Cincinnati, Ohio – Loveland native and debut author Laurie Stroup Smith has compiled a collection of holiday recipes from some of your favorite Amish authors.
By subscribing to her newsletter, readers will receive this exclusive digital content for free. In addition to exciting updates about reader events, giveaways, and upcoming book releases, Smith also includes access to the first chapter of Pockets of Promise, Book #1 in The Pocket Quilt Series. Your privacy is protected. She will never give your information to anyone.Visit lauriestroupsmith.com and sign up today.
Kelly Irvin, award-winning author of Mountains of Grace and a Long Bridge Home, says, “With her debut novel, Pockets of Promise, Laurie Stroup Smith has elevated a lovely Amish romance to a universal coming-of-age story.”
Smith was named a Finalist in the 2017 ACFW First Impressions Contest for this story and a Semi-Finalist in the 2018 and 2019 ACFW Genesis Contests for additional writing.
Released by Vinspire Publishing on April 30, 2020, Pockets of Promise is about a young Amish woman—torn between two worlds and two men—who travels to the Amish snowbird community of Pinecraft, Florida, where she receives wisdom and guidance through secret letters tucked into the pockets of a special quilt.
Kelly Irvin, award-winning author of Mountains of Grace and a Long Bridge Home, says, “With her debut novel, Pockets of Promise, Laurie Stroup Smith has elevated a lovely Amish romance to a universal coming-of-age story.”
Vannetta Chapman, award-winning author of Agatha’s Amish B&B Series, agrees, saying, “A fresh new voice in Amish fiction…Smith pulls us straight into the confusion of an Amish rumspringa…touching, authentic, and sweet.”
Visit lauriestroupsmith.com for more information. Smith looks forward to connecting with readers on Facebook and Instagram.
Title:
Pockets of Promise, Book #1 in The Pocket Quilt Series Author: Laurie Stroup Smith Pub Date: April 30, 2020 Paperback and ebook available at:Amazon Barnes and Noble Smashwords Kobo ISBN: 978-1734150742 Price: $14.99 Pages: 200 Genre: Amish
Ohio’s new stay at home order goes into effect at midnight tonight.
Columbus, Ohio –Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Dr. Amy Acton, MD, MPH, provided the following updates on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic this afternoon.
HOSPITAL CAPACITY
The announcement said that Ohio must double its hospital capacity due to the oncoming COVID-19 surge, Ohio has developed a plan to expand healthcare services at alternative sites in addition to the traditional medical care facilities. Representatives from health care systems, local governments, county emergency management agencies, state agencies, the Ohio National Guard, among others, examined buildings across the state that could support large numbers of patients.
The following sites have been selected based on considerations such as distance to an existing hospital, conditions safe for patients and health care professionals, and space to meet the region’s expected needs, including the Duke Energy Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati.
Seagate Convention Center, Lucas County
Case Western University’s Health Education Campus, Cuyahoga County
Dayton Convention Center, Montgomery County
Covelli Convention Center, Mahoning County
Duke Energy Convention Center, Hamilton County
Greater Columbus Convention Center, Franklin County
These facilities would be used for the mildly ill, while the sickest patients will be housed in traditional hospitals.
Assessments of other sites will continue if needed.
The press release from the Governor’s office said that health care regions in southern and southeastern Ohio have determined the existing hospital facilities in their areas will, with additional equipment, be capable to handle a surge in patients without going to an off-site location.
OHIO NATIONAL GUARD TO ASSIST FEDERAL PRISON
Governor DeWine announced that he has authorized the Ohio National Guard to assist federal authorities in the Elkton Federal Correctional Institution in Columbiana County where seven inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, and three inmates have died from the disease.
“To be clear, this is not a state facility, it is a federal prison – but, this prison is in Ohio. Ohio citizens work there, and their families live here,” said Governor DeWine. “As we’ve said for weeks, we’re all in this together, and providing state help for this federal prison is the right thing to do.”
The Ohio National Guard’s mission will be focused on providing medical assistance. They will not be armed, nor will they be providing security.
The guardsmen and women will assist in the prison’s infirmary with non-COVID-19 cases and with patients who are showing symptoms of the disease. These soldiers, who all work in the medical field, will have N-95 respirators for protection while they work to augment the current prison medical staff. They will treat those they can and triage others with serious symptoms for hospital care.
The guard also stands ready to help with transporting the seriously ill patients to the hospital in the event of a surge of sick inmates. In addition to staff, the guard will bring equipment and ambulances with them as well.
Governor DeWine also requested that the Federal Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Department of Justice cease accepting new inmates at the facility.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Lt. Governor Husted announced that the administration’s Dispute Resolution Commission, which was initially announced last week, is now prepared to receive submissions from essential businesses as well as county health departments.
The panel, which includes Ohio Department of Commerce Director Sheryl Maxfield, Development Services Agency Director Lydia Mihalik, and Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo, will specifically seek to resolve disputes when two county health departments disagree on whether a type of business should or should not be deemed essential during the state of emergency. The purpose of the commission is to provide clarity and ensure that similarly-situated businesses are treated fairly, regardless of which side of a county line they operate.
Ohio’s new stay at home order goes into effect at midnight tonight. You can find the full order at coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Retailers will be required to determine a maximum number of customers allowed in the store to account for proper physical distancing. That number must also be displayed at the businesses’ entrances.
REMINDER – SNOWBIRDS MUST SELF-QUARANTINE
Governor DeWine today reminded “snowbirds” that they must quarantine for 14 days once they arrive in Ohio.
“I know that many of our Ohio snowbirds will soon be returning from places like Florida, and we want to make sure that you remain healthy and that those around you remain healthy,” said Governor DeWine.
In addition to those returning after spending winter elsewhere, anyone who has traveled outside of Ohio for any other reason must also self-quarantine for 14 days upon their return. This order excludes truckers, healthcare workers, other workers providing essential services, and those who live on the state border.
CURRENT OHIO DATA
There are 4,450 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ohio and 142 deaths. A total of 1,214 people have been hospitalized, including 371 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov.
4,450 – Confirmed Cases in Ohio
371 – Number of ICU admissions
1,214 – Number of Hospitalizations in Ohio
142 – Number of Deaths
<1–101 – Age Range
54 – Median Age
48%* – Sex – Males
52%* – Sex – Females
LAST UPDATED: 04/06/20 (UPDATED DAILY AT 2 P.M.) *<1% SEX NOT REPORTED
In Clermont County there are 27 cases, 4 hospitalizations, and 1 death.
In Hamilton County there are 394 cases, 66 hospitalizations, and 9 deaths.
In Warren County there are 37 cases, 5 hospitalizations, and 0 deaths.
In Butler County there are 75 cases, 29 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths.
Video of today’s full update, including versions with foreign language closed captioning, can be viewed on the Ohio Channel’s YouTube page.
For more information on Ohio’s response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.
Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost today announced the development of new resources to address gaps in preventing targeted violence in schools. Training curriculum now available free for local school administrators, local law enforcement and others focuses on stopping violence before it starts.
“When a shooter attacks a school we often learn afterward, there were people who knew this person posed a threat. But nothing was done,” said Yost. “We aim to prevent school violence using national proven best practices. This is not a top-down approach. Instead, we’re providing guidance to local law enforcement and school districts to fill this critical need.”
The new training materials provide guidance on the use of threat assessment protocols, recognized by education and safety experts as effective means to enhance proactive targeted violence prevention efforts. The goal of a threat assessment is to identify persons of concern, assess their risk for engaging in violence or other harmful activities, and identify intervention strategies to manage that risk. The training is provided in a series of 10 video installments and a printed reference guide. These Ohio materials are also under review to be offered as an included resource on the new Federal School Safety Clearinghouse website, SchoolSafety.gov, launched earlier this month.
“This is more than training for cops or school principals,” said Yost. “The local, state and national experts in our videos make it clear that prevention only happens when parents are involved, the local school board is involved, counselors are involved. The material we’re posting today is for everyone. It gives us all a direct connection into the effort.”
“Many people in the education field are aware of the preventative value of threat assessment,” said Professor Dewey Cornell of the University of Virginia. A noted national expert on school safety and the prevention of school violence, Cornell is among the key experts whose insights are included in the new Ohio training materials. “This Ohio effort is unique in bringing together guidance from both law enforcement and educators, both inside and outside the state, and putting that information all in one location, giving schools a great jump-start on implementing it.”
“We train school administrators, school resource officers and others about using a threat assessment model, and this is an excellent compilation of national, state and local input,” said U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center Chief Dr. Lina Alathari. “It’s being provided in a manner that can easily and immediately reach any local school building and any local law enforcement agency. We’re pleased to be involved.”
As part of the program, grants are being made available to help local schools build their own threat assessment teams. School resource officers or other law enforcement personnel with primary responsibilities that include school safety may receive a $500 Ohio School Threat Assessment Training Grant when they complete the training and agree to help form or participate on a school-based threat assessment team.
In addition to the 10-part video training series focused on threat assessments of concerning persons, an additional companion video available only to law enforcement personnel focuses on identifying vulnerabilities in the physical school building and grounds. Law enforcement personnel must complete all 11 portions of the training to qualify for the grant.
“There’s no question, threat assessments and vulnerability assessments – when they’re done properly – can stop a lot of these incidents before they happen,” said Max Schachter, who founded the nonprofit Safe Schools For Alex after his 14-year-old son was killed in his English class during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Florida in 2018. Schachter shares his thoughts within the training materials. “I feel that if a threat assessment had been done correctly, my little boy and 16 others might still be alive today. I want to thank Ohio for pushing this information to schools, law enforcement and families across the state.”
Loveland, Ohio – The community of Loveland has always had a special place in their “Sweethearts” for war heroes as the city is not only home to some of the most beautiful veteran memorials, but is also what many veterans call home. For the last 10 years, Loveland has paid tribute to Captain David Seth Mitchell, a decorated war hero, and Loveland High School graduate, through the Annual Captain Seth Mitchell Hero 5K. Captain Mitchell was killed on October 26th, 2009 at age 30 when two helicopters collided while he was supporting combat operations in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. At the time of tragedy, Captain Mitchell was stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA and was part of the Marine Corp HMLA 367 Scarface unit. Captain Mitchell piloted an AH-1 Super Cobra helicopter.
The other Marines killed in the collision were Corporal Gregory M.W. Fleury, 23, of Anchorage, Alaska; Captain Eric A. Jones, 29, of Westchester, New York; and Captain Kyle R. Van De Giesen, 29, of North Attleboro, Massachusetts.
Being relatively new to the Loveland community I had never heard of Captain Mitchell before my Editor, David Miller suggested I take on the assignment of telling you his story. After countless hours of research and conducting interviews with people that knew him, I quickly realized that Mitchell accomplished great heroic acts for Loveland and the United States before he died. Miller told me that he had always been inspired by the way Seth lived his life and how it has inspired others. After finishing this article David and I decided we wanted to make Seth’s story a part of our “What’s In Loveland’s DNA” segment as Captain Mitchell was someone who easily made the city of Loveland what it is today…a place filled with LOVE!
Captain Seth Mitchell was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 17, 1979, but grew up in Loveland and attended Loveland City Schools from 6th grade forward. From a very young age, Mitchell knew what he wanted to do when he grew up, and that was fly a plane! According to Mitchell’s parents, Steve and Connie Mitchell, he dreamed of two things as a kid – to fly and be a Marine.
“In his pre-high school years, Seth was not much of a leader. Maybe, the opposite. Very mischievous and had many troubles with grades in middle school and early high school,” Mitchell’s Father Steve said, “As parents, we saw a tremendous change in Seth after his freshman year. He actually finished that school year outside Loveland schools due to a personal issue. Something changed in Seth and he became a boy on a mission,” Steve said, “Perhaps it was his involvement with church activities, perhaps it was getting the know the folks that would become his lifelong friends. Whatever it was, he changed. He led a Bible study class, became more involved in school activities, started doing homework, persisted with teachers to let him take AP courses, became more outgoing. He changed and ‘invented’ the Seth he would become through the rest of his life,” Steve added.
Although Captain Mitchell had his trials and tribulations as he grew up he overcame all of the obstacles standing in his way and decided to make a difference. Friends said that he became a “do something” kid, always staying active and wanting to experience all he could. Mitchell became part of Loveland High School’s track and field team as well as the football team and eventually came to be elected as Senior class president. Captain Mitchell was so personable and well-liked by his classmates he was also voted “Mr. Personality” his senior year at Loveland.
To help the community recognize the sacrifice of their son and as Gold Star parents, the Loveland Athletic Boosters honored Steve and Connie Mitchell as Homecoming Grand Marshals in 2010.
“I want people to know that Seth was not a scholar, nor a star athlete, but he had goals, declared them and worked hard to achieve them,” Steve told Loveland Magazine, “He never became the star athlete, but found his role. Never became top of the class academically, but did make the honor roll a few times due to his hard work. One of Seth’s friends described him as a ‘friend to all’. I think he really tried to see people through many lenses,” Steve added.
Mitchell graduated from Loveland High School in 1997 and went on to attend Virginia Tech where he majored in English. While at VT Mitchell decided to enroll in the Marines through the ROTC program his freshman year and shortly after was awarded an ROTC scholarship. The VT ROTC scholarship enabled Mitchell to transition from VT ROTC to the Marine Corp in 2001.
Before each race, Steve Mitchell introduces the students who received the past year’s Capt. Seth Mitchell Memorial Scholarship.
While stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Captain Mitchell was determined to make it into the flight program as an aviator. Unfortunately, the waiting process was prolonged when Mitchell discovered he did not meet the vision requirements for the flight program. He then decided to get corrective eye surgery so that he could live out his aviation dream. After the surgery and a lot of dedication, Mitchell was awarded his private pilot’s license and a Marine Aviation training spot. Captain Mitchell completed his flight training in Pensacola, Florida and finally earned the “wings” he always wanted in May of 2007. What hit home with many of Captain Mitchell’s family and friends is that he physically drove to the Pentagon to deliver his Marine Aviation application so that he knew 100 percent that his application would not get lost in the mail. Talk about determination! Captain Mitchell’s hard work paid off as he went on to become an AH-1 Super Cobra Helicopter Pilot.
After already serving tours in Okinawa, Haiti, and Iraq in an infantry unit, Mitchell then served as an intelligence officer and pilot in Iraq in 2008. Shortly after, Mitchell and another Marine volunteered to go to Afghanistan early because the unit there didn’t have enough “manpower.”
“Seth’s unit, HMLA 367 – Scarface was to replace the HMLA 169 – Vipers in Afghanistan in late October 2009,” Steve said. “ The Vipers unit, however, had a pilot shortage. At a briefing in 29 Palms, CA, Seth immediately volunteered himself and his friend, Cpt. Porter B. Jones to go early. His C.O. told him no on three occasions, but Seth persisted. He was always a persistent person,” Steve said.
On August 10th, family and friends said goodbye as he left for Afghanistan, not knowing that that would be the last time they spoke to him in person. Captain Mitchell died on October 26th in Afghanistan’s Helmand province along with 4 other U.S troops.
“On October 26, a high-value target was identified with a short time to act. Seth and the others were in the queue, the lead pilot was disqualified due to hours and Seth moved up to the lead,” Steve explained, “As the subsequent ‘investigation’ said, there were many things to cover and a short time to do it. Per the investigation, much of it was improvised in flight. This was cited as one of the causes of the accident. In the rush to the target the helicopters, which always flew in tandem with the prescribed distance between them, got too close and collided. Ironically Seth died on the day his unit, 367/Scarface landed in Afghanistan and was to replace the 169/Viper unit,” Steve said.
“Seth’s death in the crash was immediate. He died when the choppers collided. We got the word around 2 AM when the Marines showed up at our home,” Steve said, “We stayed with the casualty officers until around 5 AM. Three hours later we drove to where his brother Drew was living, to tell him. It was like we had to experience the devastation two times that morning,” Steve added.
Seth is buried in Section 60, site # 8948 Arlington National Cemetery.
Captain David Seth Mitchell was buried on November 6th, 2009 at Arlington National Cemetery. Mitchell was the 113th casualty of Operation Enduring Freedom and the 577th service member from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to be buried at Arlington.
“Seth is buried in Section 60, site # 8948. On November 4 we had a church service in Cary, NC, where we lived. Seth was born in Charlotte, NC and was a native North Carolinian, however on his military forms, required before deployments he listed his hometown as Loveland, Ohio,” Steve said, “We’ve said many times that Loveland was home to Seth because that’s where he had his passions and his lifelong friends. Seth graduated in ’97, went to VA Tech than to the Marine Corps, so he never established another home after high school. We did move back to NC in ’01, so when he came home from Marine duties, he came to NC where we lived. However he did wind up in Loveland on many occasions during his Marine service,” Steve said.
Join us for the 10th annual Cpt Seth Mitchell HERO 5K on Saturday, September 21st! INFO & REGISTRATION
Picnic Lunch of Hamburgers and Hot Dogs Included!
Now for the 10th year in a row Captain Mitchell’s family, friends and the Loveland community will come together for the Annual Captain Seth Mitchell Hero 5K happening on Saturday, September 21st. The race will begin at 11 AM at Nisbet Park in Historic Downtown Loveland. Over the past 10 years, Mitchell’s Loveland High School classmates have put on the Hero 5K as a way of representing the type of person Captain Mitchell was. Below is what Mitchell’s friends hope to achieve this year.
“We are a group of Seth Mitchell’s Loveland High School classmates, who miss our friend and want to keep his memory alive. We represent the many people who Seth made an impression on with his sense of humor, kind heart, and loyal friendship. As we organize this 5k Race and the scholarship memorial fund, we are motivated by one enduring inspiration: to live each day a little more honorably, kindly, and humbly… just like Seth. Please join us by donating, running, or volunteering – and keep Seth’s memory alive.”
For the Hero 5k this year, Mitchell’s supporters are looking for volunteers as well as donations for the Captain Seth Mitchell Scholarship Fund, a scholarship that is awarded to a few select Loveland High School students every year.
Greg Carpinello, who was a very close friend and classmate to Mitchell, is excited to not only keep Seth’s memory alive but to also continue to award students the Captain Seth Mitchell Scholarship.
Greg Carpinello and Seth Mitchell
“In the years that have followed, it has been an honor to work with other classmates to keep Seth’s legacy alive in Loveland. We have awarded over $40,000 in scholarship money to more than 20 graduating Loveland High School students, but his story has touched the lives of hundreds of students over the last 10 years through the 5K, the witness of Seth’s teachers who still work in Loveland, and the wonderful ways in which Seth’s story is easily passed through word of mouth,” Carpinello said.
“Seth was like a brother to me. Our friendship and unbreakable bond grew throughout high school. I cherish the memories of our time together, lots of laughter working on Student Council projects, lots of hours of driving to concerts all over the country, but most notably the loyalty he showed me as a true friend during my life’s up and downs,” Carpinello explained. “The news of his death devastated me. I’ll never forget the phone call I got from our mutual friend Joe Horst. I was living in Boston at the time. When I answered and he told me to sit down, I knew right away that it was about Seth. I had to call my parents to break the news too. My Dad, a former Marine himself, and Seth grew close over the years as Seth deployed but always stayed in touch via email. I didn’t sleep at all that night…. the anguish was too great. The next few days were a blur as I traveled to North Carolina for the funeral. It was a moving service. Seth was loved by so many people, from every era of his life. The service reflected that clearly,” Carpinello said.
“This year, we would really like to see a record turnout for the 5K. We hope people will join us on Saturday, September 21st at 11:00 am to run or walk a 5K in honor of Seth, a true Loveland Hero,” added Carpinello.
Carpinello is not the only friend of Captain Seth Mitchell that couldn’t help but reminisce on their time spent with Mitchell. When Loveland Magazine mentioned the Hero 5k, Jeff Geiger, a former teacher of Mitchell’s that still teaches in Loveland, remembered him as being, “Determined, personable and extremely hard working…an example of a true ‘Tiger!”
This bronze Tiger was placed in the media center at Loveland High to keep the memory of Capt. David Seth Mitchell alive for future students.
“When Seth was killed, it was a shock, of course, it is never easy losing a former student – unfortunately too many. It did, however, bring the war home to those of us who knew Seth,” said Geiger. Because it was so personal, Geiger took his son Mark to Washington for the funeral. “It touched both of us as to the sacrifices being made by families all over this country.” Geiger told Loveland Magazine that when he taught Seth that he was a hard worker and really did not say too much, but he remembered that he always had a smile on his face and seemed genuinely happy being in class and being a Tiger. “Seth’s legacy is one of determination and sacrifice. It is an example to all ‘Tigers’ of what hard work and determination can accomplish. Seth’s sacrifice has also been important in teaching students about the phrase ‘Freedom isn’t Free’. No longer is it just a phrase to be thrown around – we have Seth to bring home the sad truth of its reality.” Geiger remembers that when Connie, Seth’s mother was handed the neatly folded American flag at the Arlington gravesite it became emblematic of all the mothers and fathers across this country who have given so much. “Loveland and similar communities should be both humble and grateful for the sacrifices of men and women such as Seth,” Geiger added.
“I loved Seth and his family more than anything. His death was one of the hardest things I have ever had to face during my career in education,” Powers said.
Julie Powers, a former student council class advisor of Captain Mitchell’s and current Algebra 2 teacher at Loveland High School, chimed in on how wonderful Mitchell truly was.
“I loved Seth and his family more than anything. His death was one of the hardest things I have ever had to face during my career in education,” Powers said. “Sadly, I will not ever forget that day.” Powers remembers standing next to the sideboard in her room writing something on the board before school began. A friend and fellow teacher, Leah Evans, walked into her room and over to where she was standing. “I looked up at her face when she quietly asked, ‘Julie, you knew Seth Mitchell, right?’ My heart dropped at that moment. I knew immediately without her having to say a word that Seth was gone, gone from this world. We had lost him. He had been killed the day before, or, at least, I think Connie and Steve had received the news the day before. I remember not being able to stop crying,” Powers explained.
That whole class of students was one that I had gotten to know better than any other over the course of their high school careers. They had a closeness I have never before or after witnessed between all of the students. They did not have cliques that were separate from each other. There may have been ‘groups of friends’ in the class but it was a whole class of students who put everything they had into high school and enjoying the time they spent together at LHS. That morning, I remember walking to the office. Dr. Molly Moorhead and Debbie Hager, a guidance counselor and mother to Sarah Hager, also a graduate of the Class of ‘97, brought the few teachers left in the building who had taught Seth and knew him really well to Dr. Moorhead’s office so that we could speak with the Mitchells on the phone and be with each other. When I was speaking to Connie, she asked me had I taught Seth and I said: ‘yes, I had taught his Algebra 2 class.’ Connie’s response to me was ‘Aw, honey, Seth was never very good at math.’ I think I laughed a little with her because to me, being a student is more about a work ethic than the amount of raw talent someone has. And, I shared with her that Seth had been such an amazingly determined student. It did not matter that math was not his favorite class or that it may not have come as easily to him. He made the most of every day, always worked hard, harder than most to ‘get the math’ and he was always one of the most positive people in the class. I cannot, to this day, picture Seth’s face without a huge grin. He had such a knack for knowing if someone in the class was feeling down. Even if it might not have been his best friend, he would go over to that person and just check on them. These days, if you think about it, do you have any people at your job or in your neighborhood who do that? He was unbelievable. Always there to brighten someone’s day and sometimes that was my day, too. Having the chance to teach and work with Seth is a gift I have been given. His life has taught me so much about choosing to live and to dream big. His dreams were big and he worked at them to make them come true. When I think of Seth, I know he was a young man who had huge personal dreams of flying, he valued his friends and classmates a great deal, and nothing but his absolute best work was good enough for him. If someone needed him for anything, he was there.
“Simply put, if Seth had not volunteered to go to Afghanistan early, he would not have been there when his helicopter went down. He was due to deploy in November of 2009. He died on October 26, 2009. He died because he heard there was a pilot shortage over there and he wanted to help his fellow Marines. He volunteered to go early (several times before he was finally given the go-ahead to go early). Had he not been SETH, who always wanted to help out and give more than he could, he would never have given his life that October morning. That is the Seth Mitchell who will ALWAYS be my TRUE HERO. It is my truest honor to share the story of one of the most remarkable young people I have ever taught, Seth Mitchell, with each class who graduates from Loveland High School. I want them to know of his great heart, his selflessness, his work ethic, his dreams, his ever-present smile, his concerns for others, his fear of not reaching his dreams, overcoming that fear and living the life he was destined to live. He is a fellow Loveland Tiger who walked the same halls they walk, who sat in the same classrooms they sit in and who gave everything for each one of us. We can all learn from Seth’s life and his story. Life is too short. Live it. Don’t let it pass you by. Be there for each other. Dream and dream big. Reach for the stars and maybe you will make it out there among them. – Julie Powers
Drew, Connie, and Steven Mitchell at the 2014 Captain Seth Mitchell Hero 5K.
We encourage all of the Loveland community to come together to support Captain Seth Mitchell on September 21st at the Hero 5k so that we can continue to spread the unbelievable amount of kindness, selflessness, and bravery Captain Mitchell showed everyone on a regular basis. If you would like to get involved visit the official Captain Seth Mitchell Hero 5k website.
Watch this LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video of the 2017 Hero 5K and listen to Greg Carpinello talk about why Seth’s friends are keeping his memory alive. Also included in the video is Marisa Sobb reading a letter from scholarship winner Katie McElveen describing how Seth Mitchell inspired her community spirit.
Columnist Stephen McClanahan is retired from P&G and now active in environmental advocacy, search/rescue and emergency medical/disaster response.
How much destruction do you have to see before you have seen enough? How angry does the earth need to be before we pay attention? How many lives must be ruined before it’s too many? As these words emerge on my computer screen, I can’t help but recall the lyrics to the folk ballad, and I pray the answers are not “Blowin’ in the wind”.
In the past few months, I took the opportunity to spend some time in eastern North Carolina and the northern panhandle of Florida; in both places, I was there as part of Team Rubicon to help people try to put their lives back together following hurricanes Florence and Michael, respectively. Team Rubicon is a volunteer disaster recovery organization, mainly but not completely composed of military veterans. Hurricanes (or tropical cyclones as they’re called) are natural storms. We pay attention to the ones coming in off the Atlantic ocean. Pushed along by easterly trade winds in the tropics, warm, moist air near the ocean’s surface naturally rises and is replaced by cooler air aloft. With enough heat at the surface, the process
Learn more about Team Rubicon
continues. Throw in the rotation of the earth that induces a spin (counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere). As these get pushed along over the open ocean, they draw energy from the heat of the surface waters. The warmer the surface waters of the oceans, the more energy these storms have available. If atmospheric conditions are favorable for their large-scale formation, a storm emerges. As it grows, we give it names like tropical depression, then a category one hurricane and on up the line. I think one would have to be numb not to stand in awe at the fury and strength of such natural phenomena. Monster storms as these can make one feel very small; their scale and power are enormous. Magnificent, global forces are at play here. And yet, as tiny as we are in comparison, you and I (and many more of us) have a direct and measurable impact on them, because, you see, we’re pretty good at warming the oceans over which they pass. And with that, let me say welcome to global warming.
Monster storms as these can make one feel very small; their scale and power are enormous.
We are probably familiar with the story by now. The sun heats our earth during daylight hours and at night, the earth cools by radiating some of that heat back into space. We all know that the earth does not cool as much during those nights with cloud cover, since the clouds act as a blanket. Clouds have an immediate and temporary effect; these impact our weather. It turns out that the carbon dioxide we emit into our atmosphere from our consumption of fossil fuels has been building up for decades (look at the graph to see for yourself); it too, acts as a kind of blanket but its impact is long-term. This CO2 blanket has a much slower build time but also a much longer lasting impact on our climate. CO2 traps some of the energy that would normally be radiated into space and holds it close to the earth. And, as we know, water is a great heat sink; it takes a lot of energy to heat water but once warmed, it retains that heat very well.Most (about 95%) of the excess heat that CO2 has trapped is in our oceans. Ergo, charged up hurricanes…natural storms made stronger by human impact on our planet.
Its easy to read this kind of stuff and have it remain abstract, lifeless with no human touch. So, let’s go to North Carolina and Florida.
Its easy to read this kind of stuff and have it remain abstract, lifeless with no human touch. So, let’s go to North Carolina and Florida.
Burgaw sits in the Cape Fear river basin, about 40 miles inland from the Atlantic in eastern North Carolina. I spent a week there helping to muck-out homes in the flood zone of Hurricane Florence that went through in September of last year. One of those homes belongs to 80-year old Robert Ramsey; he lost everything, and I mean everything. Even though he’s 40 miles from the ocean, Florence came in and ever so slowly moved up the river valley; for days, it dumped unbelievable amounts of rain. The river flooded, to put it mildly.
All but 2 feet of the roof line of Robert’s single-story house disappeared under the waters.
All but 2 feet of the roof line of Robert’s single-story house disappeared under the waters. The water line was clearly visible on his metal roof. When I arrived, it had been well over a month since his house re-emerged from the flood waters. But his home was still a disaster; the destruction was so wide spread, all the emergency recovery resources that could be mustered were simply too inadequate to fix everyone straight away. I looked into Robert’s eyes as he stood in front of his home and I began to grasp the impacts. You could feel the hole in his heart; it was palpable. The damage to his home was enormous; there was nothing that was not ruined. Stench and mold were in abundant supply and growing worse by the day. Anything not washed away was rotting before your eyes. Everything in his humble home was totally destroyed. The only cure for his and about 4,000 other homes in this area was to gut
I looked into Robert’s eyes as he stood in front of his home and I began to grasp the impacts. You could feel the hole in his heart; it was palpable. The damage to his home was enormous; there was nothing that was not ruined. Stench and mold were in abundant supply and growing worse by the day.
them to the frame and try to dry out the bones of the structure. Everything inside is now in a landfill. Imagine, everything in your home being hauled to be buried. And while it has long faded from the news, the impacts of this storm ever present for those who lived it. One thing I heard time and again from the residents in the area was that this was not the first time their homes had been flooded; they do live in a river basin. But for thousands upon thousands of our fellow citizens, Florence was different; its waters were simply too much. And while it was water that Robert had to contend with, for folks in Mexico Beach, Florida, it was Michael’s winds that proved too much.
Mexico Beach is was your quintessential beach-front tourist community. It sits directly on the Gulf of Mexico. Not far from Tyndall Air Force Base or Panama City, the land is flat and low, just feet about sea level. There is nothing to protect it from storms off the Gulf.
With little time for people to prepare, Michael slammed the upper peninsula of Florida near Mexico Beach on October 10 as a high-end category 4 hurricane; 150+ mph winds literally raked the community. Precious little remained standing when it was done.
Hurricane Michael was kind of a sneaker; it showed up in the Caribbean as low-pressure disturbance. For almost a full week, it only slowly grew to a tropical depression. On October 8, it finally attained category 1 (the lowest) hurricane status. Then it moved northward over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and as it did so, it became super-charged. With little time for people to prepare, Michael slammed the upper peninsula of Florida near Mexico Beach on October 10 as a high-end category 4 hurricane; 150+ mph winds literally raked the community. Precious little remained standing when it was done.
The place still looked like a nuclear bomb had exploded.
Team Rubicon volunteers come in for week-long waves; my assignment was for week 9 after Michael and the place still looked like a nuclear bomb had exploded. It’s kind of eerie to see a driveway lead up where a house once stood and literally, the only thing remaining is the concrete slab on which the home once stood; the winds took the rest. Our base of operations was an old warehouse in Panama City; Mexico Beach is about 20 miles down the coast to the southeast. To get there, you drive past Tyndall AFB which is well off the highway.So mainly, you’re driving through a beautiful pine forest, or I should say, once was a pine forest. Thousands upon thousands now stand like twigs, all completely snapped off about 20 feet off the ground and all laying dead in the same wind-blown direction.
Increasing the intensity and the patterns of naturally occurring storms are some of the many impacts of a warming world. For any one storm, it’s hard to parse out the exact contribution that a warming planet has had on a naturally-occurring weather event. Keep in mind that altering hurricanes is only one of many changes taking place. What is clear, in the long view of measuring climate, is that things are changing. To quote from NASA: “Global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. Glaciers have shrunk, ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner.” And things will continue
Keep in mind that altering hurricanes is only one of many changes taking place.
to change for the worse simply due to the amount of CO2 in the air right now. But we can stop the worse of it, if we act…with urgency. Scientific modeling of future changes very clearly shows that we must stop adding CO2 to the air (i.e., get off fossil fuels). If we don’t, starting in a little over a decade from now, we’re going to be in serious trouble. (Read the latest report from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change if you’re into the details.)
Encouragingly, there are signs that we’re beginning to take this seriously; average citizens and political/community leaders are raising this issue and debating options. And not a minute too soon. The earth is angry, and rightly so. And nature will have the final say in all this. We need bold action and we need it now; otherwise, we’re blowin’ in the wind.
This message was originally issued by the Loveland School District the day after the school shooting in Parkland Florida.
by Interim Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse
There is nothing quite like at the end of a long day coming home to hug my three kiddos. Following the horrific unfolding of the February 14 fatal high school shooting in Florida – those hugs were a bit tighter at my house, as I’m sure they were in yours. We love our children – all of them, and we want nothing but the best for them, and at the Loveland City School District – that starts with safety.
Today, all of our buildings reviewed safety procedures.
Today, all of our buildings emailed parents to let them know who to call with questions.
Today, the Loveland Police Department provided increased presence at our buildings.
“But, I’m sure in your mind you ask: What about tomorrow? And, the day after that… and the day after that.”
But, I’m sure in your mind you ask: What about tomorrow? And, the day after that… and the day after that.
What I will tell you is that Tiger Safety is always on our minds as administrators, teachers, staff – and with the full support of our Loveland Board of Education. It is always evolving, always improving, and often reviewed by our District Safety Committee. We have pulled together a comprehensive resource for our Tiger families to dive a little deeper into how we are trained and the resources we have to keep our district safe.
“And, as always, we encourage you to speak up if you see something. Tell a teacher, tell a principal – call me. Let someone know if something seems wrong.”
It’s what we can articulate to you on a day where many of us find ourselves at a loss for words.
And, as always, we encourage you to speak up if you see something. Tell a teacher, tell a principal – call me. Let someone know if something seems wrong.
Our collective Loveland heart is with our Florida neighbors.
In service to our Tigers,
Dr. Amy Crouse
Interim Superintendent
Loveland City School District
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In addition to the 10-part video training series focused on threat assessments of concerning persons, an additional companion video available only to law enforcement personnel focuses on identifying vulnerabilities in the physical school building and grounds. Law enforcement personnel must complete all 11 portions of the training to qualify for the grant.
by Cassie Mattia
Being relatively new to the Loveland community I had never heard of Captain Mitchell before my Editor, David Miller suggested I take on the assignment of telling you his story. After countless hours of research and conducting interviews with people that knew him, I quickly realized that Mitchell accomplished great heroic acts for Loveland and the United States before he died. Miller told me that he had always been inspired by the way Seth lived his life and how it has inspired others. After finishing this article David and I decided we wanted to make Seth’s story a part of our “
Join us for the 10th annual Cpt Seth Mitchell HERO 5K on Saturday, September 21st! 
