Tag: loveland

New program to place former foster children on a path to self-sufficiency

Hamilton County, Ohio – GreenLight Fund Cincinnati and Hamilton County Job and Family Services are teaming up to bring First Place for Youth to Cincinnati. First Place for Youth is an innovative program aimed at helping foster children transition to adulthood using a youth-centered, trauma-informed approach. The program will help nearly 100 children a year in Hamilton County with housing, education and employment services.

First Place for Youth originated in California and has a proven track record in helping youth develop necessary skills for adulthood. 91 percent of participating youth are employed when they graduate from the program. The education and workforce based program uses housing as a stabilizing force. Young people in the program live independently in apartments and receive wraparound support, education services, employment services and other help to become self-sufficient. This model, which is new to Cincinnati, will be operated by an existing, local non-profit organization who will be chosen later this month.

First Place for Youth anticipates helping nearly 350 young people over the next four years, 90 percent of local transition-age youth.

Moira Weir, director of Hamilton County Job and Family Services, which operates the local foster care system, said approximately 100 children a year “age-out” of the foster care system at age 18 or 21, meaning they are not reunified with their biological parents or adopted by new parents. First Place for Youth anticipates helping nearly 350 young people over the next four years, 90 percent of local transition-age youth.

Weir’s organization worked with the University of Cincinnati’s Economic Center on a recent study that found children aging out of the local child welfare system eventually cost local residents $17.7 million in social expenses and lost productivity each year. Those costs are related to the youths’ involvement in the criminal justice, homeless and health care systems, as well as lost productivity because they are not employed at the same level as their peers in the general population.

“You can imagine what life is like for an 18-year-old who is suddenly on their own with no family to turn to in times of trouble,” Weir said. “Research shows these young people are more likely to drop out of school, be unemployed, suffer physical or mental health problems, become teen parents, end up in the criminal justice system – they are more likely to fall victim to a host of social problems. We are excited to supplement our existing services with this incredibly innovative program GreenLight is bringing to our community. We are grateful for a community-based approach to this problem.”

The GreenLight Fund works to improve the lives of low-income children and families by partnering with local community leaders to identify gaps in services in our community and then scours the country for innovative approaches to filling those gaps. Once a solution is found, GreenLight invests an initial $600,000 and draws on community connections to launch the solution in Cincinnati. GreenLight then measures results to ensure real change is happening.

“We are thrilled to partner with Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services to support youth aging out of foster care in our community,” says Tara Noland, GreenLight Cincinnati’s executive director. “This proven, trauma-informed and data-driven model will drastically change the future trajectory of nearly all local youth who age out of care, helping them enter adulthood successfully and ultimately become thriving members of our community.”

GreenLight Fund Cincinnati has raised $1.8 million in funding from organizations such as the Cincinnati Business Committee, the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Bank of America, Duke Energy and others. Launched in 2015, it has served more than 1100 children and families through two portfolio organizations, the Center for Employment Opportunities and the Family Independence Initiative. First Place for Youth will be GreenLight’s third investment in Cincinnati.

First Place for Youth has an extensive database of outcomes that make it a proven program ideal for replicating in our city. Hamilton County Job and Family Services will match GreenLight’s initial $600,000 investment with $6.5 million in ongoing support.

August 8, 2019
Read Loveland School’s Five Year Forecast/Financial Report

Loveland, Ohio – A five-year financial forecast was approved by the Loveland Board of Education on May 21, 2019. Here are links where you can access the Five Year Forecast presentation and Five Year Forecast Financial Report:

http://go.boarddocs.com/oh/love/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=BC5MFS535BB6

https://www.lovelandschools.org/Downloads/Five%20Year%20Forecast%20Financial%20Report%20May%202019.pdf

Also, read:

Loveland Board of Education asks for combined 16.78-mill levy

August 7, 2019
Loveland Police and Fire answer: What to do in an active shooter situation

This is a reprint of a story we published in late January

Cassie Mattia is a columnist for Loveland Magazine and a resident of Historic Downtown.

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Have you even taken a minute and thought about what you or a loved one would do if an active shooter came into where you work, where you get your morning coffee or even where your child attends school? The question has been asked in many conversations that I have partaken in, which made me wonder; what exactly are the Loveland Police and Fire Department doing to help our community not only be safe, but feel prepared in an active shooter scenario. In the interview below Loveland Police Officer Jessie Moore (Loveland School Resource Officer) and Loveland-Symmes Fire Department’s Deputy-Chief Mike Books (EMS Chief of Operations) talk to Loveland Magazine about the active shooter training they will be teaching in schools, churches and local businesses!

Watch this LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV interview hear how your safety as well as your family’s safety is Loveland’s number one priority!

Active Shooter Event – An active shooter event involves one or more persons engaged in killing or attempting to kill multiple people in an area occupied by multiple unrelated individuals. (https://bit.ly/2RFpPV0)

EMS – Emergency Medical Services

The acronym for Emergency Medical Services. This term refers to the treatment and transport of people in crisis health situations that may be life threatening. … EMS are staffed by trained medical professionals, called EMTs, or emergency medical technicians.

ALICE – Active Shooter Civilian Response Training

ALERT is your first notification of danger

LOCKDOWN is to secure in place, and prepare to EVACUATE or COUNTER, if needed.

INFORM is communicate the violent intruder’s location and direction in real time.

COUNTER is to create Noise, Movement, Distance and Distraction with the intent of reducing the shooter’s ability to shoot accurately. Counter is NOT fighting.

EVACUATE is to remove yourself from the danger zone when it is safe to do so.

Department of Homeland – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security works to improve the security of the United States. The Department’s work includes customs, border, and immigration enforcement, emergency response to natural and manmade disasters, antiterrorism work, and cybersecurity.

Ohio Homeland Security is established to “Improve statewide terrorism prevention and protection programs by maintaining appropriate policies, developing staffing plans, and providing for continuity of operations”. They, “Maintain a process for intelligence analysis and production that emphasizes the development and distribution of strategic and actionable intelligence. Strengthen the resiliency of Ohio’s critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) by collaborating with public and private partners to identify vulnerabilities, share information, and facilitate the development of protective programs”.

The Hamilton County Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency (EMHSA) is authorized by Ohio Revised Code to coordinate and administer countywide all-hazards emergency management and disaster preparedness functions for Hamilton County and its political subdivisions.

Run – Hide – Fight

RUN. • Have an escape route and plan in mind. • Leave your belongings behind

HIDE. • Hide in an area out of the shooter’s view. • Block entry to your hiding place

FIGHT. • As a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger.

See Something, Say Something – “If You See Something, Say Something™” is a national campaign that raises public awareness of the indicators of terrorism and terrorism-related crime, as well as the importance of reporting suspicious activity to state and local law enforcement.

To report suspicious activity please contact your local law enforcement. Describe specifically what you observed, including:

• Who or what you saw;

• When you saw it;

• Where it occurred; and

• Why it’s suspicious.

If there is an emergency, call 9–1–1.

Stop the Bleed Program – Stop the Bleed is a national awareness campaign and call-to-action. Stop the Bleed is intended to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.

Stop the Bleed Kit – A Stop the Bleed Kit contains basic products for emergency responders or civilians to address a traumatic bleeding situation. Many kits for civilian use are available for on-line purchase.

Tourniquet – A device for stopping the flow of blood through a vein or artery, typically by compressing a limb with a cord or tight bandage.

Loveland PD – Loveland Police Department is located at the Loveland Safety Center, 126 S Lebanon Road Loveland, OH 45140 and can be reached at: 513-583-3000

Loveland-Symmes Fire Department – Headquartered at the Loveland Safety Center,126 S Lebanon Road Loveland, OH 45140. For non-emergencies they can be contacted at 513-583-3001. Located throughout the city and township there are four firehouses, which house personnel and equipment that respond to emergencies when needed.

Relaxed atmosphere and friendly service welcomes you back time and time again! Located in the heart of the Historic Loveland District Just outside Cincinnati.

August 5, 2019
Brendan Hogan, Connor Hogan, Christian Harris, Matt Huether, Nate Richmond, Ethan Libby, Nate Broelmann, and Eddie Pruitt

Matt Huether

Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland High School Men’s Tennis program hosted their Inaugural “Alumni” Doubles TennisTournament on July 28th at Loveland High School.

It was a beautiful, sunny day with temperatures in the low 80’s on top of the Loveland High School tennis courts.

This event included alumni from the class of 2017, 2018 and 2019 as well as current team players. The tournament play consisted of “pro-set” matches (1 set of 8 games). Participants were assigned a doubles partner by a random draw. It was a time to catch up and relive some of their fun times and enjoy some competitive tennis with alumni and current team players.

Brendan Hogan, Connor Hogan, Christian Harris, Matt Huether, Coach Sharpless, Nate Richmond, Ethan Libby, Nate Broelmann, and Eddie Pruitt

Participants for the first annual event were Christian Harris (2017), Nate Richmond (2017), Brendan Hogan (2018), Connor Hogan (2018), Matt Huther (2019), and three current players Eddie Pruitt (2020), Nate Broelmann (2020), and Ethan Libby (2021).

Doubles teams by random draw were Christian Harris and Connor Hogan, Brendan Hogan and Matt Huether, Nate Richmond and Eddie Pruitt, and Ethan Libby and Nate Broelmann.

The tournament Champions were the team of Connor Hogan (2018) and Christian Harris (2017).

Next summer the Loveland Men’s Tennis program looks to host their “Second Annual Alumni Doubles Tournament” and hope to have even more alumni participate and create a charity event around it. It was an outstanding time for all and they encourage more alumni to come out and enjoy the event next year.

August 4, 2019

Air Quality Advisory extends into Monday

Air Quality Index (AQI)

110 on Monnday

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

Health Message: Active children and adults, and people with lung disease, such as asthma, should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.

ACTION DAY

Loveland, Ohio – The Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency (Agency) has issued an Air Quality Advisory for Monday August 4th, for Loveland, Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties in Ohio; Boone, Campbell, and Kenton counties in Kentucky; and Dearborn County in Indiana. The Agency expects to see levels of ozone in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range on the Air Quality Index (AQI).

You can monitor Loveland’s air quality in real-time…

On Air Quality Advisory days, everyone can help reduce ozone formation by taking the following actions:

Take the bus, carpool, bike, or walk instead of drive.
Refuel your vehicle after 8 p.m.; do not top off when refueling and tighten the gas cap.
Do not idle your vehicle; exhaust contributes considerably to ozone formation.
Combine trips or eliminating unnecessary vehicle trips.
Keep your vehicle maintained with properly inflated tires and timely oil changes.
Avoid use of gasoline-powered lawn equipment on Air Quality Advisory days.
Avoid use of oil-based paints and stains on Air Quality Advisory days.
Never burn leaves or other yard trimmings.
Suspend use of fire pits, campfires and charcoal grills on Air Quality Advisory days.
Conserve electricity by turning out lights and unplugging unused appliances and electronics.

To learn more, visit:

Website SouthwestOhioAir.org
Facebook facebook.com/SouthwestOhioAir

Twitter twitter.com/swohioair

Enviroflash enviroflash.info/signup.cfm

August 4, 2019

Family ties abound in Loveland Stage Company’s “Mamma Mia” Cast

Carras family in Loveland Stage Company’s “Mamma Mia” which opens August 15. Seated Noah Carras. (l-r) Elizabeth Carras and Betsy Carras, English teacher at Mason City Schools.

Loveland, Ohio – Loveland Stage Company’s “Mamma Mia” opens August 16 and runs through the 25^th. The musical revolves around the popular music of ABBA but the heart of the storyline is about family. And family ties are found throughout the talented cast.

Ava Swearingen plays the role of Sophie, desperately trying to find her “real” father. Ava’s mother, Bobbie Jo is in the ensemble.

Betsy Carras (pictured above), an English teacher in Mason City schools, is joined in the cast by her two children Elizabeth and Noah.

Lee Vest, cast as Pepper, is joined by his dad Dave who is working on set construction

Artistic Director and set Designer Deirdre Dyson is joined by her husband Dick, who is the light designer.

Steve and Theresa Kovacs are the co-producers of this production.

The production opens August 15 and will continue through August 25. Showtimes are August 15, 16, 17, 23 and 24 at 730 p.m. and 3 p.m. on August 18, 24 (with an ASL presentation) and 25.

All tickets are $20 and can be purchased at http://lovelandstagecompany.org or by calling 513-443-4572. The theatre is located at 11 S. 2^nd St. 9Rt. 48), Loveland OH 45140.

July 31, 2019
Loveland Board of Education asks for combined 16.78-mill levy

Loveland, Ohio – On Friday, July 26 the Loveland Board of Education voted unanimously to place a combined operating and bond levy on the November 5 ballot. The additional money if approved by voters will fund daily operations of the school district and a building and construction bond to implement the district’s facility master plan.

The Board approved a facility master plan in April.

The District will issue bonds for $118,515,000:

“For the purpose of constructing school facilities and renovating and improving existing school facilities, including safety and security improvements; furnishing and equipping the same; improving the sites thereof; and acquisition of land and interests in land necessary.”

The Bonds will be dated approximately December 1, 2019;and bear interest at the estimated rate of 4.00% per annum; and will be paid over a period not to exceed 37 years.

The cost of the combined 16.78-mill levy translates into $49 monthly per $100,000 of appraised home value. If passed in November, collections will begin in 2020 according to the District.

The Hamilton County Auditor has certified, to the Board, that the dollar amount of revenue that would be generated by the Combined Levy during the first year of collection is $9,096,111, based on the current tax valuation of the School District of $878,003,060.

The last operating levy was for 5.6 mills and it was passed in May of 2014 with a 3,633 – 2489 vote. The District says it was a “four-year commitment” and they have stretched those dollars five and a half years. They say, based on their best projections at this time, they expect the new operating request to last at least three years. The operating levy provides operating money – energy bills, instructional costs including salaries and benefits, etc.

“We have done our due diligence throughout the facility master planning process to investigate every possible avenue for reducing the cost to the taxpayer,” said Kevin Hawley, district treasurer/CFO. “We know for certain that the longer we put off a comprehensive approach to the facilities issues, the more expensive a solution will become.”

The master plan outlines a new campus at Grailville for all Pre-K through fifth-grade students. It includes repairs, renovations, and additions to the Middle School/Intermediate School and High School campuses. The money will also be used for upgraded building security at all schools with secure entrances, camera systems, and electronically-activated locks. It includes upgraded and expanded science and technology laboratories for biotechnology and robotics, among others.

Included in the master plan is a new auditorium/fine arts center at the high school. The current auditorium will be repurposed as academic space. The master plan also includes upgrades and enhancements to athletic facilities at both the Middle and High Schools.

If the levy passes, approximately a year of designing and another year of construction will follow. The plan is to start the new campus construction first so that students (Pre-K-5th grade) can move into the new buildings in the fall of 2022. According to the plan, the additional repairs, renovations, and additions in the district are expected to be completed by 2025/2026.

A new transportation facility, now at the Primary and Elementary Campus, is planned for a later phase.

High School Athletic Field Enhancements

• New turf fields for baseball and softball
● Additional turf multi-purpose field
● New locker room and restroom facility
● New ticket booth and gateway entrance
● New concessions building
● Possible field lighting and new home bleachers

High School Addition

• New 1000-seat theater and support spaces
● New secured main entrances with administration space
● New large group collaboration and presentation space
● Additional classroom spaces
● Outdoor learning areas

High School Renovation

• Existing auditorium transformed into next-generation learning spaces for programs like robotics, computer science, makerspace, and science classes
● Enhanced mental health, counseling, and college and career areas
● Improved student circulation
● Increased student collaboration areas

During the District’s planning process estimates were made to calculate ranges of cost for the Master Plan, however, no up-dated costs have been provided. The broad estimates provided in January are:

• Renovations to the existing Intermediate/Middle School campus, renovations, and additions to the existing High School site, and constructing a new Pre-K through fifth-grade campus at Grailville will cost between 123 and 150 million and the milage range would be 7.37 – 9.02.

(This does not include the price for the Grailville land where the campus would be built. The District has an “Option to Buy” contract with Grailville for the approximately 110-acre site for $70,000 per acre less the value of a conservation easement that may be put on a portion of the land.)

Read: Grailville and School District Option to Purchase Agreement and Appraisal

Loveland Magazine – Jul 28, 2019

• New fine arts center at the existing high school would cost between $12 and $16 million. The millage range was estimated to be between .72 and .96.

• Athletic Complex enhancements at the existing Middle and High School would cost between $5 and $7.5 million and a millage range of .3 – .45.

Architects hired by the District developed the budget for the total project ($165 M). The District told Loveland Magazine, “How the money is allocated towards the different parts of the master plan will be determined by various factors, like current market costs of building materials or the community’s priorities within the design process.”

You can read the full Resolution passed by the Board: July 26th resolution-1

Pending Board of Election approval, below is how question will appear on the ballot.

You can read more about the plans and the planning process at the Building Tiger Nation website.

[RP Diamond Sale extended] Now Tax Free

Buy some Tiger Wear! Beginning in 2019, Sub. S.B. 226 provides for a permanent sales tax holiday on the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of…

July 31, 2019
August 17 is “A Neighborhood Cleanup” day

“An Event that anyone could and should do.”

– Joe Timmerman

Loveland, Ohio – Recent Loveland High School graduate, Joe Timmerman said that growing up, his dad, Dan Timmerman, would

Joe Timmerman smiles outside the Cintas Center at his graduation from Loveland High School last June. Timmerman will be studying photojournalism at Ohio University

make him and his brothers walk down their street in Loveland and pick up the trash alongside the road that people throw out of their car windows. “Whenever we go on walks in our neighborhood, on the bike trail or in the nature preserve, my dad always picks the trash up to throw away,” Joe Timmerman said.

“My dad inspired the original idea and after following in his footsteps in Loveland and in travels, I thought it would be a good idea to make it an event that anyone could and should do.”

July 30, 2019
[RP Diamond Sale extended] Now Tax Free
Buy some Tiger Wear!

Beginning in 2019, Sub. S.B. 226 provides for a permanent sales tax holiday on the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of August each year. For 2019, the sales tax holiday will begin on Friday, August 2 at 12:00 a.m. and end on Sunday, August 4 at 11:59 p.m.

During the holiday, the following items are exempt from sales and use tax:
- Clothing priced at $75 per item or less;
- School supplies priced at $20 per item or less; and
- School instructional material priced at $20 per item or less.
July 29, 2019
Read: Grailville and School District Option to Purchase Agreement and Appraisal

Loveland, Ohio – In March, the Loveland School District entered into an “Option to Buy” contract with Grailville. The approximately 110-acre property, if purchased, would be used for the construction of a new campus with three school buildings (Pre-K/K; 1^st-2^ndgrade; 3^rd-5^thgrade).

The real estate is currently owned by the Grail, an Ohio nonprofit organization, and is part of the property known as Grailville, located on O’Bannonville Road, east of downtown Loveland.

The purchase price will be equal to $70,000 per acre as determined by a survey of the actual total acreage, less the value of a conservation easement that may be put on a portion of the land.

The District made a $100,000 “Earnest Money” deposit and the option period extends until March 1, 2020. The parties can extend the option to purchase by mutual consent.

The District contracted for an appraisal of the site with the Crown Appraisal Group, Inc. and was told the value was $7,630,000. You can read the appraisal: 109 Acre, 930 O’Bannonville Rd, Loveland, OH Appraisal Report 04-17-2019.

You can also read: Option to Buy Contract – Grail and LCS-2.

July 28, 2019