WEEK IN REVIEW
Friday, December 3, 2021

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Week in Review

For the week ending December 3, 2021

Last week,?Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz announced that $5 million?in?H2Ohio?grant funding?will be directed to 13 wetland projects?in 11 counties?to help?improve?water quality in the Ohio River Basin.??

"We are excited to continue the expansion of H2Ohio's work into the Ohio River Basin and to take the next big step toward naturally improving water quality across Ohio,??said?Governor DeWine. ?Water issues expand beyond Lake Erie, so by focusing this funding farther south, we can address water challenges on a bigger scale and help ensure that people throughout the state can experience the benefits of these wetlands.??

Governor DeWine announced the?launch of the?Ohio River Basin H2Ohio Wetland Grant Program?in July.?The?program provides up to $500,000?for?wetland projects that address nutrient?loading and contribute to water quality improvement?in the Ohio River and its tributaries.??

Awards will go to?projects?in Butler (2), Greene, Franklin (2),?Hamilton,?Holmes, Mahoning,?Medina, Miami,?Montgomery,?Wayne, and Warren counties.?Each project will?create?wetlands,?restore?wetlands?on hydric soils, and/or?enhance water quality at?existing wetlands?and floodplains.

Governor DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine tour the construction site for the new jail in Gallia County.?$5.5 million?is going to support the work?that is currently?underway.

On Monday, Governor DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine traveled to Gallia County and Athens County where they discussed plans to expand or rebuild their local jails. Last month, Governor DeWine announced that the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail and Gallia County Jail were among?six local jails selected to receive a total of $50 million in grants to help upgrade or build new facilities.? A total of $50 million was reserved for local county jails as part of Ohio?s State Capital Budget.?The funding was allocated to ODRC to award through a needs-based process.

Lt. Governor Husted announces the implementation of two technology tools that will help children services professionals to better assist Ohio's foster youth.

Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Matt Damschroder announced Tuesday that Ohio is the first state to implement two technology tools from Connect Our Kids. The tools will help children services professionals connect Ohio?s 3,100 foster youth with their forever family. They were joined by partners from InnovateOhio, Kinnect, the Dave Thomas Foundation, and Ohio CASA.

The Family Connections tool is a genogram or a digital diagram that illustrates an individual?s family members. Professionals can use the desktop or mobile app versions to build family trees, find family contact information and engage family and supporters of children in foster care. The People Search tool uses public information from over 300 sources and covers over 3 billion people to exponentially expand the pool of potential kinship caregivers, far beyond just those in current contact with the child?s parents.

?Using this technology is data sharing at its best to help find forever homes for kids in foster care. It?s going to save children?s services professionals time and resources,? said Lt. Governor Jon Husted. ?Gone are the days of them having to map out family trees and contact information on their own. This technology does it for them, and then makes it widely available to other professionals.?

Lt. Governor Husted speaks to other Lt. Governors from across the country at the annual National Lieutenant Governor Association's annual meeting.

On Wednesday,?Lt. Governor Husted traveled to Cincinnati where he?hosted other Lt. Governors from across the country for?the annual National Lieutenant?Governor Association's?meeting.

Also on Wednesday,?Governor DeWine announced that Amy L. Ast will become the director of the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) beginning on December 20, 2021.

?Amy brings a wealth of professional experience to the position and has a passion for working with and improving the lives of juvenile offenders,? said Governor DeWine. ?I would also like to thank Ryan Gies for his service at DYS.?

Governor DeWine speaks to members of the National Federation of Independent Business. During this meeting in September, Governor DeWine voiced his support of House Bill 215, the "Business Fairness Act."

Additionally, on Wednesday, Governor DeWine announced that he signed five bills into law, including House Bill 215, also known as the ? Business Fairness Act.?

?Ohio took the lead nationwide in working with businesses and industry leaders to help develop safe workplace guidelines and keep Ohioans working during the pandemic,? said Governor DeWine. ?House Bill 215 reflects that business and employers can safely operate during a health emergency and affirms my commitment to working collaboratively with Ohio businesses to keep our economy strong as we emerge from this pandemic.?

Governor DeWine also signed the following four bills: House Bill 177, Senate Bill 36, Senate Bill 54, and Senate Bill 115.

Governor DeWine stands in front of the new ODOT Headquarters signage alongside ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks and former directors Jerry Wray and Gordon Proctor.

On Thursday,?Governor DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Jack Marchbanks rededicated the agency's Columbus headquarters to honor Jerry Wray, the agency?s only two-time director.

"Jerry Wray was passionate about transforming ODOT into an organization that displayed what he called 'excellence in government.' The changes he ushered in will benefit our state for decades to come," said Governor DeWine, who served as lieutenant governor during Wray's first stint as ODOT director.

Governor DeWine and Director Marchbanks unveiled new signage bearing Wray?s name at the headquarters located at 1980 West Broad Street, which will now be known as the Ohio Department of Transportation Jerry Wray Building.

Governor DeWine holds the shamash candle before Rabbi Areyeh Kaltmann takes it to light five candles signifying the fifth night of Hanukkah.

Also on Thursday, Governor DeWine visited New Albany to go to the Lori Schottenstein Chabad Center for a Menorah lighting, marking the fifth night of Hanukkah. Chabad Orthodox rabbis from all across Ohio were in attendance.

Governor DeWine and First Lady DeWine stand alongside Santa and Mrs. Claus after they lit the Statehouse Christmas tree in celebration of the upcoming Christmas holiday.

Later on Thursday night,?Governor DeWine?and First Lady DeWine led the Christmas tree lighting ceremony to start the holiday season.?Together they lit the historically decorated Ohio Statehouse holiday tree.

On Friday,?Governor DeWine announced that the Ohio Department of Health, in partnership with the Governor?s Children?s Initiative, has awarded $5 million to 44 community- and faith-based organizations to improve supports to pregnant women and newly parenting families.

?These resources will provide communities across the state with new funding to begin or expand services to help more babies reach their first birthdays and support healthy parents,? said Governor DeWine.? ?We are committed to reducing the unacceptable infant mortality rate in Ohio because all babies deserve a healthy start and an opportunity to grow and develop to their fullest potential.?

The goal of these resources is to provide funding to improve infant and maternal health outcomes. These dollars seek to strengthen the unique work of community- and faith-based organizations as trusted partners of Ohio?s pregnant women and new families. Funded organizations will reduce barriers to wellness for participants by providing resources and services that address gaps in existing maternal and infant systems and supports pregnant women and newly parenting families (up to 12-months postpartum).

Also on Friday, Governor DeWine?announced five appointments to fill judicial vacancies. He appointed Cornelius J. O'Sullivan to serve as a judge on the Eighth District Court of Appeals; Kenneth R. Callahan, Wanda C. Jones, and Mark R. Majer to each serve as judges on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas; and Sergio I. DiGeronimo, to serve as a judge on the Garfield Heights Municipal Court.

As of?Friday, there have been 1,717,876 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio. Additionally, 26,851 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths have occurred. A total of 87,504 people have been hospitalized, including 10,868 admissions to intensive care units.

CASE DATA/VACCINE INFORMATION

In-depth COVID-19 data for Ohio:?coronavirus.ohio.gov.?

Ohio's central scheduling system:?gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov

Ohio mass vaccination information:?coronavirus.ohio.gov/massvaccinationclinics

All vaccine providers:?vaccine.coronavirus.ohio.gov

More vaccine information:?coronavirus.ohio.gov/vaccine

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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MEDIA CONTACT:
Dan Tierney: 614-644-0957