Loveland Magazine

MIAMI TOWNSHIP, OHIO - Voting precincts E and L changed

MIAMI TOWNSHIP, OHIO - According to Miami Township, voting precincts “E” and “L” have changed location. The Clermont County Board of Elections will no longer be using the Miamiville Firehouse. The new location for these voters is the River Hills Christian Church on Price Road. If there are any questions, you can call the Clermont County Board of Elections at 513-732-7481.

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Nation -- Engineer guilty of hiding information about Ohio nuclear plant corrosion

TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal jury convicted a former nuclear plant worker Tuesday of concealing the worst corrosion ever found at a U.S. reactor. A second defendant was acquitted.

David Geisen, the Davis-Besse plant's former engineering design manager, was accused of misleading regulators into believing the plant along Lake Erie was safe. He faces as many as five years in prison.

Private contractor Rodney Cook was acquitted by the same federal jury.

Prosecutors said the men lied in fall 2001 so the plant could delay a shutdown for a safety inspection. Months later, inspectors found an acid leak that had nearly eaten through the reactor's 6-inch-thick steel cap. It's not clear how close the plant was to an accident.

Read full story: SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Nation -- Engineer guilty of hiding information about Ohio nuclear plant corrosion.

LOVELAND, OHIO – Trick or Treat in area 6 – 8 PM

LOVELAND, OHIO – The City of Loveland has joined the other area governments in declaring that Trick or Treat hours will be from 6 – 8 PM tonight. In past years, the City ended the time for tricking, ½ hour before other communities.

Ghosthuntermobile... Going, going... Bid now

Dear Loveland Magazine Readers,

Would you like to own my Ghosthuntermobile? Would you like to help me raise funds for UNICEF? Now, you can do both. From October 21 through Halloween, I will have my Ghosthuntermobile on auction at eBay.com. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

The Ghosthuntermobile is a hand-painted "ghost art" car that has been to over 50 haunted locations while I researched my ghost books. The 1987 Buick Skyhawk has also been something of a celebrity itself, as it has appeared at paranormal conferences, festivals, and some of my book signings. Photos of the car have appeared in newspapers and books. You really have to see the car to believe it. Along with the car, the winning bidder will receive an autographed set of all my ghost books.

You can access the eBay auction page, and see photos of the car, by going to www.JohnKachuba and following the link posted there. You can also go directly to eBay.com and search "ghosthunter car."

Remember, ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE AUCTION BENEFIT THE U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF. So, why not help out the children and place a bid? Please feel free to pass this email along to your friends.

Thanks for your generosity. Happy Halloween!

John Kachuba

Editor's Note: John Kachuba is a former Loveland resident of Loveland and founder of the Loveland Arts Council. He has published several books about ghosts, and the places they haunt and burden.

Columbus, Ohio – Governor Strickland Announces Income Tax Cuts for 2008

Columbus, Ohio – In a press release issued today, Governor Ted Strickland announced a 4.2 percent decrease in income tax withholding rates for 2008, which is another step in the phase in of a 21-percent, across-the-board income tax cut that will be completed by the 2009 tax year.

“These income tax cuts will provide Ohio families more money each paycheck to invest in what matters most to them,” Strickland said.

The new, lower withholding rates will increase the take home pay of Ohioans by approximately $350 million during 2008. Overall, the 2008 withholding rates will be 16.8 percent lower than they were in 2004, in line with income tax rates that will be 16.8 percent lower than 2004.

The new income tax withholding tables will take effect for pay periods ending on or after January 1, 2008. They replace the tables previously issued by the Ohio Department of Taxation effective October 1, 2006, and reflect an additional 4.2 percent reduction in withholding rates.

“My administration is strongly committed to continuing recently enacted tax reforms,” Strickland said.  “Working together with the legislature, we are making sure Ohio is the best place in the nation to start a business and raise a family.”

Ohio employers will receive information about the new withholding tables in the mail starting this week. The new tables are also available online at http://tax.ohio.gov/divisions/employer_withholding/.  Employers who need more information about withholding matters may call (888) 405-4039.

LOVELAND, OHIO - Library Helps Troops Send Their Love Home

“Valentines for the Troops,” Loveland Branch Library, November 10, 2:00 PM

LOVELAND, OHIO - The Loveland Branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County is celebrating Veterans Day in a special way this year. On Saturday, November 10, at 2:00 PM, the Library (649 Loveland-Madeira Road) will host a special arts & crafts project called “Valentines for the Troops.” Children of all ages will say “thank you” to the troops serving overseas by helping them send their love home to their families.

Each child will decorate the outside of a Valentine card that the Yellow Ribbon Support Center – founded by Staff Sergeant Keith Matthew “Matt” Maupin’s parents – will place into a care package bound for servicemen and women in Iraq. These members of the U.S. Military can then pen their Valentine wishes in the cards and send them home to their loved ones in time for Valentine’s Day. A representative from the Maupin family will be at the event as well as Loveland’s own “Valentine Lady” who will hand-stamp the town’s unique cachet on the Valentines and hand-cancel them with a Loveland, Ohio, postmark.

No registration necessary; this Library program, like all Library programs, is free and open to the public.

For directions to the Loveland Branch Library, located in the Shopper’s Haven Shopping Center, approximately three miles east of I-275 visit http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/branches/loveland.html or call 369-4476.

Bill Moyers Journal: Presidential Power

Airdate: Friday, October 26, 2007, at 9 p.m. EDT on PBS.

(Check local listings at http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/about/airdates.html.)

How far can a president go to defend the nation? Bill Moyers Journal examines the unprecedented presidential power that some say is being amassed by our current administration and kept secret in the name of national security.

Moyers gets perspective from Charles Fried, who teaches constitutional law at Harvard Law School and served as solicitor general in the Reagan administration, and Fritz Schwarz, who served as counsel to the US Senate select committee led by Frank Church of Idaho that uncovered decades of abuse by the CIA and other intelligence agencies. Also on the program, Moyers interviews Katherine S. Newman, author of "The Missing Class: Portraits of the Near Poor in America," about the millions in America who, despite decent wages, can't access public assistance and are one step away from poverty.

Link: Bill Moyers Journal | Presidential Power.

LOVELAND, OHIO - Erik Carlsen wins laptop at Tech Fair

LOVELAND, OHIO – Erik Carlsen said he went to the Technology Fair at Loveland High School last week because his wife wanted him to go. He said that the free childcare was a big draw also. “The free childcare was great,” said the father of three.

Carlsen won a new IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad R61i laptop, donated by Forward Edge, which provides IT solutions for K-12/Higher Education and SMB clients, and is located in Sharonville. Carlsen said, “This is by far, the biggest thing I have ever won.”

Carlsen is the pastor at the Northeast Community Church on Lebanon Road in Symmes Township and said he will probably use the new computer for work. “But, I have to share it with my wife, because she insisted I go,” joked Carlsen. He did say however that he wanted to learn more about how the school district was using technology in the classroom.

This was the third year that the Loveland District has invited the public for an open house where, “You can check out how the Loveland School District is utilizing technology to optimize teaching and learning.” In addition to the lap top, many other door prizes were given away throughout the night.

Next year's Tech Fair will take place on Thursday, October 16, 2008.

Mud Slinger holiday sale to benefit Children's Meeting House

Mud Slinger Studio is hosting a holiday sale featuring hand made pottery, ceramics, jewelry, children's items, embroidered cards, scarves, and Usborne books just in time for the upcoming holiday season.  A generous portion of the sales will benefit the Children's Meeting House Montessori School in Loveland.  The sale is on Friday November 9th from 1PM - 7PM and Saturday November 10th from 10 AM - 4 PM at 6888 Clubside Drive just off of Route 48.  There is free parking and refreshments.  For more information call 697-7070 or at www.HolidayArtSale.com.

This is Mud Slinger's  first annual Holiday Art Sale, and features works from local Loveland artisans. Featuring items include:

• Arty Girls
• CiCi Bebé
• Jaguar Jewelry
• Mud Slinger Pottery
• Rachel McNett Embroidered Cards
• Usborne Books

Thomas P. Beane, Lester H. Smith, Graduate Basic Training at Ft. Sill, Okla.

Army Pvt. Thomas P. Beane II and Army National Guard Pvt. Lester H. Smith have graduated from Basic Combat training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla.

Bean is the son of Thomas P. Beane of Morrow, and a 2005 graduate of Little Miami High School.

Smith is the son of Alber C. Smith of Maineville, and is a 2003 graduate of Little Miami High School.

During the nine weeks of training, Beane snd Smith studied the Army mission and received instruction and training exercises in drill and ceremonies, Army history, core values and traditions, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, rifle marksmanship, weapons use, map reading and land navigation, foot marches, armed and unarmed combat, and field maneuvers and tactics.

Study Finds Rise in Choice of Double Mastectomies

More women with breast cancer are choosing to have their healthy breast surgically removed along with their affected breast, a new study has found. Almost 5 percent of patients decided to have the radical procedure in 2003, up from just under 2 percent in 1998.

Link: Study Finds Rise in Choice of Double Mastectomies - New York Times.

LOVELAND, OHIO - Zachary A. Huhn graduates Basic

LOVELAND, OHIO - Army National Guard Pvt. Zachary A. Huhn has graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Knox, Ky.

During the nine-week training period, Huhn received instruction in
drill and ceremony, weapons, rifle marksmanship and bayonet training, chemical warfare, field training and tactical exercises, armed and unarmed combat, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, and Army history, traditions, and core values.

Huhn is the son of Jeff Huhn of Rosewood Court, Loveland, and is currently attending Kings High School.

140,000 signatures collected for vote on paid sick days

Columbus- A labor-led coalition pushing for mandated paid sick days for workers at larger businesses said Monday it has gathered enough signatures to put the issue before lawmakers.

The Ohio Healthy Families Act, backed by the Service Employees International Union and the AFL-CIO, would require businesses with 25 or more employees to give full-time employees seven sick days per year. Part-time employees could earn prorated sick days.

The coalition has gathered around 140,000 signatures and will continue to gather more before submitting the proposal to the legislature in January, campaign manager Brian Dunn said. The issue needs at least 120,683 signatures - equal to 3 percent of the vote in the 2006 gubernatorial election - to be put before lawmakers. If lawmakers fail to act, the coalition can then gather more signatures to place the measure on the 2008 ballot.

The group will continue to gather more signatures because the number found to be valid by the secretary of state's office is generally lower than the total number of signatures submitted.

Link: 140,000 signatures collected for vote on paid sick days - cleveland.com.

MORROW, OHIO - “Online Construction Zone”

MORROW, OHIO – The masonry walls are being erected at Little Miami High School and walls will begin going up at the new Junior High School. Rough grading for the new Intermediate School is 100 percent complete.

To stay abreast of construction progress, you can visit the online Construction Zone often. The Web site is updated regularly with progress reports, photos and event coverage. Simply click the "New Construction Zone" button on the left-hand side of the district homepage www.littlemiamischools.com. It provides details for each of the projects, complete with architectural renderings and other pertinent information.

SYMMES TOWNSHIP, OHIO - Loveland wins Battle Their Bots in UC’s Fifth-Annual Bearcat BEST Competition

SYMMES TOWNSHIP, OHIO - The Robotics Team from Loveland High School took top honors, competing against 17 other teams in UC’s Fifth-Annual Bearcat BEST Competition. and advances to South BEST Competition at Auburn University in Alabama. They were awarded the 1st Place, Bearcat Best Award.

BEST (Boosting Engineering Science and Technology) “is a non-profit, volunteer organization whose mission is to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, science, and technology through participation in a sports-like, science- and engineering-based robotics competition.”

The students spent six weeks designing and constructing their robots from pre-packaged kits of materials, provided to them by the University of Cincinnati. The rules for the competition are different each year, and they are released to the teams on the same day nationally. The teams have only five weeks to build, test and enter into the competition on the Game Day.

THE CHALLENGE
In 2007, the Mars Rovers — Opportunity and Spirit — began their fourth year of searching for signs of life on Mars. In 2021, a Martian base has been assembled using construction robots and is now receiving supplies before the arrival of astronauts. Automated Supply Vehicles (ASVs) land at the Martian base and must be unloaded using robots. Because of the harsh environment on the Martian surface (temperatures can reach as low as -155 °F), the robots have three minutes to perform the following tasks:

    * Exit the base and drive across the Martian surface.
    * Drive up onto the ASV and load supplies.
    * Drive off the ASV and store the supplies in a storage bin at the Martian base.

The exits on the Martian base dictate that robots must be within certain size and weight constraints.

NASA issued a request for proposals for robots to unload the supply ships. BRI has submitted a proposal and won the contract to provide robots for unloading ASVs!

The Loveland team also took 1st place for their Project Engineering Notebook and for their “Spirit and Sportsmanship.” They also took 3rd place for their Table Display.

CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO - Protecting Our Environment

CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO - “More of us are recycling, but unfortunately, not everyone follows the recycling guidelines that are posted,” said Adams-Clermont Solid Waste Director Paul Braasch.  “In recent weeks, we’ve found vinyl siding, doors, gas tanks, windows, and even dead animals in the recycling bins.”

Surveying a paper recycling site in Batavia Township, Braasch pointed out that someone tossed a bunch of old newspapers inside.  “The problem is that the papers are still in their plastic sleeves,” he said.  “Those must be removed before tossing paper into the bins.  Plastic take out containers and most plastic cups also do not belong there.  A good rule of thumb for recycling plastic is that if the neck of the bottle of the bottle is narrower than the bottom, it can be recycled.”

There are many reasons to recycle; it’s good for the environment and items made from recyclables are usually cheaper.  It costs taxpayers around $30 to take a ton of garbage to a landfill, while a ton of garbage taken to a recycling center costs around $20. “The key here is making sure that the items are properly separated for recycling,” adds Braasch.  “When we have items in bins that do not belong there we have to pay more to have it dumped as garbage.”

In Clermont County, there are 32 recycling drop-off centers.  For a complete listing, visit the Web site www.oeq.net.

Matthew S. Mckee and Benjamin P. Sohn graduate Basic

Air Force Airman Matthew S. Mckee and Airman Benjamin P. Sohn have graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

During the six weeks of training, the airman studied the Air Force mission, organization, and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches, and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises, and special training in human relations.

In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Mckee is the son of David and Jennifer McKee of Cross Creek Lane, Maineville, and  is a 2007 graduate of Little Miami High School.

Sohn earned distinction as an honor graduate. He is the son of Vincent Sohn of Cosmos Drive, Loveland and a 2007 graduate of Kings High School.

MORROW, OHIO – Special Board meeting

MORROW, OHIO - The Board of Education of the Little Miami Local School District will hold a special meeting on Monday, October 29, 2007 at 6:00 PM at the Little Miami High School Media Center, 3001 US 22&3, Morrow, Ohio.

The agenda for the meeting isn't finished yet. The District will be posting it later this week.

MORROW, OHIO – SAFE SCHOOLS LIFELINE

MORROW, OHIO – You can do your part to keep Little Miami Schools safe. Report any dangerous or threatening activity on the district's anonymous tip line by calling 1-866-LIVE-TIP (1-866-548-3847). You will be asked to enter the district code (Little Miami Schools' code 127). Emergency callers will always speak to a live operator, who is trained to take immediate action. Non-emergency callers can leave a message. All calls are transcribed to ensure anonymity, and then faxed to a school authority within 24 hours.

Tip off potential crisis, such as:

School Violence - weapons, bomb threats
School Damage - vandalism, theft
Physical and Sexual Abuse or Harassment
Drug and Alcohol Issues
Fights 
Gang Activity
Discrimination

You can be a life saver and help stop school crises before they happen.

MIAMI TOWNSHIP, OHIO – Fun in the Township

Tree Climb

Saturday, October 20;
2:30, 3:30 or 4:30 p.m.
Cincinnati Nature Center
Ages 7+
$10/residents; $12/non-residents

Miami Township Recreation is partnering with Cincinnati Nature Center to experience
trees from a new perspective….the top! Join Jason Neumann, Cincinnati Nature
Center trained facilitator, who will gear you up with climbing equipment for a close-up
look at a big canopy tree. Pre-registration required. Please designate on your registration
which time slot you are interested in. Limited to 10 enrollees each session.
Kids must be accompanied by an adult.

Meet in front of the Rowe Visitors Center at 4949 Tealtown Road.

Kite Flying Show

Saturday, October 27
noon - 4:00 p.m.
FREE

Kite enthusiast, Jerry McGuire, will bring his kites to Miami Meadows Park (front field)
for you and your family to enjoy. If the weather permits he will fly his newest 100 ft. kite.

Family Dance Mania

Friday, November 2
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
$3/per person
Miami Township Civic Center, 6101 Meijer Drive


Kim Boardman has a passion for dance.  She will teach you some new dance steps
while doing some of your own fancy footwork. This will be a fun event with a fusion of
jazz, Latin, hip/hop and country. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Pre-registration required.

Miami Township Holiday Parade

Thursday, November 15, 2007
7:00 p.m.

Bring your lawn chair on Thursday November 15th at 7:00 p.m. from Meijer and proceeds down Business 28 to enjoy the sights & sounds of the holiday.  Local businesses & organizations hand out free goodies.  Milford High School marching bands, lighted floats, businesses, Miami Township Fire Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, churches, school groups & civic organizations participate to make this a fun community event.  Call Miami Township Recreation Department at 248-3727 if you are interested in participating.

9th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting & Open House

Saturday, December 1
4:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Miami Township Civic Center, 6101 Meijer Drive
FREE

Enjoy the local talent as they ring in the holiday season. Children can visit with Santa,
decorate cookies, have their face painted and make holiday crafts. The Miami Township
Christmas Tree will be lit at 7:15 p.m.

For more information about these events and more click here.

Garth Brooks - The Ultimate Hits CD

The Ultimate Hits Exclusive “Pink Edition”!

Garth Brooks has joined forces with Susan G. Komen for the Cure in the promise to end breast cancer forever, with the release of the “Pink Edition” of The Ultimate Hits album. The album is a new 3-disc set, and contains 30 classics, 3 new songs and a bonus track on two CDs. The set also includes a DVD with videos for all 33 songs, including new and never-before-seen footage.

For every “Pink Edition” of The Ultimate Hits album sold, $10 will go to Komen for the Cure. Each CD is packaged with important information to help you protect your breast health, and the health of people you love.

Read more: Garth Brooks - The Ultimate Hits CD.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

in Memory of Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis

My friend and colleague Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis passed away Saturday, October 6, 2007, after a 2 year battle with breast cancer. She was only 57 years old. I wrote about Breast Cancer Awareness month in 2005, but her death should serve as an unfortunate reminder about this tragic disease. Roughly 400,000 women have been diagnosed with, and 80,000 women have passed away from breast cancer since my last column.

According to the Centers for Disease Control Ohio’s incidence rate for breast cancer is lower than the national average at 117.1 cases per 100,000 persons, compared to 119 nationally. This is a good thing. Ohio’s death rate, however, is higher than the national average at 27.9 deaths per 100,000 people compared to 25.2 nationally. This is a bad thing. This cannot be easily explained, but it is telling of the work we have ahead of us.

The good news is that those survival rates are improving. Technological improvements and earlier detections have both contributed to these survival rates.  According to the National Cancer Institute, today, 5 year survival rates approach 88% and ten year survival rates approach 80%. We know that early detection improves outcome rates exponentially. Regular testing is the best way to ensure early detection.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) gives the following testing recommendations:

• Yearly mammograms are recommended starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health.
• Clinical breast exam (CBE) should be part of a periodic health exam, about every 3 years for women in their 20s and 30s and every year for women 40 and over.
• Women should know how their breasts normally feel and report any breast change promptly to their health care providers. Breast self-exam (BSE) is an option for women starting in their 20s.
• Women at high risk (greater than 20% lifetime risk) should get an MRI and a mammogram every year. Women at moderately increased risk (15% to 20% lifetime risk) should talk with their doctors about the benefits and limitations of adding MRI screening to their yearly mammogram. Yearly MRI screening is not recommended for women whose lifetime risk of breast cancer is less than 15%.

Further, the ACS has created a helpful mammogram reminder, which will send you annual emails to let you when it is time to schedule an exam. Click here to sign up.

Survival rates are also improving due to technological advancements in detection and treatment techniques. As a State Representative, I passed a law that increased the reimbursement rate that medical facilities would receive for mammograms. This ensures that the best possible technology is available for women in the State of Ohio, especially in our more rural areas.

As a Member of Congress, I have consistently advocated for increased research funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which include the National Cancer Institute. NIH estimates it will spend about $717 million on breast cancer research this year. Though this seems like a large amount, it is very small compared to the costs of cancer treatment, lost wages, and early deaths. If a simple and effective treatment, cure, or preventative measure could be found, countless lives and billions of dollars would be saved in treatment and economic costs.

So if you are a woman, married to a woman, or have one as a mother, please remember that early detection saves lives, and to take the appropriate action for yourself or your loved ones.

If you would like more information please visit these sites:

www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breastcancer.html

www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/

www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/lrn/lrn_0.asp

http://www.stopbreastcancer.org/

http://www.bcacincy.org/

CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO - South Korean Probation Officers Visit Courts

CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO - Four probation officers from Daejeon and Seoul, South Korea spent three days visiting Clermont County courts and meeting with local judges and probation officers, as part of their research into various criminal justice issues in the United States.  The group, on a fellowship through the South Korean Ministry of Justice, has been working cooperatively with the University of Cincinnati’s Criminal Justice Department.

As part of their research, the probation officers spent the morning of October 17 in the courtroom of Clermont County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert Ringland.  “The delegation was interested in sentencing practices in criminal cases,” said Judge Ringland.  “They also wanted to observe how the County Probation Departments provide presentence reports to help the courts determine the most appropriate sentence for a defendant.  They seemed to be very interested in victim advocates and their role in court cases.”

“We were also very interested in learning about the Clermont DUI Court,” said South Korean Probation Officer Eun Young Park.  “We do not having anything like it in our country.”  In South Korea, the probation departments are operated by the Ministry of Justice and work separately from the court system and judges.

“While drug cases are a big part of our caseload in this country, they are not in South Korea,” said Judge Ringland.  “There, theft is the most common crime committed.”  While visiting Clermont County, the probation officers visited Common Pleas Court, Juvenile Court, Municipal Court, DUI Court, and met with probation officers.

Pictured above: Clermont County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert Ringland (center-front) with the South Korean delegation.

Storms spark funnel clouds in southwest Ohio

These photos were taken in Loveland during last night's thunderstorm.

Severe storms across southwest Ohio brought power winds and at least one tornado that toppled gravestones, damaged roofs and scattered debris across parts of four counties.

The National Weather Service on Wednesday confirmed at least one tornado touched down at the Dayton Mall near Interstate 75 in Montgomery County, and investigated funnel-cloud sightings Tuesday night elsewhere in Montgomery, Butler, Clermont, Clinton and Warren counties.

Read full story: USATODAY.com - Storms spark funnel clouds in southwest Ohio.

CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO - Low Cost Rabies Clinic Saturday

CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO - The Clermont County General Health District, in partnership with the Eastfork Mobile Veterinary Service of Bethel, will hold a low cost rabies vaccination clinic on Saturday, October 20, 2007.  The clinic will be held, rain or shine, between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Washington Township Park, located at 2238 Highway 756 in Moscow.

“Approximately 43 percent of dogs in Clermont County and only 20 percent of cats are current on their rabies shots,” said Rob Perry with the General Health District.  “This clinic will enable pet owners to obtain the shots for  $5, cash only.  It is a small price to pay to protect your animal and yourself from rabies, a deadly infection of the nervous system.”

The Ohio Department of Health tested over 4,000 animals for rabies in 2006, with 59 of the animals testing positive.  Domestic animals like dogs and cats generally get rabies from infected raccoons, opossums, skunks, and bats.  “Many people say they are not vaccinating their animals because they’re not outside,” said Perry.  “It only takes a minute for a dog or cat to come in contact with an infected bat on the ground or a raccoon near some trash cans.”  The infected animals carry the virus in its saliva and can be transmitted to other animals and humans through a bite or a scratch.

The October rabies shot clinic offers a three year vaccination to animals that have an available shot record; others will receive a one year vaccine.  All animals that are taken to the clinic should be on a leash or in a carrier.

“Earlier this year, we vaccinated 109 animals at a low cost clinic and we hope to provide this low cost rabies shot to even more in October,” said Perry.  For more information about the low cost rabies clinic, contact the Clermont General Health District at (513) 732-7499.

LOVELAND, OHIO - “One of the best field trips ever.”

LOVELAND, OHIO - The Fourth, Fifth and Sixth graders at Children's Meeting House Montessori School kicked off their school year with an overnight field trip to Red River Gorge.  They visited the Red River Museum in Clay City, Kentucky, where they enjoyed seeing a number of historical artifacts from the area.  They also went on two guided hikes with a naturalist.  The first was a hike on a trail that took them through a cave and over a mountain to the famous natural bridge, “where the view was worth the climb,” said sixth-grader Jade Tailor.

The other hike took place in the evening with an attempt to call in an owl.  Fifth-grader Georgina Richards said that the call wasn't successful, “but the experience of sitting silently in the dark was awesome.”

The next morning the group hiked to Gray's Arch and later explored the Kentucky Reptile Museum, where world-renowned herpetologist Jim Henderson took them on a tour.  The museum has 2000 snakes and Henderson does venom extractions for medical research.

The last stop on the adventure was the Archeology Weekend at Gladie.  Craftspeople were on hand to demonstrate and explain the primitive technologies used by Native Americans in the area.  Some of the things they saw were:  bow/arrow making, native fire building, baskets and weaving, hide tanning, flint knapping and blowguns/darts.  “The students had a terrific time and thought that this was one of the best field trips ever,” said teacher, Dana Dale.

Dolphin massacre in Japan

glumbert - Dolphin massacre in Japan

MORROW, OHIO - Melissa Capella and Liz Monger recognized

MORROW, OHIO – Melissa Capella has been named a Commended Student in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Program. Capella placed among the top 5 percent of students who entered the 2008 competition by taking the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

Liz Monger is among 3,000 outstanding National Achievement Scholarship Program participants being referred to U.S. colleges and universities. Monger scored in the top 5 percent of more than 140,000 Black Americans who took the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

"These young ladies have demonstrated outstanding academic potential by their strong performance in this highly competitive program," said Little Miami High School Principal, Principal John Spieser.