Tag: local news

  • “Thank you for being a friendly, smiling face for generations of our youngest Tigers!”

    “Thank you for being a friendly, smiling face for generations of our youngest Tigers!”

    Loveland, Ohio – Thursday was a very special day at Loveland Early Childhood Center, as staff and students wished “Happy Retirement” to secretary DeAnn Gilmore after 23 and a half years!

    Their message on the Loveland City Schools FaceBook page was, “Thank you for being a friendly, smiling face for generations of our youngest Tigers!”

    All photos by Loveland City Schools:

  • [Updated maps with Parking] The 2022 Christmas in Loveland!

    [Updated maps with Parking] The 2022 Christmas in Loveland!

    Christmas in Loveland Weather

    Loveland, Ohio – Join us this weekend!! We can’t wait to celebrate the holidays in our sweet town.

    Loveland Magazine just received these maps and QR Codes directly from Santa’s Instagram page!

    Another up-date is that the Chamber says they have had to make the unfortunate decision to charge for carriage rides this year. A $2 per-person charge.

    “Unfortunately, due to rising costs, we are asking families to pay for a ride this year. We love having them and are thankful for the sponsorships as well. We take credit cards, cash, and Venmo.”

    A few Facts:

    • The event takes place from 4-8 PM, on December 17th
    • The train is at the Loveland Museum Center and a trolley will take guests from Downtown Loveland to the museum
    • Maps of all the activities will be placed inside the businesses and available by the clock tower.
    • A back portion of Railroad Avenue will be closed to allow for the horse-drawn carriages. Carriages will cost $2 per person.
    • Line up for the Carriage is on Railroad Avenue across from the Wicked Pickle Restaurant.
    • A Holiday Trolley will transport people to the Loveland History Museum from Harrison Avenue at no charge.
    • Entertainment will be in the center of town and next to the fountain.
    • A shuttle bus will take folks from the Shoppers Haven Parking lot to downtown Loveland. The Shuttle will run the entire time.
    • The event is free for all

    Right-Click to open the map in a new tab to view it larger.

    Below is a printable Christmas in Loveland that you can print and take with you or download to your phone.

    Right-Click to open the PARKING MAP in a new tab to view it larger.

    Event Map

    A shuttle bus will take folks from the Shoppers Haven Parking lot to downtown Loveland. The Shuttle will run the entire time.


    Parking

    Read all about Christmas in Loveland

    Christmas in Loveland will be a beautiful wonderland on December 17

  • FEDS renew offer for FREE at-home COVID-⁠19 tests

    FEDS renew offer for FREE at-home COVID-⁠19 tests

    Every U.S. household is eligible to order 4 free at-home COVID-⁠19 tests.

    Need help placing an order for your at-⁠home tests?
    Call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).

  • Ohio education overhaul falls short

    Ohio education overhaul falls short

    BY: SUSAN TEBBEN – Ohio Capital Journal

    The Ohio House did not agree to Senate amendments to a bill banning trans athletes from participating in youth sports based on their gender identity, leaving behind more than a thousand pages of state education overhauls loaded in at the last minute.

    House Bill 151, with language from Senate Bill 178 attached to it was voted down in the House by a 46-41 vote after 2 a.m. on Thursday morning following an entire day of hemming and hawing.

    The education overhaul is not completely done yet. Even if lawmakers decline to move forward in the current General Assembly, Senate President Matt Huffman previously pledged to bring the bill back in the new year, with a General Assembly that will have an even larger GOP supermajority.

    The education overhaul part of the bill, which entered the House as a standalone this week after passing the Senate last week, would have restructured the Ohio Department of Education into the Department of Education and Workforce, and reduced the state Board of Education roles down to superintendent searches, teacher conduct and licensure issues.

    “The system is not working, it doesn’t prioritize our students,” said bill sponsor state Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport.

    The department, and most of the roles currently under the state board of ed and state superintendent’s purview would have been put under the governor’s office umbrella, according to the bill.

    The State Board of Education put off hiring a search firm for the next superintendent due to concerns about budgetary changes SB 178 might bring and fears the legislative uncertainty might “pollute” the marketplace of candidates.

    The bill also received pushback from public school education advocates and some homeschooling groups. The Ohio Education Association and the Ohio Federation of Teachers both spoke against the bill in committee hearings, not only decrying claims that the ODE was unresponsive and inaccessible, but also criticizing the pace at which the bill came through the General Assembly.

    SB 178 sponsor state Sen. Bill Reineke, R-Tiffin, said attempts to redo the state agencies have been years in the making and urgency is needed to help improve student success.

    “I’m not looking at growing an organization; I’m looking at making it more efficient and more structurally purposeful,” Reineke said on Tuesday as he defended his bill in House Primary and Secondary Education Committee.

    It was up to that committee to pass the standalone bill over to the House for a full vote, something that didn’t happen in a Tuesday night committee that went until about 9 p.m., or a Wednesday morning meeting that recessed before the House’s session began, and didn’t return even after multiple recesses in that body.

    When committee chair state Rep. Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, was asked the status of the bill or the committee at about 9 p.m. Wednesday night, she said she was waiting to see what the GOP caucus was thinking on the matter.

    Amidst the day-long discussion, the Senate decided to take matters into its own hands, inserting SB 178 into HB 151, originally meant to be a teacher mentorship bill that was made to include a ban on athletes competing on teams based on their gender identity.

    The Senate also tried to slide in language from a bill that would have banned COVID-19 vaccine mandates for K-12 students.

    After the additions, HB 151 passed on a party-line 23-7 vote in that chamber, moving it back to the House.

    The controversial part of HB 151 was added in another late-night move in June, when HB 151 was up for passage in the House before moving on to the Senate. The trans athletes part of the bill no longer includes a requirement for genital inspections of children suspected of being transgender, something Senate President Matt Huffman previously said he wouldn’t support.

    Verification of a student’s gender will be done using a birth certificate in the new version of the bill.

    The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport, wouldn’t speak on the trans athletes part of the bill when he introduced the bill in the Senate, but on the House floor he stood in support of it.

    “This bill only applies to K-12 education, so our daughters in grades kindergarten through 12 will not have to compete with biological males in primary and secondary schools,” Jones said.

    The bill would impact very few Ohio students and policies are already in place to keep equality in youth sports, causing LGBTQ advocates, education leaders and the Ohio High School Athletic Association to stand against the bill as unnecessary.

    The original language of the bill would make changes to the Ohio Teacher Residency Program and teacher mentorship.

    Democrats pushed hard for the House not to support the bill as amended, saying stakeholders needed to be involved and more time was needed to find out the impact of it.

    State Rep. Phil Robinson, D-Solon, continued an argument made by critics of the bill that the volume of the bill didn’t get the proper review by legislators or individuals in Ohio education.

    “Passing something at 1 o’clock or 2 o’clock in the morning that no one’s read and no one’s seen … is not the way to change education in the state of Ohio,” Robinson said.

    State Rep. Jeff Crossman, D-Parma, said the bill was “moving deck chairs on a sinking ship” by addressing issues that don’t solve the true problems in Ohio education.

    State Rep. Juanita Brent, D-Cleveland, said the bill would impact economic success in Ohio by making conferences question coming to the state and businesses wonder whether or not to bring employees to the state. She also said passage of the bill in the middle of the night would send a message to current Ohio voters as well.

    “We’re telling Ohioans who elected us that they can’t be seen in this process,” Brent said.

  • TriHealth announces affiliation with Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute

    TriHealth announces affiliation with Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute

    Photo of Bethesda North provided by TriHealth

    Services will be available at Bethesda North TriHealth Heart & Vascular Institute

    This affiliation does not change TriHealth’s status as an independent health system, nor will Cleveland Clinic physicians be providing direct patient care at TriHealth’s locations.

    Cincinnati, Ohio – TriHealth today announced it is now an affiliate of Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute – the nation’s top-ranked heart program, according to U.S. News & World Report.

    At a press conference on TriHealth’s Bethesda North campus and broadcast live to many of TriHealth’s 140 sites of care, Cleveland Clinic and TriHealth leaders described how this collaboration will further elevate cardiovascular care in and around the Cincinnati region.

    “This clinical affiliation builds on significant investments by TriHealth over the past several years to develop the region’s destination heart and vascular program. This endeavor complements other TriHealth enterprise collaborations with a focus on improving healthcare through strategic relationships,” said TriHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Mark C. Clement.

    “By affiliating with Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute, which has achieved U.S. News & World Report’s No. 1 ranking for cardiology and heart surgery for the past 28 consecutive years, we are taking another vital step toward providing patients the right care in the right place at the right time.”

    Cleveland Clinic will work with TriHealth clinicians and multidisciplinary teams, including those at Good Samaritan Hospital, Bethesda North Hospital, and the TriHealth Heart & Vascular Institute. Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute will share clinical best practices for patient care, giving TriHealth patients access to the expertise of Cleveland Clinic physicians as well as the latest technologies and innovations in heart care.

    This affiliation does not change TriHealth’s status as an independent health system, nor will Cleveland Clinic physicians be providing direct patient care at TriHealth’s locations. This relationship makes TriHealth an exclusive Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute affiliate in southern Ohio.

    “Management of heart disease is complex, but we can advance the treatment of cardiovascular disease to benefit our communities by working together on programs like this,” said Lars Svensson, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute. “Our affiliation with TriHealth will allow for sharing of best practices, while working together to ensure the highest quality care to TriHealth’s patients.”

    This historic affiliation is the next step in TriHealth’s long-term strategy to develop the region’s destination heart and vascular program. The strategy began in 2018 with the consolidation of TriHealth’s heart surgery programs to the Bethesda North campus, which has resulted in greater standardization of care leading to better outcomes for patients.

    “Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute’s Affiliate Program started 19 years ago and is continuously offering innovative services,” said Suma Thomas, M.D., Vice Chairman of Strategic Operations, Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute.

    “We are happy to welcome TriHealth into this exclusive and growing group. Cleveland Clinic has identified TriHealth as the premier cardiac program in the Cincinnati area, with a long history of excellence in heart care. This affiliation is a collaboration that enables both organizations to optimize cardiac care for all patients.”

    Bethesda North recently opened a new cardiac cath lab, giving TriHealth nine cath labs and procedure rooms. TriHealth is also expanding the hospital’s first-floor cardiovascular ICU with anticipated completion in early 2023. The new center housing these services will be named the Harold and Eugenia Thomas Heart and Vascular Center in recognition of their transformational $10 million gift in support of the project.

    At the same time, TriHealth is investing in cardiology and vascular services at Good Samaritan Hospital as part of its $250 million investment in that facility. This is in addition to recent investments in cardiac services at TriHealth’s outpatient settings, including the Good Samaritan – Western Ridge Ambulatory Campus in Green Township.

    “This affiliation will bolster the cutting-edge work already happening at the TriHealth Heart & Vascular Institute,” said Mark Witte, TriHealth Vice President of Clinical Service Lines. “We’re excited to work with Cleveland Clinic to improve our opportunities to provide comprehensive and innovative care for patients and to see both organizations strengthen all elements of our collective cardiovascular medicine and cardiothoracic surgery programs.”

    “This collaboration between TriHealth and Cleveland Clinic will bring new and improved services to the Cincinnati market,” said TriHealth cardiovascular surgeon Kathryn O’Keefe, M.D., who trained at Cleveland Clinic last year. “Our working together enhances the ability to provide multiple surgical and non-surgical options to patients suffering from advanced heart failure with a personalized care path for their specific needs.”

    The Cleveland Clinic Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute’s affiliate program was launched in 2003. The affiliate network includes 16 hospitals across the country, with the addition of TriHealth’s Bethesda North and Good Samaritan hospitals. As affiliates, the TriHealth Heart and Vascular Institute and Cleveland Clinic remain independent, with no changes in control of physicians or staff.

    To learn more about this affiliation, visit https://www.trihealth.com/heart

    For more information on the TriHealth Heart Institute, visit https://www.trihealth.com/institutes-and-services/trihealth-heart-institute.

    For more information on Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute, visit www.ClevelandClinic.org/heart.

  • Come and Support Loveland Women’s Hoops teams tonight

    Come and Support Loveland Women’s Hoops teams tonight

    Loveland, Ohio – Come and Support the Loveland Women’s Hoops teams tonight as they take on the undefeated West Clermont Wolves. Bring your canned goods for the LIFE Pantry.

    The Varsity Tigers are 3-3, 5-2. The Wolves are 4-0, 6-0.

    JV game is at 5:30 PM and Varsity at 7 PM.

    @TigerSpiritClu1 is giving 1 concession coupon if you bring 2 canned goods! (Limit to 2 coupons per person) #OurWay

  • [Updated maps with Parking] The 2022 Christmas in Loveland Map!

    [Updated maps with Parking] The 2022 Christmas in Loveland Map!

    Christmas in Loveland Weather

    Loveland, Ohio – Join us this weekend!! We can’t wait to celebrate the holidays in our sweet town.

    Loveland Magazine just received this map directly from Santa’s Instagram page!

    Another up-date is that the Chamber says they have had to make the unfortunate decision to charge for carriage rides this year. A $2 per-person charge.

    “Unfortunately, due to rising costs, we are asking families to pay for a ride this year. We love having them and are thankful for the sponsorships as well. We take credit cards, cash, and Venmo.”

    A few Facts:

    • The event takes place from 4-8 PM, on December 17th
    • The train is at the Loveland Museum Center and a trolley will take guests from Downtown Loveland to the museum
    • Maps of all the activities will be placed inside the businesses and available by the clock tower.
    • A back portion of Railroad Avenue will be closed to allow for the horse-drawn carriages. Carriages will cost $2 per person.
    • Line up for the Carriage is on Railroad Avenue across from the Wicked Pickle Restaurant.
    • A Holiday Trolley will transport people to the Loveland History Museum from Harrison Avenue at no charge.
    • Entertainment will be in the center of town and next to the fountain.
    • A shuttle bus will take folks from the Shoppers Haven Parking lot to downtown Loveland. The Shuttle will run the entire time.
    • The event is free for all

    Right-Click to open the map in a new tab to view it larger.

    Below is a printable Christmas in Loveland that you can print and take with you or download to your phone.

    Right-Click to open the PARKING MAP in a new tab to view it larger.

    Event Map

    A shuttle bus will take folks from the Shoppers Haven Parking lot to downtown Loveland. The Shuttle will run the entire time.


    Parking

    Read about Christmas in Loveland

    Christmas in Loveland will be a beautiful wonderland on December 17

  • Donna Barnes named the 2023 Valentine lady

    Donna Barnes named the 2023 Valentine lady

    Loveland, Ohio – Resident Donna Barnes (3rd from right) has been named the 2023 Valentine lady.

    In making the announcement 2013 Valentine Lady Janis Fogle said, “Donna is one that flies under the radar, meaning she simply goes along her day with kindness and generosity of her time and asks nothing in return. From volunteering at the Loveland Farmers Market to picking up trash along the Little Miami bike trail, taking pride in her community, Donna is an excellent fit into the sisterhood, known as the Loveland Valentine ladies.”

    Barnes will replace the current Valentine Lady Jeannie Shumaker who because of Covid 19 restrictions served since 2020.

    The Valentine Program began in 1972 and has grown over the years to include a variety of Valentine community activities, as well as a nationally-known cachet stamping and postmark program.

    “Valentine Ladies are women who have distinguished themselves in community, school, or family endeavors. Being nominated for Valentine Lady is quite an honor.”

    The Valentine Lady is the ambassador for the Chamber’s Valentine Program, and visits area businesses, nursing homes, and schools, among her duties as Valentine Lady.

  • Hot off the press: The 2022 Christmas in Loveland Map!

    Hot off the press: The 2022 Christmas in Loveland Map!

    Loveland, Ohio – Join us this weekend!! We can’t wait to celebrate the holidays in our sweet town.

    Loveland Magazine just received this map directly from Santa’s Instagram page!

    Right-Click to open the map in a new tab to view it larger.

    Below is a printable Christmas in Loveland that you can print and take with you or download to your phone.


    Read about Christmas in Loveland

    Christmas in Loveland will be a beautiful wonderland on December 17

  • Coach Darnell Parker honored at Women’s Basketball opener

    Coach Darnell Parker honored at Women’s Basketball opener

    Loveland, Ohio – In their home opener on Monday, December 5 before the Women’s Varsity game began, former Head Coach Darnell Parker was recognized for the impact his life made on the Loveland and regional athletic community.

    The evening was also a fundraiser for the Foundation set up by his daughters, Alexis and Madison Parker to raise scholarship dollars for deserving graduates.

    Jessica Early (alumni parent) spearheaded the tribute night, along with help of Athletic Director Rich Bryant, Assistant Athletic Director Shayne Lyons, (alumni parent), and with the help of all the current Loveland basketball parents, coaches, and players.

    Early said afterward, “We wanted to make sure that Coach Parker’s family felt our love. We wanted the girls to have the opportunity to publicly dedicate the season to Coach Parker. Our Loveland  community and basketball program were so greatly impacted and inspired by Darnell.”

    Here is a LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video from December 2021 the night before Coach Parker went to the Cleveland Clinic for cancer surgery.

    Split-the-pot raffle tickets and half-court shot tickets were sold throughout the JV and Varsity games.

    Josie Early had a game-high 16 points to lead the Tigers to a 51-36 win. Olivia Raby scored 11 and Nailah Grant scored 9.

    You can continue to donate to the Darnell Parker Memorial Athletic Scholarship

       If you are interested in applying for this scholarship, information will be available in Spring 2023 to apply. 
    
       If you would like to contribute to the Darnell Parker Memorial Athletic Scholarship, click here. Donations may also be venmo’d to @Dana-Parker-41 or checks made payable to S3C, Inc. may be mailed to 6187 Cardington Place, West Chester, OH 45069. 

    Coach Parker told Cassie Mattia in January 2022, “This community needs a win, and I have to deliver it to them.” He said it with his legendary smile when Mattia interviewed him for a “What’s In Loveland’s DNA” interview.

    Mattia said at the time, “Coach Parker has certainly become a big part of the Loveland community spreading positivity among his student-athletes and the cancer community. There’s no question that Coach Parker is a part of ‘What’s in Loveland’s DNA!”

    The Coach Darnell Parker Archives

    All photos and videos are by David Miller/Loveland Magazine © 2022