WIMA NEWS COPY WEDNESDAY JULY 15, 2020

>>DEWINE ADDRESS TODAY

(COLUMBUS, OH) -- GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE HAS MADE A CHANGE IN THE WAY HE INFORMS THE PUBLIC ON THE LATEST PANDEMIC NEWS, LEAVING THE QUESTION ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS MESSAGE AND POSSIBLY TRYING TO REACH OUT TO A LARGER AUDIENCE.

DEWINE CALLED OFF HIS REGULARLY SCHEDULED UPDATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WITHOUT EXPLANATION AND WILL INSTEAD ADDRESS THE STATE AT 5:30 THIS AFTERNOON. IT COMES AS COVID-19 CASES ARE RISING SHARPLY IN THE STATE, INCREASING BY MORE THAN A THOUSAND PER DAY WITH MORE THAN 100 NEW HOSPITALIZATIONS REPORTED IN A 24-HOUR PERIOD. CLEVELAND DOT COM REPORTS THAT A SPOKESMAN FOR THE GOVERNOR SAID THERE WAS NOT GOING TO BE AN EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT OF SOME SORT AND THAT GOVERNOR DEWINE HAD NOT TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS.

>>DEATHS FROM COVID-19 IN OHIO REMAIN SUBDUED

(COLUMBUS, OH) -- YESTERDAY STATEWIDE THERE WERE 5 DEATHS RECORDED, MARKING THE THIRD DAY IN THE LAST FOUR AND FOURTH DAY IN THE LAST SEVEN WITH 6 OR FEWER DEATHS.

AS FOR ALLEN COUNTY, YESTERDAY SAW SIX NEW DETECTED CASES REPORTED, WITH ONE HOSPITALIZATION AND NO DEATHS.

>>YOST CLARIFIES CCW AND MASK WEARING

(COLUMBUS, OH) -- AMID SPECULATION THAT GOVERNOR DEWINE WILL ISSUE A STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE AND SOME MISINFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA, OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL DAVE YOST WROTE TO THE CLERMONT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE CONCERNING THE USE OF MASKS WHILE CARRYING A CONCEALED FIREARM.

YOST SAID, "THE CORRECT ANSWER IS THAT IN OHIO, CONCEALED CARRY LAWS DO NOT PROHIBIT A CITIZEN FROM CARRYING A CONCEALED FIREARM WHILE WEARING A MASK AS LONG AS THAT PERSON IS CARRYING THEIR CONCEALED CARRY LICENSE AND ABIDING BY ALL OHIO CONCEALED CARRY LAWS."

>>MILD COVID DRUG

(COLUMBUS, OH) -- THERE IS SOME PROMISING NEWS ABOUT THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 - AND IT'S COMING FROM THE OHIO STATE UNVIERSITY WEXNER MEDICAL CENTER.

RESEARCHERS ARE STARTING A NEW CLINICAL TRIAL THIS WEEK FOR PATIENTS WITH MILD-TO-MODERATE SYMPTOMS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN HOSPITALIZED. THE STUDY IS TO FIND OUT HOW EFFECTIVE ONE MEDICATION IS IN HELPING THE BODY FIGHT BACK. THE DOCTOR LEADING THE STUDY SAYS IT HAS SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE NEUTRALIZING SARS-COV-2. THE HOPE IS THAT THE MEDICINE WILL PREVENT THE DISEASE FROM PROGRESSING IN PATIENTS, PREVENTING THEM FROM BEING HOSPITALIZED AND ALSO REDUCING THE TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19.

>>PORTMAN IN HANCOCK COUNTY TODAY

(FINDLAY, OH) -- TODAY U.S. SENATOR ROB PORTMAN (R-OH) WILL PARTICIPATE IN AN ADDICTION ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH MEMBERS OF THE HANCOCK COUNTY BOARD OF ALCOHOL, DRUG ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES (ADAMHS) TO DISCUSS COVID-19’S IMPACT ON ADDICTION TREATMENT.

ACCORDING TO THE CDC, IN 2017, NATIONWIDE FATAL DRUG OVERDOSES FELL FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1990, WITH OHIO SEEING ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DECLINES IN OVERDOSE DEATHS OF ANY STATE. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO A RECENT WASHINGTON POST REPORT, NEW SHOWS THAT OVERDOSES WERE HAVE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY YEAR OVER YEAR DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, INCLUDING A 42% JUMP IN MAY.

SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES HAVE DISRUPTED TRADITIONAL ADDICTION TREATMENT SERVICES AND NECESSITATED THE USE OF TELEHEALTH SERVICES TO HELP INDIVIDUALS WITH RECOVERY. SENATOR PORTMAN HAS INTRODUCED THE TREATS ACT TO MAKE PERMANENT A NUMBER OF TEMPORARY WAIVERS FOR TELEHEALTH SERVICES AND TO BOLSTER TELEHEALTH OPTIONS FOR ADDICTION TREATMENT SERVICES. SPECIFICALLY, IT WILL ALLOW FOR A PATIENT TO BE PRESCRIBED LOWER SCHEDULED DRUGS LIKE BUPRENORPHINE THROUGH TELEHEALTH ON THEIR FIRST VISIT. CURRENT LAW REQUIRES AN IN-PERSON VISIT TO RECEIVE ANY CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, BUT THIS IS A DETERRENT TO PATIENTS IN CRISIS AND IN URGENT NEED OF TREATMENTS FROM SCHEDULE III OR IV DRUGS.

WIMA NEWS COPY WEDNESDAY JULY 15, 2020

>>LIMA JUNIOR GOLF PLAYS PIKE RUN

(OTTAWA, OH) -- THE LIMA JUNIOR GOLF ASSOCIATION HELD A COMPETITION AT PIKE RUN GOLF CLUB YESTERDAY WITH A TOTAL OF 67 YOUNGSTERS TAKING PART. HERE ARE THE RESPECTIVE AGE GROUP WINNERS:

GIRLS

16-18 ELLEN NAUMANN (68)

BOYS

16-18 CARSON HARMON (70)

14-15 PARKER JUDY

12-13 BREVIN BRANDT

>>GOLDEN EAGLES DOWN SIDELINE CANCER IN THRILLING ELAM ENDING FOR TBT CHAMPIONSHIP

(COLUMBUS, OH) -- THE GOLDEN EAGLES, A TEAM MADE UP OF MOSTLY MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI, ARE THE NEW CHAMPIONS OF THE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT. THE GOLDEN EAGLES DEFEATED SIDELINE CANCER 78-73 ON TUESDAY NIGHT AT NATIONWIDE ARENA TO CLAIM THE MILLION-DOLLAR WINNER-TAKE-ALL PRIZE. TRAVIS DIENER, THE 38-YEAR-OLD PLAYER-COACH OF THE GOLDEN EAGLES, DRAINED A WIDE-OPEN THREE-POINTER AT THE ELAM ENDING TO GIVE THEM THE WIN. EACH MEMBER OF THE GOLDEN EAGLES WILL NOW SPLIT THE GRAND PRIZE FOR AN AVERAGE PAYDAY PER PLAYER OF AROUND 100-THOUSAND DOLLARS.

>>OHIO STATE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT RESUMES VOLUNTARY WORKOUTS AFTER COVID-19 PAUSE

(COLUMBUS, OH) -- OHIO STATE STUDENT-ATHLETES ARE NOW ALLOWED TO RESUME THEIR VOLUNTARY WORKOUTS ON CAMPUS. UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED ON TUESDAY THAT AFTER CONSULTING WITH MEDICAL EXPERTS, PLAYERS COULD RETURN WHILE FOLLOWING COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES. OHIO STATE SUSPENDED WORKOUTS ON JULY 8TH AFTER AN UNDISCLOSED NUMBER OF STUDENT-ATHLETES TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS. UNDER NCAA GUIDELINES NOW IN PLACE, TEAMS CAN ALSO BEGIN WEIGHT TRAINING, CONDITIONING, AND FILM REVIEW FOR EIGHT-HOURS PER DAY.

>>NFL, UNION DISCUSSING PLAYER OPT-OUT CLAUSES

(UNDATED) -- THE NFL AND PLAYERS ASSOCIATION ARE NEGOTIATING TERMS FOR OPT-OUT CLAUSES. ESPN REPORTS THE UNION SEEKS OPT-OUTS FOR AT-RISK PLAYERS AND THOSE WITH AT-RISK FAMILIES TO BE PAID SALARIES, BUT NOT BONUSES, IF THEY DECIDE NOT TO PLAY. A STIPEND IS ALSO BEING DISCUSSED IN CASE CAMP OR THE SEASON ARE SHUT DOWN.

>>BROWNS FINALIZING 125-MILLION EXTENSION WITH DE GARRETT

(BAREA, OH) -- ANY CONCERNS THE BROWNS MAY HAVE HAD ABOUT MYLES GARRETT ARE APPARENTLY OVER. NFL NETWORK REPORTS THE STAR PASS-RUSHER IS CLOSE TO FINALIZING A FIVE-YEAR, 125-MILLION-DOLLAR EXTENSION. GARRETT WAS SUSPENDED LAST SEASON FOR SWINGING A HELMET AT AND HITTING STEELERS QB MASON RUDOLPH IN THE HEAD.

>>NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE TONIGHT

(BRISTOL, TN) -- NASCAR STOPS AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY TONIGHT FOR THE 2020 ALL-STAR RACE. UP TO 30-THOUSAND FANS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ON HAND, THE LARGEST SPORTS CROWD SINCE THE PANDEMIC. MARTIN TRUEX JR. IS ON THE POLE FOR THE ALL-STAR RACE AND MICHAEL MCDOWELL HAS THE POLE FOR THE PRECEDING ALL-STAR OPEN.