Nearly two in three age-eligible teenagers remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 as summer ends and the disease looms over its third consecutive school year.
Spokespersons for the state departments of health and education said they did not know what percentage of students enrolled in public schools are vaccinated.
However, looking at the total population (which would include homeschooled students), more than 62% remain unvaccinated.
“As of today, there are 390,903 Ohioans age 12-18 who have started the vaccination process,” said Ohio Department of Health spokeswoman Alicia Shoults. “This represents 37.5% of that age group.”
Despite plans to attend classes in close contact with their peers several days per week, teenagers are the least vaccinated age cohort — surpassing 20-29-year-olds (44%) and 30-39-year-olds (51%).
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was authorized for use in people aged 16-and-up in mid-December, though most states restricted access for elder and sicker residents through early 2021. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized its use on children 12-15 on May 11.
At a press conference last week, Gov. Mike DeWine said a communal goal of keeping students in school for in-person learning is “threatened” by the hyper-transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19. He repeated a recommendation from ODH that students either seek vaccination or wear a mask at school.
“The best way to make sure a child can stay in school and not have his or her classes interrupted, is for that child to be vaccinated,” he said. “If that child cannot be vaccinated, the best way to ensure a good school year for that child is for that child to wear a mask while in class.”
Loveland, Ohio – CancerFree KIDS has appointed three new members to its Board of Trustees in a move to “grow more relationships with Greater Cincinnati’s business community and expand its impact in pediatric cancer research”.
Tom Simpson, chief operating officer, Cincinnati Bell, Inc
Javier Diaz, vice president, Cancer & Blood Institute at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Rob Reifsnyder, chief executive officer (retired), United Way of Greater Cincinnati
“We are strategically putting the pieces together to help take CancerFree KIDS to the next level,” says Al Early, vice president and principal of consulting services, CBTS, and incoming board chair for CancerFree KIDS. “With Javier, Rob, and Tom, we can stay closely aligned with emerging research opportunities while reaching more of Cincinnati’s business leaders and growing the support for vital pediatric cancer initiatives.”
Diaz, Reifsnyder, and Simpson join a board that has also recently seen a change in leadership.
Al Early replaces CancerFree KIDS Founder Ellen Flannery as the new board chair.
In addition to Early’s new role, Kelly Holden, partner, DBL Law has been named vice-chair and Greg Carroll, director, technical support center office of ground water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been named treasurer.
“CancerFree KIDS is a tremendous partner to Ohio cancer researchers,” says Diaz. “I’m excited to join a team that is so clear in its mission to apply revolutionary research to cure high-risk and relapsed cancer in children. Thanks to CancerFree KIDS and the research it has funded, there are kids who are right now enjoying longer, happy lives. I am grateful for this opportunity to help CancerFree KIDS grow these important efforts.”
Founded in 2002, CancerFree KIDS has invested more than $7 million since its inception to fund high-risk, high- reward research initiatives at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Avondale and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. The studies intend to find cures and gentler treatments to help children better cope with the pains and challenges of fighting cancer. In most cases, this research would go unfunded without the support of CancerFree KIDS.
Visit www.cancerfreekids.org to learn more about the organization’s mission and work to fight childhood cancer.
Loveland, Ohio – The 12th Annual Captain Seth Mitchell Hero 5k will take place in Nisbet Park on Saturday, October 16. Hope to see you then to revise this great Loveland tradition.
Last year’s event was “virtual” but the race to raise funds for The Seth Mitchell scholarship programs this year in live and in person in Historic Downtown Loveland on the Loveland Bike Trail along the State and National Scenic Little Miami River.
Seth Mitchell, a captain and pilot in the United States Marine Corps and a 1997 Loveland High School graduate, was killed in action in Afghanistan in October 2009. Seth contributed greatly to the Loveland community in his youth… he served as a leader and role model on the varsity football team, was voted to be Class President his senior year, and was named “Mr. Personality” by his peers. He was well loved here. After graduating, he took that same sense of service and loyalty into all that he did: as a son, a brother, a friend, a leader in the Marines.
In other words, Seth was a hero for all.
We are a group of Seth Mitchell’s 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.
Dear friends, we hope you are well, safe and doing all you can to blunt the force of the pandemic surrounding us. We are truly in unchartered water. Our prayers are with you. As you probably guessed we were unable to do personal on site interviews with our 2020 Seth Mitchell scholarship applicants. However we summoned the help from some younger folks and proceeded with the interviews through Google Hangout!! Yep, Steve and Connie on Google Hangout. Who’d of thought that? Loveland High School also did not have their annual Senior Night on May 13, so the scholarships were awarded virtually. We had 18 applicants this year and personally interviewed six before awarding the two scholarships detailed below. Your scholarship committee consisting of Greg Carpinello, Damien Cook, Mollie Schrichten, Marisa Sobb, (all friends of Seth and ’97 LHS graduates) Connie and I, take seriously the process to recruit, interview and select candidates. All the kids were deserving and we are especially proud of the recipients.
So here goes: The Let Us Never Forget Seth Mitchell scholarship ($3500.00) is a partnership between the Mitchell Family and the Let Us Never Forget Scholarship Foundation (yellowribbonsupportcenter.com). Jordan Collins (above left) is the 2020 recipient and she has a spirit similar to Seth. She was/is involved in many theatrical and musical productions, is a National Honor Society member, volunteers through Mom’s Hope and works part time. Jordan will be paying a large part of her college costs. She has a “do something” attitude, a strong work ethic and knows no stranger, being kind to all. She is not afraid to fail in the pursuit of her dreams and is strong in the face of adversity. She hopes to pursue her theatrical dreams at Syracuse University.
The Seth Mitchell Memorial Scholarship ($3,500.00) is funded by the Seth Mitchell Hero 5k (sethmitchell5k.org). This annual event is in its 11th year in downtown Loveland, OH and is ran by Seth’s friends named above. The goal of the scholarship is to keep Seth’s spirit and story alive. Caroline Ginder (above right) is the 2020 recipient of the Memorial Scholarship. Caroline was described by one of her references a “being self motivated and goal oriented…and a fine example of caring more about their teammate than herself”. She participated in many school events such as Tiger’s Inc., soccer, NEST and is a National Honor Society member. Caroline will attend Ohio State University where she will pursue medicine. She hopes to someday be a part of Doctors Without Borders. Like Jordan, Caroline is paying a share of her college costs.
Thank you for your support, prayers and investment in our scholarships through the last eleven years.
Steve and Connie Mitchell Parents, Capt. D. Seth Mitchell, USMC KIA 10/26/2009, Helmand Province, Afghanistan Let Us Never Forget
Loveland, Ohio – On August 14 the Time Stamp band performed 80’s and 90’s rock and roll covers at the Town Fountain and railroad station in Historic Downtown Loveland.
Top U.S. health officials announced a plan Wednesday to begin offering COVID-19 booster shots to Americans starting Sept. 20, with the scheduling of the additional shot to be based on when a person was fully vaccinated.
The new round of jabs will be extended to those who received the two-dose vaccine from either Pfizer or Moderna, and can be taken eight months after an individual’s second dose.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, told reporters Wednesday that recent data makes clear that while the current COVID-19 vaccines have been highly effective against severe disease, hospitalization and death, the protection against mild and moderate disease has appeared to decrease over time.
“This is likely due to both waning immunity and the strength of the widespread delta variant,” Murthy said, adding that health officials are concerned that the decline in immunity could reduce protection against severe disease and death in the months ahead.
The more than 13 million Americans who received the one-dose shot from Johnson & Johnson may also need boosters, but will not yet be eligible.
Federal health officials said they are awaiting data from J&J in the next few weeks before urging additional doses. The J&J shot wasn’t approved until March, so those who received it will not hit eight months past inoculation until November.
The new booster rollout plan is subject to formal authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine panel.
Those agencies will hold public meetings before the booster rollout can begin. But officials said they were detailing the booster plan ahead of those meetings in part to give state and local health officials time to prepare for another wave of vaccination logistics.
State and local health officials again under pressure
The plan for offering a third shot puts yet another layer of pressure on state and local health departments that have carried out the massive vaccination campaign.
Those officials are still seeking to boost vaccination rates that have lagged in certain regions amid skepticism and misinformation. Meanwhile, vaccine manufacturers are expected this fall to seek approval for administering shots to children under 12, who so far have not been eligible.
During Wednesday’s news briefing, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, cited several new studies that tracked vaccine effectiveness, including among New Yorkers across age groups and another following case counts from nursing homes.
Those studies have shown that protection against severe infection has held up but not against milder infections, she said, adding that other countries, such as Israel, also are starting to see “worsening outcomes.”
“In the context of all of these studies, different cohorts, different settings across the country, and our international colleagues, we’ve made the decision to plan for these booster doses,” Walensky said.
The booster shots will be available at roughly 80,000 sites nationally, including 40,000 local pharmacies. As with the other COVID-19 shots, the boosters will be free of charge.
The CDC had already approved a third COVID-19 shot for some immunocompromised individuals, who may not have received strong protection from the initial doses of the vaccine.
While the booster plan does not specifically mention other categories of individuals to receive a priority for boosters, the initial vaccine rollout did put certain groups first in line. So the first individuals to hit eight months after their second shot should be those in the earliest priority categories, such as health care workers and nursing home residents.
SSCC President Dr. Kevin Boys, standing at right, shakes hands with former Board of Trustees member, the late Kay Ayres, at his first board meeting in 2010.
Southern State Community College (SSCC) President Dr. Kevin Boys on Wednesday announced his retirement from the college effective June of next year.
Prior to his presidency, Boys served for 31 years in K-12 education as a teacher, principal and superintendent in Loveland and Sycamore school districts. Boys was employed in Loveland from July 1, 2002 through December 2009.
The announcement signals the end of more than a decade of Boys’ leadership at Southern State.
Boys provided his letter of resignation for the purpose of retirement to the SSCC Board of Trustees at its regular meeting on August 18, setting his final day for June 30, 2022 to provide time for the board to find a replacement.
Dr. Kevin Boys addressing the 2006 Graduating Class of Loveland High School. (Loveland Magazine File Photo)
Boys has led the college since Jan. 1, 2010. During his tenure, he served under Ohio governors Ted Strickland, John Kasich and Mike DeWine. Both of Boys’ children attended and graduated from Southern State during his presidency. He resides in Clinton County.
Boys said in his retirement letter that he had planned to retire in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic prompted him to remain in leadership for an additional year beyond his contract.
“I felt it imperative that I stay to see us through the many challenges that this pandemic has brought our way,” he said. “It will be time for fresh leadership to take on new challenges as the college recovers from the pandemic and explores new opportunities to further its important mission.”
Boys said SSCC’s graduates range in age from the early teen years to well into a late age, and many would not have pursued a college degree if the college was not here for them.
“That has motivated me and brought joy to me nearly every day,” he said.
Boys also served as co-chair of the Higher Education Funding Commission with President Rod McDavis, devising a plan to distribute substantial capital funding to the state’s public colleges and university systems. Additionally, Boys served on the board of directors of the American Association of Community Colleges, and as Vice-chair of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges.
Boys graduated from the inaugural class of Leadership Adams and the 25th class of Leadership Clinton.
Dr. Kevin Boys introduced Ohio Govenor Ted Strickland at the Loveland Intermediate School in 2009 when Strickland announced his State budget and school reform. (Loveland Magazine File Photo)
Boys has served on the Highland County Chamber of Commerce Board for 10 years and is currently the chair of the Community Colleges of Appalachia, a membership group of 80 colleges throughout the Appalachian region. He is also a board member of the Rural Community College Alliance.
“It truly has been the honor of my life and pinnacle of my 42 years in public education to have served alongside you in providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality education to the citizens throughout these counties in Southern Ohio,” he said in his resignation letter.
Boys thanked the Board of Trustees, both current and past, who served as stewards of the institution, as well as dedicated faculty, staff and administrators.
“Southern State Community College is in good hands,” he said.
SSCC Board of Trustees Clinton County Chairman Brian Prickett wished Boys well in retirement and thanked him for his service to the college.
“I wish him well as he moves to the next phase of his life in retirement,” Prickett said. “His calm, professional demeanor in many recent trying situations is going to be missed. He is a true leader, and the school’s going to have to work very hard to replace his knowledge and his visibility to lead folks as we move forward and grow.”
Boys told Loveland Magazine, “I regard my years in Loveland with great fondness.” He and his wife now live in Wilmington. “We have neighbors close on both sides but we overlook our pond and the farm behind complete with red barn. We’re not sure what we’ll do in retirement, but for now we’ll enjoy the country.”
Boys said in retirement he plans to pick up playing his mandolin again, travel and “catch my breath.”
“I also plan to take my morning walks a little later in the morning,” he said.
Loveland, Ohio – Last Friday the Loveland High School Marching Band and Color Guard held a preview night to celebrate two weeks of band camp and show parents, siblings, grandparents, and music fans the skills they learned during two weeks in the hot August sun.
The theme of their Fall completion season, as well as half-time performances this year, is “An Eighties Adventure”.
Cassie Mattia is the Associate Editor of Loveland Magazine.
by Cassie Mattia
Loveland, Ohio – It’s that time of year again for the Annual Old School Corgi Meet-up! Pet owners grab your Corgi’s and head down to the old Loveland School House this Saturday for what promises to be one heck of a time!
This will be the 2nd year Bailey Vermette has spearheaded the corgi-friendly event with her friend Nikki Tran Duff.
“I met Nikki at a corgi meet-up she put together before we were known as Cincy Corgis. I told her my vision of the old school corgi meet-up and our partnership bloomed,” Vermette said, “We run monthly meet-ups at the West Chester VOA Dog Park, members homes, and our largest event is now at the Old School Corgi Meet Up just a few miles north of Loveland.”
Vermette welcomes all Corgis and their owners to come out to 10266 Murdock-Goshen Road from 11 AM to 2 PM this Saturday to enjoy some socialization with other Corgis and their owners. The 2nd Annual Old School Corgi Meet-up will also feature BBQ, local vendors, fun activities, and raffles with prizes for both humans and dogs!
The beautiful green T-shirt to the left was created by local business Apex Imprinted Sportswear, located at 523 West Loveland Ave, for the Annual Old School Corgi Meet-up!
Apex provides customers with theme creativity, layout, and design, as well as the finest imprinted and embroidered items. Apex has access to over 600,000 promotional products and is dedicated to finding the ideal product for your promotional need.
Below Vermette provided us with all the details you need for the event!
????: 2nd Annual Old School Corgi Meet-up
???: All corgis, corgi mixes, corgi owners, and corgi enthusiasts are welcome!
(a private property that sits on 2 acres with a pond and a vintage schoolhouse)
???: The goal of our meetup group ‘????? ??????’ is to connect the local corgi community and beyond. This event is a great way to responsibly socialize your corgis, get to know local owners, enjoy some bbq, support local vendors, and win awesome prizes!
????: FREE entry!
?????????? ???????:
-FREE cookout with hot dogs and water for the humans!
-FREE dog-friendly ice cream for the doggos!
-Doggy pools!
-Fun photo ops!
-Lawn games!
-RAFFLE with amazing prizes for both humans and doggos! (The drawing will be at 1:00 pm. You must be present to win.)
-??? ???? ????: 5 local vendors will provide a fun, interactive shopping experience for attendees (including treats, bandanas, accessories, fresh flowers + more)!
Cinci Pet Magazine attended the inaugural event last year. Read their story HERE and look at all the photos they took.
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“The old one-room schoolhouse was purchased by Dave, Stacey, and Bailey Vermette in 2016. After doing some research about the old school, the Vermette’s uncovered the name of the old building; Pleasant View school which was built in 1872. The vision that the Vermette’s had for the schoolhouse was to create an art studio and a gathering place for family and friends. The structure has been decorated in a very relaxing and unique way to honor Loveland, art, and our love for animals.”- The Vermette’s
For more of the latest Loveland event updates stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia!
Loveland, Ohio – The tracking system of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now moved Hamilton County, Ohio to the highest level of warning for the transmission of COVID 19.
Clermont and Warren Counties remain in the “High” rate of transmission range.
How do levels of community transmission affect schools?
UPDATE: Given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, CDC has updated the guidance for fully vaccinated people. CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Children should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place.CDC Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools
Updated Aug. 5, 2021
Key Takeaways
Students benefit from in-person learning, and safely returning to in-person instruction in the fall 2021 is a priority.
Vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting vaccination can help schools safely return to in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports.
Due to the circulating and highly contagious Delta variant, CDC recommends universal indoor masking by all students (age 2 and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
In addition to universal indoor masking, CDC recommends schools maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms to reduce transmission risk. When it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least 3 feet, such as when schools cannot fully re-open while maintaining these distances, it is especially important to layer multiple other prevention strategies, such as screening testing.
Screening testing, ventilation, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, staying home when sick and getting tested, contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation, and cleaning and disinfection are also important layers of prevention to keep schools safe.
Students, teachers, and staff should stay home when they have signs of any infectious illness and be referred to their healthcare provider for testing and care.
Many schools serve children under the age of 12 who are not eligible for vaccination at this time. Therefore, this guidance emphasizes implementing layered prevention strategies (e.g., using multiple prevention strategies together consistently) to protect students, teachers, staff, visitors, and other members of their households and support in-person learning.
Localities should monitor community transmission, vaccination coverage, screening testing, and occurrence of outbreaks to guide decisions on the level of layered prevention strategies (e.g., physical distancing, screening testing).
Summary of Recent Changes
Updates as of August 4, 2021
Updated to recommend universal indoor masking for all students, staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
Added recommendation for fully vaccinated people who have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to be tested 3-5 days after exposure, regardless of whether they have symptoms.
Loveland, Ohio – The tracking system of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now moved Clermont and Warren Counties to the highest level of warning for the transmission of COVID 19.
Hamilton and Butler Counties remain in the “Substantial” range.
“The Delta variant has altered the game plan for COVID-19,” Hamilton County Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman told Loveland Magazine last week. “We know masking works and is yet another layer, in addition to vaccination, to protect all of us from another surge of the virus.”
Vaccination remains the best way to avoid COVID-19 infection.“The vaccines are safe, effective and readily available,” according to Kesterman. “This is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated. If you have questions or concerns about the vaccine, please talk to a trusted health professional for the best information.”
![[Photos] Loveland High School Marching Band and Color Guard](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/feature-2021-color-guard.jpg)
