Unioto Baseball Tops Huntington To Grab Share of SVC Title With Westfall

Presented By Atomic Speedway

(Watch our video above where Litter Media’s Mike Smith spoke with Unioto Coach Tony Taylor after their co-championship)

The Unioto Shermans earned a share of the 2021 SVC Baseball Championship Tuesday with an 8-3 win at Huntington. The victory enables the Shermans to share the crown with Westfall, who had already clinched a share the week before.

The win also avenged an earlier season loss Unioto suffered at the hands of the Huntsmen on the Shermans’ home diamond.

The Tuesday game picked up in the top of the second inning with Unioto leading 1-0, where the game had been suspended last week due to rain.

The score stayed that way until Unioto broke loose for five runs in the top of the third inning for a 6-0 lead, then added another run in the fourth for a 7-0 advantage.

Huntington got on the scoreboard with a 2-run bottom of the fourth inning to cut the margin to 7-2, only to see the Shermans add an insurance run in the sixth inning for an 8-2 lead.

Huntington pushed across one last run in the bottom of the seventh, before Unioto pitcher Cameron DeBord ended the game by striking out the final Huntsmen at the plate for an 8-3 win.

DeBord was the winning pitcher, working all 7 innings, yielding 6 hits and fanning 9 Huntsmen batters.

The Shermans showed balance in their hitting order, with Braxton Platt being their only multi-hit offensive player with 3 hits in 4 at-bats, driving in 3 runs.

As a team, Unioto had 9 hits in the game and took advantage of 6 Huntington fielding errors in the contest.

The co-championship is Unioto’s 22nd SVC title in baseball.

Unioto improves to an SVC ending (12-2) record to share the title and improved their overall record to (20-4). The Shermans will play a non-conference game with #1 state ranked Miami Trace later this week, which could be a preview of a possible Division 2 District Final showdown between the two teams. Unioto is a #5 seed going into the tournament next week.

Adena Regional Medical Center Receives 5 Star Rating

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(Photo Caption (L-R): Adena Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Kirk Tucker, VP of Quality & Safety Rhett Holland and President & CEO Jeff Graham announce Adena Regional Medical Center named a Five-Star Hospital by CMS)

(CHILLICOTHE) – Adena Regional Medical Center (ARMC) has received the highest overall hospital rating, five-star, given by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The overall hospital rating is based on data publicly reported on CMS’ consumer-oriented website Hospital Compare. ARMC is among just 35 of Ohio’s 134 rated hospitals to receive a five-star rating.

Hospital Compare provides information on how well hospitals provide recommended care to their patients, becoming one tool consumers can use to compare performance measures from multiple hospitals.

“Patients and their families should use all available tools at their disposal to make informed healthcare decisions that are right for them,” said Jeff Graham, Adena President & CEO. “Adena is committed to the goal of transparency, providing accurate, meaningful information about its quality for our patients. I am so proud of everyone that calls themselves an Adena caregiver for this recognition representative of the care they provide whether in critical times such as the Coronavirus pandemic or meeting everyday care needs.”

CMS looks at more than 50 measures that fall into five quality categories: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience and timely and effective care. A hospital’s overall rating is calculated using only those measures for which data is available.

“A five-star hospital rating from CMS is not easily achieved,” said Rhett Holland, Adena Vice President of Quality and Safety. “Of 4,586 hospitals CMS rated nationally, only 13.5% or 455 hospitals received five stars. It truly speaks volumes about the commitment of every provider and caregiver in our organization to provide the best care possible.”

Adena Director of Quality and Performance Improvement Seth Haynes added, “Our quality model is an integrated approach and annual focus of priority objectives, measures and plans by our committees and Quality Collaborative Teams. A five-star rating is something we have strived for since the inception of this CMS program and over the past few years we have focused on quality along the frontlines and improving safety through our Zero Harm journey of continuous improvement with every patient encounter.”

To access the Hospital Compare website, visit www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare.

Mobile Mammography Unit To Conduct Screening In Circleville

Presented By Rathkamp Financial

The Center for Cancer Health Equity and OSUCCC James Cancer Center Mammography Unit will be in Circleville at the Pickaway County YMCA on June 28th. The “Y” is located at 440 Nicholas Drive in Circleville.

The clinic will be held between 9am-1:30pm.

Eligibility requirements are for women that do “not” have breast symptoms, not pregnant or nursing, with no previous breast cancer. You must be at least 40-years of age to have a “mammogram screening”. Women who are under 40 would need a written order from their doctor. Women will be screened for eligibility for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Project (BCCP).

To schedule an appointment, please call 614-366-1586.

However, if you are experiencing breast symptoms, you can call to schedule a “diagnostic mammogram” at the same number of (614) 366-1586.

ZT Boys & Adena Girls With Day #1 Lead in SVC Track & Field Championships

Presented By Atomic Speedway

Day one has the Zane Trace Boys and Adena Girls in the lead at the SVC Track & Field Championships at Adena High School.

Day 1 on Monday had three scoring events for the boys and four for the girls meet. The finals will be Friday, May 14th.

Here are the point standings after Day #1:

(Boys): Zane Trace (20), Paint Valley (19) & Adena (19), Piketon (18), Southeastern (13), Unioto (13), Huntington (9), Westfall (5)

(Girls): Adena (36), Westfall (31), Piketon (21), Unioto (19), Zane Trace (16), Paint Valley (14), Huntington (12), Southeastern (5)

For individual Day 1 results, go to our link to Baums Page’s official stats.

CLICK HERE

Work Search Requirement Returns For Ohio’s Unemployment Benefits

Presented By McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

(COLUMBUS)—Beginning the week of May 23, Ohioans will be required to resume weekly work-search activities as part of future applications for unemployment payments, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Interim Director Matt Damschroder announced today.

“Now that Ohioans have had the opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and can safely return to work, it only makes sense that we restore work-search requirements for everyone,” said Governor Mike DeWine.

“Ohio business owners are creating jobs faster than people are returning to the workforce,” said Lt. Governor Jon Husted. “Now that all Ohio adults have access to the vaccine, it’s time to return to the traditional work requirements.”

At the height of the pandemic from mid-March through Dec. 1, 2020, the federal government authorized states to waive work-search requirements. On Dec. 6, ODJFS resumed the work-search requirement for new unemployment claims, while exempting existing claims.

Allowable work-search activities include applying for a job, attending a resume-writing course, or creating and maintaining a reemployment plan on OhioMeansJobs.com. Under Ohio law, some individuals will be exempt from conducting work-search activities, including employees on a temporary layoff of 45 days or less, and individuals in approved training. Additionally, individuals will meet their weekly work-search requirement if they are members in good standing with a union hiring hall that refers its members to jobs. For those in approved school or training, their work-search requirement may be considered met if they are attending all classes and making satisfactory progress.

ODJFS will notify unemployed Ohioans impacted by this change directly, to allow plenty of time to understand the requirements and begin their process of weekly work-search activities.

Local Chamber Of Commerce Seeks Input On Workforce Shortage

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The Chillicothe/Ross Chamber of Commerce is seeking input from local businesses in order to better understand the current workforce shortage in Ross County.

Chamber CEO Mike Throne says- We’re looking to collect data and information about the workforce shortage in our area.” Throne adds- “The idea of the survey is to find actual data and not just anecdotal information to address problems of business being able to find people to work.”

Throne says they are also interested in what employers are hearing from prospective employees- concerning their needs to get back into the workplace. Whether that means a need for even higher wages, childcare needs and/or healthcare benefits.

The survey is titled “Chillicothe & Ross County Workforce Needs Survey.”

Here is the link to take the survey: https://surveymonkey.com/r/G2FVW3Q

Teays Valley Grad Sets NCAA Softball Pitching Record

Presented By Hometown-Motors, Inc.

*(UPDATE- Alyssa Rothwell broke the NCAA record with her 33rd save on May 14th)*

A Pickaway County woman who starred in high school softball at Teays Valley High School, has now etched her name into the NCAA Division 1 Softball record books as a pitcher at Ball State University.

Alyssa Rothwell tied the NCAA record for career pitching saves over the weekend, at 32. She tied the record by working three innings in a 17-11 win over Western Michigan University. Rothwell’s 32 career saves ties her with Mississippi State’s Kellie Willkerson (1999-2002) for the NCAA Division 1 career saves record.

Rothwell, who graduated in December 2020, got an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She can possibly break the record in Ball State’s next game on Wednesday.

At Teays Valley, Rothwell played for the Lady Vikings state championship softball team in 2015, hitting the state championship walk-off home run vs Lebanon in 8 innings. She also pitched all 8 innings that day, firing a 1-hit shutout for the pitching victory.


Ohio University & Cleveland Clinic Team For Unique Primary Care Physician Training

Presented By Rathkamp Financial

(ATHENS) – The Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and Cleveland Clinic are working together to train primary care physicians through a unique medical education program with the ultimate goal of improving patient care. The first cohort of eight students to complete the Transformative Care Continuum (TCC) graduated on Saturday, May 8 – just three years after they started medical school rather than the traditional four.

“We could not be prouder of these eight students for completing such a rigorous and innovative medical program,” Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis, Ph.D., said. “The need for medical education to be more inclusive and diverse, culturally competent and relevant to the community by addressing their needs and health disparities has never been more important. The TCC has trained these students on how to better serve their communities, and I have no doubt they will be successful in doing so.”

Developed and launched in 2018 in partnership with Cleveland Clinic, the Transformative Care Continuum is an accelerated curriculum where select students at the Heritage College, Cleveland, are admitted directly into family medicine residency programs at Cleveland Clinic Akron General or Cleveland Clinic Lakewood Family Health Center. During the three years of medical school, students work alongside interprofessional healthcare teams and take on increasing patient care responsibilities before beginning the three-year family medicine residency at the same site.

“From the first days of medical school, these students are on the front lines of the clinical settings where they’ll be working for the entire six years of medical school and residency,” said Isaac Kirstein, D.O., dean of the Heritage College, Cleveland. “The most effective family physicians are those who build strong relationships with patients in the context of their families and their communities, so they can truly understand those socioeconomic factors that impact health outcomes. Thanks to our partnership with Cleveland Clinic, our TCC students are doing that right from the start.”

Heritage College faculty and Cleveland Clinic residency directors jointly developed the curriculum, forming an innovative collaboration between medical education and healthcare to align physician training with what medicine needs. 

The Heritage College is one of 37 medical schools nationwide in the American Medical Association’s Accelerating Change in Medical Education Consortium. While many consortium members are investigating single curriculum changes meant to fill specific gaps in healthcare, the Heritage College is the only medical school making such a wholesale change for a cohort of eight students per year.

“This innovative program transforms medical education by providing hands-on experience with patients and healthcare delivery teams to train future physicians in a dramatically different way and uniquely prepare them for 21st century medicine,” said James Young, M.D., executive director of academic affairs at Cleveland Clinic. “Healthcare systems need more patient-centered solutions that engage social determinants of health and collaborate across traditional silos to improve health outcomes. These students will help us lead the way to healthier communities.”

During their third year of medical school, Transformative Care Continuum students complete self-directed projects through which they partner with community organizations to create programs that address regional health challenges, particularly for populations in greatest need. Community projects for the first cohort of students included 2021 TCC graduate Blake Kinsel’s project partnering with the LGBT Center of Cleveland and the Doctors of the Streets program to expand point-of-care HIV testing and prevention services. Kinsel received the prestigious Excellence in Public Health Award from the U.S. Public Health Service Physician Professional Advisory Committee for his work on this project.

In addition to Kinsel, the first cohort of students includes Michael Arnold, Palmer Coleman, Olga Shirley Grech, Peris Kibera, Sharon Ware, Matthew Wilcox and Jacob Wolfe.

OHSAA Spring Sports Tournament Tickets Available Online

Presented By Atomic Speedway

Now that spring high school sports tournaments are underway, fans are asking whether attendance is open to anyone or whether its limited as it was during the fall and winter seaons.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association reminds everyone that general spectators are now able to attend games, but some distancing guidelines could still be applicable, depending on the confines of the stadium where games are being played.

The U.S. Centers For Disease Control recently announced that masks are no longer needed for those people fully vaccinated, who are outdoors. Only when in very large crowds, would masks be needed.

The OHSAA says all Sectional, District, Regional, and State level tournaments for all Spring Sports will require a ticket for fans to attend the contest.

Tickets can be purchased through the OHSAA website at https://ohsaa.org/tickets. You do not need a code to purchase tickets.

Davis 16’s Team Wins OVR Regional Championship

Presented By McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

The Southern Ohio Volleyball Club’s (SOVC) 16’s team coached by Cyndi Davis of Zane Trace, won the Ohio Valley Regional Gold Championship Sunday at the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus.

Davis’ squad was unbeaten in tournaments this spring and only lost three sets all season.

The tournament is the season-ending event in the OVR, with tournaments held in various age and medal categories, with the Gold level being the highest in American and Regional divisions. Davis’ team was Gold winner in the Regional Division.

(Photo Courtesy of Casey McFadden)

The team is comprised of:

Lexi Scott- Zane Trace

Grace McCollough- Zane Trace

Kinley May- Zane Trace

Gracee Pfeifer- Southeastern

Macy Corcoran- Southeastern

Madison Mays- Wheelersburg

Kelli Stewart- Waverly

Averi McFadden- Paint Valley

Cyndi Davis (Coach)- Zane Trace