What Loveland community members need to know about Loveland City Schools’ COVID numbers as they begin week four of hybrid learning
by Hannah Roberts Gwynne
As reported Friday September 18 on the LCS database, one bus driver was confirmed to have tested positive with one close student-contact reported. Additionally, there are two “community cases” reported on their site. These cases include Loveland residents who have reported a positive case to LCS. Students and staff who are isolated or quarantined will also be considered “community cases,” according to Dr. Amy Crouse, superintendent. “If isolation or quarantine has ended and individuals have returned to school, they will no longer be reported as a community case,” says Crouse.
In August, two unnamed Loveland High School student athletes tested positive for COVID-19 resulting in 136 people self-quarantining, according to Dr. Crouse. An official report of this incident was never sent out to the public. The two teams were the high school men’s football and women’s soccer teams. A total 23 staff members and 113 students were involved and required to quarantine. This data was made available on the Loveland City Schools (LCS) page around two months later in September right before Labor Day weekend. The school alerted the families involved at the time of the reported cases. Since classes were not in session in August, LCS only sent the information to the people who needed it, according to Crouse.
The amount of time that students and staff must quarantine depends on whether they have tested positive or just had exposure to a sick person, according to new health protocols listed on the Loveland Schools site. If a positive case were reported to an administrator at LCS, the required self-quarantine would only be 10 days, according to the protocols. However, if a person had been confirmed to be in contact (within six feet for 15 minutes or more), they must self-quarantine for 14 days. “Those are Hamilton County rules,” said Dr. Amy Crouse. “It’s not my decision, but it’s my understanding that it can take up to 14 days to show symptoms if you’re in close contact. Those are protocols developed by Hamilton County.” These rules correspond with CDC guidelines.
LCS plans on returning to full-capacity schooling in October. Students will return to five days a week.
In order to find the school’s COVID-19 data, go to Loveland City Schools home page, click the tab “Reopening Plan.” On the left-hand side, it will say “COVID-19 Data Update.” Click there. At the very bottom of that page, click the link to their document that tracks the numbers.
Loveland, Ohio – The City’s Fall Leaf Collection schedule will begin on October 12 this year. Leaf collection during this period will be done by a City crew using mechanical equipment similar to a vacuum cleaner. Residents are instructed to rake leaves to a place near the street or curb. Do not place leaf piles on the sidewalk, gutters, ditches, roads, or blocking fire hydrants.
You can print the schedule to hang on your refrigerator or bulletin board using this .pdf: Fall Leaf Collection Schedule
Loveland, Ohio – After watching The Pursuit of Happyness with his dad, Ryan found $200 worth of change around the house. Ryan decided he wanted to use it shop for food for the L.I.F.E. food pantry to help those in need, especially those who are homeless.
The pantry and also the Loveland Magazine staff say. “Thank you Ryan, for your generous heart!”
Photos and story from the FaceBook page of the L.I.F.E. food pantry –
Cassie Mattia lives in Historic Downtown and is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine
by Cassie Mattia
Loveland, Ohio – Did you miss out on some of your favorite Tiger competitions last week? Well now is your chance to catch up! Here is your Loveland Sports 411!
FOOTBALL
On Friday, September 18th, the Loveland Tigers Football team hosted Little Miami. Both teams had a big first quarter, the Tigers scoring 20 points while Little Miami scored 42 points. Unfortunately, Little Miami ran away with the game scoring 6 points in the 3rd quarter and 7 points in the 4th quarter. The final score was Little Miami 55 and Loveland 20. Senior, Calvin Cloud had quite the game for the Tigers completing 16 out of 35 attempted passes, 3 of those passes being touchdowns. Cloud is in 4th place in the ECC for Offensive Passing Yards at 621. Currently, Loveland is sitting at 0-3 in the ECC.
The Loveland Football team will be playing again this Friday, September 25th at Holmes (KY) at 7 p.m.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
The Loveland Women’s Volleyball played several games last week winning one and losing the other two. On Monday, September 14th, the Tigers took on Little Miami at home, where they gained a big ECC victory! Loveland won 3 out of the 4 games, 25-11, 25-22, 21-25, and 25-11.
On Tuesday, September 15th, Loveland traveled to Anderson for another conference game! Although the Tigers lost they battled hard in all 3 games played, 25-20, 25-20, and 25-15.
The Loveland Women’s Volleyball team had their final game of the week on Thursday, September 17th, at home against Kings. The Lady Tigers played 3 very close games but came up a little short. The final scores of the games were 25-11, 25-18, and 25-23.
After Loveland’s week of competitions, several Lady Tigers are sitting in the top 5 in the ECC for individual stats! Senior Abbie Miller is in 5th place for Assists with 221, Senior Diana Clark is in 1st place for Digs with 221 and Pass Points with 654, and Junior Audrey Planner is in 4th place for Pass Points with 467.
This week Loveland has already played one game at home against West Clermont and captured another win with a score of, 25-19, 25-19, 17-25, and 35-33. The Tigers are now 6-6 overall and 4-5 in the ECC. Loveland took on Walnut Hills at home on Tuesday, September 22nd at 6:30 p.m. (results will be in the next edition of the 411), and on Thursday, September 24th the Tigers will face Winton Woods at home at 6:30 p.m.
MEN’S SOCCER
The Loveland Men’s Soccer team had a very successful week collecting 2 wins and 1 tie! On Tuesday, September 15th the Tigers hosted rival Little Miami beating them 6-0. Senior Max Flanders had 1 goal, Senior Helge Harris scored 4 goals, and Senior Ethan Smith had 1 goal in the big Tiger win.
Thursday, September 17th Loveland played another important ECC match-up at Kings, winning 2-1. Just a couple days later on Saturday, the Tigers took on GMC powerhouse Mason. Loveland played hard tying the Comets 2-2. Loveland’s stats have yet to be reported for their games against Kings and Mason.
After last week’s games, the Loveland Men’s Soccer team is in 1st place in the ECC with an overall record of 5-1-2 (3-1-0 in the ECC).
This week Loveland played on Tuesday, September 22nd at home against Highlands at 7:30 p.m. (results will be in the next edition of the 411) and on Thursday, September 24th at home against West Clermont at 7:30 p.m.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
The Loveland Women’s Soccer team had an exciting week, gaining 1 win and 2 ties! On Tuesday, September 15th the Lady Tigers played at Little Miami where they won 4-0. Impressively enough several Tigers added to the scoreboard! Senior Lauren Donovan scored 1 goal, Junior Leiah Goedde had 1 goal, Sophmore Brooke Hatfield collected 1 goal, and Sophmore Sophia Kapszukiewicz also added a goal to the win.
On Thursday, September 17th Loveland took on Kings at home where they tied 1-1. Junior Erin Bullock scored the tying goal for the Tigers. On Saturday Loveland traveled to Mason where they tied again 1-1. Junior Leiah Goedde had the 1 goal for the Tigers.
The Loveland Women’s Soccer team is currently in 1st place in the ECC with an overall record of 6-0-2 (3-0-1 in the ECC). On the ECC’s Women’s Soccer “leaderboard,” many Tigers are making a name for themselves with their individual stats. Leiah Goedde is tied for 4th place with her own teammate, Brooke Hatfield, for Points, both having 13. Goedde is also in 4th place for Goals with 6. Junior Eva Dudeck is sitting in 2nd place for Shutouts with 5.0, and Lauren Donovan is in 1st place for Assists with 6.
This week Loveland played at West Clermont on Tuesday, September 22nd at 7 p.m. (results will be in the next edition of the 411) and at home against Lakota West on Saturday, September 26th at 7 p.m.
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
The Loveland Women’s and Men’s Cross Country team will be competing again on Saturday, September 26th at the Saturday Night Lights Meet which will be held at Centerville High school. The time is still being determined!
MEN’S GOLF
The Loveland Men’s Golf team has had quite the impressive season as they finished the season in 1st place and undefeated, 9-0 overall (8-0 in the ECC). Loveland competed in the ECC Tournament on Tuesday, September 22nd at Grizzly Golf Course, and won with 304 points! Tyler Valee grabbed 2nd place in the tournament with a score of 73, Joe Jankowski finished in 4th with a score of 74, Anthony Moran placed 5th with a score of 78, Aiden Callahan placed 7th with a score of 79 and Ben Kirlin rounded out the top 10 with a score of 81. Tiger, Jake Zicka placed 44th with a score of 102.
The Tigers will golf one more time at St. Xavier at 4 p.m. at Oasis Golf Course on Monday, September 28th.
WOMEN’S GOLF
The Loveland Women’s Golf team also competed in the ECC Tournament last week on Thursday, September 17th at Walden Ponds Golf Course.
The Lady Tigers, 2-5 in the ECC, finished the tournament in 6th place with 407 points. The top performer for Loveland was Emme Amy who finished in 20th place with 95 points. Caroline Sproull tied with her teammate Kristin Dygert for 26th place with a score of 103, and Ryan Smith placed 36th with a score of 114.
The Loveland Women’s Golf team will compete again at St. Ursula on Thursday, September 24th. The time is still being determined!
WOMEN’S TENNIS
The Loveland Women’s Tennis team had a very busy week last week competing 3 times! On Monday, September 14th the Lady Tigers competed against Indian Hill losing 5-0, but bounced back the next day at Lebanon capturing a 5-0 win!
On Wednesday, September 16th Loveland faced St. Ursula losing a close battle, 3-2. Again the Tigers came back on Monday, September 21st, and grabbed a win against Little Miami, 5-0.
On Tuesday, September 22nd, Loveland competed in the ECC Championships, but the score has yet to be reported.
Currently, there are a few Lady Tigers sitting in the top 10 for their individual stats in the ECC! Maira Hodar is in 4th place for Single with a 4-3 record in the ECC (8-8 overall), and Grace Haught is in 8th place for 2nd Singles with a 5-2 record in the ECC (11-5 overall). Tess Broermann and Hanna Wenger are in 1st place in the ECC for Doubles with a 6-0 record (12-0 overall, and Sarah McKenzie and Kendall Forrest are in 4th place for 2nd Doubles with a 2-0 record.
The Loveland Women’s Tennis team, 5-2 in the ECC (12-4 overall), will compete on Monday, September 28th at Mason High school at 4 p.m and on Wednesday, September 30th against Walnut Hills at 4 p.m.
Stay tuned for more of the Loveland Sports 411 with Me, Cassie Mattia!
Cassie Mattia lives in Historic Downtown Loveland and is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine
by Cassie Mattia
Loveland, Ohio – The saddest day of the year has finally come for the city of Loveland, and if you’re not a Loveland resident you maybe asking yourself when is this day coming and why is it so sad?! On Sunday, September 27th the legendary sweetest place in town, Loveland Dairy Whip, will be closing its doors for the season.
“We will be opening February 26th, 2021,” owner Rick Morgan informed the community.
The family-owned soft serve ice cream shop, located at 611 W Loveland Ave, has been open since 1955 and has become quite the tradition for many families around town. The Loveland Dairy Whip has a variety of options on its menu ranging from Dairymen’s vanilla, chocolate, or twist cones to specialty ice cream creations like The Chocolate Mountain and the Reese Tulip. Of course there are also options for the kiddos like the Clown Sundae and the Gummy Monster!
The friendly Loveland Dairy Whip owners and staff ask that you stop by during their final week of the Summer to celebrate another successful season! The ice cream shop has plenty of seating in their shaded picnic area so that you and your family can enjoy your favorite ice cream treat! The Loveland Dairy Whip’s hours this week will be from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.
For more of Loveland’s latest news stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With Me, Cassie Mattia!
-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.
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District Board of Education approved a resolution Tuesday night with a schedule for 5-day full capacity learning.
The vote was Board President Dr. Kathy Lorenz, Vice President Michele Pettit, and Dr. Eric Schwetschenau voting to make the change and members Kevin Dougherty andEileen Washburn voting, “No”.
PreK through 4th grade will begin 5-day full capacity on October 5.
Grades 5 through 8 will begin 5-day full capacity on October 12.
Loveland High School will begin 5-day full capacity on October 26.
Currently, the schools are on a combination of a blended attendance model for in-person learning and many students attending the District’s Remote Online Academy.*
The decision the Board made on Tuesday does not affect the Remote Online Academy students.
In the video below you can watch the Board discussion on the resolution beginning at the 1:10:48 minute mark. The Board paused the discussion and resumed at the 4:25:18 Minute mark. The District may not allow this video to play here on Loveland Magazine, so if this video does not play, go HERE to watch it.
*The plans the Loveland Schools are currently operating under:
A group representing small pharmacists says large chains, especially CVS, are moving patients’ prescriptions to their own stores without consent. CVS adamantly denies that. Photo by Marty Schladen, Ohio Capital Journal.
A huge majority of community pharmacists have lost patients in the last six months due to unfair practices by much larger competitors, an industry group that represents small pharmacists said last week.
They accuse CVS Health — which operates as an insurer, claims administrator and pharmacy retailer — as being the company responsible for the most abuses. CVS denies the claim.
The National Community Pharmacy Association (NCPA) said that between Sept. 8-11, it collected 412 responses to a survey about a practice known as “patient steering.”
In addition to being the nation’s largest pharmacy retailer, CVS is now also the largest pharmacy benefit manager, which charges insurers, pays pharmacists, decides which drugs get favorable treatment and collects rebates from manufacturers. The company has said it maintains a strict firewall between the businesses, but critics have accused the company of using one business to advantage the others.
For example, in the fall of 2017, Ohio community pharmacists complained Medicaid reimbursements from CVS’s pharmacy benefit manager, CVS Caremark, had dropped so low that they were having a hard time staying in business. At the same time the pharmacists they were receiving letters from from another arm of CVS acknowledging that reimbursements were low and that CVS was willing to buy out the community pharmacists.
That made pharmacists suspicious that the part of the corporation that acquires pharmacies was using CVS Caremark’s reimbursement data to determine which independent pharmacies were most likely to be struggling and vulnerable to a buyout offer. CVS denied that.
Some observers feared such concerns would only get worse when a federal judge last year allowed CVS to merge with Aetna, the country’s third-largest health insurer.
Now the NCPA, the group representing small pharmacists, says things are getting worse.
One method of patient steering is to transfer their prescriptions to another pharmacy without their knowledge, much less their consent.
According to the NCPA survey, 79% of community pharmacists said that had happened with one or more of their patients in the past six months. Almost 78% of respondents said some of the patients thus steered saw their prescriptions moved to CVS.
“That’s a big red flag,” NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey said in a statement. “The pharmacy sector is very competitive, and most big chains have aggressive marketing schemes aimed at taking patients from rivals. CVS Health not only owns brick-and-mortar stores, but it also owns its own insurance companies, Aetna and Caremark. That information allows it to eavesdrop on when and where patients are getting their prescriptions and, as the survey reported, coerce unknowing patients into CVS stores.”
In an email, CVS Senior Director of Corporate Communications Michael DeAngelis said the NCPA claims were patently false.
“Our pharmacies only initiate prescription transfers when requested by a patient,” he said. “Also, CVS Caremark members have access to our broad network of more than 60,000 pharmacies, including most independent pharmacies and chain pharmacies, in addition to CVS Pharmacy. In fact, more than 40% of the pharmacies in our network are independently owned. If a plan sponsor chooses a particular network design that includes specific pharmacies, their members are notified in advance.”
DeAngelis also panned the process behind the NCPA survey.
“The ‘survey’ conducted by the business trade association, NCPA, of its own members has no basis in fact and is nothing but a self-serving attempt to disparage CVS Health,” he said. “Accusations that we transferred patients’ prescriptions to our own pharmacies without their knowledge or consent are simply not true.”
One Ohio pharmacist said he doesn’t know why he’s losing patients, but he knows he’s been losing them.
“We’re down 300 or 400 patients a month” compared to last year, said Barry Klein, owner of Klein’s Pharmacy in Cuyahoga Falls. “It’s hard to say what was the cause of it, but definitely our patient count is down.”
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.
5.1 Approve Student Representatives to the Board for 2020-2021
5.2 Approve Policy 2266 – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in District Programs or Activities
5.3 Approve resolution to reaffirm the 2020-2021 Academic Plans and Options of the Loveland City School District
6. Treasurer Resolutions
6.1 Approval of 9/1/20 Board of Education Minutes
6.2 Approve financial reports, payment of invoices, board member expenses, transfers, investment of funds, and appropriation adjustments
6.3 Approve the Official Certificate of Estimated Resources, Permanent Appropriations and Total Amount from all Sources
6.4 Approve removal of equipment by gift, sale or destruction
6.5 Approval of Treasurer Items 6.1 – 6.4
7. Director of Human Resources
7.1 Status of Communications Position
7.2 Resignations and employment of certified, classified, homebound, substitute and supplemental positions for the 2020-2021 school year.
7.3 Approve Resolution to Initiate Procedures under Ohio Law for the Retirement and Reemployment of John Ames as the Business Manager for LCSD
7.4 Approve a Memorandum of Understanding amending Article 35 of the LEA agreement
8. Executive Session
8.1 Enter into Executive Session to review negotiations with public employees concerning compensation or other terms and conditions of their employment and to consider the employment, demotion or dismissal of a public employee or official.
Clermont County, Ohio – Clermont County has broadened the guidelines and extended the deadline for Coronavirus Relief Act (CARES Act) grants for $2,500 (for 1-10 employees) or $5,000 (for 11-50 employees). The funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis to businesses that demonstrate the impact of the pandemic on their operations.
The deadline has been extended until 4:30 PM Oct 1.
Changes include that businesses:
Have been operational since January of 2020 (instead of 2019).
have less than $2 million in gross revenue/receipts (instead of $1 million).
Have eligible expenses that have not been paid by another federal assistance program or initiative for lost revenue or expenses from the pandemic, such as Paycheck Protection Initiative, Emergency Disaster Loan, etc. (Previously, had prohibited those who had received any federal assistance for COVID-19 related expenses.)
To apply, visit https://clermontcountyohio.gov/community-development/ for an online application, or for a form to download, print and fax to 513-732-7366, or personally deliver to the Clermont County Department of Community & Economic Development, 3rd Floor, 101 E. Main St., Batavia, OH 45103.
The Board of County Commissioners approved the program at their Aug. 19 meeting and expanded availability on Sept. 16. Clermont County has about $200,000 available to distribute.
by Hannah Roberts Gwynne
Loveland, Ohio – After watching The Pursuit of Happyness with his dad, Ryan found $200 worth of change around the house. Ryan decided he wanted to use it shop for food for the L.I.F.E. food pantry to help those in need, especially those who are homeless.
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