News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area
Without fear or favor
Since 2004
Loveland, Ohio – The Charter of the City of Loveland mandates that an annual report be prepared and made available to the public. It provides an overview of city finances, personnel, police, fire, public works, and economic development. In addition, the 2024 report highlights capital projects.
[pdf-embedder url=”https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Loveland-Ohio-2024-Annual-Report.pdf” title=”Loveland, Ohio 2024 Annual Report”]
by David Miller
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined a bipartisan group of colleagues to applaud the unanimous Senate passage of his bipartisan legislation to help police, fire, emergency medical, and 911 personnel cope with the stresses of responding to crisis situations. The Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act of 2023 would establish mental health programs for America’s first responders who often have long-term consequences from providing life-saving services in moments of crisis. Brown first introduced the Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act in May 2022 and reintroduced it in January 2023.
“Law enforcement officers and other first responders put their lives on the line each day, facing stressful and often dangerous situations, to protect Ohioans. This legislation will ensure that law enforcement professionals have access to the care they need to deal with the trauma they experience on the job, and keep our communities safer,” Brown said.
“Law enforcement personnel, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and 911 dispatchers routinely encounter high-stress situations, putting them at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which increases the risk of suicide,” according to Brown’s office. The Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act would require the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish evidence-based treatment programs for first responders across the country. These programs would be similar to services already available to military personnel who develop PTSD or acute stress disorders. The bill requires the DOJ to consult with stakeholders, including public safety officer organizations, to develop the program, which would be available to serve first responders from communities of all sizes.
The bill is cosponsored by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) Chris Coons (D-DE), Todd Young (R-IN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Kennedy (R-LA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
Text of the Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act is available HERE.
Loveland, Ohio – It was 4-years-ago today that a fire did extensive damage In Historic Downtown Loveland. Below is the story and photos of the fire that were published by Loveland Magazine.
May 28, 2017
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland/Symmes Fire Chief Otto Huber told Loveland Magazine Sunday evening that the structural engineer the City brought in to inspect the buildings damaged by an overnight fire in Loveland’s Historic District said that after a preliminary look, the buildings could be restored. He also told Huber that he had seen building with more damage, brought back to life.
Huber also said that they suspect the fire began because of an electrical problem, and there is one spot that will receive more attention in the coming days as they try to determine how the fire started.
An 11-alarm fire in Downtown Loveland early Sunday morning did extensive damage to two historic buildings, and minor damage to three others. There were no injuries to residential occupants, and only one firefighter suffered a minor injury. One firefighter was treated for exhaustion.
Residents of five apartments on the upper floors have lost everything, including damage to automobiles
The building that housed Tano’s Bistro and the Bishop Building sustained substantial fire damage. Three businesses had extensive damage: Tano’s Bistro, Cincy Fashion Wheels, and Gina Dubell-Smith, a Comey & Shepherd Realtor.
The former Julian’s Deli, now owned by Paxton’s Grill only suffered minor fire damage. The fire sprinklers in the building did not activate. Huber said the heat inside the building wasn’t great enough to activate the sprinklers, but the interior of the building has damage from the water used to keep the fire from spreading. Cleanup was already underway on what will be called, Bike Trail Junction. Co-owner, Kevin Egan said their opening was scheduled in the coming weeks, but the opening will have to be rescheduled.
Narrow Path Brewing Company on Karl Brown Way had roof damage that was being repaired Sunday evening. The business remained closed throughout the day. Another building, further north on Karl Brown Way had newly installed plastic siding, buckle from the heat.
Huber also said that if possible, scaffolding will be erected on the west side of the Bishop Building on Monday. He said it will depend on whether they can get someone to do the work on the Memorial Day Holiday. The scaffolding will be erected to shore up the brick exterior, making it safe to be inside the building where crews could better assess the structural damage, and make it possible for rebuilding to begin.
At 8:30 PM Sunday, a fire crew was still at the scene.
In a press release issued this afternoon by Loveland City Manager, Dave Kennedy, he said, “It is the City’s desire to save these historic structures and will work with the building owners to make this happen. This is a tragic event but the City of Loveland is a very strong community and will work together to repair this part of our downtown. The City of Loveland is thankful that the fire caused no injuries or loss of life and salute the efforts of the City’s first responders.”
Photos by David Miller/Loveland Magazine © 2017
![[Photos/Stories] 3-Years Ago: Early morning fire destroyed 2/3 block in Historic Downtown Loveland](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/dtn-fire-feature-w-lines.jpg)
This is a re-print of the 2 stories Loveland Magazine published 3-years ago on May 28 and 29, 2017
Loveland, Ohio – An 11-alarm fire in Downtown Loveland early Sunday morning did extensive damage to two historic buildings, and minor damage to a third. There were no injuries to occupants, and only one firefighter suffered a minor injury. One firefighter was treated for exhaustion.
West Loveland Avenue, Karl Brown Way, and Railroad Avenue remain closed to traffic. There are nearby businesses that remain closed until electrical service is restored.
The former Julian’s Deli, now owned by Paxton Grill, which recently had sprinklers installed on both floors, has slight structural and water damage.
The fire apparently started in the rear of Tanos Bistro at 1:20 AM. Four businesses lost almost everything. Firefighters remain on the scene, and inspectors are assessing damage and looking for cause.
The buildings are close to the street so roadways may be closed for quite some time as inspectors evaluate possible danger to motorists traveling West Loveland Avenue and Karl Brown Way.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A reader has brought to our attention that residents of five apartments lost “everything” in the fire, including damage to automobiles.
The next day on May 29 Loveland Magazine published this up-date. After this story was published more than 1.3 million people read about the fire in Loveland Magazine.
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland/Symmes Fire Chief Otto Huber told Loveland Magazine Sunday evening that the structural engineer the City brought in to inspect the buildings damaged by an overnight fire in Loveland’s Historic District said that after a preliminary look, the buildings could be restored. He also told Huber that he had seen building with more damage, brought back to life.
Huber also said that they suspect the fire began because of an electrical problem, and there is one spot that will receive more attention in the coming days as they try to determine how the fire started.
An 11-alarm fire in Downtown Loveland early Sunday morning did extensive damage to two historic buildings, and minor damage to three others. There were no injuries to residential occupants, and only one firefighter suffered a minor injury. One firefighter was treated for exhaustion.
Residents of five apartments on the upper floors have lost everything, including damage to automobiles
The building that housed Tano’s Bistro and the Bishop Building sustained substantial fire damage. Three businesses had extensive damage: Tano’s Bistro, Cincy Fashion Wheels, and Gina Dubell-Smith, a Comey & Shepherd Realtor.
The former Julian’s Deli, now owned by Paxton’s Grill only suffered minor fire damage. The fire sprinklers in the building did not activate. Huber said the heat inside the building wasn’t great enough to activate the sprinklers, but the interior of the building has damage from the water used to keep the fire from spreading. Cleanup was already underway on what will be called, Bike Trail Junction. Co-owner, Kevin Egan said their opening was scheduled in the coming weeks, but the opening will have to be rescheduled.
Narrow Path Brewing Company on Karl Brown Way had roof damage that was being repaired Sunday evening. The business remained closed throughout the day. Another building, further north on Karl Brown Way had newly installed plastic siding, buckle from the heat.
Huber also said that if possible, scaffolding will be erected on the west side of the Bishop Building on Monday. He said it will depend on whether they can get someone to do the work on the Memorial Day Holiday. The scaffolding will be erected to shore up the brick exterior, making it safe to be inside the building where crews could better assess the structural damage, and make it possible for rebuilding to begin.
At 8:30 PM Sunday, a fire crew was still at the scene.
In a press release issued this afternoon by Loveland City Manager, Dave Kennedy, he said, “It is the City’s desire to save these historic structures and will work with the building owners to make this happen. This is a tragic event but the City of Loveland is a very strong community and will work together to repair this part of our downtown. The City of Loveland is thankful that the fire caused no injuries or loss of life and salute the efforts of the City’s first responders.”
Photos by David Miller/Loveland Magazine © 2017
Promoted Post
The Fire Academy at Great Oaks Career Campuses has earned a 3-year accreditation renewal from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Division of EMS (ODPS). The announcement was made after a recent site visit from an ODPS team in which Great Oaks met all requirements with no recommendations for improvement.
The accreditation renewal certifies that Great Oaks can provide firefighter, EMT, Fire and EMS Instructor, and Fire Inspector courses leading to state certification in those fields.
“The site team complimented the operations and outcomes of our programs, with some very specific comments on our first-time and cumulative pass rate—which is among the best in the state (among training facilities,” said Great Oaks Fire Safety Services Supervisor Johnny Mason. “They were also complimentary of the vision, support and environment that we have created for our students.”
The Fire Academy at Great Oaks Career Campuses prepares adults for careers in fire fighting, and also provides area fire departments and industries with additional training and education. The Great Oaks Fire Academy is also one of just 63 agencies in the United States that is ProBoard Certified.
For more information about the services offered at Great Oaks, contact Fire and Safety Services Supervisor Johnny Mason at 513.612.5834 or masonj@greatoaks.com.
Villageworks’ district launch partners include Galion City School District in Ohio.
Today, Villageworks, set up by a group of public-school parents who are software developers, engineers and product designers, launched its GoFundMe campaign to raise awareness and funds for Villageworks Aware – a free-of-charge Emergency Response and Communications System for public-school districts.
In the wake of recent public-school emergency incidents including shootings in Parkland, FL; Aztec, NM; and Marshall County, KY, it has become clear that current public-school emergency response protocols are inefficient. Outdated communication tools based on the use of intercom and paper-rosters coupled with a lack of state and federal funding means that the latest technology remains elusive for the majority of districts. This results in slower response times from incident commanders and agonized, uninformed family members.
The team of parents behind Villageworks took matters into their own hands by developing a mobile and web-based solution intended to provide schools with the critical tools needed to handle any student, staff or school-wide emergency quickly and effectively be it a shooting, fire, bullying or medical situation. The platform improves incident communications and connects a district’s entire community, from faculty members to incident commanders and families. Villageworks’ district launch partners include Southwest Preparatory School District in Texas, Cumberland County Charter School District in New Jersey and the Midview School District and Galion City School District in Ohio.
“To have an opportunity to be a pioneering partner with Villageworks is a very exciting endeavor for our district,” said Midview Superintendent, Dr. Bruce Willingham. “This technology can greatly improve our emergency preparedness and potentially help protect our staff and students.”
“The number of school emergencies are increasing, yet too many school districts don’t have the tools they need to respond to and communicate with parents, law enforcement and school leadership quickly and easily,” said father of two and Villageworks’ co-founder Tal Moise. “Cost should not be a factor when it comes to keeping our kids and our communities safe, and not being able to receive fast and accurate information about your child if there is a crisis is something no parent should have to face. That is why we need a new system that parents, students, teachers and law enforcement can count on.”
“We are proud to be able to partner with Villageworks for this endeavor. We believe that this new technology will be greatly beneficial for our entire school community, and we are excited for its implementation.” Christina Murphy, School Business Administrator, Cumberland County Charter School District.
The Villageworks Aware enterprise solution which is fully customizable based on district needs offers the following:
Incident Reporting and Distress Signaling
Features emergency type, time, location and needs
Rapid Emergency Alerts via Text, App and Calls
Student and Staff Safety Roster
Action Plan Distribution
Group and one-to-one Messaging
Incident Management Summary
Student Information System Integration
Web Platform and Mobile App
One shared platform unifying every community member including local incident management teams
To contribute and help implement this Emergency Response and Communication System in as many schools as possible, please visit www.gofundme.com/schoolsafety
Villageworks is a group of impassioned public-school parents who are entrepreneurs, software developers, engineers and product designers on a mission to offer public- school districts the latest technology, free of charge, in order to keep communities safe, unified and informed.
Villageworks’ parents were brought together by Tal Moise, a tech entrepreneur and father of two elementary school children, age 7 and 8. Tal’s most recent technology startup was co-founded in partnership with John Sculley, the former CEO of Pepsi and Apple Co. Together they launched Verified Person, a company focused on improving corporate safety by providing personnel background and security checks. This experience made Tal acutely aware of safety threats and hence poised him to focus on finding a solution to threats that may affect school communities nationally. Tal has earned recognition as one of CIO Magazine’s Top 100 CIOs. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and an MBA from University of Illinois.
Stryker Powerpro XT Cot Systems will give firefighters and paramedics assistance with the lifting of patients up to 700 pounds
Photo above is a sample of the Stryker Powerpro XT Cot System
Loveland, Ohio – The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has awarded a Safety Intervention Grant (SIG) to the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department (LSFD) for assistance with purchasing two Stryker Powerpro XT Cot Systems.
The Safety Intervention Grant is available to any Ohio state-fund or public employer who wishes to purchase equipment to substantially reduce or eliminate injuries associated with a particular task or operation. The Stryker Powerpro XT Cot Systems will give firefighters and paramedics assistance with the lifting of patients up to 700 pounds from the ground to a rolling transport level.
Lieutenant Kyle Riley, EMS Lieutenant for the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department said, “The awarded grant funds provide our firefighters with a major equipment upgrade that will provide a safer and more effective system. This will help them provide the highest quality service to our customers, while reducing the potential for injury to our personnel.”
The SIG Grant was a matching grant and it was nearly $40,000.00
According to the press release issued by the Department, “The Loveland-Symmes Fire Department is continuously seeking methods to improve the emergency medical services that are provided to their residents. The funds received from the SIG will be utilized to purchase essential EMS equipment that will improve the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department’s ability to provide critical care to their customers, while reducing the risk of injury to our members.”
PRIORITY ONE EMS GRANT
The purpose of the State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services Grant Program, administered by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Medical Services, is to improve and enhance EMS and trauma patient care in Ohio through the provision of grant funding for equipment, training, and research. There are six types of grants (Priorities 1-6) available. The amount awarded for each priority is determined by the State Board of Emergency, Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services and by the amount of funds available during the award year.
The Priority One Grant was for $3,075.00.
Deputy Chief Michael Books, Chief of EMS for the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department said, “The Priority One Grant is a grant offered by the State of Ohio to assist fire departments with the purchase of equipment, supplies, and personal protective equipment (PPE) that would not normally be able to be purchased.”
According to the press releases issued by the Department, “The Loveland-Symmes Fire Department is continuously seeking methods to improve the emergency medical services that are provided to their residents. The funds received from the SIG will be utilized to purchase essential EMS equipment that will improve the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department’s ability to provide critical care to their customers, while reducing the risk of injury to our members.”
Loveland, Ohio – Below you can read the resolution passed by a 7-0 vote at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. There was no discussion during the meeting about the proposal.
Power Ryde in Miami Township recently raised $2100 for NEST which supports and educates Loveland children under the poverty level.
The next Power Ryde fundraiser is for the Loveland fire survivors on Saturday, June 24 at 10:30 AM. For a $20 minimum donation, you can attend a 45-minute spinning class on the RealRyder tilting bikes. Casey Hilmer, Founder and Co-owner of Power Ryde, will teach the class.
The LINK to sign up.
Megen Hilmer said, “It’s important for people to sign up for the class ahead of time if they want to spin. If the 10:30 AM class fills, we will add an additional class(es). People don’t have to spin, but can just come to the Open House to support the fire victims. ALL proceeds from the fundraiser will be given to the victims.”
You won’t pay until the fundraiser on June 24 (either cash or check made out to the Loveland Fire Victims). There is a donation jar on Power Ryde’s reception desk so people can still contribute even if they can’t attend the fundraiser. People can get sponsors as well.
FIRE SALE on advertising
