Tierra Thomas, Thrive Reporter

MANSFIELD — As children get older, they often want to explore the world around them on their own, but how much exploration should a parent give to a child?  Parker Huston, PhD, a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, weighed in on the matter, sharing his insight both professionally and as a parent himself.  RICHLAND […]

MANSFIELD — Though many hospitals around the world are continuing to take precautions and ensure their patients are safe, it doesn’t stop the loneliness and isolation those patients feel.  Shelby resident Bonnie Banichar started a GoFundMe page to raise enough money to provide iPads to ICU patients in OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital.  “I hate just sitting […]

MANSFIELD — While doing their due diligence to individuals with disabilities, the Independent Living Center has sent over 300 food baskets and food cards to their consumers.  “We just knew that we needed to do it, so we just stepped up and did what we needed to do and we were really blessed to have […]

EDITOR’S NOTE: We asked readers to nominate heroes from the community during the coronavirus crisis using our Open Source platform. MANSFIELD — The Richland Public Health Department continues to be a vital resource to community members as they get through the pandemic.  “This particular incident, even though nobody ever knows how severe these things are going to be, […]

ASHLAND — As psychiatric hospitals remain visitor restricted, members of the Ashland Community are doing what they can to make sure the patients know they’re not alone.  “When restrictions are placed on visitors, that can make their mental health treatment, recovery and journey even more isolating,” said Katherine Yoder founder and director of the Adult […]

MANSFIELD  — Although wearing a mask can help stop the spread of germs, they also prevent the deaf and hard-of-hearing from reading lips.  The staff at Catalyst Life Services use homemade masks designed with the thought of their clients in mind. “With the pandemic, the cheapest I could find was a box of 20 for […]

MANSFIELD — With homelessness expected to surge after COVID-19, Harmony House will take the proper steps to helping the homeless in Richland County stay on their feet.  “There’s a lot of factors at play right now and a lot of variables that we need to manage and prepare for,” said Kelly Blankenship, executive director of […]

MANSFIELD — Each decade it seems that technology gets faster, smarter and more groundbreaking. Along with that, advancements in medicine have also shown promise.  Over the past 16 years, Vice President of Medical Affairs Dr. Gavin Baumgardner at OhioHealth Mansfield and Shelby Hospitals has seen a lot of growth from a local and worldwide perspective.  […]

LEXINGTON — Although romantic plans for many couples have been cancelled recently, one couple found romance in helping their community in need through caffeine.  Shellie and Nicky Wong, co-owners of Nickel & Bean in Lexington, have been together for 12 years, reaching their third year wedding anniversary on April 22. Rather than celebrating, however, they […]