Briefs: Children's Services, Lions Clubs launch Valentine’s card drive

Staff report
·2 min read
News in brief

Valentine's Day cards being collected for Richland County's foster youth

Richland County Children Services (RCCS) and the Lions Clubs of Richland County are showing foster youths love with Valentine’s Day cards.

The Lions Club in Richland County including Mansfield United, Madison Township, Shelby United, Bellville, Butler, Butler Lioness, Ontario Lions and RCCS will be collecting Valentine’s cards for children in foster care.

Cards can be handmade, or store brought and will be accepted through Feb. 3.

The community is invited to drop off or mail the Valentine’s Day cards to Richland County Children Services, 731 Scholl Road, Mansfield, 44907, or the Mansfield Parks & Recreation Department, 100 Brinkerhoff Ave., Mansfield, 44903, c/o Valentine’s Day Cards.

Red Cross offering Super Bowl trip incentive for blood donors

January is National Blood Donor Month, and the American Red Cross is asking people to score big for patients in need — while getting a chance to win a trip to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona — by giving blood or platelets.

There are a dozen blood drives scheduled for the remainder of January in Richland County, including five at the Richland Mall.

To book a time to give, visit RedCrossBlood.org, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or call 1-800-RED CROSS. In partnership with the National Football League (NFL), those who come to give blood, platelets or plasma in January will be automatically entered to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona, including round-trip airfare to Phoenix, three-night hotel accommodations plus a $500 gift card for expenses.

ODNR encourages Ohioans to report hemlock woolly adelgid sightings

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry is encouraging people to report sightings of hemlock woolly adelgids (HWA) — insects that can threaten hemlock forests.

HWA are tiny aphid-like insects that feed at the base of hemlock needles, depleting the trees’ stored energy. This causes tree decline and eventual death after several years. The insects can easily be identified by white “woolly” masses on the underside of branches and at the base of needles. They will only be found on the evergreen needles of eastern hemlock trees and will not be found on deciduous, broadleaf trees. HWA are most easily spotted from October through June.

If you think you have found HWA, try to collect a sample or take a quality photo, and then report it through one of the following options:

• Online using EDDMapS• Notify the Plant Pest Control Section of the Ohio Department of Agriculture via their Plant Pest Reporter tool, by phone at 614-728-6400, or by email at plantpest@agri.ohio.gov.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Valentine's card drive underway to support foster youth