The age of those eligible Ohioans to receive a COVID-19 vaccination will be lowered to age 50+ starting Thursday, March 11th. That was the word that came from Governor Mike DeWine during a Monday press update, calling it “Phase 2B”.
A new “1D” vaccination classification will include people with Type-2 diabetes and those suffering with end-stage renal disease.
DeWine says one of the reasons for lowering the age just one week after it was lowered to 60+ was because the Ohio Department of Health was being told that many clinics were having left-over vaccines even with the recent age and physical condition addition.
The governor also announced that the Ohio Department of Health is scheduling vaccine appointments through their scheduling tool through the website www.gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov, which is scheduled to be active as of Monday, March 8th.
“We are requiring providers to either schedule vaccines using this system or another electronic scheduling system that interfaces with this portal. We believe this will streamline the scheduling process, reduce data lags, and provide real-time information on vaccination progress.”
DeWine added “We also will be using this central scheduling tool for appointments for the mass vaccination clinics we announced (last) Friday, where we are anticipating up to 6,000 vaccinations being given a day.”
March 9th marks the 1-year anniversary of Ohio’s first COVID-19 death. As a result, Governor Mike DeWine has ordered all Ohio flags to be lowered to half-staff in honor of those who have lost their lives during the pandemic.
At a time of year where open burning is already banned in Ohio, current weather conditions have added to the danger of wildfires in southern Ohio.
A very dry airmass is in place over the region, with humidity values below 25% in some areas. Fuels on the ground are reacting quickly to the lack of moisture and are receptive to catching fire if fire is introduced.
The region seeing the driest air is southeast of the I-71 corridor, covering the Hocking Hills, Scioto Valley, and portions of southwest Ohio east of metro Cincinnati.
Winds in this area are expected to be under 10 mph from the southwest. It is possible that a few errant gusts during peak heating could be found in the 20-25 mph range.
Open burning of any type is considered extremely dangerous at this time. Be very careful of heat and sparks while operating machinery.
Ohio State Law prohibits burning in the spring from 6 AM to 6 PM March 1st through May 31st.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – One year ago this Friday (March 12), the COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension – and eventual cancellation – of the Ohio High School Athletic Association girls basketball, ice hockey and wrestling state tournaments, along with the boys basketball regional and state tournaments. Those tournaments will not be denied this year, thanks to the dedication of schools to follow local and state health precautions.
State champions will be crowned this week in girls basketball at University of Dayton Arena, ice hockey at the OhioHealth Ice Haus, and wrestling at three sites, as Hilliard Darby will host Division I, Marengo Highland will host Division II and Marion Harding will host Division III. Boys basketball has reached the regional tournaments.
2021 Girls Basketball State Tournament
TICKETING: In conjunction with policies set by the University of Dayton and Dayton-Montgomery County Public Health, the OHSAA will make at least 650 tickets available to the fans of each school for their team’s semifinal game in the state tournament. The Athletic Director of each school will distribute the purchase codes for the school’s ticket allotment. Purchase codes are only available through the Athletic Directors of the participating schools or the OHSAA. Ticket allotments for the championship games will also be 650 per school. Tickets for the Division IV and III state semifinals will go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday. Tickets for the Division II and I state semifinals will go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
LIVE COVERAGE: All 12 games of the state tournament will be covered by Spectrum. The semifinals and finals will be live streamed (free for Spectrum subscribers; $9.99 per game for non-Spectrum customers, at www.ohsaa.tv) and the finals will also be televised live on Spectrum News 1.
It’s high school tournament time, which brings out community spirit and pride and efforts to show their teams that pride. While that is a good thing, the problem comes in when signs and streamers are attached to utility poles and highway signs along roadways, which is against the law.
The same applies to attaching signs for political candidates and events such as yard sales.
The Ohio Revised Code states; “No person shall place within the limits of the right-of-way or affix any sign, poster, or advertisement to any tree or utility pole within the right-of-way of any public highway outside of municipal corporations. No person, organization, corporation, or group shall place within the limits of the right-of-way any object as determined by the department of transportation to obscure sight distance.”
Along with state law, utility companies also discourage this practice for safety reasons. A spokesperson for AEP Ohio said; “Workers need to access poles to ensure the reliability of electric service. Signs that are placed on poles are a hazard for our employees and contractors.”
Objects used to hang signs — such as staples, tacks and nails — can obstruct climbing equipment, causing a worker to slip or fall. They can also tear the protective clothing that protects a worker from electricity. Even the tiniest pinhole in a glove is enough to cause a burn or other injury.
