Tag: latest stories

  • Apex Specialties offers Blue Tooth Earbuds Special

    Apex Specialties offers Blue Tooth Earbuds Special

    Promoted Post

    Loveland, Ohio – Apex, a local company, provides the finest imprinted and embroidered items to a wide variety of clients.

    What we can do for you

    Apex Imprinted is a full service promotional specialty company, located in Loveland, Ohio. At Apex, we provide assistance with theme creativity, layout and design, and the finest imprinted and embroidered items. We have access to over 600,000 promotional products, and are dedicated to finding the ideal product for your promotional need. We look forward to working with you on your next project. Please visit our contact page for more info.

    Apex Imprinted Sportswear and Promotional Specialties
    523 West Loveland Ave.
    Loveland, OH 45140

    Phone: 513-677-0700
    Fax: 513-677-8989

    apexloveland1@gmail.com

    Blue Tooth Earbuds Special TWS earbuds (with charging box)
    Portable & comfortable.
    Smart stereo mode & mono mode.
    Long battery life with storage case.
    Stable & comfort fit.
    One-button with multi-function.
    Tiny & super sound quality!


    Pricing: 100 pcs. –   $14.00 each 
    200 pcs. –   $12.50 each 
    300 pcs. –   $10.50 each 
    500 pcs. –   $9.50 each 
    1000 pcs. – $8.50  each 

    ALL ART / SET-UP Included 
    1 Color Imprint Included  Imprint size:   1″ x 1″
    Free Shipping –  Standard US 
  • “Fix a Leak Week”

    “Fix a Leak Week”

    Loveland, Ohio – Every day, one out of every ten homes nationwide wastes up to 90 gallons of water due to leaks. If your Loveland home has a leak, it can cost you nearly 10,000 gallons of water every year – which is the same as washing 300 loads of laundry. Fixing easily corrected leaks can save Loveland homeowners money on their water bills, prevent expensive water damage and conserve water.

    >> Watch a public service announcement from PUCO ChairJenifer French

    The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), Ohio EPA and Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) are promoting “Fix a Leak Week,” March 20–26, 2023. Fix a Leak Week is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program as an annual reminder to check household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks.

    “Ohioans can save up to 10 percent on their water bills just by finding and fixing easily corrected leaks,” said PUCO Chair Jenifer French. “Taking a few minutes to review your water usage and identify leaks in your home has long-term benefits.”

    “If you have a leak – fix it.  That’s what we tell community water systems to do to avoid wasting treated water before it reaches their customers,” Ohio EPA Director Anne M. Vogel said. “This is great at-home advice too. Repairing leaks makes good sense for the environment and your family finances.”

    The Ohio Department of Insurance also reminds Ohioans that leaking or burst water fixtures and pipes can cause serious damage to a property and its contents. Repairs can be costly without enough insurance protection. Consumers should conduct a homeowners or renters insurance review with an insurance agent on the limits, provisions, exclusions, and endorsements that may apply to the terms of water loss coverage.

    To help consumers here in Ohio and across the country save water and reduce water damage claims, it’s crucial to identify and repair dripping faucets, running toilets and leaky showerheads as quickly as possible. In most cases, fixture replacement parts pay for themselves quickly and can be installed by do-it-yourselfers, your favorite handy person or plumber. For simple tips on how to find and replace leaks, visit the EPA Fix a Leak website.

    Introduced in 2006, WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. EPA that makes it easy for Americans to save water and protect the environment by identifying water-efficient products, services and homes. The WaterSense label can be found on toilets and bathroom faucets. Products that have earned the WaterSense label have been independently tested to meet water-efficiency specifications set by the U.S. EPA. Visit www.epa.gov/watersense to find a WaterSense labeled product in your area. For more information on Fix a Leak Week, visit www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak

  • Up-date on Accessibly Parking editorial

    Up-date on Accessibly Parking editorial

    March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

    by David Miller

    Last week I published an “Open Letter to City Hall”. Within hours of publishing A proposal for directional signs to accessible parking in Historic Downtown Loveland, I received a very encouraging response.

    City Manager Dave Kennedy emailed saying, he spoke to Scott Wisby, the Public Works Director early the next morning.  Kennedy said, “Public works is going to inventory all of our handicap parking signs in city parks and other public areas to make sure all of the signs are up to code and are not weathered/needing replacement. Any needing replacement or adjustment for code will be corrected.  I think this is an important first step. I will keep you updated on the progress.”

    The City Manager followed up shortly in another email saying that they will also be looking to better consolidate the reserved accessible spaces in the downtown area.

    Although Kennedy did not address adding directional signs to the improved and perhaps consolidated spaces, the process he began was a very welcome one and a practicable first step.

    Thank you, Dave Kennedy and Scott Wisby.

    A proposal for directional signs to accessible parking in Historic Downtown…

    David Miller – Mar 14, 2023

  • Loveland High School Student Council shares the wealth

    Loveland High School Student Council shares the wealth

    Provided Photo

    Loveland, Ohio – The Life Food Pantry says, “A huge thank you to the Loveland High School Student Council for all the amazing goods donated to the pantry! The Loveland Schools and community are an enormous source of support for the pantry. Thank you so much for sharing the wealth for those who need a hand!”

    CURRENT NEEDS

    FOOD

    • Canned Peas

    • Coffee

    • Crackers

    • Manwich/Sloppy Jo

    • Rice a Roni

    • Taco or Chili Seasoning

    HOUSEHOLD/PAPER GOODS

    • Laundry Detergent

    • Paper Towels

    BABY

    • Diapers, Pull-Ups, Wipes

    SENIORS

    • Ensure/Boost

  • Monday is WORLD FROG DAY

    Monday is WORLD FROG DAY

    Loveland, Ohio – World Frog Day is an annual celebration celebrated on March 20. All of us in Loveland, Ohio love frogs for their looks, appearance, and, their croak.

    There may be a reason other than the fear of being shot while trying to cross Kemper Road that the Loveland Frog has not been seen since the 70s.

    Most often they are tiny creatures, small in body, and will make us scrunch up our faces. Frogs are amphibians that can be found both on land and in water. They are considered to be predators and play an important role in preserving the environment throughout their lives. In recent years, however, frogs have been critically endangered for several reasons. World Frog Day is an awareness day celebrated to save these living beings and provide them with a safer environment to survive. (1)

    March 20th is World Frog Day, which was created in 2009 to increase awareness of the plight of threatened frog species around the world. All amphibians, including frogs, are important components of the global ecosystem, as indicators of environmental health and contributors to human health. More than one third of them are currently threatened with extinction. Addressing the amphibian extinction crisis represents the greatest species conservation challenge in the history of humanity.

    How many frogs are there?

    We know there are at least 7,400 species of frogs (AmphibiaWeb), but sadly, we also know that at least 2,000 (28%) of these are threatened with extinction (IUCN Red List). The actual number of threatened species is no doubt considerably higher, because around 1,000 species (14%) have not yet been assessed for their threat categories, and for another 1,000 (14%) of them, so little is known about their status in the wild that they cannot be accurately assessed.

    Dyscophus antongilii

    © Gonçalo M. Rosa

    Why are they in trouble?

    Many things are causing frog populations around the world to decline, and in fact, at least 35 species that we know of have gone extinct in recent times. Habitat loss and destruction is one of the worst problems, not only for frogs, but for many other species of animals and plants.

    Many human activities contribute to habitat destruction and the decline of amphibians, including water pollution, the introduction of non-native species, climate change, agriculture, and urban development. Diseases, especially chytridiomycosis, which is caused by the chytrid fungus, are also having a massive effect on frogs, many of which are already under stress from the threats mentioned above.

    What is Amphibian Ark doing?

    The Amphibian Ark was created in 2007 to carry out the ex situ (captive) components of the IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group’s Amphibian Conservation Action Plan.

    AArk plays a key role in the ACAP, by evaluating the conservation needs for amphibian species and regions for conservation work; leading development and implementation of training programs for building capacity of individuals and institutions; and developing communications strategies, newsletters and other messages, and materials to promote understanding and action on behalf of amphibian conservation.

    Panama husbandry course

    Since 2010, we have worked with scientists and researchers from 48 countries to develop conservation needs assessments and conservation recommendations for over 3,500 amphibian species. This work helps amphibian conservationists in those countries to develop and implement action plans for the most threatened species.

    An important aspect of helping to implement amphibian conservation programs is to develop and lead amphibian husbandry training workshops, to build capacity of individuals and institutions in countries which have the highest numbers of threatened amphibians. Amphibian Ark staff and our partners have delivered 75 training courses, which included 2,680 participants, in 40 countries. These people are now using the skills they have learned to create and manage conservation programs in their own countries.

    Who else is helping?

    There are many local and federal government departments, universities, scientists and researchers, zoos and aquariums, and private organizations that are all doing their bit to contribute to saving amphibians and protecting their environments. Many, many dedicated Amphibian Advocates and Ambassadors who care for captive and wild amphibians are making a huge difference, helping to protect our most threatened amphibian species and their environments.

    Amphibian Ark also works with key coordinating bodies in global amphibian conservation – the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG) and the Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA) – to achieve a shared vision: Amphibians thriving in nature.

    Is there anything I can do?

    Yes, there is! Try to be a good environmental steward. As our environmental indicators, amphibians are telling us that we are doing damage to the health of the planet. Clearly, promoting better environmental stewardship will benefit our thin-skinned friends as well as human populations.

    Get together with friends and collect the garbage from your local rivers, forests and wetlands. Make a new wetland in your backyard – even a small pond will help. If you build it, frogs will come! If you are surrounded by development and they don’t come, rescue eggs and tadpoles from local pools and use them to seed new populations – but only collect them from local areas!

    Frog and waterlily at Trustom Pond

    © Rhododendrites

    Try to manage your yard without using pesticides, fertilizers and weed killers, most of which are poisonous to amphibians. Try to use less water (e.g. turn off the tap when you brush your teeth or while you wash your hands), and follow the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Plant native plants in your garden which use less water and need less pesticides and fertilizers.

    Your support is crucial to saving threatened species and we invite you to become an Amphibian Ark donor, helping to keep these species afloat! 100% of funds donated to Amphibian Ark will be spent on ensuring a long-term future for threatened amphibians, and donations to the Amphibian Ark are tax-deductible for most US tax-payers.

    We must all work together to protect our precious environment and to prevent more species, including frogs, from declining and facing extinction! (2)

    (1) (WORLD FROG DAY – March 20, 2023 – National Today)

    (2) World Frog Day – Amphibian Ark

  • Loveland High School wrestler Elizabeth Madison brings home State Gold Medal

    Loveland High School wrestler Elizabeth Madison brings home State Gold Medal

    Elizabeth Madison on the stand after capturing the State Title (Photo @CoachSwitzer)

    Loveland, Ohio – Head Coach Chris Switzer said on FaceBook after Elizabeth Madison completed her perfect season, “So proud of this kid…. what a year – undefeated State Champ as a freshman.” He was exclaiming his esteem for Madison after she defeated every opponent in Columbus at the Schottenstein Center at Ohio State University during the DI OHSAA State Wrestling Championships.

    Madison won every match she entered as a 170 lb. ninth grader and finished the season 42-0 with 40 pins. This was the inaugural season for the Ohio High School Athletic Association to host a Women’s wrestling tournament. Madison will forever be remembered as Ohio’s first 170-pound champion.

    In January 2022, the OHSAA announced that Women’s wrestling and Men’s volleyball would be added as sanctioned sports beginning with the 2022-23 school year. The Ohio High School Athletic Association averages more than 50,000 fans for the weekend of wrestling.

    Watch Elizabeth Madison pin 4-time State qualifier DeSales High School senior Rebekah Oladakun, to become Ohio’s first 170-pound champion

    Loveland High School’s first Women’s Wrestling Team at the Winter Sports Awards. (Photo by Loveland Tiger Wrestling)
    Elizabeth Madison on the stand after capturing the Regional Title (Photo @CoachSwitzer)

  • 2023 Ohio Severe Weather Poster Contest for students

    2023 Ohio Severe Weather Poster Contest for students

    The 2023 Ohio Severe Weather Poster Contest is accepting submissions until April 21.

    For students grades 1-6

    This poster contest is a valuable tool to help students learn about severe weather safety and preparedness. The contest is open to all Ohio students in grades 1-6, and individualized instruction (special education) classes. All public, private, charter and home schools are encouraged to participate.

    Regional winners are invited to attend the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA) awards ceremony at the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy on the Ohio State Fairgrounds.

    Prizes for regional winners: Prizes include admission passes to the Ohio State Fair, a certificate of appreciation from the National Weather Service, and more (prizes vary per year).

    Prizes for state winners (one student each from grades 1-6): Same prizes as regional winners, plus a National Oceanic and Atmospheric
    Administration (NOAA) weather radio, a smoke alarm, a congratulatory letter from Gov. Mike DeWine, and the student’s poster framed.

    Prizes for state winners (one student each from grades 1-6): Same prizes as regional winners, plus a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio, a smoke alarm, a congratulatory letter from Gov. Mike DeWine, and the student’s poster framed.

    Prizes for overall state winner: Same prizes as regional and state winners, including a personalized trophy, four tickets to the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) museum in Columbus, and a backpack. In the fall, OCSWA members will present a “traveling trophy” to the overall state winner’s school to be displayed throughout the school year.

    To learn more, and to view the complete contest rules and entry forms, visit the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness website.

    For Teachers

  • Practice where to shelter during Ohio’s Statewide Tornado Drill

    Practice where to shelter during Ohio’s Statewide Tornado Drill

    SPRING SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IS MARCH 19-25

    Severe weather can occur at any time of the year and Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week allows Ohioans the opportunity to learn the best ways to be prepared and stay safe during inclement weather.

    “Severe weather can impact Ohio at any time of year, so it’s important that residents are prepared for the possibility of a weather emergency,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week allows Ohioans the opportunity to learn more about severe weather and be prepared before, during, and after a storm.”

    In a coordinated effort with the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA), the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, and the National Weather Service, Governor DeWine has proclaimed March 19-25 as Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week and is encouraging all Ohioans to prepare themselves for spring and summer weather hazards and home emergencies.

    “Ohio’s weather can often be unpredictable, especially in the spring when temperatures fluctuate between warm and cold which can be a recipe for severe weather, or even tornadoes,” said Ohio Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Sima Merick. “We encourage all Ohioans to make or review an existing emergency plan and be prepared.”

    At 9:50 AM on Wednesday, March 22, local communities can participate in a statewide tornado drill and test their emergency and sheltering plans. Ohio counties may use this time to sound and test their outdoor warning sirens and mass notification systems. Businesses, schools, and households are also encouraged to practice their tornado drills and emergency plans at this time.

    Safety & Preparedness Tips

    Know the Terms:

    Tornado Watch – Be Prepared: When conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes. Be ready to move to a place of safety if the watch is upgraded to a warning or if threatening weather approaches.

    Tornado Warning – Take Action: When a tornado is imminent or has been sighted. Warnings indicate impending danger to life and property. Seek safe shelter immediately.

    Prepare for Severe Weather and Home Emergencies: Build a kit and make a plan. This includes having a severe weather kit for home and vehicle and creating an emergency plan/or updating your existing plan

    Be Aware of Hazards in Your Area: Ohio’s weather hazards from early spring into summer include snowmelt and flooding, tornadoes, and thunderstorms. Visit the OCSWA website to learn more about severe weather safety and preparedness.

    Prepare for a Flood: Learn and practice evacuation routes, shelter plans, and flash flood response. Gather supplies, including non-perishable foods, cleaning supplies, and water for several days, in case you must leave immediately or if services are cut off in your area.

    Flooded Roadways: Never attempt to cross a flooded road on foot or in a vehicle. It only takes six inches of water to knock an adult off their feet, one foot of moving water can float a vehicle, and two feet of water can carry away most vehicles including pickup trucks and SUVs. Don’t chance it, find an alternative route! Turn Around Don’t Drown®.

    Outdoor Warning Sirens: Many Ohio counties have outdoor warning sirens that sound when severe weather is imminent. Outdoor warning sirens are designed to be heard outdoors.

    Alerts and Notifications: Getting weather and emergency information from trusted sources is important. Have multiple means of receiving communications and always get your information from reliable sources such as the National Weather Service, local broadcast radio and television stations, and phone apps from trusted agencies. Other great sources for communications are the Emergency Alert System (EAS) which are messages sent over television and radio channels, Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) which are free notifications delivered to mobile devices as part of a public safety system, and a NOAA All-Hazards Weather Radio.

    To download a copy of Governor DeWine’s Spring Severe Weather Proclamations, click here or visit the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness website.

  • The Table of Discussions Celebrates Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

    The Table of Discussions Celebrates Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

    Connie Mehlman • Cassie Mattia • Courtney Hineman
    by Cassie Mattia

    Loveland, Ohio – Did you know more than 6 million Americans have one or more developmental disabilities (DD)? That means about 15 percent of the United States population is living with DD. Over the few past decades, individuals with DD and DD advocates have been fighting for inclusion and equal opportunities within their communities and the workforce. Without help from leaders and social reformers like Dorothy Dix, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., Ronald Reagan, and George Bush, to name a few, both National Developmental Disabilities Month and the Americans with Disabilities Act wouldn’t exist.

    “It’s just basic human needs not special needs.”Courtney Hineman

    In 1987, President Ronald Reagan made a public announcement asking Americans to provide individuals with DD “the encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.” Reagan’s powerful message not only established the month of March as National DD Awareness Month, but his advocacy also led to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being passed in 1990 by George Bush. The ADA officially made it illegal to discriminate against individuals with disabilities.

    Once the ADA passed, DD advocates across the world began to take a stand, using their own experiences and success stories to promote equal rights. Although progress has been made in the DD community there are still many obstacles’ individuals with DD face every day. This is why National DD Awareness Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of those with DD and take the time to educate yourself and those surrounding you on the importance of including individuals with DD in all aspects of community life!

    In light of this very special March celebration, I decided to invite two of the most respected DD advocates in Ohio, Community Connection Coordinator Connie Mehlman and Community Outreach Advocate Courtney Hineman, both with the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities to my Loveland Magazine TV Table of Discussions! Connie and Courtney have paved the way for inclusion and equality within the DD community giving them both a plethora of knowledge when it comes to educating others about how they too can advocate for individuals with DD.

    I am pleased to present my latest Table of Discussions episode featuring Connie Mehlman and Courtney Hineman! Happy DD Awareness Month!


    Check out Episode 1 of Courtney’s BCBDD VLOG, “Courtney Explains It All!”


    The video below features Courtney as she discusses Neurodiversity with the BCBDD staff!


    Below Courtney was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Best Buddies Ohio Annual Gala!


    In celebration of National Developmental Disabilities Month, Courtney wrote an Opinion Editorial about what it’s like to live with developmental disabilities and how the community created equal opportunities for her.

    Click here to read Courtney’s Op Ed, “I want others with disabilities to have opportunities like I had!”

    The gallery of photos below was provided by the Butler County Board of DD and Cassie Mattia.

    What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?






  • SAVE THIS DATE: March 25 is the Loveland Presbyterian Church’s “Giant Yard Sale”

    SAVE THIS DATE: March 25 is the Loveland Presbyterian Church’s “Giant Yard Sale”

    Advertisement

    Inside and Outside (Under Cover)

    Loveland, Ohio – What better way to know spring has sprung than to see yard sales springing up around town? And, this is the topper with jewelry, collectibles, furniture, tools, electronics, household stuff, and much more.

    March 25 is the Loveland Presbyterian Church’s Giant Yard Sale