Lima, OH (WLIO) - For some in our region, the labor shortage has more serious consequences than waiting longer for a fast-food order.
Members of the argumentation and advocacy class presented a debate to their fellow students on the topic of "Gun violence in America and the assault weapons ban." The students were divided into two groups and assigned to argue for and against the issue of a federal assault weapons ban. With social media, there is no shortage of opinions about topical issues, but the class challenges them to debate the facts, without personal feelings on the issue.
The organization is urging blood and platelet donors to give now in order to fight against a severe shortage. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is predicting a serious spread of flu this year and is already reporting spikes in cases in several states. Allen County Public Health is also urging residents to practice more caution in order to avoid a serious spread in the local area.
Shawnee Local Schools Superintendent Jude Meyers states that a shortage in bus drivers has caused a temporary shut down of one bus route, and so far, only one route out of their 23 buses has been affected. This has caused the district to ask parents to look for other means of transportation as they address the issue.
The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Bon Secours Mercy Health will be creating a community medicine program for students starting in 2024. The goal of the program is to train professionals to work in rural communities. Students in the program will complete two years at the Ohio State University Columbus, then complete two years at Mercy Health - St. Rita's. This is all in an effort to better train individuals who want to return to a rural setting.
Schools all across the country are faced with staffing shortages right now. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 500,000 fewer educators in public schools than there were before the pandemic. Burnout continues to be a driving force as more than half of educators say they are ready to leave their profession sooner than planned. We checked in with lima city schools to see what the staffing situation looks like for educators. Superintendent Jill Ackerman says they've been fortunate to have many long-term staff members who stayed put through the pandemic but are now seeing increased staffing needs.
As the year goes on, there is still a persistent need for blood donors.
The Community Blood Center is preventing the blood shortage from getting worst during a blood drive Friday at Mercy Health-St Rita's. Blood donation always goes down during the summer season, and following the Fourth of July holiday, the community blood center says the usage for type “O” blood outpaced the collection. They provide blood for St. Rita's and other hospitals in their 17-county region, and they want people to understand the importance of donating this time of year.