Law enforcement will be stepping up drinking and driving enforcement this weekend and next for people going out and celebrating St. Patrick's Day. So far this year, the Ohio State Highway Patrol has handled 2,500 OVI incidents around the state, which is down from 2021. But medical professionals say all it takes is one bad decision to change the lives of many people by getting behind the wheel after drinking.

Lima Memorial Health System was one of the first in the country to adopt the da Vinci Robotic Surgery Technology, and Dr. Jeremy Heffner and his team have set the standard that other hospitals across the county come to Lima to learn from. Heffner says nearly 10 years ago when they started doing robotic surgeries, colleagues and patients would ask why you are doing this, but now they are asking how. He says the robot has become the true way of doing surgeries now because the less invasive procedures put patients on the path of recovery quicker.

Lima Memorial wants to address potential treatments of patients who may contract the coronavirus. The hospital wants to remind everyone that it is important to stay away from others if you feel any symptoms of sickness, whether it be COVID-19 related or not. And if you happen to be admitted to the hospital for COVID-19, you will be isolated to a designated unit in the hospital for people who specifically have these symptoms. But doctors at Lima Memorial also warn that even if you do have symptoms of the coronavirus, you may not need to stay in the hospital.

Call it being a hero or doing their jobs, several people and organizations were recognized for their commitment to safety. The Fraternal Order of Police hosted the 21st annual Lima Allen County Safe Community Coalition Awards luncheon. The coalition is aimed at promoting traffic safety initiatives but honored a variety of different safety award winners. A committee comes together to decide on winners from nominations that came in from all over the city.