Bill Rinehart

Funeral services for Springdale Police Officer Kaia Grant are this Sunday. She was killed Saturday night when she was struck by a vehicle during a pursuit on I-275.

Ohio National Guard members are working at three Southwest Ohio food banks, stepping into the roles normally filled by volunteers. Governor Mike DeWine activated the Guard last week in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic and suggestions to isolate oneself can be a one-two punch -- causing anxiety and making it difficult to leave home to seek help for it. Like many health professionals, therapists are offering telehealth appointments. 

Ridership is down because of people sheltering or working at home, but Metro is still running and a spokeswoman says they're cleaning the buses thoroughly.

Updated Friday, 10:00 a.m.

On Tuesday, UC Health began offering drive-thru screening and testing for COVID-19, but only with a doctor's referral. On Wednesday, the hospital issued a statement announcing it would limit drive-thru testing to the "most urgent and critical needs."

Updated Thursday, March 19, 5:50 p.m.

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County closed all of its facilities starting Friday evening, March 13 at 6 p.m. because of COVID-19 concerns. At first those locations were to remain shut for at least a week, but on Thursday, the library sent an email saying it would be closed through April 3.

Updated 3-20-20 8:10 a.m.

The maker of Charmin toilet paper, Procter & Gamble, says they're making it as fast as they can, but people are still reporting empty shelves as others stockpile in case of quarantine. The run on toilet paper has the Metropolitan Sewer District trumpeting a longtime message. 

Spokeswoman Deb Leonard says only a few things should be flushed.

While Ohio Governor Mike DeWine says the recommendation to delay in-person voting from March 17 until June 2 has the support of both the Republican and Democratic party chiefs, at least one local politician is opposed: Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley.

John Cranley says he never thought he'd see bars and restaurants closed for St. Patrick's Day. The Cincinnati mayor says he's a proud Irish-American, but supports the decision in light of the threat of coronavirus. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on Sunday ordered the closure of all bars and restaurants in the state until further notice, as a way of limiting the spread of COVID-19.

Some grocery stores and supermarkets have made operational changes over COVID-19 concerns. Those changes include reduced hours to allow for restocking and cleaning.

Three women are vying for the Democratic nomination in the race to win a Hamilton County Commission seat. The death of Todd Portune essentially leaves the seat vacant, because his named successor, Victoria Parks, opted not to run.

All three candidates appeared on Cincinnati Edition to talk about their histories and their visions for Hamilton County.

The first cases of COVID-19 in the Greater Cincinnati area have been confirmed. UC Health reports four people tested positive in Butler County. All four were treated and released, and no other information was provided.

The spread of coronavirus and COVID-19 is leading to another problem for some: anxiety. Caleb Adler is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and says all the news about the virus and the disease can lead to feelings of helplessness and confusion.

Local homeless shelters are preparing for possible exposure to coronavirus. City Gospel Mission President Roger Howell says his staff met Tuesday morning to start planning.

The Hamilton County Board of Elections has moved 30 voting precincts from 24 facilities because of concerns about COVID-19.  An official says all moves were to nearby voting locations.

City leaders are condemning anti-semitic graffiti discovered Thursday on a railroad bridge between Oakley and Madisonville.

A spokeswoman for the Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau says there are approximately 200 conventions and meetings planned locally this year, and fear of COVID-19 doesn't appear to be influencing them yet. Jenell Walton says none of the events have canceled or been postponed. She says the CVB is monitoring the outbreak and any potential impact on visitors and the region.

A traveling exhibit on baseball's Negro Leagues is now open at the Reds Hall of Fame. Executive Director Rick Walls says because there aren't many artifacts from the league, which existed until Major League Baseball was fully integrated, "Shades of Greatness" is a collection of artworks. Walls says he wants people to come away from the exhibit with a sense of "what if?"

Communities along the Ohio River are taking part in a nearly annual tradition: preparing for flooding. As of Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service's Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service expected the Ohio River at Cincinnati to crest at 54.6 feet. Flood stage is 52 feet.

The number of hospitalizations due to influenza rose by more than a third in Ohio last week. More than 800 people were hospitalized in the fifth week of the year, compared with 611 in the fourth week, and 332 a year ago.