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*WEEK IN REVIEW*
Friday, April 11, 2025






Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Week in Review

"For the week ending April 11, 2025

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*Monday, April 7, 2025*

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hamilton-1 [ [link removed] ]

Governor DeWine and First Lady DeWine joined Hamilton Local School District Superintendent Mark Tyler, Hamilton Elementary School Principal Tyler Rush, and other school leaders, teachers, and students to celebrate their school earning the Governor’s Science of Reading Champions award.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine visited [ [link removed] ] Hamilton Elementary School in Columbus and Wheelersburg Elementary School in Scioto County, continuing his tour across Ohio to celebrate schools that have earned the Governor’s Science of Reading Champions Award.

“These schools and their teachers are doing a phenomenal job using the Science of Reading as a foundation to help their students grow as readers,” said Governor DeWine. “Reading is the key to everything for our children – it opens the door to education, to employment, and to life.”

At Hamilton Elementary School, Governor DeWine, First Lady Fran DeWine, and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Stephen D. Dackin joined district administrators, school leaders, and teachers for a roundtable discussion about how they use the Science of Reading to shape their literacy instruction.

“Our Science of Reading Champions Award gives us a chance to hold up schools and teachers that are doing this work especially well and setting their students up for lifelong success,” said Governor DeWine. “It’s inspiring to visit these schools and see firsthand the incredible work that is happening in their classrooms.”

Wheelersburg-6 [ [link removed] ]

Governor DeWine joined Wheelersburg Local School District Superintendent Mark Knapp, Wheelersburg Elementary School Principal Janeen Spradlin and other school leaders, teachers, and students to celebrate their school earning the Governor’s Science of Reading Champions award.

At Wheelersburg Elementary School, Governor DeWine joined district and school leaders and several teachers from kindergarten through third grade to discuss their school’s work to improve literacy achievement.

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Governor DeWine announced [ [link removed] ] that Aimee Shadwick, director of RecoveryOhio [ [link removed] ], has taken a new role in the private sector. Shadwick, who has led the initiative since January 2022, stepped down on April 9, 2025.

Governor DeWine has appointed Erin Reed, current assistant policy director of the Governor's public safety policy team, to serve as the next director of RecoveryOhio. Reed’s start date is April 10, 2025.

“Aimee Shadwick has been a dedicated leader in Ohio’s efforts to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder services. Under her leadership, RecoveryOhio has strengthened partnerships and leveraged resources to connect more Ohioans with treatment and long-term recovery support. I appreciate her service and wish her the best in her next chapter,” said Governor DeWine. “I am confident that Erin Reed will continue to build on our work to ensure individuals and families affected by mental health and substance use disorders have the support and resources they need to reach their full potential.”

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Tressel visits NASA Armstrong Testing Center

Ohio Lt. Governor Jim Tressel visited NASA's Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky to hear about the cutting-edge simulations and ground tests that are conducted here.



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*Tuesday, April 8, 2025*

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DeWine cell phone press conference [ [link removed] ]

Press conference to discuss new legislation that would ban student cell phone use in public schools. (Left-right) State Senator Andrew Brenner, State Senator Jane Timken, First Lady Fran DeWine, Governor Mike DeWine, former Second Lady Tina Husted, Dublin City Schools Superintendent Dr. John Marschhausen.

Governor DeWine hosted [ [link removed] ] a press conference in support of legislation that would ban the use of cell phones in public schools in Ohio.

Sponsored by Sen. Jane Timken (R-Jackson Township), Senate Bill 158 [ [link removed] ] incorporates language first introduced by Governor DeWine in his executive budget – prohibiting student use of cell phones during the school day.

“It’s clear that we need to get cell phones out of our classrooms,” said Governor DeWine. “The constant distraction of cell phones makes it nearly impossible for students to focus and learn. Not only do they negatively impact student performance, but they can also be harmful to kids’ mental and emotional health.”

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Governor DeWine and First Lady DeWine gave remarks at the 130th Anniversary of the Ohio Library Council Legislative Day. Public libraries are cornerstone institutions, offering a wide range of resources to Ohioans of all ages. 

DeWines at Ohio Library Council Legislative Day [ [link removed] ]

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OACC Advocacy Day [ [link removed] ]

Lt. Governor Tressel spoke at the Ohio Association of Community Colleges' Advocacy Day about Ohio’s historic economic opportunities and the important role community colleges play in addressing our workforce needs. He also presented a proclamation recognizing April as Community College Month.



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*Wednesday, April 9, 2025*

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April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month [ [link removed] ], and while distracted driving remains a significant concern in Ohio, new data indicates that two years after the state’s “phones down” law took effect, Ohio is seeing positive, lifesaving results.

Governor DeWine signed Senate Bill 288 [ [link removed] ] in 2023. The bill strengthened the state's distracted driving laws by making it a primary offense to use handheld electronic devices while driving.

“We’re certainly seeing less distracted driving than before the law went into effect, but we still have a long way to go,” said Governor DeWine. “I appreciate all the drivers who have chosen to stay focused on the road, and I encourage more drivers to do the same. Distracted-driving crashes are completely avoidable.”

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SuperRAPIDS map-2 [ [link removed] ]

Governor DeWine, Lt. Governor Tressel, and Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Mike Duffey announced [ [link removed] ] that $8.3 million was awarded to 39 universities, community colleges, and career technical centers across Ohio through the latest round of Super RAPIDS grants.

Awardees will use this funding to update equipment to enhance training opportunities for more than 6,600 students – preparing them for careers in Ohio’s expanding manufacturing industries.

“We’re seeing historic investments in Ohio that are creating thousands of new jobs, and we need a workforce ready to step into those opportunities,” said Governor DeWine. “This Super RAPIDS funding will ensure students are training on the same state-of-the-art equipment they’ll use on the job, giving them a direct path to these careers.”

“As Ohio continues to attract new businesses and grow key industries all across the state, it’s up to us to connect our students with the training they need to start a great career right here in Ohio,” said Lt. Governor Tressel. “Super RAPIDS helps schools provide hands-on training that directly matches what employers need, ensuring our graduates are prepared to bring their skills to the workforce on day one.”



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Governor DeWine announced [ [link removed] ] $3 million in funding for 38 local law enforcement agencies to help their drug task forces combat illegal drug activity and enforce the state’s drug laws.

Grants from the 2025 Ohio Drug Law Enforcement Fund will support drug task forces in their work to prevent drug trafficking, pharmaceutical diversion, and other organized criminal activity associated with the drug trade.

“Ohio's drug task forces are a major deterrent to those pushing drugs in our communities,” said Governor DeWine. “Their work is indispensable in rooting out traffickers and suppliers, and we are proud to continue offering this support."

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Tressel met with Ohio Council of County Officials [ [link removed] ]

Lt. Governor Tressel met with the Ohio Council of County Officials at the Statehouse.



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*Thursday, April 10, 2025*

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Governor DeWine and First Lady DeWine visited [ [link removed] ] Austintown Elementary School near Youngstown and Perry Elementary School in Zanesville, continuing their tour across Ohio to celebrate schools that have earned the Governor’s Science of Reading Champions Award [ [link removed] ].

“Schools like the ones we’re celebrating today are seeing more engagement and better reading comprehension since they started using the Science of Reading,” said Governor DeWine. “Many students are learning about history, science, and other subjects at the same time they’re learning to read. It helps make students excited to learn. These schools are setting their kids up for success throughout school and throughout life.”

Austintown Elementary [ [link removed] ]

Governor and First Lady DeWine presented students at Austintown Elementary School with a Science of Reading Champions banner.

At Austintown Elementary School, Governor DeWine, First Lady DeWine, and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Dackin joined district administrators, school leaders, and teachers for a roundtable discussion about how they use the Science of Reading to shape their literacy instruction.

Perry Elementary

The Governor and First Lady concluded their visit by presenting Perry Elementary students with a Science of Reading Champions banner.

The Science of Reading Champions tour continued at Perry Elementary School in East Muskingum Local School District, where the Governor and First Lady again met with school and district leaders to discuss their school’s work to improve literacy achievement.

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Wright-State-S-04102025-3 [ [link removed] ]

Lt. Governor Tressel continued [ [link removed] ] his series of community conversations across the state to inform the development of Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.

The Lt. Governor brought together education and business leaders from Dayton and the surrounding areas for a roundtable discussion at Wright State University on the region’s workforce strengths and its needs.

“As a state, we have come up with so many opportunities for businesses to move into Ohio or expand in Ohio, and that means we are going to have a lot of in-demand jobs that need to be filled. Governor DeWine is passionate about making sure we are ready to take advantage of this opportunity,” said Lt. Governor Tressel. “So we are going around the state to places like Wright State to see all the good work that's being done to train our workforce of the future and to encourage these students to stay right here in Ohio as they launch their careers.”



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Lt. Governor Tressel visited Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton to receive updates on their latest work and innovations. 

Tressl visit to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base [ [link removed] ]

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DeWine youth and government [ [link removed] ]

Governor DeWine spoke at the Ohio Youth Leadership Association in Government Opening Joint Session. Following his remarks, Governor DeWine answered questions from students participating in the program. 



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