CHILLICOTHE, OHIO – This year has brought many challenges, with likely the largest one being the COVID-19 pandemic. For months, most people were asked to stay home, and practice social distancing. One of the greatest challenges with social distancing is the isolation and boredom, which for some of us can trigger other challenges, such as depression and anxiety. Veterans often struggle with these mental health symptoms, along with chronic pain, hypertension and other physical conditions.
In order to address the needs of our Veterans who might be stuck at home for the long haul during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chillicothe VA Medical Center developed a partnership with the Veteran led drumming organization called Warrior Beats to bring the healing power of drumming to Veterans. Since we cannot bring the Veterans to the drum circle, we will bring the drum circle to the Veterans. The Chillicothe VA Virtual Drum Circle is an opportunity to bring at least some of the benefits of drumming to Veterans in the comfort and privacy of their homes, while still observing social distancing precautions.
The therapeutic advantages of drumming are evidence based and cover almost all domains of life. Drumming has been shown to improve anxiety and stress through mindfulness. Drumming also helps with struggles in impulse control, regularization of responses, altering the way the brain processes information, boosts the immune system, decreases levels of chronic pain and more than all of that, is fun.
There are social benefits to drumming as well. People who participate in drumming report a better sense of community, have enjoyed learning about the origin and cultures from which drumming originates, helps increase socialization and even fosters teamwork.
Veterans can register for the Virtual Drum Circle on the Warrior Beats website (https://warriorbeat.org/chilicothe-va-streaming-drum-program-signup/). Once the registration is received by the Chillicothe VA, a staff member will contact the Veteran and make arrangements to have a small hand drum delivered to their home free of charge. Once registered, Veterans will receive an email directly from Warrior Beats prior to each drum circle. To join the session, Veterans merely click on the link provided, enter the Zoom Meeting chat room, grab their drum and start playing.
For more information about the Virtual Drum Circle Program, call 740-773-1141, extension 6075.
9/11 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY
The Aladdin Pipes and Drums perform during the 2018 Remembrance Ceremony at the Chillicothe VAMC.
The Chillicothe VA will also hold it’s annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony this Friday at 9am at Building 259, the Chillicothe VA Fire Department.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted today gave the following updates on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
PANDEMIC ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER PROGRAM
Governor DeWine announced today that thousands of Ohio children, who qualify for free or reduced-price meals but are currently learning remotely, will soon receive additional money to purchase nutritious foods through the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program made possible by the Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services will issue this second round of benefits later this month to eligible children. Ohio previously issued more than $250 million in P-EBT benefits to more than 850,000 students through the program in the spring.
Parents do not need to apply to receive these benefits. The benefits will be automatically loaded onto existing Ohio Direction cards or a pre-loaded card will be sent in the mail.
NON-CONGREGATE SHELTERING ORDER
In response to a barrage of rumors surrounding Ohio’s latest non-congregate sheltering order, Governor DeWine today stressed that there are no orders in Ohio to create “FEMA camps” to quarantine citizens against their will.
“This is not in our order, and there is no truth to the rumor,” said Governor DeWine. “Families will not be separated, and kids will not be away from their loved ones.”
The order, which was first issued on March 31 and then renewed on April 29 and August 31, creates a funding mechanism to allow for federal reimbursement for communities that choose to offer alternate locations for people to safely isolate or quarantine outside of their homes. If a citizen chooses to recover in a quarantine housing location, others in the household can remain at home and unexposed.
This option has been used in a handful of cases in Ohio.
SPORTS SPECTATOR VARIANCE
The Ohio Department of Health has granted a spectator variance to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio taking place September 11-13, 2020. Attendance will be limited to 6,000 spectators, and social distancing and masks will be required in accordance with state health guidelines.
The variance for Mid-Ohio was granted, in part, due to its unique, large outdoor facility that can accommodate social distancing.
Governor DeWine previously announced 6,000 spectator variances for the Browns and Bengals for two upcoming games each.
GET IN LINE, ONLINE
Lt. Governor Husted today announced that the Ohio BMV was awarded the Customer Convenience Award for their Get in Line, Online virtual queuing system, which allows a customer to secure a spot in line at the agency without actually being physically present. Once customers arrive to check-in, they move to the front of the line with minimal wait time.
InnovateOhio, which Lt. Governor Husted leads, worked in partnership with the Ohio BMV on this project.
“InnovateOhio and the Ohio BMV collaborated on the ‘Get in Line, Online’ system with the goal of using technology to improve customer service,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “This award is a recognition that we are on our way to making Ohio the most innovative and creative state in the Midwest.”
CURRENT COVID-19 DATA
There are 131,992 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio and 4,298 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 13,967 people have been hospitalized, including 3,042 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Rankings of Ohio’s 88 counties by highest occurrence can be found below.
Video of today’s full update, including versions with foreign language translation, can be viewed on the Ohio Channel’s YouTube page.
For more information on Ohio’s response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.
Doug Ute, new Executive Director of the Columbus based Ohio High School Athletic Association. Photo courtesy OHSAA
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Directors has announced the selection of Doug Ute as the OHSAA’s next Executive Director, making the former coach, teacher, athletic administrator, principal and superintendent the OHSAA’s 11th leader in its 113-year history.
Ute (pronounced “yoot”) is taking the OHSAA post after spending the last 20 years as a school superintendent, including nine years at Marion Elgin Local Schools and the last 11 years at Newark City Schools. He also coached and taught at Noble Local Schools in eastern Ohio and Buckeye Central High School, which is near his hometown of Bellville in north central Ohio.
Last spring, Ute announced that he was stepping down from his post at Newark to become Deputy Director of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA), which is the state’s superintendent’s association. Instead of serving Ohio schools at BASA, he will be doing so from the OHSAA. He takes over for Interim Executive Director Bob Goldring, who is the OHSAA’s Senior Director of Operations.
“I have always thought like a former coach and athletic director, and the OHSAA is where I want to be,” said Ute. “I am humbled to be selected by the Board of Directors for this position and join a great team at the OHSAA office. We are all aware of the uncertainties that are before us due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but I know that together we can and will be stronger together. My focus has always been on helping students become better people, and athletics are such an important part in that. That is true now more than ever. I can’t wait to get started and help lead our member schools.”
At Newark, Ute helped create the Social, Emotional and Academic Success (SEAS) program that includes counselors, teachers and staff to discuss ways to help students succeed in life. While at Newark, a district of 6,500 students, he expanded the free lunch program, made free breakfast available to all students, and put a strong emphasis on student and family social and emotional health. The school district responded with its highest-ever graduation rate and a renewed sense of pride in the city and school district.
“We are excited to have someone lead our organization with Doug’s experience, both in working with student-athletes and with his experience in the workings of the OHSAA,” said Jeff Cassella, President of the OHSAA Board of Directors and Athletic Director at Mentor High School. “The Board of Directors is confident that Doug’s leadership style and experience is a great fit to lead the OHSAA through this unique year.”
Ute began his career in 1988 as a basketball coach and part-time business teacher at Noble Local Schools (Shenandoah High School) in Sarahsville in eastern Ohio. He then went to Buckeye Central in New Washington as a teacher and coach, while also serving as the athletic administrator. In 1996 he became the principal at Marion Elgin and then took over as superintendent in 2000 at Elgin, a district of 1,500 students. Ute became superintendent in Newark in 2009. He served on the OHSAA’s Central District Athletic Board in 2008-09 and has been the Central District’s secretary since the 2011-12 school year.
Ute was a standout student-athlete at Clear Fork High School, graduating in 1980, and played basketball at Ashland University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing. He would later return to Ashland to earn a master’s degree in school administration, a graduate teaching degree in business, a principal’s license and a superintendent’s license.
Ute and his wife, Kory, have four children and eight grandchildren.
Southeastern’s Brandon Maldonado snags Huntington’s Darius Brown in the second quarter of the Panthers’ 44-28 victory. Photo by Dan Ramey/Litter Media
RJ Cartwright’s 50-yard interception return snuffed a Huntington rally and secured a 44-28 victory for Southeastern Friday night.
Trailing 36-28, the Huntsmen recovered a Southeastern fumble with under three minutes to play and give Huntington a chance to tie the game. On second down, Nick Marion’s pass slipped through the hands of Alan Smith and Cartwright was in the right spot and returned the ball to the end zone. Mikey Nusser tacked on a two-point conversion for the final.
“Tough people win” said Garrett Blair as his Panthers earned their first win of the season. “You’re gonna hit an edge and we made our own edge a bunch of times… Like I told them (his team) When the goin’ got tough, the tough got goin’. When it counted we made plays and that’s what counts.”
Southeastern jumped ahead 16-0 on touchdown runs by Clay Morgan and Jarrett McWhorter. The Huntsmen answered with a scoring strike by Marion to Darius Brown to cut the lead with 2:33 remaining in the 1st quarter.
McWhorter scored again to give the Panthers a 22-6 lead at the break.
Nusser rolled for a TD run extending the margin to 30-6 before the Huntsmen answered on a Seth McCloskey run and a two-point conversion pulled Huntington back to 30-14.
Southeastern looked to put the game out of reach on an 8-yard run by Nusser for a 36-14 lead at 5:43 of the 3rd quarter. But the Huntsmen weren’t about to go away quietly.
Marion connected again with Brown at 7:39 in the 4th on a 53-yard scoring pass and a two-point conversion cutting the lead to 36-22. Less than two minutes later, Marion hit Emery Woods in stride and Huntington was within a touchdown.
The Huntsmen defense stopped Southeastern to take possession near midfield with just minutes remaining. After an incompletion on first down, Cartwright turned the momentum back to the Panthers with his pick-6.
“I told them after the game, you give us that same type of energy and that same type of passion and play as physical and as smart as you did in the second half, we’re gonna be fine” said Huntington’s Scott Keller. “We made some adjustments and they went out and they executed… in the past, these kids were so young, that game would’ve ended up 50 or 55 to 6 and that woulda been ballgame. But you can tell they’ve matured a lot. They’re growin’ up and starting to understand, starting to see it.”
Southeastern’s rushing attack cranked out 400-plus yards on the ground while the Huntsmen did their damage through the air. Marion completed 20-of-35 passes for 256 yards and three TDs with four interceptions. Woods caught 9 balls for 133 yards and a TD with Brown tallying 74 yards on 4 catches and two touchdowns. Smith had 5 receptions for 42 yards. Dalton Haubeil managed 107 yards on the ground on 12 carries.
Southeastern (1-1) hosts Piketon (0-2) in Week 3. The Redstreaks fell to Paint Valley 56-19 Friday.
Huntington (0-2) is home with Paint Valley (1-1) Friday.
Watch for a highlight package of the Panthers and Huntsmen this Tuesday on the Litter Media YouTube channel.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted today provided the following updates on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UPDATED COUNTY RISK LEVELS
Governor DeWine today released this week’s Ohio Public Health Advisory System map. New health data compiled by the Ohio Department of Health indicates that seven counties currently have a very high risk of exposure and spread.
A total of 67 counties stayed at the same level as last week, and 12 counties moved from orange to yellow. There are now a total of 39 counties in the yellow level, the highest number since July 2. Detailed information all of Ohio’s 88 counties can be found on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System’s website.
SCHOOL REPORTING ORDER
Governor DeWine announced details for Ohio’s forthcoming case reporting order for K-12 schools.
Beginning Tuesday, September 8, parents or guardians and school staff should notify their school within 24 hours of receiving a positive test or a clinical diagnosis. Within 24 hours after receiving that notification, the school should notify other parents and guardians about that case in writing, providing as much information as possible without releasing protected health information. The school must also notify their local health department within 24 hours.
Beginning Tuesday, September 15, and each Tuesday thereafter, local health departments will report the number of newly reported and cumulative cases to the Ohio Department of Health. The Ohio Department of Health will publish this data by school or school district, including a breakdown by students and staff, each Thursday.
“We understand there is a balance between privacy and transparency, and we do not intend for protected health information to be released in our effort to provide information to Ohioans so they can make the right decisions for their family,” said Governor DeWine. “Please remember that if a school has positive cases among their students or staff, it does not mean the school did anything wrong. Schools cannot control spread in the community, so it is important to practice safety measures not only in the classroom but also when you’re out in the community.”
The order will also require each school district or school to identify a COVID-19 coordinator to facilitate the reporting of case information, and upon request, schools or buildings are required to provide the local health department a copy of their pandemic plan.
LABOR DAY AND SPREAD BY YOUNG OHIOANS
Governor DeWine today once again encouraged Ohioans to take proper safety precautions over the upcoming Labor Day weekend. He stressed that citizens can still have fun, visit family, and travel, but face coverings, social distancing, and hand washing should also be part of your plans.
“It’s not about where we go, but rather, what we do when we get there,” said Governor DeWine. “It’s about how we act when we’re with family and friends and what precautions we take. The decisions we make as we celebrate the unofficial end of summer will play a major role in how we begin the fall.”
Governor DeWine also reminded young Ohioans of their responsibility to follow safety precautions, especially students attending a college or university.
Case data shows that those aged 18-22 currently make up 35-40 percent of all young Ohioans who have tested positive for the virus which is a significant increase from previous months.
“In Cincinnati, multiple off-campus parties with students attending from several universities on August 17 have resulted in at least 78 confirmed cases,” said Governor DeWine. “Although college students might not get seriously ill, they could spread the virus to others who could. The responsibility falls on all of us to protect each other.”
WASTEWATER MONITORING NETWORK
Governor DeWine announced that information from Ohio’s new Coronavirus Wastewater Monitoring Network is now available at coronavirus.ohio.gov.
The network was developed to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through the study of wastewater samples. The presence of coronavirus gene copies/fragments can be found in the waste of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals and can be detected in wastewater as many as three to seven days before those infections lead to increases in case counts or hospitalizations in a community.
DEFENSE MANUFACTURING COMMUNITY
Lt. Governor Husted announced that, in an effort led by the Development Services Agency, the U.S. Department of Defense has made a commitment to Ohio’s defense manufacturers and put the state in a position to receive a $5 million grant to improve manufacturing processes and train workers for next-generation jobs.
Ohio has been designated as a Defense Manufacturing Community, which is a program designed to support long-term community investments that strengthen national security innovation and expand the capabilities of defense manufacturing.
STEP UP TO QUALITY
As of last Tuesday, all child care providers in Ohio that serve publicly funded children were required to be rated on Ohio’s child care quality rating system, called Step Up To Quality.
Governor DeWine announced today that over 4,400 providers are now rated through the system. This is more than double the number of rated quality child care providers when he took office in 2019. By 2025, all providers must be rated three stars or higher on the rating system.
H2OHIO LEAD UPDATE
Governor DeWine announced that Greater Cincinnati Water Works will receive $725,000 in H2Ohio funding from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to remove and replace lead service lines and fixtures at nearly 200 child care facilities in Cincinnati.
The H2Ohio initiative launched last year to address a number of water quality issues in Ohio including lead pipes feeding into childcare centers. Although lead in water is rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, it can significantly increase someone’s total lead exposure – especially infants who drink baby formula or concentrated juices mixed with contaminated water.
CURRENT COVID-19 DATA
There are 127,112 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio and 4,226 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 13,663 people have been hospitalized, including 3,003 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Video of today’s full update, including versions with foreign language translation, can be viewed on the Ohio Channel’s YouTube page.
For more information on Ohio’s response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.
CHILLICOTHE, OH (Sept. 3, 2020) – Adena Health System will ease visitor restrictions for inpatient visits, effective Monday, Sept. 7, 2020. A no-visitor restriction went into effect on July 20 when it was determined the number of positive COVID-19 cases were increasing to levels the region had not previously experienced.
“With the summer, we saw significantly more positive COVID-19 cases throughout Adena’s nine-county service region,” said Dr. Kirk Tucker, chief clinical officer for Adena Health. “While we understand the impact these decisions have on our patients, their families and support people, it is necessary for all of us to be flexible when it comes to doing what is necessary to ensure the safety and protection of our staff, patients and communities.” Tucker, added, “The curve has flattened once again, and I believe in most cases, it is safe to allow one visitor where we can.”
Under the single visitor policy, those admitted to Adena, with the exception of specialty or high-risk areas, may have one visitor at a time during visitation hours. The allowance of visitors to specialty and high-risk areas, such as Behavioral Health and COVID-19 cohorts will be determined at the unit and/or provider’s discretion.
Visitor information includes:
· Hospitalized patients may have more than one visitor in a day, but just one visitor at a time;
· ER patients may have one visitor accompany them;
· Maternity patients may have one support person with them throughout labor, delivery and the duration of her stay;
· Maternity patients under age 18 may have one parent or guardian visitor, in addition to the father of the infant;
· Visitors are not permitted in ancillary testing areas, UNLESS the patient has a disability and needs help accessing care;
· Elective surgery patients may have one visitor who will be going home after the procedure;
· Due to space limitations in relation to social distancing in waiting and exam rooms, one person may join a patient for most physician office visits;
· No visitors under age 18 (unless they are the parent of a patient); and
· Patients under age 18 may have two parents or guardians visit, who are not required to leave at close of visiting hours.
Hospital visiting hours are 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., seven days a week. Adena’s Visitor Policy is available to view at adena.org. To assure a safe environment, all visitors are required to participate in the COVID-19 screening process, register upon entry, follow social distancing, hand hygiene guidelines, and must wear a mask or face covering throughout their visit in the hospital or health center.
Adena Health System has incorporated higher levels of safety in all of its facilities. To learn more about Adena’s current safety protocols, view our video Safe at Adena, located on adena.org.
Southeastern travels to Huntington in the Litter Media Game of the Week Friday night.
Both teams went scoreless in their season openers last weekend, Southeastern was blanked by Westfall 20-0, while Huntington fell to Zane Trace 25-0.
Four Scioto Valley Conference football teams have new leadership heading into this summer. One of them, Garrett Blair, took over the reins of the defending SVC champion Panthers.
Blair is no stranger to the program. He’s a 2014 Southeastern alumnus and played for the Panthers and he’s very familiar with the winning tradition his senior class has been a part of.
“This senior class has lost only three regular season games in their career” said Blair… “until last Friday
Blair has kept the offensive scheme Southeastern has been using, double tight ends and misdirection. “It’s not the exact same. We’ve applied terminology to what they did… maybe change some formations, a little different in that aspect, but the offense is still primarily the same. We want to run the football, we’re gonna play Southeastern Football.” That means a steady diet of running back Mikey Nusser and Jarrett McWhorter who’s calling signals for the Panthers.
Mikey Nusser communicates with Jarrett McWhorter in a battle at Adena in 2019. Photo by Dan Ramey/Litter Media
Scott Keller returned to his alma mater Huntington four seasons ago. He’s one of the many coaches happy to know SVC Player of the Year Lane Ruby graduated last spring.
“Just because Lane’s gone, which… Hallelujah. Thank goodness” Keller chuckled. “That was enough to deal with the past four seasons. They still have weapons. And the thing with them, they have experience. They’ve been in big games. Those kids… they’ve been there. They know what to expect. They know what that kind of pressure feels like.”
The value of experience isn’t lost on Keller, who returns a team that was made up mostly of freshmen and sophomores in 2019. The Huntsmen were toughened up while earning a lone victory last season. Keller says his team is still in the growing pain stages, but likes what he’s seen so far. The defense is ahead of the offense which is being led by Junior quarterback Nick Marion who saw his first live action last week.
Watch the Litter Media Facebook Page for score updates Friday night, photos and Litter Media Extras and a highlight package Tuesday on the Litter Media YouTube channel.
Statewide as of 2pm ET Tuesday, September 1, 2020 (difference since Monday at 2pm ET): Ohio has 124,610 (+1,453) total COVID-19 cases with 104,024 (+1,393) presumed recoveries, 13,479 (+103) hospitalizations and 4,165 (+27) virus related deaths.
The State’s COVID-19 dashboard which show 54 new cases in the 10 county region over the last 24 hours, the most being in Ross County (+17) and 2 new deaths in Ross County.
Cases by county in the Scioto Valley Region since the count began in March 2020: Data compares Tuesday’s Report with Monday’s. (County’s OPHASC rating as of Thursday 8/27/2020)
FAIRFIELD, (ORANGE/Level 2): 1,738 cases (+14), 1,461 recoveries (+24), 138 Hospitalizations (+1), 40 deaths (+0). Active cases: 300 as of 9/1.
FAYETTE, (ORANGE/Level 2): 192 cases (+3), 130 recoveries (+2), 21 Hospitalizations (+0), 5 deaths (+0). Active cases:20 as of 9/1.
HIGHLAND, (YELLOW/Level 1): 191 cases (+1), 169 recoveries (+1), 24 Hospitalizations (+0), 3 deaths (+0). Active cases:9 as of 8/31
HOCKING, (YELLOW/Level 1): 140 cases (+1), 116 recoveries (+1), 24 Hospitalizations (+0), 9 deaths (+0). Active cases:12 as of 9/1
JACKSON, (ORANGE/Level 2): 173 cases (+3), 79 recoveries (+0), 18 Hospitalizations (+0), 1 death (+0). Active cases:49 as of 8/31
PICKAWAY, (ORANGE/Level 2): 2,495 cases (+2), 2,373 recoveries (+13), 99 Hospitalizations (+0), 43 deaths (+0). Active cases:30 as of 8/31.
PIKE, (ORANGE/Level 2): 108 cases (+4), 80 recoveries (+0), 12 Hospitalizations (+0), 0 deaths. Active cases: 6 as of 8/31.
ROSS, (ORANGE/Level 2): 712 cases (+17), 527 recoveries (+12), 95 Hospitalizations (+4), 13 deaths (+2). No Active Case Report
SCIOTO, (ORANGE/Level 2): 365 cases (+8), 268 recoveries (+6), 40 Hospitalizations (+1), 3 deaths (+0). Active cases:77 as of 8/31
VINTON, (YELLOW/Level 1): 39 cases (+1), 30 recoveries (+0), 9 Hospitalizations (+1), 2 deaths (+0). Active cases:3 as of 8/24
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted today provided the following updates on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
LABOR DAY PRECAUTIONS
In advance of the upcoming Labor Day holiday, Governor DeWine today reminded citizens to take safety precautions when celebrating with others outside of their households.
“Today Ohio reported its highest number of new cases since the end of July, which is a stark reminder that this virus has not gone away and it continues to spread in our communities,” said Governor DeWine. “As you consider gathering with family and friends this weekend, please remember that COVID-19 still represents a significant risk to the lives and livelihoods of citizens in Ohio.”
Governor DeWine encourages citizens to continue regular hand-washing, social distancing, and disinfecting. The mask mandate in Ohio remains in effect for all 88 counties.
In the weeks following the Fourth of July, Ohio began to see a significant increase in cases caused, in part, by holiday gatherings. The graphic below demonstrates one example of COVID-19 spread from an Independence Day gathering.
ADDED TRAFFIC-SAFETY EFFORTS
Governor DeWine announced three new traffic-safety efforts aimed at reducing the number of fatalities on Ohio’s roads and better ensuring that Ohio’s young drivers have the necessary skills to safely navigate the streets.
Ohio Traffic Safety Council: The new council, led by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, will be composed of representatives of several state agencies and outside groups. The role of the council will be to coordinate and monitor all statewide traffic safety initiatives, analyze trends, and advise the Governor on creating safer roads through education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency response.
Work Zone Enforcement: Because enforcing traffic laws can be a challenge in work zones, the Ohio State Highway Patrol Aviation Unit, which already conducts speed checks from the air, will conduct targeted enforcement on crash-causing violations in Ohio Department of Transportation construction zones. The increased enforcement is in response to the nearly 9,000 work-zone crashes in Ohio between 2019 and 2020.
Juvenile Court Grants: Eight juvenile courts in Ohio have been awarded grant funding through the Ohio Department of Public Safety to help them provide young drivers more access to advanced driver training. Courts in Adams, Athens, Medina, Knox, Delaware, Miami, Fairfield, and Delaware counties will each receive $20,000 through Ohio’s new Youthful Driver Safety Fund which was developed as part of Ohio’s biennium budget.
The new traffic safety efforts are in addition to several other initiatives launched by Governor DeWine since 2019 including the creation of the Intersection Safety Program to improve the safety of 150 rural, urban, and suburban intersections across the state; the development of the “Ohio – Ready, Test, Drive!” program to help enhance the skills of new drivers; and the creation of several distracted driving corridors to reduce distracted driving in Ohio. Governor DeWine also worked with members of the General Assembly to introduce the Hands-Free Ohio bill, which is currently pending in the Ohio General Assembly, to strengthen Ohio’s laws related to the use of wireless devices while driving.
Governor DeWine today also encouraged Ohio’s drivers to watch their speeds after Ohio recorded 154 traffic fatalities in July – the highest number of traffic fatalities in one month since 2007. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, one in three of those killed in July was involved in a speed-related crash.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer people are traveling on Ohio’s roads which is leading many of those who are driving to speed. This year, the Patrol has issued more than 2,200 citations for speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. This represents a 60 percent increase in these citations over the same time period last year.
BROADBAND EXPANSION EFFORTS
Lt. Governor Husted announced that over 900 grant requests have been approved for the K-12 Broadband Connectivity Grant to go towards hotspots and internet-enabled devices. This enables 121,000 students to gain high-speed internet in their homes, thanks to the devices provided by this grant based on information provided by the schools. In areas where there are barriers to take-home devices, the grant will also support the creation of new public wi-fi and mobile wi-fi spaces to help students connect to the internet. There are over 645,000 students in schools that are increasing their public wi-fi or using mobile wi-fi. Those students will have a place to go to access the internet if they do not have access in their homes.
By the end of this week, schools will receive notifications of their final award and can begin the process of purchasing these items through the Ohio Department of Education and BroadbandOhio.
The Lt. Governor also provided an update on Ohio’s telehealth pilot project at Switzerland of Ohio School District in Monroe County. The objective is to connect the school district with behavioral health services. Districts interested in developing telehealth services can now review the Telehealth in Schools Blueprint, which provides a better understanding of lessons learned through the pilot project.
Progress has also been made through Ohio’s Common Sense Initiative (CSI) to streamline broadband regulations through their new Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool.
The tool found:
303 definitions related to the regulation of broadband, found in Ohio’s rules or statutes across 25 different state agencies
16 different definitions of public utility in Ohio law across 5 different agencies
In an effort to develop a strategy that will create a clear and concise set of terminology for broadband providers to follow, the Lt. Governor and CSI will work with agencies to streamline these definitions.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Lt. Governor Husted also unveiled a new public service announcement to encourage Ohioans to wear masks. The PSA features 99-year-old Jim “Pee Wee” Martin who lives in Sugarcreek Township in Greene County.
Jim volunteered to be a WWII Paratrooper, an original member of Company “G”, 3rdBattalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. His nickname “Pee Wee” was earned because he was 106 pounds, the smallest and lightest guy in the company. In 1944, Jim jumped into France over Utah Beach the night prior to D-Day and fought for 33 days in the Normandy campaign. He also fought in Holland, Belgium, and Germany.
Among his many awards, Jim earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his great work.
“Wearing a mask to protect Jim “Pee Wee” Martin seems like a small sacrifice for us to protect people like him, considering all he did to protect us,” said Lt. Governor Husted.
The PSA can be viewed below.
CURRENT COVID-19 DATA
There are 124,610 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio and 4,165 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 13,479 people have been hospitalized, including 2,975 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Rankings of Ohio’s 88 counties by highest occurrence can be found below.
Video of today’s full update, including versions with foreign language translation, can be viewed on the Ohio Channel’s YouTube page.
For more information on Ohio’s response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.
Logan Elm Interim Athletic Boosters President, Dan Bise welcomes Teays Valley cheerleaders during the weather delay.
It was good to get back to on the gridiron Friday night for the Litter Media Game of the Week… however, it was admittedly different.
Among the observations:
GUIDELINES: Despite the downsizing of fan attendance, it was good to see activity and be back on the sidelines. Everyone in attendance adhered to the guidelines of social distancing and facial coverings. Rows were marked to make separation easy for fans.
The Logan Elm sideline had strategically space folding chairs for players to use along the track instead of a typical bench. Teays Valley plotted markers along their sideline between the 10 yard lines for players to maintain distancing.
WEATHER: En route to Pickaway County, it was hard to discern if small hail or just hard raindrops were hitting the van on the stretch between Adena Medical Center and Route 207. More storms hit later impacting several games across the state. In our case, thunder was detected 1:53 after the opening kick, resulting in a two hour delay. Play resumed at 9:05pm.
THANK YOU to Dan Bise, interim Logan Elm Athletic Boosters president, who invited our cameras to shelter-in-place with the concession crew while the storms rolled through.
AWKWARDNESS:
The coin toss… no more than one team representative instead of a host of captains to meet at midfield to determine who gained the opening possession.
Teams breaking from their offensive huddles, the center with ball in hand, ready to place it on the marker laid at the line of scrimmage by the officials. It just looks… weird.
Halftime shortened was shortened to 10 minutes from the normal 20-plus minutes.
No bands for the visiting team. There’s something about hearing the fight song played after a team scores a touchdown. It was missing. Teays Valley’s cheerleaders had the fight song on a boom box, but only played it for their routines. Perhaps other visiting teams will bring along a recorded version to fill that void.
Post game handshakes were eliminated. The teams lined up on the hash marks, tipped their caps, waved as the went their respective ways
It was indeed different, but was also good to be back!
NEW VIDEO – LOGAN ELM MARCHING BAND OF PRIDE: The Litter Media cameras fought through the rain to capture the shortened version of the Logan Elm Marching Band’s halftime performance Friday night, August 28th. WATCH HERE: https://youtu.be/yeeuE1ktADU
#LitterMediaGOTW SEPTEMBER 4th: Our Litter Media cameras will be at Huntington as the Huntsmen host the Southeastern Panthers.
