COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Blood centers in Ohio and other states are issuing an urgent call for donors.

Dozens of blood drives, as many as 2,700 nationally, have been canceled recently as high schools, colleges and businesses shut their doors to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. If current trends continue, said Gail McGovern, president and chief executive of the American Red Cross, the available blood supply will reach dangerously low levels.

"We don't want to create another crisis, where doctors are rationing the blood and trying to figure out who gets the next blood transfusion," she said. "We're taking every safety precaution we can, but at the end of the day, we have to have blood drives because we have to save lives."

Donating blood is a safe process, McGovern said, and additional hygiene and sanitary precautions are in place. Blood-drive cancellations in the United States have resulted in roughly 86,000 fewer donations.

Mark Pompilio, public-relations and marketing manager for Community Blood Center in Montgomery County, said hospitals currently need blood to help those patients they see on a regular basis.

"We don't want to confuse the idea that we need blood because of patients that are sick with COVID-19," he said. "We need blood for all patients. They're very concerned about the patient that came in with a heart attack, that came in with an injury -- so, they have to keep accommodating people with all sorts of health needs."

Healthy people are encouraged to donate blood, and organizations and businesses are being urged to consider hosting a blood drive. McGovern said both are ways to give back in these difficult times.

"The country needs to come together; doing something positive will actually elevate somebody's mood," she said. "Every time that there is a need, the American public steps up -- and I'm confident that they'll step up this time as well."

McGovern said there have been no reported cases of transfusion transmission for any respiratory virus, including this coronavirus, worldwide.

Blood donation information is online at donortime.com and redcrossblood.org.


This story was produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.




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Cities and towns across Massachusetts hope to increase young voter turnout in local elections by lowering the voting age to sixteen or seventeen. Somerville, Northampton, Southborough and Concord are just a few of the municipalities which have attempted but failed to secure state approval.

State Sen. Becca Rausch, D-Needham, said allowing young people to vote on local matters helps ensure they'll keep voting throughout their lives.

"That voting power fosters a real sense of civic duty and does in fact encourage higher turnout rates among young adults," she said.

Opponents contend teenagers lack the ability or motivation to fully understand what's at stake in an election. But Rausch points to Takoma Park, Maryland, where the turnout rate for sixteen and seventeen-year olds exceeded that of any other age group for the first election in which they were allowed to vote.

Rausch is sponsoring legislation to allow Massachusetts' municipalities to lower their voting age for local elections without approval from the state legislature but it's been tabled for the session. She says it's just one of a few issues where home rule gets in the way of local autonomy. Still, she said young people are already engaged in local issues, often related to their schools, and many students hold jobs and pay local taxes.

"And they are active members of every community I represent, and they are both contributors to and beneficiaries of community and local government services," she continued.

Rausch added the effort is part of civics education, which was solidified as a centerpiece of K-12 education in Massachusetts in 2018, and which received a significant funding boost from the state legislature this past year.


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Minnesota is closing in on the 35th anniversary of a volunteer program for clearing litter and debris along highways and rest areas.

With spring in full bloom, officials call on residents to maintain this service.

In the early 1990s, Minnesota launched its Adopt a Highway initiative.

Last year, roughly two thousand church groups, community organizations, business teams, and individuals filled up more than 42,000 bags of trash.

The Department of Transportation's Spokesperson Anne Meyer said about 900 sections of state roadways are available for adoption this year.

By pitching in, she said volunteers allow MN DOT staff to focus on other needs.

"Filling potholes, fixing fences," said Meyer, "really keeping roadways safe."

She added that the program also saves taxpayers money.

People considering volunteering can adopt a roadway section or rest area for two years and clean it at least twice a year. There's also an option for a one-time clearing of garbage near a state highway.

The agency provides training, resources, and safety vests. The state observes the program's 35th anniversary next year.

Meyer encouraged drivers to use caution if they approach an area with volunteer crews at work.

"A lot of our volunteers do go out and pick up trash on the weekends," said Meyer. "So, that's a time to really be alert out there for those volunteers - to slow down, to give them space, to do their job safely. "

Meyer said areas outside Minneapolis and St. Paul tend to have more opportunities for highway adoption.

More details are on the department's website, including a list of local coordinators around the state.




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Concerns about potential voter intimidation have spurred several states to consider banning firearms at polling sites but so far, New Hampshire is not among them.

Only a dozen states and Washington, D.C., prohibit both open and concealed-carry weapons at voting locations.

Emma Brown, executive director of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said most of the bans were enacted after the 2020 election, when unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud took hold.

"The risk of gun violence at the polls is heightened," Brown contended. "Which means that legislation at the state level is even more critical than it ever has been."

Brown argued America's elections are free and fair, and prohibiting guns at polling sites and government locations is constitutional. Opponents countered the bans unfairly disarm law-abiding gun owners.

Recent surveys reveal election workers have faced increased threats and harassment since the 2020 election with one in three reporting some form of abuse. And nearly half of election workers said they are concerned for their colleagues' safety.

Brown pointed out armed intimidation tactics disproportionately target people of color and add to the growing exodus of election workers.

"This is a threat that we can't ignore," Brown stressed. "These attacks have also served as a deterrent to Black and brown election workers, who've historically been a really key part of ensuring that our democracy endures on Election Day."

As state legislatures consider banning guns at voting sites, legislation in Congress known as the "Vote Without Fear Act" would place a nationwide ban on weapons within 100 feet of a federal election facility, with exceptions for on-duty law enforcement and security personnel. It has been languishing in a House committee for a year.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.