A Cincinnati restaurant is hiring a COVID bouncer to enforce safety guidelines.
The manager of Rusconi Pizza says they noticed people weren’t following the rules for patio dining, so they’re adding some muscle to the team.
The COVID Bouncer’s job will be to make sure people stay six-feet-apart, that they remain seated and to make sure the restaurant provides a safe and sanitary environment.
Get more details here.
AAA Ohio says travel over the Memorial Day Weekend is likely to be at a record low.
Spokeswoman Kimberly Schwind says AAA is not issuing a travel report this year because of the coronavirus.
She says 43 million Americans traveled at least 50 miles for Memorial Day last year, the second-highest total since tracking began in 2000.
For Ohioans who do travel this year Schwind says travelers may find that favorite destinations might still be closed or might look a little bit different,
She says AAA recommends contacting the destination or working with a travel agent before booking any trip.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol says it will be collaborating with other agencies to be highly visible on the roadways over the holiday weekend and to promote traffic safety.
The West Ohio Food Bank and Chopin Hall, with help from the Ohio National Guard and volunteers from Marathon and State Farm, distributed 66,000 pounds of food in Findlay on Thursday.
“Food is health, that’s what we truly believe and that starts with being able to come out and get nutritious food,” said Linda Hamilton, CEO of the West Ohio Food Bank.
She says the need for food assistance continues to grow as the pandemic continues.
If you need help and missed Thursday’s food distribution in Findlay, Linda says there will be another one in Fostoria on Friday from 11 to 1 on H.L. Ford Drive by the school buildings.
Restaurants in Ohio were allowed to start having inside dining again on Thursday if they followed several safety protocols.
We spoke with Lisa Allen, the owner of The Baker’s Cafe in Findlay, about some of those safety precautions.
She says in order to maintain six feet of distance between parties dining they have arranged the tables differently and placed a big X on some so they are not used.
She says every staff member is wearing a face mask at all times and is also required to perform a daily symptom assessment, and to stay home if showing symptoms of the virus.
Overall, she says the first day of inside dining was a little slow, the biggest party they had was a four-top, but it was still nice to see some faces.
“From our standpoint there’s really nothing like having people sitting in the restaurant enjoying themselves, hearing the chatter and the clinking of the silverware and dishes. It’s just part of that experience.”
The Ohio Expositions Commission has announced that the 2020 Ohio State Fair has been canceled.
The commission expressed concern that it would not be feasible to host a fair that would adhere to social distancing guidelines, and worried about what a COVID-19 outbreak could do to the long-term viability of the state fair.
The Ohio State Fair draws hundreds of thousands of people each summer.
It was scheduled to be held from July 29th through August 9th this year.
The commission did say the fair will be celebrated virtually, with a collection of educational content and throwback photos on social media.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has been hard at work getting state park campgrounds ready to reopen on Thursday.
There are some things you need to know before heading to your favorite campground.
Only campers with reservations will be able to camp and only one family household may occupy a campsite
Guests may be asked to leave if they don’t follow COVID-19 guidelines, and people are being asked to stay home if they don’t feel well.
Also, the camp stores will more than likely be closed for a while so it’s important to bring everything you need for your trip.
(Photo courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources)
Hancock Public Health says it’s investigating a cluster of coronavirus cases involving eight employees of Hearthside Food Solutions in McComb.
Officials say they have reached out to the facility and are closely working with them to ensure that proper precautions are being taken to prevent the spread among the workforce.
Hancock Public Health says it has followed up with three cases who are Hancock County residents and are performing contact tracing to prevent the spread of the virus in the community.
They say they’re also working with other regional health departments to follow up with the other cases who are not Hancock County residents.
Hancock Public Health says there were 47 cases of coronavirus in the county as of Wednesday and one death.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association is expanding the football playoffs.
The OHSAA Board of Directors voted unanimously to expand the playoffs from eight schools per region to 12 beginning in the 2021 season.
Full details are in the following news release from the Ohio High School Athletic Association
During its May meeting Wednesday afternoon, the Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Directors voted unanimously to expand the OHSAA football playoffs from eight schools per region to 12 beginning in the 2021 season. The 9-0 affirmative vote was given to a recommendation from the OHSAA staff, which was based on a proposal from the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association.
During the first round of the playoffs, the top four seeds will have a bye, while the No. 12 seed will play at the No. 5 seed, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7 and No. 9 at No. 8. In the second round, the No. 1 seed will play the winner of the 8 vs. 9 game; the No. 2 seed will play the winner of 6 vs. 11; the No. 3 seed will play the winner of 7 vs. 10 and the No. 4 seed will play the winner of 5 vs. 12.
The expansion will increase the number of football playoff qualifiers from 224 to 336. Last year there were 709 schools in Ohio that played 11-man football. Football is the only OHSAA team sport in which not every school qualifies for the postseason.
“We still have details to work out regarding the format and specific season dates, but this vote by the Board gives us the green light to finalize those details for 2021,” said Beau Rugg, Senior Director of Officiating and Sport Management for the OHSAA and the Association’s football administrator. “We are thankful for the Board’s support on this proposal, which will bring all the great things of playoff football to 112 additional schools and communities.”
Rugg also noted that the football finals in 2021 are expected to end during the same weekend as previously scheduled (Dec. 2-5). Schools will still be permitted to play 10 regular-season contests.
The higher seeded teams will have the opportunity to host their playoff games during the first and second round of the playoffs.
The OHSAA football playoffs began in 1972 when only 12 schools qualified for the playoffs (four schools in each of three classes). Expansion first came in 1980 when the OHSAA changed to five divisions with eight teams each (40 total qualifiers). A sixth division was added in 1994 (96 total qualifiers) and the number of qualifiers was increased to eight schools per region in 1999 (192 total qualifiers). A seventh division was added in 2013 to bring the number of qualifiers to 224.
The Hancock Historical Museum is celebrating May being National Preservation Month with a Chalk-a-Walking tour.
Executive Director Sarah Sisser is encouraging people to enjoy a “chalked tour” of some of the historic homes on South Main Street.
One of the historic homes that has some facts about it written on the sidewalk is the John Poe house, a 1889 Queen Anne style house at 904 South Main Street.
John Poe was the first principal of Findlay High School and became one of Findlay’s best-known lawyers.
If you have an historic home or business, Sisser is encouraging you to pick up a ‘This Place Matters‘ sign to display in celebration of National Preservation Month.
“Place it in a window and take pictures and join us in a social media movement #ThisPlaceMatters to recognize the important cultural resources we have in our community.”
Need some manure?
Well, if you answered yes the University of Findlay can help you out.
The university says its animal science and equestrian farms have plenty of horse manure that farmers, community garden operators and the general public can get their hands on free of charge.
The manure can be picked up at the university’s Western Equestrian Farm located at 14700 U.S. Route 68 in Findlay, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
UF asks that you call the farm office at 419-434-4656 to schedule your pick up.
Upon entering the facility, follow the road to the first stop sign, then turn right.
A staff member will meet you at the manure pad to load your truck or trailer.