WEEK IN REVIEW
Friday, April 15, 2022

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Week in Review

For the week ending April 15, 2022

Governor DeWine tours the Lubrizol Corporation in Cleveland.

Governor Mike DeWine was in Lake County Monday afternoon where he met with representatives of the Lubrizol Corporation and toured their research and development campus. Lubrizol is one of many corporations throughout Ohio that are collaborating with Intel,?which recently announced a $20 billion investment to create a semiconductor chip manufacturing facility in central Ohio.?The two companies are collaborating to test and commercialize immersion fluid for data center thermal management

Lt. Governor Husted speaks at the National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week kick-off event at the Ohio Statehouse.

On Monday, Lt. Governor Jon Husted gave remarks at the?National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week kick-off event hosted by the?Ohio Laborers? Union and the Ohio State Highway Patrol in Columbus?to bring safety awareness to motorists in preparation for the spring construction season.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol reports that since 2017, there have been 25,884 crashes that occurred in work zones on Ohio roadways with nearly 40% of workers present at those crashes. These numbers underscore the need for widespread work zone safety awareness, especially as road construction crews become more prevalent.

Lt. Governor Husted meets Anna Boerger, who recently celebrated 50 years of service with the Whirlpool Corporation.

Lt. Governor Husted also visited Whirlpool Corporation at their Findlay location on Monday to tour the facility and join a roundtable discussion on Ohio?s manufacturing industry. The group discussed?the importance of Ohio?s manufacturing industry and workforce programs, like Tech Cred.

First Lady DeWine talks about the progress at the Ohio Governor?s Imagination Library during the Wooster Rotary meeting.

First Lady Fran DeWine also traveled to three events on Monday, where she?promoted early childhood literacy and the Ohio Governor?s Imagination Library program in Wayne and Holmes counties.?

First Lady DeWine was the keynote speaker at the Wooster Rotary Club, where she spoke with members about the Ohio Governor's Imagination Library and the work being done to promote childhood literacy across the state. Then, the First Lady toured Pomerene Hospital's Maternity Unit. She met with the hospital?s leadership team and thanked staff who are enrolling newborns in the Ohio Governor?s Imagination Library prior to being discharged from the hospital. Lastly on Monday, First Lady DeWine read "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," a book given through the Ohio Governor's Imagination Library program, to children at the Holmes County District Public Library.

Lt. Governor Husted provided remarks in Cambridge about BroadbandOhio?s efforts to expand affordable, high-speed internet across the state, including through the recently awarded Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grants.

On Tuesday,?Lt. Governor Husted made two stops in Southeast Ohio. First, he?gave remarks at the Cambridge Area Chamber's Legislative Luncheon and then traveled?to Caldwell, where he?participated in a roundtable discussion with members of the community about how?two ARC POWER grants will impact broadband expansion and workforce development in Noble County.?

In honor of the life and legacy of Town and Country Fire District Lieutenant Philip Wigal, Governor DeWine ordered?on Tuesday that flags of the United States and the State of Ohio be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout Wayne County, the Ohio Statehouse, the Vern Riffe Center, and the Rhodes State Office Tower. Flags shall remain lowered until sunset on the day of his funeral.

First Lady DeWine reads "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" to children at Vinton-Jackson Head Start.

First Lady DeWine traveled to Southeast Ohio for two events on Tuesday, where she promoted the Ohio Governor's Imagination Library.?First Lady DeWine read "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," a book given through the Ohio?Governor's Imagination Library program, to children at the Jackson-Vinton Head Start.

She also?toured Elizabeth's Hope Pregnancy Resources and thank workers for referring clients to the Ohio Governor's Imagination Library.

Governor DeWine pictured with law enforcement officers and employees at the new Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center.

Governor Mike DeWine officially launched operations at the newest division of the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC) on Wednesday.

The new southwest Ohio ONIC office is staffed with criminal intelligence analysts and computer forensic specialists who help local law enforcement agencies trace drug trafficking organizations back to their ringleaders and suppliers through intelligence-driven investigations.

Governor DeWine first launched the ONIC in 2019 with offices in Columbus and Cleveland. Due to statewide demand for ONIC's services, Governor DeWine worked with the Ohio General Assembly to secure additional funding to create new offices in northwest and southwest Ohio. ONIC-Toledo officially launched last week.? "As drugs continue to flow into our country from the southern border, the expansion of our Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center into southwest Ohio shows our state's ongoing commitment to doing all we can to rid our communities of deadly narcotics," said Governor DeWine. "Digital evidence continues to play an increasing role in the drug trade, and our ONIC teams offer expert criminal intelligence and technical forensic support to help our local law enforcement officers intercept drugs and dismantle drug trafficking organizations."

Lt. Governor Husted cuts the ribbon at the FlightSafety International's celebration of their new headquarters in Columbus.

Lt. Governor Husted provided remarks at the FlightSafety International Ribbon Cutting Event on Wednesday to celebrate the company?s new headquarters in Columbus.?

FlightSafety International is an aviation training company that manufactures and supplies training simulators, visual systems and displays to commercial, government and military organizations to train pilots in all types of flight conditions.

Previously headquartered in Melville, New York, FlightSafety officially made Columbus home in late 2021. The new 35,000-square-foot facility will support long-term growth, talent recruitment and workforce retention in the Columbus region.

Lt. Governor Husted speaks with law enforcement officials at the Ohio State Highway Patrol?s Brook Park HQ in Northeast Ohio.

The Lt. Governor also visited the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) Cleveland District Headquarters in Brook Park on Wednesday to join a roundtable discussion with local law enforcement personnel on the recently announced Ohio Ballistics Testing Initiative. The new initiative will expand local access to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to help law enforcement identify criminals responsible for deadly shootings and other incidents of gun violence in Ohio.? The OSHP will begin testing all of their own evidence with two new NIBIN machines, with one soon to be located at the OSHP Cleveland District Headquarters in Brook Park.

First Lady DeWine pictured with children at the Puskarich Public Library in Harrison County.

First Lady DeWine?read "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," a book given through the Ohio Governor's Imagination Library program, to preschoolers at Puskarich Public Library in Harrison County, Monroe County District Library, and the Nurture?Preschool in Guernsey County on Wednesday.

Governor DeWine announces the Ohio Task Force on Volunteer Fire Service which will be chaired by State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon.

Governor DeWine announced on Thursday the formation of the Ohio Task Force on Volunteer Fire Service to study and make recommendations to improve volunteer fire service in Ohio. In making the announcement at the Central Ohio Fire Museum, Governor DeWine was joined by Ohio Department of Commerce Director Sherry Maxfield, State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon, and several local elected officials and firefighters.

?You never know when you may need emergency services, but you want to make sure that when you do need them, they are fast and efficient,? said Governor DeWine at the event. ?I asked Fire Marshal Reardon to assemble the Ohio Task Force on Volunteer Fire Service to examine these issues and the state of fire services throughout Ohio and to provide recommendations so we can ensure the continuation of reliable emergency coverage for our communities.?

Data collected by the Division of State Fire Marshal shows more than half of registered fire departments in Ohio are staffed by volunteers. While there has been a 6.5 percent decrease in the number of volunteers in the state since 2018, there has been a continual increase in the number of emergency calls. ?As a career firefighter, I know the fire service is rooted deep in tradition, but the challenges of today can only be addressed through forward-thinking, innovative solutions. There is no single greatest issue of concern, for the volunteer firefighter service there are many ? and together, they are creating challenges never before seen,? said State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon. ?This is not only an Ohio issue, this is a national problem, but Ohio can and will serve as an example.?

Governor DeWine signed?Executive Order 2022-06D?on Thursday to further define antisemitism?using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance?s working definition, and require all state agencies, departments, boards, commissions, and public colleges and universities to adopt the definition, as well. Antisemitism remains a persistent, pervasive, and disturbing problem in American society, including in Ohio.

Governor DeWine announced Friday that he is increasing Ohio?s yearly funding allocation for local bridge projects by $47.5 million for the next five years, bringing Ohio?s annual investment in county and municipal bridges to $112.5 million per year. Funding provided by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for bridges maintained by the state's 88 county engineers will increase from $34 million to $74 million annually, and municipal-owned bridge funding will increase from $11 million to $18.5 million each year. The additional $47.5 million is part of the $104 million in bridge funding that Ohio will receive in each of the next five years as part of the recently enacted federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law requires Ohio to invest $15.6 million of the $104 million each year into bridges owned by municipalities, townships, and counties, but Governor DeWine?s announcement more than triples the amount going to local communities. "Many of the expensive repairs needed on small, locally-owned bridges cost far beyond what our communities can afford, which is why I?ve directed ODOT to devote more money to support local bridge projects,? said Governor DeWine. ?By partnering together to ensure the necessary improvements are made, those driving over Ohio?s bridges can feel confident that they are safe.? Governor DeWine also announced today that small locally-owned bridges will also be eligible for funding as part of ODOT's Local Major Bridge Program, bringing the total number of eligible bridges from 54 to 238. The program pays for up to 80 percent of the construction and engineering costs for major bridge projects with a cap of $20 million. "ODOT will continue to aggressively address bridges throughout the state that are under our jurisdiction while at the same time doing everything we can to ensure our local partners have the resources they need to address their most critical issues," said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks.

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Dan Tierney: 614-644-0957