Milford, Ohio – The Greater Milford Area Historical Society (GMAHS) is hosting a historic home tour of nine properties in the south Milford area on Saturday, April 23, 2022, from 11 AM until 4 PM. Tour tickets will be limited in number and will cost $35 in advance, and $40 the day of the tour.
Homes on the tour will cover a wide range of sizes, ages, and renovations, and include properties on Cleveland, Center, Garfield, Mound, Forest, and Main streets. The event is a fundraiser for GMAHS and Promont Museum.
“Milford has changed so much since our last home tour in 2009. It is such an exciting time for the community to come together and celebrate our beautiful residences and history,” said Dianna Davis, Co-Chair of the Home Tour Committee, “We are excited for people to experience the beauty of these interesting historic homes and catch glimpses of Milford’s past at the same time.”
Loveland, Ohio – Dress for Success Cincinnati has announced that The Care Center of Loveland is their new satellite location for the StyleHER program.
For the past 15 years, the Care Center has been assisting families by helping them remove the barriers and build the resources needed to thrive in life. Located at 11020 South Lebanon Road in Loveland, The Care Center will now be offering DFSC styling services to residents of the Loveland and neighboring communities.
According to Data USA, the largest demographic living in poverty in Loveland is currently women ages 25-34. The hope is that through this partnership, they will be able to tend to that community of women living at or below the poverty line and offer them services that will nurture their employment mobility and help them to thrive.
A strong supporter of this mission is Greg Knake, Executive Director of The Care Center, who recognized the opportunity for Dress for Success Cincinnati and The Care Center to help more women through a partnership early on.
“Our mission is about helping people thrive in life, and one critical way we do that is by helping them reenter the workforce,” Knake said. “We also have a high value for not trying to recreate the wheel, and we instantly identified that Dress for Success Cincinnati already had a model that was successful. It is a perfect fit to incorporate Dress for Success Cincinnati’s services in what we do.”
Through this act of ‘not trying to recreate the wheel’ they have formed a partnership that can utilize the successes of both organizations to further benefit women. The Care Center of Loveland is a state-of-the-art resource center offering beneficial services such as childcare and transportation that help to eliminate major barriers that stand in the way of women receiving this support.
As childcare is a service that is not currently offered by Dress for Success Cincinnati, they can now offer it to their clients at The Care Center’s location. Not only have they expanded the range of women they are able to serve but have expanded the accessibility for women to utilize the services as well.
“We want to be a resource for people who want to take advantage of Dress for Success Cincinnati’s resource but may not have the reliable transportation to access the Norwood location,” Knake said. “We are excited to offer Dress for Success Cincinnati’s resources in areas like Milford, Goshen, and Loveland.”
In addition to offering DFSC styling services at The Care Center, the new satellite location will also offer similar career assistance to that of Dress for Success Cincinnati’s Norwood office. Just as the DFSC office has partnered with Cincinnati Works to provide help with resume building, job searching, and more via an on-site Cincinnati Works representative, The Care Center will offer the same opportunity for clients.
“We also offer career development resources through Cincinnati works and even work with the same Cincinnati works representative,” Knake said. “So, clients will have that same opportunity when they come here to be styled.”
Dress for Success Cincinnati said that they are thrilled to launch this new satellite location and to be working with Knake and his team at The Care Center to offer their services, along with the added benefits that come from this new location to more women in surrounding areas.
To learn more about The Care Center or schedule your styling appointment, visit The Care Center’s website here.
The graph above is from the National Weather Service depicting potential river levels around the Kings Mills area.
The National Weather Service predicts that today’s rain will cause the Little Miami River to reach “Minor Flooding” levels tonight.
At the Kings Mills monitoring location it is predicted there will be flooding of lowland areas occurring from South Lebanon to Foster. Portions of Mason-Morrow-Millgrove Road will also flood, as well as Stubbs Mills Road near the river, including Front Street in Morrow floods.
Lowland flooding is possible along the Little Miami River in Clermont and Hamilton Counties, with flooding of Karl Brown Way near Loveland.
The river is expected to crest near 17′ at Kings Mills and 16.5′ in Milford.
FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST FRIDAY...
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for East Central Indiana,
Southeast Indiana, Central Ohio, Southwest Ohio and West Central
Ohio.
.DAY ONE...Tonight.
Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.
Flood Watch.
A rapid freeze-up is possible tonight as temperatures drop quickly
below freezing.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.
Lingering high water may cause flooding to persist Friday and into
this weekend, even after the heavy rain ends.
Weather Forecast
This Afternoon
Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 60. South wind around 13 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tonight
Rain and thunderstorms likely before 11pm, then a slight chance of rain between 11pm and midnight. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a low around 23. West wind 10 to 18 mph becoming north in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Friday
Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 35. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
Friday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 24. Southwest wind 6 to 11 mph.
Symmes Township, Ohio – The Loveland High and Middle Schools are hosting the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) championship meet this Saturday at Home of the Brave park.
As of last Thursday, the LHS women’s team was still ranked #1 in Ohio and the Men’s team was ranked #5.
High school runners will compete on a 5K course and the Middle school runners compete on a 2-mile course.
It is also Senior Day for our high school seniors.
This is a once in a lifetime chance to see these State ranked student athletes and cheer them to the finish line.
Rockingham, N.C. – For the second straight year, Milford, Ohio’s Ryan Peery dominated Top Fuel racing in the AHDRA Nitro Summer Nationals at Rockingham Dragway. This time, though, he left with the trophy.
The No. 1 qualifier, Peery was quickest in every round of competition Sunday and beat Jimmy McMillon of Deland, Fla., in the final after McMillon had upset two-time former IHRA and NHRA World Champion Jay Turner of Julian in round one and his teammate, two-time former NHRA Nitro Harley champ Tii Tharpe of East Bend, in the semifinals.
Milford, Ohio – It’s been a hard year of staying inside and missing amazing community events due to the pandemic. We know you all missed us last year, but it’s time to get out and have some fun again. That’s why we are excited to announce that the Amazing Charity Race is returning in 2021.
After making the hard decision to postpone the annual Amazing Charity Race in 2020, this year’s race will be taking place on August 28, 2021. The 15th annual race will take place in City of Milford, Ohio. This will be one of the first races in the tri-state area to have a live crowd since the Covid-19 pandemic started.
With Covid-19 cases going down in the tri-state area, we still value the safety of our race participants and will have a set of guidelines to keep people safe. Compared to the past few races, this year’s race will see a somewhat shorter course, but still have the same good-natured fun from past races.
The Amazing Charity Race started in 2006 as Loveland’s Amazing Race and has grown into one of the biggest races in the whole Cincinnati tri-state area. Amazing Charity Race is a more fun, less stress race that challenges your agility, balance, strength, problem solving skills, and most importantly your SENSE OF HUMOR. 100% of race entry fees goes straight to local charities after any race costs.
We hope you’re ready for a day of fun-filled adventure. Create your teams and sign up here:
Allegedly conspired with two Indiana gun dealers to acquire over 200 fully automatic weapons and re-sell them at a profit
One of those guns was an M2 .50 caliber belt-fed heavy machine gun, which according to the Indictment, is a vehicle- or ship-mounted weapon that is effective against lightly armored vehicles and low-flying aircraft.
Indianapolis – Acting U.S. Attorney John E. Childress announced on Friday that Dorian LaCourse, 65, of Milford, Ohio, was indicted by a federal grand jury for his role in a scheme to use his position as Chief of Police for the Addyston Police Department in Addyston, Ohio, to help two federally licensed firearms dealers in Indiana acquire hundreds of machine guns. LaCourse was indicted on charges of conspiracy and making false statements to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Acting U.S. Attorney John E. Childress
Childress also announced today that the two Indiana gun dealers, Johnathan Marcum, 33, of Laurel, Indiana, and Christopher Petty, 57, of Lawrenceburg, Indiana, have been charged with conspiracy for their roles in the machine gun scheme.
“Federal laws regulating the purchase, transfer or possession of firearms exist to promote public safety,” said Childress. “When people violate those laws, they unacceptably threaten the safety of others. This office will vigorously pursue those who commit federal firearms offenses, regardless of who they are. We expect better from our public servants, and when police officers violate the law, they can expect to be investigated and prosecuted like any other citizen. I am confident that LaCourse’s criminal choices do not represent the vast majority of law enforcement in this country.”
According to the Indictment, LaCourse and the two Indiana firearms dealers exploited a law enforcement exception to the general federal ban on fully automatic machine guns. The Village of Addyston, Ohio, has approximately 1,000 residents, and the Addyston Police Department has up to 10 officers, most of whom were part-time. However, according to the Indictment, between 2015 and 2019, LaCourse signed multiple letters and other official documents as Chief of Police falsely claiming to the ATF and others that the Addyston Police Department was interested in purchasing or receiving demonstrations of machine guns.
The Addyston Police Department and Village of Addyston had no intention of purchasing machine guns or receiving demonstrations of machine guns. Instead, these allegedly false statements were a pretense to gain ATF approval for Marcum and Petty to acquire machine guns, which they re-sold to other federally licensed firearms dealers at a profit—of which LaCourse got a portion. According to the Indictment, LaCourse received 11 checks payable to him totaling over $11,500.
In four instances, LaCourse falsely claimed on ATF forms and other documents that the Addyston Police Department was the actual purchaser of machine guns, including two bulk purchases of a total of 18 guns from German manufacturer Heckler & Koch. On one document required by the German government, which pertained to the importation of the machine guns into the United States, LaCourse is alleged to have falsely stated that the Addyston Police Department was the “end-user” of the guns. In reality, according to the Indictment, Marcum purchased the guns for the purpose of re-selling them—Marcum paid for them, picked them up from the Addyston Police Department when they arrived, and promptly re-sold them at a profit of over $8,000 each.
In all, the Indictment alleges that through their scheme, LaCourse’s false statements and representations induced the ATF to approve the purchase or importation of approximately 200 fully automatic machine guns. The types of guns acquired ranged from smaller submachine guns to automatic assault rifles, to belt-fed machine guns for military use. One of those guns was an M2 .50 caliber belt-fed heavy machine gun, which according to the Indictment, is a vehicle- or ship-mounted weapon that is effective against lightly armored vehicles and low-flying aircraft.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
“No matter who you are, it is a crime to make false statements to acquire firearms and allow them into the hands of those who cannot legally possess them,” stated Roland H. Herndon, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “LaCourse, Marcum, and Petty all used their positions and knowledge of the system to illegally transfer fully automatic weapons for profit, with no regard for any potential impact that might have on our communities.”
According to Assistant United States Attorneys Nick Linder and William L. McCoskey, who are prosecuting this case for the government, LaCourse faces up to 5 or 10 years in prison on each charge if indicted and convicted. Marcum and Petty each face up to 5 years.
An indictment is merely a charge and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in court.
Milford and West Chester, Ohio – Two Ohio school districts with some of the highest cumulative case rates for COVID-19 say as they remained in-person, their safety protocols only got better.
Milford Exempted Village School District in Clermont County has remained in-person since the fall, and has had to close twice due to staff absences.
“We simply had too many staff out sick or quarantined and couldn’t find the subs,” Wendy Planicka, director of communications and public relations for the district, told the OCJ. “We have shut down grade levels at a few of our elementary buildings as well, but not an entire elementary building.”
The school district, like many in the state, provides weekly counts of COVID-19 cases on their website, along with cumulative district-wide data.
Since Aug. 1, the district has reported 649 total cases in their district of 6,235 students and 810 staff members.
Currently 4,990 students are enrolled in-person, with 1,245 students enrolled in the district’s virtual program, Eagle Online.
Planicka said community spread has been the “number one cause of our cases,” followed by spread through athletics or non-school sponsored activities such as family parties.
“There have been two or three cases where we believe spread happened in an athletic setting — for example when football was in season last fall, at one point almost the entire football team was quarantined due to possible spread,” Planicka said.
The school implemented protocols that require an investigation into every positive case, including contact tracing in partnership with Clermont County Public Health and a minimum 10-day quarantine period for students and staff who test positive.
In schools, a mask requirement is in place, and custodians are to disinfect desk areas every evening, along with using an electrostatic sprayer “at least every 30 days” according to Milford’s protocol list.
Milford’s reopening plan was developed to make the return to school as safe as possible, but not to return the school to exactly as it was, according to the plan itself.
“School will not look the same as it did prior to March 2020,” the plan stated. “These changes may be temporary or they may be permanent. Time will tell.”
Butler County’s Lakota Local Schools had the highest number of cases since the pandemic counts began, with more than 700 total student cases, according to state data. The school is also home to 14,000 students, having reopened to in-person learning on August 17.
“Since then, our students have had the opportunity to attend school all day, every day,” said Betsy Fuller, community relations director for the district.
There is a virtual learning option at Lakota, being utilized by 3,000 students, according to Fuller.
In the five months that made up their first semester, the school reported 5,172 students in quarantine. The worst month for positive cases in students was December, with 221 of the 468 reported in that semester happening then.
“We traced many of the positive cases to holiday gatherings and celebrations happening outside of school between Halloween and Thanksgiving,” Fuller said. “It is also important to note that very few cases, if any, could actually be linked back to classroom spread.”
The district had guidelines in place as soon as it reopened, including requiring face coverings for all K-12 students, desk cleanings between classes, assigned seating at lunch, and block scheduling to avoid frequent class changes.
In the three months of the second semester so far, the district has reported 345 positive cases, but a 93% student attendance rate.
In February, the state implemented a vaccination program specifically for teachers and school personnel, making returning to school or already conducting in-person instruction a pre-requisite to districts receipt of vaccination doses.
Ohio River Foundation begins area’s largest habitat restoration
Loveland, Ohio – The Ohio River Foundation (ORF) is embarking on the largest habitat restoration project ever undertaken in Southwest Ohio. The project, made possible by a $50,000 grant from Coors Seltzer and its Change the Course partnership, will restore six miles of riverbank along three Ohio River tributaries: The Little Miami River, Great Miami River, and O’Bannon Creek.
ORF will plant 10,000 to 15,000 native trees and shrubs along those riverbanks. Phase one of the project begins this month and involves harvesting live stakes – taking cuttings from native trees that grow in riparian areas during their winter dormancy. Those “live stakes” will then be planted on riverbanks once the weather warms up in March.
“The Ohio River is a source of drinking water for more than 5 million people. But because of pollution from urban runoff, agriculture, sedimentation, and industrial pollution, many sections of the Ohio River do not meet water quality standards,” said Rich Cogen, Ohio River Foundation’s executive director.
Recreation is an important part of the economic sustainability of Loveland along the National and State Scenic and Wild Little Miami River.
The Little Miami is the source of drinking water for Loveland, Milford, and Indian Hill. O’Bannon Creek empties into the Little Miami in Historic Downtown and Loveland folks know this creek because they so often cross over it when heading north along the Loveland Bike Trail from Nisbet Park.
Plants along riverbanks improve water quality by keeping pollutants out of the water and by helping control erosion, thus reducing sedimentation. As they mature, these riparian plants also provide habitat for streamside birds and mammals and create shade that helps fish and other aquatic species thrive.
Rich Cogen, Ohio River Foundation’s executive director
“Restoring the habitats along these tributaries will go a long way toward improving their health, and it will reduce the amount of pollution that makes its way into the Ohio River,” Cogen said.
Assisting ORF with this project are Great Parks of Hamilton County, Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District, Miami Township, Miami Conservancy District, Anderson Township, City of Loveland, Cincinnati Parks, Colerain Township, and Rivers Unlimited.
Volunteers are needed for both phases of the project. Live stake harvesting will take place on:
Sunday, Feb. 28 (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) at Nisbet Park, 126 Karl Brown Way, Loveland, Ohio, 45140
Thursday, March 4 (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) at Miami Township West Community Park, 4063 E. Miami River Road, Cleves, Ohio, 45002
Sunday, March 7 (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) at Heritage Park, 11405 E. Miami River Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45252 Volunteers, who will be helping cut stakes, should dress for the weather, wear waterproof shoes, bring a mask and follow all COVID-19 recommendations. All tools, including boats needed to access some sites, will be provided. Advance registration is required; for more details, or to sign up, visit www.ohioriverfdn.org. Additional volunteer opportunities to help with spring stake planting will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit www.ohioriverfdn.org.
Loveland, Ohio – Ohio K-12 schools, including public, private, and career-tech entities, yesterday learned when their teachers and staff necessary for in-person learning are able to begin receiving vaccines.
Loveland City School District is included in COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Week 2 of first doses, starting February 8 as well as Indian Hill, Moeller, St. Xavier, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, Forest Hills (Anderson), Great Oaks Career Campuses, and Sycamore.
Included in Distribution Week 3 are, Kings, Lebanon, Little Miami, Mason, and St Margaret Of York.
Included in Distribution Week 4 are, Children’s Meeting House, Goshen, Milford, Ohio Valley Voices, and St. Columban.
Cincinnati Public Schools were able to jump the line and began their vacinations yesterday.
Loveland’s schools remain in hybird-learning at all buildings, a combination of some students and staff attending in-person five-days per week and some students and staff teaching or learning in Loveland’s Remote Academy five-days a week.*
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has said that he is making it clear his “goal of Ohio returning to in-person learning either full-time or in a hybrid model by March 1st.” In order to do this, the governor identified teachers and school personnel necessary for in-person learning as Phase 1B recipients as part of the Ohio COVID-19 Vaccination program.
“Vaccine is incredibly scarce, and we simply don’t have enough to vaccinate everyone at the same time. Therefore, this will be a rolling process, just like it has been during other vaccination phases, with a goal of administering all first doses by March 1st,” said Governor DeWine. “This rollout schedule is a heavy logistical lift that aims to ensure the maximum number of people can be vaccinated in the shortest amount of time.”
In a news release, Dewine said, “The plan also makes the process as simple as possible for staff to be vaccinated and is organized to allow most K-12 staff in a county to be vaccinated within seven days of their assigned vaccination start date. For the limited number of counties where vaccinations will take place over multiple weeks, local leaders will make the logistical and scheduling decisions.”
Eligible school employees will learn more about the locations and times of the vaccination sites from their administrators. The following documents list the entities by county in the week when teachers and personnel are able to begin vaccinations.
![[IT’S Back] 2021 AMAZING CHARITY RACE will be August 28](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/amazing-race-feature-2021.jpg)
