Harrison News Herald 03-06-21

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SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 2021

$1.25

HARRiSONNEWSHERALD.COM

County approaching drop in COVID status I JUST DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO LET UP. WHAT WE’RE DOiNG iS WORKiNG; STAY AT iT. GAREN RHOME

By JD LONG

jim@harrisonnewsherald.com

CADIZ – The falling COVID numbers in Harrison County seen the past few weeks continued when Health Administrator Garen Rhome reported at Wednesday’s Harrison County Commissioner’s meeting, that just eight cases were registered since last week. That is by far the lowest seen in several months. The county is still in the alert-

Red status but that may change in the next week or two. Another positive sign was that zero cases were recorded for the previous day (Tuesday), which said he couldn’t remember when the last time that had happened. “That’s a very good sign as well,” he told the board. “I just don’t want people to let up. What we’re doing is working, stay at it.” And the ever important occurrence

rate, which dictates what level the county falls under had also dropped in the positive direction. The number that the county needs to meet in order to lower its alert status from Red is under 100 per 100,000 cases. Last week that number had dropped to 152 and Rhome on Wednesday announced that number around 120, which is as close as it’s been in a long time. Rhome added that one ingredient that goes into these numbers is the number of cases in a two-week period, which he said was 19 for the recent count. That number is also down from where it was two weeks ago (mid-20s). Total cases for Harrison County stand at 1018 (1010 last week) with presumed recovered at 979, which is just four above last week. Active cases are at 19, which is up from 12 last week. The number of deceased though,

saw its highest jump when the number went from last week’s 19 to 24 this week. A memo released by Rhome explains the results due to a changed process. The news release announced a new way of collecting mortality rate data by “using certificate data from the Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS) as the sole source of information for deaths reported on the state’s COVID-10 dashboards.” A memo released by Rhome explained the process, which is why it affected the county’s number of deaths from 19 to 24. “In the past, ODH has reported Ohio Disease Reporting System (ODRS) mortality data daily, and reconciled that information with verified death certificate data from EDRS. Today, EDRS data will become the sole source of that information,” the memo reads

in part. “The problem is we don’t know what the finish line is,” Commissioner Don Bethel said when Rhome talked of keeping vigilant till the end. He said the goal was in vaccinating a “large percent of everybody who is interested and eligible in the county and throughout Ohio, so that’s going to be the finish line.” Rhome said vaccination eligibility was now open to more categories with data collection involving the 60 to 64 age group. He added that due to the supply and demand that is out there, that group won’t actually be called but their information is now being collected for signing up. “We’re still working with the older folks,” Rhome explained and said the

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MWCD announces Atwood catering service

Cadiz coach gets NFL call By JD LONG

jim@harrisonnewsherald.com

By JD LONG

BALTIMORE – If paying your dues means spending 35 years in the coaching ranks since his graduation from Miami of Ohio, then Cadiz’s Jay Peterson ought to be the poster child for earning wings. But early in February Jay finally got the call from the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens to be their assistant linebackers coach. That call came on his birthday and it couldn’t have been a better present than getting it through a former teammate from Miami than the coach himself, John Harbaugh where they played together at Miami. Jay graduated from Cadiz in 1980 after playing running back and the safety position. He then moved on to Oxford where he played running back for the RedHawks. After that he immediately moved into the coaching ranks by returning to Cadiz and working alongside coach Vince Siriano. After three years in his first stint as a coach he moved onto bigger things and worked at Cincinnati high schools, Anderson and Withrow till 1990. Then in 1991 Jay snared his first college coaching job at his alma mater in Oxford coaching linebackers, his position of choice. And he does love defense. “Yes, yes, all the way. I’m a defensive coach,” he said. The job at Miami University was his longest up until then lasting till 1998 where he also helped with special teams. Jay then moved onto the Big Ten Conference and Northwestern where he coached with another former Miami coach in Randy Walker, which lasted until 2003. “Loved it,” Jay said about Northwestern but expanded that affection to all his jobs. “I loved everywhere I’ve been. I just love coaching.” He talked of the trials of moving and said it was “harder on the family” as they have to do it alone for months at a time whereas the coach has immersed himself in the job. He said it’s preferable that the children would finish the school year at their current school, as opposed to pulling them out and into a new one in the middle of the school year, which keeps the family apart even longer. Sprinkled in between were three internships with NFL teams where he took part in the NFL Minority Coaching Internships beginning in 1995 with the Indianapolis Colts, the Detroit Lions in 1997 and the Chicago Bears in 2001. “I knew it was something that I wanted to do…” Jay said. He described the experience as basically getting “your feet wet” and a basic introduction of the NFL level of coaching. He said the education came from working with the position coaches and

jim@harrisonnewsherald.com

NEW PHILADELPHIA – January’s Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) meeting it was announced that a new vendor would be needed for the Tappan Lake Marina when construction is all done. Last month it was Atwood’s turn but it was to announce the renewal for their vendor in Kathy’s Cookies, Candy & Catering. Chief of Recreation Ryan McCleaster told the board that under $750 Kathy’s Cookies would be responsible for repairs but the District could step in for 50 percent beyond $750 for equipment repair. The contract renewal is good through the 2023 season. Executive Director Craig Butler asked how the MWCD compares with others in keeping “within the realm of normalcy.” McCleaster said he called on Cleveland Metro Parks who he said leased their concessions out to a third party Jay Peterson

taking part in all the meetings. “It’s a very, very good introduction you know, you don’t say anything but you’re there and taking it all in and just being a sponge,” jay explained. He added that those sessions were only for the training camps and not the entire year so he was able to go back to his regular coaching job. Jay’s responsibility picked up where he served as defensive coordinator at Eastern Michigan from 2004 to 2008 then onto Illinois State till 2010. He returned to Miami for three more seasons then back to Eastern Michigan as his only offensive coaching job where he served as running back’s coach through 2018. He finished off his college stint serving at Wayne State for two years before taking 2020 off due to COVID. “I didn’t feel comfortable coaching on the offensive side of the ball,” he said but being a former running back himself made it easier to adapt and share his experiences. Then he got the call. The initial call actually came from defensive coordinator Wink Martindale then Harbaugh dialed in a week later to confirm the offer. And the difference between college and the pros? “It’s all football” in the NFL. In college there is recruiting, class schedules, watching over many more athletes as NFL teams have limited rosters.

See CALL - Pg. 5

See MWCD - Pg. 2

Bowerston seeks water-wastewater improvements By JD LONG jim@harrisonnewsherald.com CADIZ – Bowerston is yet another village within Harrison County that is attempting to improve on their infrastructure with water and wastewater improvements and expansion to other areas in hopes of adding 42 new customers. Bob Allen of E.L. Robinson Engineering spoke at Wednesday’s commissioner’s meeting and called the improvements “significant.” “In going through this one of the things the village would like to do is to extend water service in two areas and wastewater service in one area,” Allen explained. He said this work would cross the county line (Carroll County) adding that from what he understood, anytime a village seeks to provide service outside “of their corporate limits” they must receive permission from the commissioners.

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OBiTUARiES Allen Eugene Pheiffer Sr. Germano, Ohio Ruth E. Wenner Cadiz, Ohio

Weekend arrest nets drugs, weapons | PG 3

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Pastor Foster to take helm at New Rumley UMC | PG 4

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Robert Dixon Cadiz, Ohio

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