seeing that number increase now that they have opened a larger location. Anyone who lives in the 45140 zip code can be helped by the food pantry.
To learn more about what LIFE Food Pantry offers and the new locations hours click below!
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland High School’s Fall sports seasons have finally taken off! Although COVID-19 has made school vs. school competitions this Fall season somewhat difficult the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) and the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) has implemented safety protocols that have allowed high school student-athletes to have the sports seasons they have been dying to have!
Last week in LHS sports proved to be quite the success as several Tiger squads had victories! Here’s the Loveland Sports 411 for the week of September 7th-13th as well as what competitions you should expect for this week in the LHS sports world!
FOOTBALL
The LHS Football team was supposed to have the ultimate rivalry game at Milford on Friday, September 11th, but unfortunately, the game had to be canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test involving a Milford Football player. The schools are working on rescheduling the contest.
Currently, the LHS Football team is sitting at 0-2, with losses against Turpin and West Clermont. The Tigers are looking to grab their first win at home against Little Miami on Friday, September 18th.
VOLLEYBALL
The LHS Women’s Volleyball team is sitting right in the middle of the pack in the ECC with a 4-4 overall record (2-3 in the ECC). On Tuesday, September 8th the Tigers traveled to Turpin. While Loveland battled hard, they ended up losing 25-23, 25-12, winning 22-25, and losing the final game 25-15.
On Wednesday, September 9th Loveland played at home against Lebanon. The Tigers played 3 games losing 25-14, 25-8, and 25-17. On Saturday, September 12th the Lady Tigers came back with a vengeance facing one of the best teams in the GMC, Lakota West, at home. The Tigers played 5 games losing the 1st and 2nd games 23-25, and 20-25. Loveland than collected 2 wins in the 3rd and 4th games, 25-22, and 25-24. Unfortunately, the Tigers lost in a very close 5th game, 15-13.
The LHS Women’s Volleyball team will be back in action this week on Monday, September 14th at home against Little Miami at 6:30 p.m, Tuesday, September 15th at Anderson at 6:30 p.m, and at home against Kings at 6:30 p.m.
MEN’S SOCCER
The Loveland Men’s Soccer team played at Milford on Thursday, September 10th. The Tigers ended up losing 2-1 in a close battle. The Tigers are sitting at 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie (1-1-0 in the ECC) thus far for the 2020 Fall season.
The Men’s Soccer Team this week will be hosting Little Miami on Tuesday, September 15th at 7 p.m.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
The Loveland Women’s Soccer team has kicked off the 2020 season with a bang sitting at 1st place in the ECC with a 5-0-0 record overall (2-0-0 in the ECC). On Tuesday, September 8th they played Milford at home collecting a 3-0 win! Ryann Eversole, Brooke Hatfield, and Shraya Smolenski all had a goal in the big Tiger win.
On Saturday, September 12th the Lady Tigers faced Sycamore at home, in which they grabbed another win, 2-1. Leiah Goedde and Brooke Hatfield both had a goal for the Tigers.
This week the Loveland Women’s Soccer team will play 3 games, 1 on Tuesday, September 15th at Little Miami at 7 p.m, another on Thursday, September 17th at home against Kings at 7 p.m, and on Saturday, September 19th at Mason at 5 p.m.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
The Loveland Men’s Cross Country team has had quite the successful season thus far clocking times at the top of the ECC! On Saturday, September 12th the Tigers traveled to Corwin Nixon Park for the Mason Invitational. Loveland finished in 4th place as a team with 116 points. Ryan Chevalier took the gold for the entire invitational finishing in 1st place with a time of 16:14.8. Ajay Stutz was next finishing in 16th place with a time of 17:15.5, followed by Sam Neiger in 22nd place with a time of 17:42.5, then Caden Dyer in 38th place with a time of 18:00.4. The next finisher was Colin Beran in 59th place with a time of 18:31.1, followed by Grant Hanson in 66th place with a time of 18:40.1, then Alex Salatin in 71st place with a time of 18:44.7, and Zach Mays in 79th place with a time of 18:52.1. Rounding out the Tigers was Alex Saletta in 86th place with a time of 18:56.4.
Junior Ryan Chevalier’s 1st place performance out of 381 runners at the Mason Invitational gained him an ECC Athlete of the Week Nomination! Chevalier is currently sitting in 2nd place in the ECC with a time of 16:06, in which he ran at the Loveland Invitational on Saturday, September 5th.
The Men’s Cross Country team will compete again Saturday, September 26th at the Saturday Night Lights Meet at Centerville High school.
The Loveland Women’s Cross Country team is running off the ECC competition this 2020 Fall season with their unbelievable 5k times! The Tigers competed in the Mason Invitational on Saturday, September 12th at Corwin Nixon Park finishing in 2nd place out of 15 teams with 87 points.
The top finisher for Loveland was Sarah Madix clocking a 2nd place finish with a time of 19:32.6. Ellie Carr finished next in 18th place with a time of 20:43.4, followed by Sophia Huff in 20th place with a time of 20.50.1, and next in 25th place was Ally Colegate with a time of 20:58.4. The next finisher for the Tigers was Ansley Richards in 27th place with a time of 21:01.5, followed by Maaike Snider in 29th place with a time of 21:07.9, and Audrey O’Keefe in 34th place with a time of 21:14.5. Other finishers for the Lady Tigers were Lauren Gard with a time of 21:27.3 and Meghan Tibbs with a time of 21:34.3.
Junior Sarah Madix was the 2nd Loveland Tiger this week to be nominated for the ECC Athlete of the Week for her performance at the Mason Invitational. Madix not only had the 2nd fastest time out of 347 runners she was also 1 out of only 4 girls to break 20 minutes on the new Mason 5k course.
Currently, in the ECC several Lady Tigers are sitting in the top 10 for their Loveland Invitational 5k times. Emily Sager is in 2nd place with a time of 18:53.5, Sarah Madix is sitting in 4th place with a time of 19:18.2, and Ellie Carr is in 7th place with a time of 20:04.03.
The Loveland Women’s Cross Country team will be competing again on Saturday, September 26th at the Saturday Night Lights Meet at Centerville High School.
The Loveland Men’s Golf team has been having a great season as they are sitting at the top of the ECC with a 7-0 record overall (6-0 in the ECC)! On Tuesday, September 8th the Tigers beat Anderson 159-160 at Legendary Golf Course. Over the weekend Loveland competed twice, traveling to Heatherwoode Golf Course on Saturday, September 12th, and to Glenview Golf Course for the Hadley Invitational on Sunday, September 13th. The results for both competitions have yet to be posted on the ECC website.
Several Tigers are in the top 10 in the ECC for their golf performances! Tyler Vallee is in 2nd place with a 38.36 average, Anthony Moran is in 4th place with a 38.63 average, Joe Jankowski is in 5th place with a 39.09 average, and Matthew Geist is in 9th place with a 40 average.
The Men’s Golf team will be competing again on Monday, September 14th at Miami Valley Golf Course for the Alter Invitational and on Tuesday, September 15th at Shaker Run Golf Course against Lebanon at 3:30 p.m.
WOMEN’S GOLF
The Women’s Golf team, currently 1-4 in the ECC, competed at Harmon Golf Course against Lebanon on Wednesday, September 9th. The Tigers lost 212 to 191.
This week the Loveland Women’s Golf team will be traveling to Eagles Nest Golf Course to face Little Miami at 3:24 p.m and then will be heading to Walden Ponds for the ECC Tournament on Thursday, September 17th at 8 a.m.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
The Women’s Tennis Team is in 4th place in the ECC with a 10-2 overall record (3-2 in the ECC)! Loveland took on the Mason B Team on Wednesday, September 9th gaining another win, 4-1. Since collecting the Mason win, the Lady Tigers are ranked at the top of the ECC in Singles and Doubles. Maira Hodar is in 4th place in First Singles with a 6-6 overall record (2-3 in the ECC), while Grace Haught is in 6th place in Second Singles with a 9-3 overall record (3-2 in the ECC). Tess Broermann and Hanna Wenger are in 1st place in the ECC in First Doubles with an 11-0 overall record (5-0 in the ECC), while Jenna Batsch and Babs Dwyer are in 1st place in the ECC for Second Doubles with an 11-0 overall record (4-0 in the ECC).
The Loveland Women’s Tennis Team will be playing 3 times this week! On Monday, September 14th Loveland will be competing against Indian Hill at 4 p.m, then on Tuesday, September 15th at Lebanon at 4 p.m, and on Wednesday, September 16th against St.Ursula at 4 p.m.
Stay tuned for more of the Loveland Sports 411 With Me, Cassie Mattia!
