On Monday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine celebrated the reopening of East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Governor DeWine helps cut the ribbon at the re-opening of the East Ohio Regional Hospital in Martins Ferry.
Also on Monday, Governor DeWine made several appointments, including to the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board, State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services, Unemployment Compensation Modernization and Improvement Council, TourismOhio Advisory Board, and more.
Governor DeWine displays signed Senate Bill 21, which requires emergency services to establish stroke protocols and training.
On Tuesday, Governor DeWine was joined by Senate Bill 21 sponsors and several stakeholders for a bill signing at the Ohio Statehouse.
Senate Bill 21, sponsored by Senator Nickie Antonio and Senator Nathan Manning, requires the Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services to adopt guidelines for the assessment, triage, and transport of stroke patients to hospitals. The bill requires emergency service organizations to establish stroke protocols and provide training based on the board’s guidelines.
Following the ceremony in private, Governor DeWine signed Senate Bill 42, sponsored by Senator Tim Schaffer, into law. The bill establishes the second week of November as Ohio Diabetes Awareness-Heart Connection Week to raise public awareness about the connection between diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Additionally on Tuesday, Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted announced the launch of a new, innovative resource on OhioMeansJobs.com that links Ohio job seekers with potential employment opportunities through the information provided on their resume. The announcement was made during a meeting of the Governor’s Executive Workforce Board at Columbus State Community College.
“SkillsMatch” fulfills a promise made by the DeWine-Husted Administration to design a match-making application that connects people seeking work to businesses that are hiring. Supported by detailed data on the newly redesigned OhioMeansJobs website, this unique resource extracts job seekers’ skills from their resumes and links them to a job-match recommendation based on those skills.
“The SkillsMatch tool reinforces our commitment to better connecting job seekers with in-demand positions,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “As our economy continues to bounce back, I know that this new tool will help serve both Ohioans and Ohio employers.”
“For job seekers and employers, we aim to be better at matchmaking than a dating app," said Lt. Governor Husted, Director of the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation. “This fulfills the promise Governor DeWine and I made to use technology to improve customer service, and there’s no better service than finding someone a great job that they enjoy, that pays them well, and that allows them to live their version of the American dream."
The easy-to-use resource allows job seekers to directly upload their resume to OhioMeansJobs.com, select the skills on their resume that they’d like matched with potential job opportunities, and watch in real-time as the tool displays which skills line up with a particular job posting. Additionally, SkillsMatch will show job seekers which skills are missing from their resume based on keywords in job postings on the site, giving them the opportunity to improve and update their resume so they can have a better chance of matching with the kind of position they are seeking.
The SkillsMatch tool was developed through the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, InnovateOhio and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
OhioMeansJobs.com currently has 189,681 jobs posted with 103,025 that pay more than $50,000 per year.
Governor DeWine announces the launch of a new College to Law Enforcement Pathway Program.
On Wednesday, Governor DeWine announced the launch of a new pilot program that will equip aspiring peace officers with the critical skills necessary for a successful career in law enforcement.
The Ohio Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment's new College to Law Enforcement Pathway Program is an entry-level leadership development program that will operate in partnership between law enforcement agencies and institutions of higher education in Ohio. The program will pair criminal justice students with law enforcement mentors who will help develop students' leadership skills and prepare them for a law enforcement career.
This elite honors program will pilot at Cedarville University and Central State University during the upcoming fall semester. The program will be open to qualifying upper-class criminal justice majors, and participants will be guaranteed a job with a partnering law enforcement agency upon graduation.
"Students who graduate from this rigorous professional development program will have great potential to become Ohio's next generation of law enforcement leaders," said Governor DeWine. "In a time when many law enforcement agencies are struggling to recruit highly-qualified candidates, this program will create a pool of pre-qualified applicants with a strong understanding of criminal justice issues and the know-how to form positive relationships within their communities."
Law enforcement agencies that are planning to participate in the pilot project include the Beavercreek Police Department, Dublin Police Department, Fairfield Township Police Department, Fairview Park Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Lancaster Police Department, Lebanon Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Reynoldsburg Police Department, West Chester Police Department, and Xenia Police Department.
“This pilot program will be beneficial to all the parties involved,” said Dr. Patrick Oliver, director of Cedarville University's criminal justice program and lead consultant to the Ohio Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment. “The students will graduate from a college program that will develop their ability to lead while being mentored and prepared for a career in law enforcement service, law enforcement agencies will have a pool of highly-qualified applicants, and the universities will benefit by having this unique program for criminal justice students.”
At the completion of the pilot, the College to Law Enforcement Pathway Program will expand to other law enforcement agencies, colleges, and universities in the state.
Governor DeWine created the Ohio Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment in 2020 to assist local law enforcement agencies in recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. The program operates out of the Office of Criminal Justice Services within the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
Governor DeWine stands with Police Officials at the College to Law Enforcement Pathway Program launch.
Also on Wednesday, Lt. Governor Husted traveled to Youngstown to attend a roundtable on broadband expansion and visited M-7 Technologies to discuss how the TechCred program has helped their business.
Lt. Governor Husted at M-7 Technologies in Youngstown learning how the company has used TechCred to upskill their employees.
Additionally on Wednesday, Governor DeWine announced the appointment of Linda M. Knepp to the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division.
Week 5 Vax-A-Million Scholarship Winner Sydney Daum stands nect to her parents outside of their home in Brecksville after meeting Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine.
On Thursday, Governor DeWine provided the following updates on Ohio's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
OHIO VAX-A-MILLION
For the final Ohio Vax-a-Million drawing, 3,469,542 vaccinated adults entered for a chance to win $1 million, and 154,889 vaccinated youth entered for a chance to win a college scholarship. This is an increase of 41,028 adult entries and 4,702 youth entries over last week.
Ohio Vax-A-Million's newest winners joined Governor DeWine Thursday morning to discuss why they chose to be vaccinated and their excitement of being selected during this week's drawing.
Esperanza Diaz from Cincinnati won the final week's $1 million prize, and Sydney Daum from Brecksville in Cuyahoga County won the college scholarship prize.
"I got the Pfizer vaccine, and I didn't have any side effects, I was completely OK," said Diaz. I would recommend it to everyone. I think it can save a lot of lives."
"We were always planning to get her vaccinated, but we were going to wait later in the summer to have her fully vaccinated by the time school started," said Jennifer Daum, Sydney's mother. "When (Governor DeWine) announced Vax-a-Million we thought this would be a good time to do it now, and we did, and we can't believe it paid off."
DoorDash, Kroger, and Giant Eagle will offer a new vaccine incentive program from Friday, June 25 through Wednesday, June 30. Ohioans vaccinated at the select grocery stores located below will receive a $25 DoorDash gift card.
Approximately 231,000 young Ohioans between 12 and 17 years old have started the vaccination process. Ohio is working to make sure other students have the opportunity to get their COVID-19 vaccine before school begins in the fall.
Statewide efforts include:
Outreach to schools. Schools have had multiple opportunities to partner with providers and offer vaccination clinics on-site for students. A survey of school districts across the state showed us that more than 200 districts plan to offer vaccination opportunities on-site.
Outreach through community organizations. Ohio has partnered with all Boys and Girls Clubs across the state to serve as vaccination sites. In addition, 67 local providers will be hosting vaccination clinics in partnership with summer food service programs for families.
Outreach through local providers. Ohio is working with pediatricians and family doctors to encourage them to become providers so that students can get the COVID-19 vaccine from their own doctors. Nearly 500 pediatric and family medicine offices are currently offering vaccinations. To increase awareness and encourage vaccinations, child-serving state agencies are distributing vaccine information to families and others in their communities.
Targeted, focused outreach to underserved areas. To increase access for students in underserved areas, Ohio will assist in expanding school-based healthcare services and increase the number of community-based health workers in high-need areas. Ohio will also offer vaccinations at all Job and Family Services offices that serve customers.
DEATH DATA
Even though Ohio's COVID-19 case numbers have been dropping, approximately 100 Ohioans a week are dying from this virus, and deaths are shifting to a younger age group.
During the winter surge, more than half of the people who died from COVID-19 in Ohio were 80 or older. As of Thursday, those ages 40 to 79 make up more than 65 percent of deaths.
Governor DeWine talking with criminal intelligence analysts and computer forensic specialists at the northeast Ohio branch of the ONIC.
Also on Thursday, Governor DeWine met with criminal intelligence analysts and computer forensic specialists working at the northeast Ohio branch of the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC).
Governor DeWine created the ONIC in 2019 to assist local authorities in unraveling complex drug trafficking investigations through analysis of cell phones and other electronics.
Lt. Governor Husted stopped at Silver Bridge Coffee in Bidwell to check out their new expansion made possible by a JobsOhio Inclusion Grant.
Lastly on Thursday, Lt. Governor Husted traveled to Southeast Ohio to tour a local small business, Silver Bridge Coffee, that expanded their manufacturing facility last fall.
He also visited a workforce development program at the University of Rio Grande that is leveraging local industry partnerships to better prepare students for future careers.
Lt. Governor Husted had the opportunity to check out a fanuc robot provided by the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission which Wellston High School students used to earn credentials and college credits.
On Friday morning, First Lady Fran DeWine and Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz celebrated the launch of Ohio’s newest Storybook Trail, now open at the Shawnee State Park Ohio River property in Scioto County.
“Today’s newest Storybook Trail is a great addition that many families will be able to take advantage of this summer,” said First Lady DeWine. “The outdoor trail offers a fun and educational experience for families to enjoy together.”
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, launched the Storybook Trail program in 2019 to promote the importance of literacy, a healthy lifestyle, and connecting with nature. There are currently 11 half-mile Storybook Trails located at state parks in Ohio, each with 15-20 child-height panels featuring pages of a children’s book and an activity to accompany the text on the page.
“We are thrilled to add a Storybook Trail to this newly designed riverfront area for guests of all ages to enjoy,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “Our Storybook Trails encourage families to explore the outdoors together, so we knew right away that the Shawnee Ohio River property was the perfect spot for them to make those new memories.”
This Storybook Trail features the book "Brother Eagle, Sister Sky," which shares a lesson about the importance of respecting the earth, animals, and nature. The book is illustrated by Susan Jeffers.
The property, redeveloped for use by visitors and the community, features a new camp store, fuel at the marina, and new hiking and biking trails. Additional improvements include primitive campsites, a lazy river paddling pond, a bicycle pump course, and additional trail miles. Full-service campsites, paved roads, a playground, dog park, archery range, adult fitness area, splash pad, shower house, and additional restrooms are also planned for development at the Ohio River property.
There are currently 286,751 children enrolled in the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library, which provides one free book every month to children enrolled in the program from birth to age five. To learn more about the Ohio Governor's Imagination Library and how to participate, visit OhioImaginationLibrary.org.
A full list of ODNR's Storybook Trails, as well as similar trails located at parks and library districts across the state, can be found at ohiodnr.gov. An interactive map of all Storybook Trails can also be found at ohiodnr.gov.
First Lady Fran DeWine and ODNR Director Mary Mertz celebrated the launch of a new Storybook Trail at Shawnee State Park Ohio River property.
On Friday, Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted announced the launch of four grant programs to help small and medium-sized businesses recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
"These four new grant programs will help industries that experienced losses over the last year because of the pandemic,” said Governor DeWine. “Ohio’s economy is moving forward, and with new grant programs like the ones we are announcing today, we are optimistic that our economy will only continue to grow stronger from here."
The programs will provide $155 million in grant funding to businesses that opened in 2020, food and beverage establishments, entertainment venues, and lodging venues. The funds were made available by the Ohio General Assembly as part of Senate Bill 108 and Senate Bill 109, both of which Governor DeWine signed into law in May.
All four programs will be administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency (Development). Program guidelines, terms and conditions, and required documentation for all four programs are available now at BusinessHelp.Ohio.Gov. The applications will open on Tuesday, June 29, 2021.
“The focus of this funding is primarily on Ohio-owned, small businesses that are important contributors to their local economy and the quality of life for the people who live there,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “The grants will help these businesses buy equipment, hire more employees and make needed updates to their facilities, so they, and the communities they serve, can recover faster.”
“The investments we make through these programs will ensure the survival and stability of our small businesses,” said Director of Development Lydia Mihalik. “Our small business owners and entrepreneurs are the heart of our economy, and we’re optimistic about the future."
The Food and Beverage Establishment Grant will provide grants of $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 to restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and other food and drink businesses. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the business’s loss of revenue in 2020. The total funding available for this program is $100 million.
To ensure the grants are spread throughout the state, $500,000 will be set aside for businesses in each of Ohio’s 88 counties. As businesses in each county are approved for funding, the grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. When a county’s allocation is depleted, businesses in that county will be eligible to receive grants from the remaining funds in the overall grant program. If businesses in a county don’t deplete the county’s allocation by July 31, the remaining funds will become available to businesses statewide.
The Entertainment Venue Grantwill provide grants of $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 theaters, music venues, spectator sports venues, museums, and other entertainment venues. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the business’s loss of revenue in 2020. The total funding available for this program is $20 million.
To ensure the grants are spread throughout the state, $150,000 will be set aside for businesses in each of Ohio’s 88 counties. As businesses in each county are approved for funding, the grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. When a county’s allocation is depleted, businesses in that county will be eligible to receive grants from the remaining funds in the overall grant program. If businesses in a county don’t deplete the county’s allocation by July 31, the remaining funds will become available to businesses statewide.
The Lodging Grant will provide grants of $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 to hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast operations. The amount of individual grants to eligible businesses will be determined by the business’s decline in occupancy rate in 2020. The total funding available for this program is $25 million.
To ensure the grants are spread throughout the state, $100,000 will be set aside for businesses in each of Ohio’s 88 counties. As businesses in each county are approved for funding, the grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. When a county’s allocation is depleted, businesses in that county will be eligible to receive grants from the remaining funds in the overall grant program. If businesses in a county don’t deplete the county’s allocation by July 31, the remaining funds will become available to businesses statewide.
The New Small Business Grant will provide grants of $10,000 to small businesses that were established between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020. The total funding available is $10 million.
To ensure the grants are spread throughout the state, $100,000 will be set aside for businesses in each of Ohio’s 88 counties. As businesses in each county are approved for funding, the $10,000 grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. When a county’s allocation is depleted, businesses in that county will be eligible to receive grants from the remaining funds in the overall grant program. If businesses in a county don’t deplete the county’s allocation by July 31, the remaining funds will become available to businesses statewide.
Also on Friday, Governor DeWine and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Laurie Stevenson announced that a new H2Ohio project will target aging lead pipes at daycare facilities in Cleveland.
H2Ohio is awarding the city a $500,000 grant for the removal and replacement of city-owned lead service lines that supply water to daycares. The Cleveland Water Department estimates that more than 440 area daycare centers are connected to lead pipes.
"We must be aggressive about protecting Ohio's children from toxic lead in drinking water, and the best way to do that is to remove the pipes," said Governor DeWine. "Kids under the age of three are at the greatest risk for lead poisoning, and by prioritizing the replacement of lead service lines at daycares, we're protecting our most vulnerable from the potential for long-term side effects."
This project is the second H2Ohio lead pipe removal project targeting daycares. In 2020, a similar H2Ohio project launched in Cincinnati to remove and replace lead services lines leading to nearly 200 daycare facilities.
“Addressing lead service lines is a key focus under the H2Ohio initiative,” said Ohio EPA Director Laurie A. Stevenson. “Every Ohioan deserves to be protected from environmental and health hazards in drinking water, especially our most vulnerable.”
Lead enters drinking water primarily through the corrosion of materials containing lead in water lines and household plumbing. Though lead in water is not usually the cause of childhood lead poisoning cases in Ohio, even small amounts of lead can cause learning and behavior problems in children. According to the Ohio Department of Health, lead replaces iron and calcium and affects many parts of the body, especially the nervous system.
Lead is most harmful to children under the age of six, because a child's growing body takes up lead easily. Infants who drink formula prepared with lead‐contaminated water are highly at risk because their brains are rapidly developing and because they consume large volumes of formula relative to their body size. Even at low levels, lead can lower IQ, cause attention disorders, make it difficult for a child to pay attention in school, delay growth, impair hearing, and more.
Governor DeWine launched H2Ohio in 2019 as a water quality initiative to provide clean and safe water to Ohio. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and Ohio Lake Erie Commission each have a significant role in H2Ohio through the creation of wetlands, the reduction in nutrient runoff, and the improvement of drinking water and sewer systems. To learn more, visit h2.ohio.gov.
Additionally, Governor Mike DeWine issued the following statement on Ohio House amendments to Senate Bill 187 on Friday:
“This issue is best addressed outside of government, through individual sports leagues and athletic associations, including the Ohio High School Athletic Association, who can tailor policies to meet the needs of their member athletes and member institutions.”
Governor DeWine applauded the work of the Ohio General Assembly Friday afternoon as they sent priority legislation, Amended House Bill 168, to his desk for signature.
“The actions that we took over the past year, including cutting state spending, freezing hiring, and not relying on the Rainy Day Fund put us in a position today to use these recovery funds to make forward-looking investments," said Governor DeWine. "These investments in Ohio’s future address my critical priorities: strengthening our children’s behavioral health system, improving the water infrastructure in neighborhoods all across the state, and providing local leaders in every community with funds to address their unique, post-COVID needs. And by paying off the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund loan to the federal government, our businesses can focus on job one which is getting Ohioans back to work.”
House Bill 168 includes four key provisions, appropriating funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA):
$84 million to support infrastructure improvements at Ohio’s pediatric behavioral health care facilities to allow for safe placement of youth in crisis. The demand for pediatric behavioral health services exceeded capacity prior to the pandemic and has reached emergency levels over the last year. This is a key priority of the administration as Ohio works to transform children’s behavioral health and increase access and quality of care across all regions of the state. The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services will administer this priority initiative.
$250 million to establish a Water and Sewer Quality Program to provide grants to Ohio’s counties, townships, and municipal governments to strategically address serious water issues that have been building in Ohio for decades and ensure communities have clean and safe water. The Ohio Department of Development will administer this priority initiative.
$422 million will be available to every community across the state to support local and regional economic recovery initiatives. Each and every community in Ohio was touched by the pandemic. This is the first of two rounds of funding local governments will receive as a result of ARPA to address the economic impact of the pandemic and continue a strong recovery statewide. The Office of Budget and Management will soon launch an application portal and expects payments to local governments to begin in early July.
Approximately $1.5 billion to repay the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund advancement from the federal government. This is a crucial step in Ohio’s economic resurgence. Using available federal dollars to repay the federal loan relieves Ohio businesses from experiencing large increases in their federal unemployment payroll taxes for years to come – freeing up capital to invest in their businesses and hire workers. Governor DeWine announced this decision to invest ARPA funding to support employers on April 8.
As of Friday, there have been 1,110,292 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio. Additionally, 20,268 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths have occurred. A total of 60,450 people have been hospitalized, including 8,301 admissions to intensive care units.
For more information on Ohio's response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.
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