LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: environmental issues

  • Three Ohio Supreme Court races on the November ballot will have a huge impact in the coming years

    Three Ohio Supreme Court races on the November ballot will have a huge impact in the coming years

    The Gavel outside the Supreme Court of the State of Ohio, September 20, 2023, at 65 S. Front Street, Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.)

    Ohio’s highest court currently has a 4-3 Republican majority

    By:  – Ohio Capital Journal

    Three Ohio Supreme Court seats will be up for grabs during the November election. The outcomes will decide the balance of the court and have major impacts on a wide variety of issues that affect the lives of Ohioans, from education and environmental issues to gerrymandering and elections to civil and reproductive rights.

    Partisan labels were added to the previously-nonpartisan races by the state legislature in 2021.

    This year, incumbent Democratic Justice Michael P. Donnelly is being challenged by Republican Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Megan Shanahan.

    Incumbent Democrat Justice Melody Stewart is being challenged by incumbent Republican Justice Joseph Deters, who opted not to run for his current seat and decided to go up against Stewart.

    Vying for Deters’ open seat is Democratic candidate Lisa Forbes, of the Eighth District Court of Appeals, and Republican candidate Dan Hawkins, of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

    Deters decided to run for a full-term seat by challenging Stewart, rather than a partial term for the seat Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed him to on Jan. 7, 2023. Because of this, whichever candidate wins Deters’ current seat will have to run again in 2026 for a full six-year term.

    Ohio’s highest court currently has a 4-3 Republican majority. If all three Republicans are elected, the Republicans would hold all but one seat on the bench, for a 6-1 majority. On the flip side, if all three Democrats win their elections, the Democrats would hold a 4-3 majority. The Ohio Supreme Court has been under Republican control since 1986.

    Democratic Justice Jennifer Brunner’s seat will be up in 2026. Republican Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy, Republican Justice Pat DeWine and Republican Justice Pat Fischer’s seats will be up in 2028.

    The Ohio Supreme Court could make decisions on a plethora of critical issues: reproductive rights, gerrymandering, school vouchers, home rule, and environmental issues, among others.

    “If there’s a law around it, it could end up in the Supreme Court and have a real, tangible impact on each of our lives,” said Elisabeth Warner, spokesperson for the League of Women Voters of Ohio.

    Even though 57% of Ohio voters approved an amendment last year to enshrine reproductive rights in the state’s constitution, the court will inevitably rule on abortion access.

    “There are still a lot of anti-abortion laws on the books, so that’s something that the Supreme Court is going to be ruling on,” Warner said.

    Ohio’s anti-abortion laws were not automatically nullified when last year’s amendment passed, so abortion advocates are working to undo those laws.

    Franklin County Court of Common Pleas recently issued a temporary pause on Ohio’s 24-hour waiting period and the minimum two in-person visits required before an abortion.

    Another lawsuit is currently pending in Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas over whether Ohio’s six-week abortion ban is unconstitutional after voters passed last year’s amendment.

    Those lawsuits will likely make their way to the Ohio Supreme Court — meaning the seven justices will end up deciding to what extent reproductive rights are protected.

    “At the end of the day, the Ohio Supreme Court will determine whatever’s in the Ohio Constitution that voters put into the Ohio Constitution,” said Catherine Turcer, Common Cause Ohio’s executive director. “It is interpreted by the Ohio Supreme Court.”

    The Ohio Supreme Court has made many rulings on redistricting before and it will likely come before the court again — especially with the amendment on this year’s ballot to create a citizen commission to redraw districts.

    A lawsuit against school vouchers is making its way through the court system and will likely go before the state’s high court.

    Even boneless chicken wings wound up in front of Ohio’s seven justices. The court recently made national headlines with their 4-3 ruling that boneless chicken wings can have bones in them — appearing in a bit on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

    Turcer and Warner both criticized the 2021 law that requires party affiliation listed on the ballot for Ohio Supreme Court candidates. More than 1 million Ohio voters left the two Supreme Court races blank during the 2020 election.

    “We shouldn’t actually be thinking Democrats and Republicans because at the end of the day, what you want is a referee who’s independent and impartial,” Turcer said.

    Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on X.

    Megan Henry
    Megan Henry

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

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

    MORE FROM AUTHOR

  • Lauren Enda: Parking garage will harm Loveland’s heritage and the natural environment we love

    Lauren Enda: Parking garage will harm Loveland’s heritage and the natural environment we love

    by David Miller

    Lauren Enda

    Loveland, Ohio – Lauren Enda went to the Loveland City Council meeting Tuesday evening to talk about the proposed parking garage in Historic Downtown. Some of the concerns she expressed were about the negative impact she envisions for Loveland’s heritage and quaintness, and the environment.

    She proposes that Loveland residents should be allowed to vote at the ballot box on what she describes as a “big city solution” that will take from the town things it will never get back.

    She also suggestsed that an environmental impact study should be done to protect the “natural environment we love”.

  • Loveland High School science teacher Amy Aspenwall to attend highly selective national teacher leadership training

    Loveland High School science teacher Amy Aspenwall to attend highly selective national teacher leadership training

    Amy Aspenwall (center), surrounded here by students in one of her AP Environmental Sciences classes at Loveland High School, is one of 20 teachers nationwide selected for “Nourish the Future” national teacher leadership training in San Antonio, Texas, in February.

    Loveland, Ohio – As one of only 20 teachers nationwide, Loveland High School Science Teacher Amy Aspenwall has been selected to attend the national teacher leadership training by EducationProjects.org in San Antonio, Texas, in February. The training will take place at the Commodity Classic, the nation’s largest agricultural trade show, and professional development event.

    “This is really exciting for me personally, but also for Loveland High School,” said Aspenwall. “It will provide leadership opportunities and allow collaboration with teachers around the country to identify and create new problem-based modules, flipped classroom materials, and science labs for our students.”

    It will also highlight the connection between the science they teach in the classroom and the application to food production and food security.

    Loveland High School science teacher Amy Aspenwall

    EducationProjects.org has connected industry to the classroom for more than 20 years. The upcoming training, “Nourish the Future,” will introduce participants to the latest developments in water quality, sustainable agriculture, and 21st-century tools and technology in precision agriculture. It will allow teachers to take part in a curated tour of the trade show, with a focus on the science and engineering that support the production of food, fiber, and fuel. It will also highlight the connection between the science they teach in the classroom and the application to food production and food security. After the three-day event, teachers will continue to collaborate and access additional training through webinars and national and regional conferences.

    “Agriculture is an important aspect of our work and a great opportunity to engage students in concepts and activities that impact their own lives,” said Aspenwall.

    “Agriculture is an important aspect of our work and a great opportunity to engage students in concepts and activities that impact their own lives,” said Aspenwall. “When that connection is made, students are empowered to become more involved and engaged in environmental issues.”

    Loveland City School District and Amy Aspenwall receives Sustainability Award by local chamber in 2018

    Through the nomination of Aspenwall and her AP Environmental Science class at LHS, Loveland City Schools earned the Sustainability Award by the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance in 2018. The award recognized the work with students and the commitment to developing environmental leaders for the future. Aspenwall’s class continues to offer authentic, hands-on opportunities for students to understand issues like water quality and biodiversity, and allows them to develop innovative solutions to problems. The class was implemented at LHS in the fall of 2016 and was filled to capacity after only a couple of years.

  • Loveland Students Ruthie Timman and Lilly Rohling chosen as Artists for Cincinnati Zoo’s Rain Barrel Art Benefit Auction

    Loveland Students Ruthie Timman and Lilly Rohling chosen as Artists for Cincinnati Zoo’s Rain Barrel Art Benefit Auction

    Lilly Rohling (on the left) and Rachel Noe, both members of the Loveland High School Art Club, worked together to paint Lilly’s winning design on a plan rain barrel.

    Loveland, Ohio – Ruthie Timman, eighth grader at Loveland Middle School, and Lilly Rohling, sophomore at Loveland High School, have earned the honor of contributing their designed rain barrels for the 7thAnnual Rain Barrel Art Benefit Auction, held as part of “Party for the Planet” at the Cincinnati Zoo.

    Ruthie Timman (on the right) involved family, friends, her science teacher Catherine Rudisell, and classmates as she worked on her rain barrel project. Here she is with her friend A.J. Dahlquist.

    “I entered the contest because I love art and wanted to see if mine was good enough to make it through, and it did,” said Ruthie, who liked the idea that it would also benefit the zoo and help save local water. “My design idea came from going to Anna Maria Island with my family, where we kayaked and saw manatees. They came right up to us and were super gentle. They are also unique animals and not as popular as the common zoo animals, like tigers, giraffes, and elephants.”

    Forty local artists – about half of them students and the other half professional or hobby artists – have revamped typical green, dull and drab rain barrels into creative and colorful accent pieces for the garden. All barrels will be on display at the zoo throughout the month of April, leading up to the last day of the silent auction which was held on April 25.

    The Rain Barrel Art Project began as an initiative to promote the use of rain barrels, which help conserve water and save money. The project continues to educate citizens on environmental issues, including storm water runoff, watersheds and water conservation. Art teachers around town have taken it on as an annual project for their students, who are often passionate about the environment.

    “Environmental protection and preservation are very important to me and I liked the idea of combining art with environmental work.”

    “Loveland High School’s Art Club has done this project in the past and I was encouraged to bring in a design,” said Lilly. “Environmental protection and preservation are very important to me and I liked the idea of combining art with environmental work. I love the Earth and always try to do my part in protecting it. Even something seemingly as small as one barrel can do so much good in the long run for our environment.”

    Proceeds from the rain barrel auction will be used to further environmental education and awareness.

  • City has 2 Arbor Day Events: Litter Pick-up & Learn About Trees

    City has 2 Arbor Day Events: Litter Pick-up & Learn About Trees

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  • Loveland City School District and Amy Aspenwall receives Sustainability Award by local chamber

    Loveland City School District and Amy Aspenwall receives Sustainability Award by local chamber

    AP Environmental students trying on waders for the first time in preparation for a water quality study field trip.

    District recognized for impact on students and community through
    environmental sciences coursework

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District, through the nomination of Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Sciences Teacher Amy Aspenwall, has earned the Sustainability Award by the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance. The award recognizes the district and Aspenwall for her work with students, and the devotion to developing environmental leadership for the future.

    “It’s an honor to be recognized for work that means so much to me and my colleagues at Loveland,” said Aspenwall. “We promote sustainability by developing environmentally educated and responsible leaders, and are committed to continuing to create programs that heighten awareness not just for our students at school, but for them as Loveland citizens and stewards of our world.”

    The AP Environmental Sciences course at Loveland offers authentic, hands-on opportunities for students to understand water quality and biodiversity, consumer habitat design, and the impact of a population that shifts the needs and municipalities of the community. Students examine solutions to various environmental issues and are empowered to develop new ways to solve problems. Loveland Schools has a long-established, integrated recycling program, but the course work now offered helps develop a greater understanding of consumer goods, product development, and the power to choose sustainable methods. Students track their carbon footprint in the areas of food and fuel consumption, waste generation, and water and electricity use, and learn about ways that small changes can have a large impact for the benefit of the environment.

    The AP Environmental Sciences course was implemented at Loveland High School (LHS) in the fall of 2016, resulting in a perfect 100 percent CollegeBoard passage rate in 2017. The program has doubled in size every year since its inception and is now filled to capacity until new sections can be added. Many students who completed the course have gone on to major or minor in environmental studies in college.

    “APES challenged the typical AP class by making students think in a different way,” said Maddie Craft, a 2017 LHS graduate. “I’m about two years out of the class now, and I can still see how the topics that we discussed impact not only me personally but the world around me. I am going into Logistics Management and one of my goals in my career is to help build a more sustainable supply chain. This really stems from things that I learned in APES and the values that the class made me realize I have.”

    Loveland Sweets is a purveyor of hand-crafted chocolates, caramels, marshmallows, and ice creams. Our house-made candies are prepared in small batches.