A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY THROUGH TONIGHT. AS IT DOES…SNOW WILL SPREAD FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF DURING THE EVENING. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. THIS AMOUNT OF SNOW MAY CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITIES AND SLICK ROADS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO USE CAUTION IF
TRAVELING TODAY. SLOW DOWN AND ALLOW EXTRA DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU.
BABY…IT’S COLD OUTSIDE…TO QUOTE THE SONG! BUT INDEED IT IS COLD AND WILL CONTINUE COLD FOR SEVERAL MORE DAYS!
WITH THE COLD TEMPERATURES WE NEED TO REMEMBER A FEW THINGS. BRIAN WELTGE, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF GREATER DAYTON SHARES THESE TIPS: DURING THE COLD, EXCEPT FOR SHORT PERIODS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO BRING YOUR PETS INDOORS. IF A DOG MUST BE OUTSIDE, PROVIDE IT WITH A WELL-EQUIPPED SHELTER, DRY, DRAFT-FREE, THAT IS LARGE ENOUGH FOR THE DOG TO TURN AROUND, BUT SMALL ENOUGH TO HOLD THE BODY HEAT. THE FLOOR SHOULD BE RAISED A FEW INCHES OFF THE GROUND AND COVERED WITH CEDAR SHAVINGS OR STRAW. BE SURE TO CHECK FOOD AND WATER. PETS THAT SPEND A LOT OF TIME OUTDOORS WILL NEED MORE FOOD IN THE WINTER BECAUSE KEEPING WARM DEPLETES THEIR ENERGY. CHECK THE WATER DISH TO BE SURE THE WATER IS NOT FROZEN. DO NOT LET A PET HAVE ACCESS TO ANTIFREEZE WHICH HAS A SWEET TASTE THAT ATTRACTS ANIMALS, BUT IS POISONOUS TO THEM. KEEP THE ANIMAL’S FEET FREE OF SALT AND OTHER WINTER CHEMICALS AND ALWAYS CHECK YOUR CAR BECAUSE WARM ENGINES IN PARKED CARS CAN ATTRACT CATS AND SMALL WILDLIFE, WHICH MAY CRAWL UP UNDER THE HOOD. JUST BANGING ON YOUR CAR’S HOOD WILL CAUSE THEM TO FLEE BEFORE YOU START THE ENGINE.
JEREMY ARMSTRONG, ASSISTANT MANAGER FOR GRISMER TIRE IN SPRINGFIELD SAYS WHEN THE TEMPERATURES ARE COLD, THINGS START WEARING OUT AND BREAKING A LOT SOONER. HE SAYS WHEN THE TEMPERATURES DIP BELOW FREEZING AS THEY HAVE THIS WEEK, OLD COOLANT AND ANTI-FREEZE CAN STOP WORKING. GET FLUIDS CHECKED BY A MECHANIC TO ENSURE THE BOILING AND FREEZING POINTS ARE AT ACCEPTABLE LEVELS. OTHERWISE, THE COOLANT COULD FREEZE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. THEN YOU COULD CRACK THE ENGINE BLOCK OR DAMAGE THE RADIATOR HOSES. COLD WEATHER ALSO REDUCES A CAR BATTERY’S ABILITY TO HOLD A CHARGE, RESULTING IN OLDER BATTERIES NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND A CAR NOT STARTING. ARMSTRONG SAYS TIRE PRESSURE AND TREAD DEPTH ARE ALSO IMPORTANT. A TIRE THAT IS NOT PROPERLY INFLATED WILL AFFECT MILEAGE AND WORN TIRES PROVIDE LESS TRACTION ON SNOW AND ICE. YOU CAN CHECK THOSE THINGS WITH A GAUGE THAT CAN BE PURCHASED AT ANY AUTO PARTS STORE. ARMSTRONG SAYS SIMPLE MAINTENANCE CAN SAVE THOUSANDS IN VEHICLE REPAIRS AND HEADACHES. HE SAYS, “IF YOU DO YOUR NORMAL MAINTENANCE, YOU’LL BE IN GOOD SHAPE FOR THE WINTER.”
THERE WAS A MULTI-VEHICLE ACCIDENT ON EASTBOUND I-70 NEAR OHIO 48 IN ENGLEWOOD THIS MORNING AROUND 7:40. SIX VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED IN A CHAIN-REACTION CRASH AND THE HIGHWAY WAS CLOSED UNTIL ABOUT 9:30. TWO PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TO HOSPITALS WITH INJURIES THAT WEREN’T CONSIDERED LIFE-THREATENING.
THE GLOBAL IMPACT STEM ACADEMY, OHIO’S FIRST INDUSTRY-BASED REGIONAL STEM SCHOOL WILL BRING IN A FORMER SPRINGFIELD EDUCATOR TO SERVE AS THE SCHOOL’S INTERIM DIRECTOR. CARL J. BERG, A 43-YEAR VETERAN OF OHIO SCHOOLS WILL SERVE THROUGH JUNE. THE GLOBAL IMPACT SCHOOL IS A SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH-FOCUSED AGRICULTURAL BIO-SCIENCE SCHOOL. IT WAS PROPOSED BY STATE SENATOR CHRIS WIDENER AND BACKED BY THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY AND COLUMBUS-BASED NON-PROFIT BATELLE. IT IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE SPRINGFIELD CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY AND CLARK STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND WILL EVENTUALLY SERVE 7TH THROUGH 12TH GRADE STUDENTS IN CLARK AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES. ONE IN SEVEN OHIO JOBS ARE IN THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY. THE BOARD OF THE SCHOOL WILL CONTINUE A NATIONAL SEARCH FOR A PERMANENT DIRECTOR AND OTHER STAFF POSITIONS.
TAXES…OH YES…IT IS TAX TIME… FOR MANY OF US PREPARING TAXES CAN BE A REAL BURDEN…AND A DOWN-RIGHT PAIN! AARP VOLUNTEERS ARE READY TO HELP, PROVIDING FREE ASSISTANCE FOR MODERATE- TO LOW-INCOME OHIOANS IN FILING THEIR FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL INCOME TAX RETURNS. AARP TAX-AIDE VOLUNTEER BRUCE GELSINGER SAYS THERE ARE ABOUT 1500 VOLUNTEERS STATEWIDE, WHO COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND RECEIVE TRAINING EACH YEAR. INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE AT: WWW.AARP.ORG/TAXAIDE OR CALL TOLL-FREE: 1/888/227-7669. . GELSINGER SAYS THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1968 AND HAS GROWN SUSTANTIALLY OVER THE YEARS. HE SAYS THE VOLUNTEERS ARE DEDICATED TO HELPING THOSE IN NEED. THERE ARE MORE THAN 300 STAFFED SITES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF OHIO. AARP TAX-AIDE WILL BE AT THE MAIN CLARK COUNTY LIBRARY BRANCH IN THE GAIER ROOM, 201 S. FOUNTAIN AVENUE IN SPRINGFIELD ON WEDNESDAYS STARTING FEBRUARY 6TH FROM 10AM-2PM. THEY WILL ALSO BE AT THE ENON BRANCH IN THE MEETING ROOM, 209 EAST MAIN STREET ON MONDAY, BEGINNING FEBRUARY 4TH FROM NOON-5PM. IF YOU MISSED ANY OF THIS INFORMATION, GO TO OUR WEBSITE: WWW.WEEC.ORG AND CLICK ON RESOURCES THEN NEWS.
FEBRUARY IS CHILDREN’S DENTAL HEALTH MONTH AND EXPERTS SAY DEVELOPING GOOD ORAL HABITS AT AN EARLY AGE HELPS KIDS GET A GOOD START ON A LIFETIME OF HEALTHY TEETH AND GUMS. BUT ADVOCATES SAY DENTAL HEALTH REMAINS A CRISIS IN THE STATE OF OHIO. MORE THAN HALF OF OHIO’S CHILDREN EXPERIENCE DENTAL DECAY BY THIRD GRADE AND NEARLY ONE-THIRD HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THE DENTIST. LINDA PRIMROSE BARKER CHAIRED THE ADVISORY GROUP FOR THE OHIO HEAD START ASSOCIATION. SHE SAYS MANY PARENTS CANNOT FIND OR AFFORD CARE. THIS MONTH IS A GOOD TIME TO PROMOTE AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD DENTAL HEALTH. PRIMROSE BARKER SAYS IT IS ALSO A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR STATE LEADERS TO FOCUS ON POLICIES THAT CAN INCREASE ACCESS TO ORAL HEALTH CARE. SHE AND OTHERS ARE SUGGESTING THE USE OF MID-LEVEL DENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS WHO PROVIDE PRIMARY PREVENTION SERVICES AND ROUTINE FILLINGS AND EXTRACTIONS, HELPING TO EXPAND THE REACH OF DENTAL CARE IN OHIO. PROJECT DIRECTOR FOR DENTAL ACCESS NOW, DAVID MAYWHOOR, SAYS MOST PEOPLE DON’T RECOGNIZE THAT A LARGE PART OF PHYSICAL HEALTH IS RELATED TO ORAL HEALTH. MAYWHOOR SAYS WITHOUT REGULAR PREVENTIVE CARE, TOO MANY OHIOANS LIVE IN PAIN, MISS SCHOOL OR WORK, AND EVEN DEVELOP LIFE-THREATENING INFECTIONS.
IT IS SNOWING OUTSIDE! WE COULD SEE 1-2 INCHES NEW SNOW ACCUMULATION BETWEEN WHAT HAS BEEN FALLING THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. TEMPERATURES CONTINUE COLD AS WELL WITH LOWS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT AROUND 19 DEGREES. HIGHS FOR TUESDAY WILL PEAK AT 30 DEGREES. WE MIGHT SEE A LITTLE MORE SNOW ON TUESDAY NIGHT. BY THURSDAY, THE SUN WILL COME THROUGH AND TEMPERATURES WILL RISE TO 41 DEGREES. THERE IS A 50 PERCENT CHANCE FOR RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS THURSDAY NIGHT AS LOWS DIP TO 29 DEGREES. FRIDAY’S HIGHS WILL BE AT 37, GOING UP TO 41 ON SATURDAY, WITH SUNNY SKIES. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR RAIN ON SUNDAY WITH TEMPERATURES RISING TO 46 DEGREES.
