Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: Loveland Magazine

  • Town Hall called to discuss 4.9 mill Loveland operating levy

    Town Hall called to discuss 4.9 mill Loveland operating levy

    Superintendent Mike Broadwater (Loveland Magazine file photo)

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District will hold a Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, April 25, at 6 PM in the Media Center at Loveland Intermediate School. In his April 19 “Schools Update” Superintendent Mike Broadwater said, “The purpose of this Town Hall is to provide a forum for our Loveland City Schools community to ask questions about the upcoming 4.9 mill operating levy on the ballot on May 2.”

    The Town Hall will include the Superintendent, Treasurer Rob Giuffre’ and two members of the Board of Education. It will not be an official meeting of the Board. The Superintendent’s newsletter did not specify which board members will participate in the discussions.

    If you cannot attend, you can watch a live stream by following this link.

    Only in-person attendees can participate with questions or comments. After the meeting, the live stream recording will be available on the Board of Education YouTube channel.

    During the Town Hall, Broadwater said, “We will work to take questions or comments from as many participants as possible to foster conversation around these important issues.”

  • Vendors Announced for “Sip and Shop: Mother’s Day Edition” [Video Interview]

    Vendors Announced for “Sip and Shop: Mother’s Day Edition” [Video Interview]

    Here is the list of vendors and non-profit organizations that will be attending the Sip and Shop

    by David Miller, Loveland Magazine’s Managing Editor

    Loveland, Ohio – “I am super excited about this sip and shop and I know it will be a great event to support Loveland Schools and these small businesses,” said Loveland High School Senior Kate Krabacher.

    Kate is a student at Loveland High School and is a member of Tigers Inc. Kate said that she and Tigers Inc are excited to be co-hosting the “Sip and Shop: Mother’s Day Edition” with Lemons and Limes Boutique owner, Wendy Knight. The event will be on April 22nd from 11 AM until 4 PM at the Landing Event Center on the bank of the Scenic Little Miami River in Historic Downtown.

    Lemons and Limes is a local small business boutique with locations in Loveland and Mason. Tigers Inc is a nonprofit organization run by a selective group of business-oriented student leaders at Loveland High School.

    Kate is also an intern at Lemons and Limes and Wendy said she has been in charge, from “start to finish” of the planning for the Mother’s Day event from day one. Kate reached out to business vendors in the area and persuaded them to be involved, and purchase a space at this event. Wendy said that one of the most important things she wants the community to know is that this is “truly a student led event”

    The venue will be set up as a small business market and each vendor will have their own space for a pop-up shop or display.

    Last year the event was run by an employee at the Landing Event Center, but she is no longer there, so Tigers Inc took on the responsibility of organizing the event with Wendy at Lemons and Limes.

    Kate said that it was a great success last year for all vendors and they are hoping to grow the attendance, even more, this year.

    Besides supporting Tigers Inc, this year, the event is supporting a Loveland Elementary School Capital Campaign to fund new tables for the LES cafeteria.

    Wendy said that shopping at the Sip and Shop is an excellent opportunity to support local small businesses by buying Mother’s Day gifts, birthday presents, something for yourself, or a graduation gift. She said there will be many items to buy for men and boys as well.

    There will be a map provided to attendees that will encourage shoppers to visit the other shops in Historic Downtown and Wendy encourages shoppers to buy a meal at a local restaurant.

    The fashion show will feature local “elite celebrity” models you will recognize, teachers, school administrators, and local moms and students. Most of the fashions come from the selection of clothing and accessories found at Lemons and Limes.

    Learn more about Kate and Wendy and their excitement about “Sip and Shop: Mother’s Day Edition” in this newest episode of LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV.

    Please “Like” and become a “Subscriber” to our YouTube Channel!

    Do you want to join the fun and become a vendor? Email Wendy or Kate.

    Here is the LINK if you want to become a vendor.

    Find out more about the “Sip and Shop: Mother’s Day Edition” on Facebook

    Tigers Inc on Facebook.

    Learn more about Lemons and Limes Boutique.

    The Landing Event Center on Facebook.

  • Loveland Police Department has placed automated license plate readers throughout the city

    Loveland Police Department has placed automated license plate readers throughout the city

    by David Miller

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Police Department has placed automated license plate readers throughout the city to capture the “fingerprint” of vehicles.

    According to City Hall, the police will utilize the “latest technology to detect and deter criminal activity” and are using Flock Safety Automated License Plate Readers.

    Automated License Plate Reader (Photo provided by City of Loveland)

    In a news release, City Hall says that approximately 70% of all crimes involve a vehicle. “With the readers, a vehicle fingerprint can be captured: the license plate, make, model, color, and number of times the vehicle has been seen. Alerts are sent to officers for cars wanted in connection with crimes, stolen vehicles, wanted persons, and Amber/Silver Alerts for missing persons. Investigators can use Flock data (stored for 30 days) to identify cars used in crimes.”

    The City says the devices will not be used for traffic enforcement. Alerts are sent to officers for cars wanted in connection with crimes, stolen vehicles, wanted persons, and Amber/Silver Alerts for missing persons.

    Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reading Camera (Image by Flock Safety)

    The City gives this example of how the Flock data could be used: “In 2022, a senior resident with memory issues drove away from home. The family contacted LPD to report a missing person. A search of Flock could have provided a direction of travel. The resident’s vehicle could have been entered into Flock’s database, and officers would be alerted if/when it passed by any Flock license plate reader nationwide.”

    Below is what their “Transparency Portal” says about what data will be maintained and its current usage.

    “Loveland OH PD uses Flock Safety technology to capture objective evidence without compromising on individual privacy. Loveland OH PD utilizes retroactive search to solve crimes after they’ve occurred. Additionally, Loveland OH PD utilizes real time alerting of hotlist vehicles to capture wanted criminals. In an effort to ensure proper usage and guardrails are in place, they have made the below policies and usage statistics available to the public.”

    What’s Detected: Vehicle Fingerprint
    License Plates, Vehicle Make, Vehicle Color, Last Visit Date / Time, Number Of Days Seen
    What’s Not Detected
    Facial recognition, People, Gender, Race
    Acceptable Use Policy
    Data is used for law enforcement purposes only. Data is owned by Loveland OH PD and is never sold to 3rd parties.
    Prohibited Uses
    Immigration enforcement, traffic enforcement, harrassment or intimidation, usage based solely on a protected class (i.e. race, sex, religion), Personal use
    Access Policy
    All system access requires a valid reason and is stored indefinitely.
    Hotlist Policy
    Hotlist hits are required to be human verified prior to action.
    Data retention (in days)
    30 days
    Number of owned cameras
    6
    Vehicles detected in the last 30 days
    163,191
    Searches in the last 30 days
    31
    Hotlists Alerted On
    National Crime Information Center (NCIC) which includes vehicles wanted for crimes, missing and wanted persons, AMBER & Silver Alerts
    _______________________________
  • The what to do and “Why” when under a Boil Water Advisory

    The what to do and “Why” when under a Boil Water Advisory

    by David Miller

    Loveland, Ohio – The loss of positive pressure within a distribution water pipe may allow disease-causing microorganisms from surrounding soil or groundwater to be drawn into the pipe that feeds your home or business.

    The City of Loveland recently issued a Boil Water Advisory for portions of Downtown after a water main break, however, did not simultaneously inform residents or businesses what it meant, what they needed to do, or why they should take important steps to protect their health or the health of customers and employees. Nor did the City tell anyone what risk they were taking if they used the possibly contaminated water coming from the tap.

    “With little to no in-house water treatment, a lot of local restaurants are forced to close for the duration of the advisory. The ones that choose to remain open must bear a significant cost of substitution, for example, by using bottled water. As soon as a BWA is issued, every equipment utilizing water, from the soda machine to the ice machine, needs to be thoroughly cleaned out and all pre-made product from such machines needs to be thrown away.”*

    Germs That Can Contaminate Tap Water

    “Distribution systems are usually under enough pressure so that any cracks let clean water out (at a cost to taxpayers), but prevent dirty water from getting in. When water mains break, however, system pressure drops—and those cracks allow contaminants like viruses to seep in. Water main breaks are thus a key vulnerability that promote waterborne disease.”**

    Read Background:

    Boil water advisory has been issued in Loveland

    Below is what the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) recommends when a boil water notice is issued to residents or food service facilities.

    _________________________

    Drinking water advisories let people know that tap water could be contaminated and make them sick. Advisories tell people, schools, hospitals, businesses, and others about the situation and how to take immediate action, if necessary. Water systems and state or local agencies issue these advisories when they have concerns about water contamination.

    Boil Water Advisory for Residences

    Español (Spanish) | Print
    Water Boiling on a Gas Stove, stainless pot.

    If your local health officials issue a boil water advisory, you should use bottled water or boil tap water. This is because a boil water advisory means your community’s water has, or could have, germs that can make you sick.

    Advisories may include information about preparing food, drinks, or ice; dishwashing; and hygiene, such as brushing teeth and bathing. Boil water advisories usually include this advice:

    • Use bottled or boiled water for drinking, and to prepare and cook food.
    • If bottled water is not available, bring water to a full rolling boil for 1 minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for 3 minutes). After boiling, allow the water to cool before use.
    • Boil tap water even if it is filtered (for example, by a home water filter or a pitcher that filters water).
    • Do not use water from any appliance connected to your water line, such as ice and water from a refrigerator.
    • Breastfeeding is the best infant feeding option. If you formula feed your child, provide ready-to-use formula, if possible.

    Handwashing

    • In many cases, you can use tap water and soap to wash hands during a boil water advisory. Follow the guidance from your local public health officials.
    • Be sure to scrub your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Then, rinse them well under running water.
    • If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

    Bathing and showering

    • Be careful not to swallow any water when bathing or showering.
    • Use caution when bathing babies and young children. Consider giving them a sponge bath to reduce the chance of them swallowing water.

    Brushing teeth

    • Brush teeth with boiled or bottled water. Do not use tap water that you have not boiled first.

    Washing dishes

    • If possible, use disposable plates, cups, and utensils during a boil water advisory.
    • Household dishwashers generally are safe to use if:
      • The water reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66°Celsius), or
      • The dishwater has a sanitizing cycle.
    • Sanitize all baby bottles.
    • To wash dishes by hand:
      • Wash and rinse the dishes as you normally would using hot water.
      • In a separate basin, add 1 teaspoon of unscented household liquid bleach for each gallon of warm water.
      • Soak the rinsed dishes in the water for at least one minute.
      • Let the dishes air dry completely before using again.

    Laundry

    • It is safe to wash clothes as usual.

    Cleaning

    • Clean washable toys and surfaces with:

    Caring for pets

    • Pets can get sick from some of the same germs as people or spread germs to people. Give pets bottled water or boiled water that has cooled.
    • If bottled water is not available, bring water to a full rolling boil for 1 minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for 3 minutes). After boiling, allow the water to cool before use.
    • Boil tap water even if it is filtered (for example, by a home water filter or a pitcher that filters water).
    • Do not use water from any appliance connected to your water line, such as ice and water from a refrigerator.

    Caring for your garden and houseplants

    • You can use tap water for household plants and gardens.
    More Information

    Guidelines for Food Service Facilities During and After a Boil Water Advisory

    During a Boil Water Advisory

    When a boil water advisory is issued that affects a food service establishment and the local health department does not indicate that food service establishments must close, the following precautions should be taken by food service facilities until they are notified by authorities that the advisory has ended.

    General

    • Post signs or copies of the water system’s health advisory.
    • Develop a plan to notify and educate employees about emergency procedures.
      Food Preparation
    • Shut off appliances that use tap water, such as ice machines, drinking fountains, produce misters, bottled water refill machines, soft drink fountains connected to the water supply, and water dipper wells.
    • Discard ice and mixed beverages made with contaminated water.
    • Use packaged ice from approved sources.
    • Use bottled water, boiled water, or water that has been disinfected with bleach for drinking, food preparation, washing produce and cooking.
    • If possible, use disposable plates, cups, and utensils. Hygiene and Cleaning
    • Wash hands with soap and tap water. When you are done washing and drying your hands, use an alcohol based hand-sanitizer and let hands air dry.
    • Commercial dishwashers generally are safe to use if the water reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 165°F–180°F, as determined by your local or state authorities.
    • If you are not able to use disposable plates, cups, and utensils and do not have a dishwasher, wash dishes by hand following these instructions:
    • Wash and rinse the dishes as you normally would using hot water.
      In a separate basin, add 1 teaspoon of unscented household bleach for each gallon of warm water.
      The bleach label should say that it contains 5–9% of sodium hypochlorite. Soak the rinsed dishes in the water for at least 1minute. Let the dishes air dry completely before using again.
    • The local health department may add requirements to protect public health during the boil water advisory, such as modifying food preparation, prohibiting menu items or closing operations. Consult with [health department contact] for specific requirements.

    After the Boil Water Advisory is lifted

    When a food service establishment is notified that the boil water advisory has been lifted and the drinking water supply is safe, the following actions need to be taken.

    • Flush pipes throughout the facility by running each faucet with cold water for [X] minutes.
    • Flush, clean, and sanitize appliances that use tap water (such as beverage dispensers, spray misters, coffee and tea urns, ice machines, glass washers, dishwashers) according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
    • Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
    • Flush hot water tanks.
    • Run drinking fountains continuously for [X] minutes to flush the system.
    • Replace and sanitize water filter cartridges according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
    • Take proper steps to flush ice machines by following the manufacturer’s instructions, including:
      • Throw out any remaining ice.
      • Flush the waterline to the machine inlet.
      • Close the valve on the waterline behind the machine.
      • Disconnect the waterline from the machine inlet.
      • Open the valve and run 5 gallons of water through the valve. Dispose of the water.
      • Close the valve.

    ___________________________

    * Impact of Water Main Breaks on Drinking Water for Food & Beverage Establishments

    * Negative Consequences for Public Health

  • City Hall calls two public hearings

    City Hall calls two public hearings

    Loveland, Ohio – City Hall has invited interested parties to attend two public hearings.

    The first is on April 25 and it is about Flood Damage Prevention Regulations. The second hearing is about new proposed Outdoor Lighting Regulations and is on May 9.

    To learn more follow these links:

    CHAPTER 554: OUTDOOR LIGHTING REGULATIONS

    Flood Damage Prevention Regulations

    Both hearings are at Loveland City Hall, 120 West Loveland Avenue at 7 PM.

  • Loveland Goodwill reopens soon

    Loveland Goodwill reopens soon

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Loveland, Ohio – Although she could not give a definitive reopening date, the Ohio Valley Goodwill store in Loveland may open it’s doors again in the next few weeks said Sharon Hannon the marketing director. “Maybe next week, fingers crossed.”

    There is a construction meeting today.

    Hannon said customers should see noticeable improvements as they virtually “gutted” the interior. New lighting is being installed, fresh paint and interior graphics, new restrooms, five new changing rooms, and a new office. The drive-thru donation center has received much attention also. Top to bottom with newly painted ceilings throughout the entire store.

    Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries has described it as their “Flagship Design, and the Loveland location will feature Goodwill’s new “signature colors.” Construction delays affecting most commercial construction projects set back their anticipated March reopening, however, the “retail elves” are busy restocking the shelves.

    “Bells and whistles” are promised for the reopening day with giveaways and sales coupons.

    Here is a sneak peek of what customers can expect…[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_gmaps link=”#E-8_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”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Ohio School Safety Center announces keynote speakers for the 2023 Ohio School Safety Summit

    Ohio School Safety Center announces keynote speakers for the 2023 Ohio School Safety Summit

    Registration coming soon!

    Tuesday, July 25, 9 a.m. 

    Dr. Dewey Cornell, Professor at the University of Virginia and developer of the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines, (CSTAG), will present on School Threat Assessment as a Safe Fair, and Effective Practice in Ohio Schools, which will describe how to implement best practices and resolve student threats, while maintaining a fair and equitable manner.

     

    Tuesday, July 25, 2 p.m.

    Dr. Amanda Nickerson, Professor and Director of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York, will speak about Bullying Prevention and Intervention, including solutions, strategies, and resources to promote a safe school climate.

     

    Wednesday, July 26, 9 a.m.

    Sgt. William Chapman, a member of the Newtown, Conn. police department, uses his experiences as a Sandy Hook first responder and School Resource Officer to help school districts and law enforcement to develop best practices and will present on Navigating the Unthinkable: A First Responder’s Perspective.

     

    Wednesday, July 26, 2:45 p.m.

    Dr. Scott Poland, Professor and Director of the Suicide and Violence Prevention Office at Nova Southeastern University, will discuss School Crisis and Liability, including issues involving obtaining parental consent, failure to notify parents, and legal consequences of inadequate threat assessments in schools.

     

    •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

    CONTACT

    The MISSION of the Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) is to support all Ohio schools and first responders in preventing, preparing for, and responding to threats and acts of violence, including self-harm, through a holistic, solutions-based approach to improving school safety. Using a cross-disciplinary approach, the OSSC will provide resources to schools to enhance their strategies for safety, security, and emergency plan development.

    Our goal is total commitment in supporting all schools in ensuring the safety of students, employees, and visitors through effective policies and procedures, training, and community and interagency involvement.

    There are four main components to our goal:

    • Prevention/Mitigation: Schools can take action to increase the safety and wellbeing of their staff and students. To create a safe and supportive learning environment, schools may institute policies, positive behavior intervention supports, and prevention programs to improve the culture and climate of their building.
    • Preparedness: School leaders should be equipped with all the vital resources, information, and expectations to create a comprehensive safety plan and response protocols for any emergency situation, including natural disasters, violent incidents, and terrorist acts – before, during, and after the event.
    • Response: Assisting schools with the development of their all-hazards response plan is a key element of our goal. Safety and well-being in an emergency depends on how prepared students and staff are and on how everyone responds to a crisis. By being able to act responsibly and safely, school administrators will be able to protect students, staff and facilities. Our office will strive towards ensuring updates on school safety regulations, directives, policy, and deadlines will be communicated on a regular basis so schools can revise and implement the most current criterion and respond accordingly.
    • Recovery: The primary objective of recovery is to provide a caring and supportive school environment so that staff and students can return to teaching and learning as quickly as possible. Creating a system of supports with community social service agencies and local first responders can reinforce the cycle of safety planning and restore the social, emotional and environmental needs of students and staff.
  • Calling all ladies to the Chamber’s LinkedUp Loveland

    Calling all ladies to the Chamber’s LinkedUp Loveland

    Loveland, Ohio – Calling all the ladies! Join us for LinkedUp Loveland on April 26 featuring a wonderful lineup of panelists. Lunch, networking, and professional development!

    Ladies, Join Us this Spring
    Connect with local women, resources and friends

    Join other business women from the greater Loveland area in a friendly networking atmosphere that will focus on personal and professional growth. 

    Our Spring 2023 Panel will feature local women leaders in business:

    “Finding your Personal Brand”
    “How to Maximize Social Media for Your Business”
    “Women’s Professionalism: Putting Your Best Self First”    Panelists are:

    • Tammy Vilaboy, Tat2Marketing

    • Meshell Giblin, BusinessDNA Group

    • Mary Starvaggi, The Etiquette Advantage

    AGENDA:

    11:15-11:30 a.m.: Registration & Open Networking

    11:30 a.m.: Welcome

    11:45 a.m.: Lunch and panel begins

    1:00 p.m.: closing

    This event is presented by:

    Promoted Post
  • Ohio tax breaks adding up, watchdog says

    Ohio tax breaks adding up, watchdog says

    Loveland, Ohio, and Columbus

    Part of the incentive package offered to Intel by the state of Ohio. (Screenshot from Ohio Dept. of Development presentation)

    BY:  – Ohio Capital Journal

    A new analysis says that 15 new tax breaks — many benefiting wealthy people and corporations — are coming online in Ohio.

    That will swell the total cost of tax breaks in the state to $11 billion a year, equal to 37% of the state’s annual revenue, the report by Policy Matters Ohio said.

    The new breaks will cost the state an additional $450 million a year as the state has ended a process to review the worthiness of its tax breaks, the report said.

    “Tax breaks are ballooning with little oversight,” Zach Schiller, Policy Matters’ research director, said in a written statement. “The General Assembly should restore a tax expenditure review committee, eliminated in the state budget two years ago, and rein in unproductive tax breaks that reinforce inequality in our state.”

    A big portion of the new tax breaks will go to Intel as part of a $2 billion incentive package in exchange for an investment of at least $20 billion to build a chip plant in New Albany and create at least 3,000 jobs. The new jobs are good news for Ohio, but some economic research indicates that in all but a fraction of cases, businesses would make the same location or expansion decisions regardless of the tax incentives they’re given.

    Meanwhile, the poorest Ohioans shoulder a disproportionate share of the state and local tax burden and House Republicans are proposing to make that burden heavier with House Bill 1, which would flatten that state income tax.

    The Policy Matters report said too many Ohio tax breaks favor people and corporations that need them the least.

    “While some tax breaks are well-directed, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, which provides needed aid to low and moderate-income working families, a host of them should be repealed or cut back,” it said. “The business income deduction, also known as the LLC loophole, disproportionately rewards a small number of high-income individuals and costs an estimated $1 billion a year with negligible economic impact. Owners of data centers such as Facebook, Amazon and Google are receiving a sales-tax exemption worth more than $250 million over two years, though these facilities employ few workers.”

    The report also called out huge tax breaks to drug wholesalers Cardinal Health, McKesson and AmeriSource Bergen. The companies got those breaks even as the state sued them over claims that they fed and profited from Ohio’s opioid epidemic.

    “Suppliers to big drug distributors including Cardinal Health don’t have to pay much or any Commercial Activity Tax, though this was exposed as a tax dodge by the Kasich Administration’s budget director six years ago,” the report said. “Big retailers like Wal-Mart and Target are profiting from the discount on sales tax they collect, as then-taxation department commissioner Joe Testa testified years ago.”

    The report also called on lawmakers to resume evaluations of how effective tax breaks are at achieving their stated purpose. While many of Ohio’s tax breaks have been sold as job creators, the Buckeye State had the third-worst job growth of any state between February 2022 and February 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    “Some tax breaks, such as Governor (Mike) DeWine’s proposed low-income housing tax credit, can be beneficial,” Schiller said. “But the General Assembly should set up a mechanism to rigorously scrutinize the tax breaks we have and cut back on unproductive exemptions and deductions that are proliferating in our tax code.”

    ___________________________

    MARTY SCHLADEN

    Marty Schladen has been a reporter for decades, working in Indiana, Texas and other places before returning to his native Ohio to work at The Columbus Dispatch in 2017. He’s won state and national journalism awards for investigations into utility regulation, public corruption, the environment, prescription drug spending and other matters.

    MORE FROM AUTHOR

    ___________________________

  • Cincinnati Enquirer selling semi-auto handguns and “Assault” rifles

    Cincinnati Enquirer selling semi-auto handguns and “Assault” rifles

    Clippings of recent advertisements found in The Cincinnati Enquirer and delivered to local doorsteps.

    Loveland. Ohio – Last Sunday on Mother’s Day, the Cincinnati Enquirer delivered to doorsteps these reports and commentary about gun violence.

     

    And this advertisement from a local gun dealer.

    Christmas Presents

    Enquirer advertisements from November 24, 2022, urging customers to buy semi-auto handguns, semi-auto shotguns, semi-auto “Assault” rifles, high-capacity 40-round magazines, and high-velocity “NATO” ammo developed for military and police.