State Farm Insurance issued a statement on July 29 saying, “Driving behaviors across the country continue to evolve during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on current trends, State Farm is working to reduce auto insurance rates in Ohio by 14.3%.”
According to the statement, the rate reduction will save 1.9 million State Farm customers a total of $174.1 million. This applies to current customers at policy renewal, as well as new and returning customers.
“Current State Farm driving data and claims experience show a considerable decline in miles driven and fewer accidents,” said State Farm Senior Vice President Rob Stewart. “As a result, we’re looking for ways to continue supporting our Ohio customers while we monitor and adjust to trends.”
Customer rate reductions will vary based on their individual renewals. Customers are encouraged to visit with their State Farm agent about individual policies, coverage, and any opportunities for discounts, including the Drive Safe & Save program offered by the company.
Loveland, Ohio – In a memo written to the Loveland Planning and Zoning Commission by Assistant City Manager Tom Smith he said that the City has received interest in retail warehousing within the Loveland Commerce Park. The park is zoned Light Industrial.
To that end, Smith has recommended amendments to the City of Loveland Code of Ordinances: Chapters 11.07.1: Definitions and 1156: Table of Permitted Uses.
Smith said that wholesale warehousing is currently permitted, but not retail warehousing and that wholesale warehousing would prohibit an establishment from selling directly to a consumer. Retail warehousing would allow the storage and selling of merchandise, goods, and materials directly to consumers.
The Hearing is on August 4 “at and around” 7 PM in the Council Chambers.
The Loveland Stage Company is seeking a knowledgeable person for the position of Treasurer. Starting not later than October 1, 2020.
Background
The Loveland Stage Company (LSC) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation with annual revenue in excess of $100,000.The organization is dedicated to serving our community by providing quality theater and performing arts experiences.The group has been in existence for over 40 years and operates out of a historic building in the picturesque town of Loveland, Ohio.The group produces 4-5 major plays a year, as well as hosting a summer youth-camp program and a Christmas Show.The all-volunteer company is full of talented, dedicated and fun people who all share a passion for live theater.
Job Description
The Treasurer is responsible for providing financial direction to and maintaining the financial books and records for the Loveland Stage Company.The Treasurer is an appointed member of the Board of Directors. The preferred candidate will have accounting background and skills.Knowledge of non-profits is a bonus!
As Treasurer, you will have these tasks
Maintain the financial books and records of the Loveland Stage Company.(QuickBooks is the financial software used, and a copy is provided.)
Disburse funds for all expenses (usually via online banking).
Present financial position of the Company at monthly Board meetings.
Advise the LSC on annual and per-show budgets to maintain sound fiscal stability of the organization as well as accounting and tax related requirements.
Prepare (or assist) year-end filings for Federal and State agencies, as required by law including Tax Return (Form 990) and 1099s.
Maintain banking and other financially related relationships.(Banking – GE Credit Union, Paypal, utilities accounts, etc.)
Check PO Box at Loveland Post Office about once a week.
Time Commitment
Generally, the position of Treasurer entails a few hours per week making payments and/or deposits and maintain appropriate entries in Quickbooks.Monthly reports are prepared with the accounting software.Board meetings are once a month and generally take about 2 hours.At the moment meetings are Virtual, but eventually the in-person type will resume.
The current Treasurer will be available to help with the transition and can answer questions about procedures.The position “officially” begins on October 1st of 2020, but the transition can start asap.
Please consider joining our Group.We would love to have you!!
Contact Info
Bob Kessler, LSC Building Manager: kessler@fuse.net, 513-403-2009
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland Stage Company will be presenting a series of online streaming performances in the style of old-time radio shows.
The first radio show is “The Importance of Being Earnest” directed by Micheal Harris-Kiser is available NOW! This three-act play was recorded for audio, but we also had the cameras rolling! You can choose to listen to the “Radio” version or the “Video of the Radio show” version on the LSC website: www.lovelandstagecompany.org.
Act One is available now, with Acts Two and Three being released on August 6 and 13, respectively. Stay tuned to “LSC Radio” and enjoy!
With your donation, Loveland Stage Company is able to provide quality theater and performing arts experiences for the greater Cincinnati community. Your donation allows us to make updates to our theater as well as produce some award winning theater. Even $1 dollar goes far to help us provide our audience and community with a great performance. The donations we receive go to our general fund, which supports the theater, including maintenance, licensing fees, technical upgrades, and productions.
Thank you for generosity and support of community theater.
Provided Photo
Description of Plot
“The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People” is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed in 1895 at the St James’s Theater in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae to escape burdensome social obligations.
ACT 1: Earnest and Algernon discuss life, love and cucumber sandwiches. Earnest courts Gwendolen, but her protective mother, Lady Bracknell, has other ideas.
Donating to LSC
If you wish to donate to the Loveland Stage Company, supporting community theater during the Covid-19 crisis, please go here: www.lovelandstagecompany.org, and select the ‘DONATE’ button. Thank you!
The Loveland Stage Company (LSC) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to serving our community by providing quality theater and performing arts experiences. The group has been in existence for over 40 years and operates out of a historic building in the picturesque town of Loveland, Ohio. The group produces 4-5 major plays a year, as well as hosting a summer youth-camp program and a Christmas Show. The all-volunteer company is full of talented, dedicated and fun people who all share a passion for live theater.
Williamsburg, Ohio – Clermont County has taken another step in its effort to lessen harmful algal blooms (HABs) at Harsha Lake: Designing a system to capture storm water rich with fertilizer nutrients that feed the blooms.
The Board of County Commissioners on July 18 approved a two-year, $42,400 contract with Sustainable Streams of Louisville to design a passive wetland system in Williamsburg for Harsha Lake source water protection.
Boating on Harsh Lake
According to the Centers for Disease Control, HABs are the rapid growth of cyanobacteria that can cause harm to animals, people, and the local ecology. A HAB can look like foam, scum, or mats on the surface of the water and can be different colors. Particularly large HABs can result in beach closures and prevent recreational use.
Hannah Lubbers, Director, Clermont County Office of Environmental Quality (Photo Provided)
“Wetlands have a natural ability to remove nutrients from surface water,” said Hannah Lubbers, Director, Clermont County Office of Environmental Quality. “Our study of a small scale constructed wetland in Jackson Township indicated they can be a cost effective method of reducing nutrient pollution.”
Installation of wetlands, in combination with other agricultural and urban best management practices (BMPs), is part of the sourcewater and watershed protection programs being implemented by the East Fork Water Quality Cooperative (EFWC).
Partners of the cooperative, including Clermont Soil and Water Conservation District, the County Commissioners, and the USEPA, aggressively pursue grant funding to improve local water quality and to date have directed over $2.25-million dollars to the watershed, including $215,500 set aside for construction of the wetland in Williamsburg. The EFWC partners also combine agency resources and technical services to advance watershed efforts.
“Harsha Lake is a valuable resource for county residents and we are working hard to preserve that resource,” Lubbers said. “The Williamsburg project will provide invaluable water quality data and information to aid watershed efforts across the region and Ohio.”
About William H. Harsha Lake
Located on the East Fork of the Little Miami River in central Clermont County, William H. Harsha Lake and East Fork State Park offer outstanding boating, hiking, hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor recreation activities. William H. Harsha Lake is a multipurpose project for flood reduction, water supply, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Originally called East Fork Lake, the dam and lake were renamed in 1981 to honor retired congressman William H. Harsha. Mr. Harsha was elected to Congress in 1960 and served until his retirement in 1981. He was instrumental in getting the funding appropriated to construct the project. MORE
Join us next week on July 30 for this powerful panel of business leaders who pivoted to make smart and impactful business decisions during the height of the pandemic shutdown.
A Panel Discussion from Regional Business Leaders who took bold steps to pivot during the beginning of the pandemic.
Coronavirus has made it critical for businesses to shift their business models and get creative. See how these regional business leaders pivoted their business to increase profits, impact their communities, and continue to see the benefits of those decisions.
Panel Facilitated by Jack Peters, Executive Director of Advisor Development, Horter Investment Management.
Please note that masks and social distancing are required at this event.
Panel sponsored by FocusCFO and LMRCA. Drink ticket and giveaways included.
Meet the Panelists:
David Kennedy
David has been the Loveland City Manager for six years, after serving as the Village Administrator of New Richmond Ohio for twenty five years. His education includes a Bachelor Degree in Urban Planning form Miami University (Oxford) and a Master’s Degree in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati. He was born and raised on the west side of Cincinnati and has been married to Mary Jo for 30 years. They have two Children, Anna and Jacob.
Patrick Thompson
Nurtur Salon began in 2006 at their current Lane Avenue location with less than 15 employees and a dream. Patrick Thompson, owner of Nurtur Salon as well as several Aveda Institutes (most notably Aveda Institute of Columbus) had a vision to deliver an unparalleled experience in a comfortable, non-judgmental environment. Nurtur Salon still strives (and excels) at this cultural mission to this day, even with three salon locations and 100 employees. In 2012 Nurtur expanded from their original Upper Arlington location into a second location in the Grandview community with enormous success. In October 2015, Nurtur expanded into a third location in the Brewery District. In addition to this growth, Nurtur is proud to celebrate its tenth consecutive years as one of Salon Today Magazine’s Top 200 Salons. This speaks to their dedication to Nurtur’s team, guests, and community. With business growing at all their locations and their reputation in the beauty industry going strong, Nurtur has set their sights on a goal to open more salons in Columbus!
Pete DeLois
Pete DeLois is a family man through and through. When he opened Recreations Outlet in 1989, it was with the intention of bringing joy to the families in his community. For the past 30 years, Pete and his team at Rec Outlet have been hard at working building fun all over Ohio and the surrounding areas. By specializing in only the highest quality wooden swing sets, top of the line basketball goals, and the safest trampolines on the market, customers know they can trust the expertise of the Rec Outlet team.
Pete graduated from Kent State University in 1983 with a degree in Criminal Justice. Prior to opening Recreations Outlet, he owned Invisible Fence of Cincinnati and Columbus from 1983 to 1995. He loves baseball, racquetball, and all things food, but his passion will always be for his family.
News for individuals, schools, businesses, and institutions
Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that the following order has been signed today by Ohio Department of Health Interim Director Lance Himes: Director’s Order Statewide facial coverings 07.23.20
Two signs erected by citizens opposed to re-zoning adjacent to their homes on St. Route 48 in North Loveland
Loveland, Ohio – A 28-unit condo project Zicka Homes hopes to build on St. Rt. 48 will now go before City Council after a 3 to 2 split-decision from the Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday night.
Chairman Al Kressler, Vice-Chair Mark Redmond, and Brian O’Neill voted in favor of the re-zoning.
Michael Kady, and Tim Butler voted, “No”. Butler is the City Council representative on the Commission.
The applicant is requesting a re-zoning of 5.529 acres of vacant land from the current zoning of Residential–Medium Density to Residential–Multi-Family. The proposed development is south of the Sentry Hill subdivision on North Second Street (St. Rt. 48).
Tuesday’s vote came after a public meeting that was held on June 24 and the discussion was tabled until the Commission could seek legal advice inquiring if what they wanted to do was legal. They wanted to know if they approved rezoning the property whether they could add a stipulation that the zone change would be null if Zicka did not begin construction after a certain period of time.
They received the go-ahead in a memo from the Assistant City Manager written on July 21 that said, “Should the Commission grant the rezone request, the Commission can place a restriction that says the zone change would expire if construction on a project did not commence within a specific time frame/date. A restriction can also be made that the zone change is specific to the applicant and cannot be transferred to another applicant or third-party. In case the applicant did not meet these criteria, the zone change would automatically revert to the initial zoning of R-MD.”
Residents pointed out to the Commission that although Zicka intends to build attached condominiums if they back away like they did previously with a proposal to build single-family homes on the site, apartments could go on the re-zoned land.
It is not clear at press time the exact language the Commission adopted but resident David Stanton said it was for 18-months.
You can watch the interview David Miller conducted with Stanten after the vote on Tuesday.
The zoning map change will now go before City Council. They will hold another public meeting, where they can vote to affirm the recommendation, reject it, or modify it.
Any ordinance council passes becomes law within 30 days unless passed as emergency legislation. A change to Loveland’s zoning map is always subject to a citizen-led referendum petition drive if enough signatures can be collected.
In the LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV videos below, you can watch residents speaking against the rezoning at the public hearing on June 24, and the applicant making his case.
Two additional people spoke against the development, Andy Friesner and Maria Mausarella.
No residents spoke in favor of the re-zoning during the public hearing.
You can see the entire proposal that the Commission debated here: Blossom Hill Project.
Stanton told Loveland Magazine that he is disappointed in the vote and that the Commission did not follow the standards for zoning map amendments. “The City is not listening to its citizens and not following the rules that they have adopted for making a zoning change.” He said that he can find no support in the community for the development. During the Public Hearing on June 24 Stanton presented the Commission a statement against the re-zoning with 90 signatures.
Clermont County, Ohio – Clermont County residents can help preserve history by contributing their thoughts in writing and other remembrances to a COVID-19 pandemic time capsule. The project is co-sponsored by the Board of County Commissioners and the Coalition for a Drug-Free Clermont County.
The time capsule will be placed in Municipal Court during a ceremony later this year.
“We’ve been impressed at how Clermont County residents have come together during this extremely challenging period in our history,” Commissioner Claire Corcoran said. “We will honor their efforts with this special time capsule. We want people in the future to better understand the difficulties that people faced, and how they worked to overcome them.”
Mary Wolff, director of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Clermont County, added: “We’re very excited to have the community join us in this positive endeavor, helping preserve history for future Clermont County residents. I can’t wait to see what people provide for the time capsule.”
The time capsule will be placed in Municipal Court during a ceremony later this year with representatives from County Government and the Coalition for a Drug-Free Clermont County. Plans call for opening the capsule in 10 years.
You can help preserve this time in history by submitting photos and writeups via email to mboehmer@clermontcountyohio.gov. Clermont County residents also may mail items to COVID-19 Time Capsule, 101 East Main St. 3rd Floor, Batavia, OH 45103.
Here are some prompts the County provided to help those wanting to submit something in writing:
What does the COVID-19 pandemic mean to you?
What are you excited about?
What are you nervous about?
In reaction in Ohio’s Speaker of the House Larry Householder being arrested by the FBI as part of a $60 million pay-to-play scheme, Common Cause Ohio Executive Director Catherine Turcer released the following statement:
“This pay-to-play scandal would have been stopped in its tracks if Ohioans were able to see who was behind efforts to influence their opinions and votes — if they could “follow the money.” We shouldn’t need an FBI investigation to connect the dots. If we had strong campaign finance disclosure rules, Larry Householder would not have been able to pervert our political system the way that he did.
This scheme began with his quest for power — his election as Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives — and revolves around the passage of the nuclear and coal bailout of a FirstEnergy subsidiary, House Bill 6.
Householder allegedly took millions of dollars at the same time he pushed legislation to bail out non-competitive coal and nuclear plants with more than $1 billion in public money, gut subsidies for renewable energy, and roll back clean energy standards.
Ohioans have a right to an accountable government and to know who is trying to influence lawmakers, their votes, and opinions. The federal investigation into Generation Now and today’s arrest of Speaker Householder are just the latest example of why the Ohio legislature needs to take immediate action to increase campaign finance disclosure.
It’s past time for the Ohio legislature to take action to increase transparency of political spending and stop allowing ‘dark money’ to distort the democratic process. The source of campaign funding information helps voters examine the motivation of ads they see on TV and the internet. Shining the light on ‘dark money’ will also encourage those funding these egregious ads to be more accountable.
Common Cause and its members will work with Republican and Democratic allies to find a path for strong money in politics transparency reform. Ohio voters deserve nothing less.”
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Common Cause Ohio is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization that works to strengthen public participation in our democracy and ensure that public officials and public institutions are accountable and responsive to citizens. Through a powerful combination of coalition building, lobbying and litigation, grassroots organizing, policy development, research and public education, we spotlight local, state and national issues that affect every Ohioan.
Join us next week on July 30 for this powerful panel of business leaders who pivoted to make smart and impactful business decisions during the height of the pandemic shutdown.
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