(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced Friday afternoon the appointment of Anthony Moraleja to the Pike County Court.
Moraleja, of Waverly, will assume office on March 22, 2021, and will be replacing Judge Paul Price, who has been elected to a different bench. Moraleja will need to run for election in November 2022 in order to complete the unexpired term ending December 31, 2024.
Moraleja served as Pike County Assistant Prosecutor since 2007. Previously, Moraleja served as Magistrate at the Waverly Mayor’s Court for seven years. Moraleja’s experience includes additional legal work at the Ohio Public Defender’s Office in Pike County, as well as 27 years of legal work in the private sector. Moraleja also served in the United State Marine Corps and Corps Reserve.
Moraleja holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from The Ohio State University.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — This Sunday, Ohioans shouldn’t just move their clocks forward one hour, they should also check to see if potentially life-saving devices in their home have expired – their smoke alarms.
Along with making sure all smoke alarms have a fresh set of batteries, checking the expiration date is crucial to practicing sound fire safety.
“One person lost in a house fire is one too many, but we’re continuing to see more than 100 Ohioans die every year,” said State Fire Marshal Kevin S. Reardon. “In so many of these tragic cases, there are no working smoke alarms present. These life-saving devices can be the first warning sign of a fire, so it’s incredibly important to have an adequate number of smoke alarms in your home.”
For the greatest protection, install a smoke alarm on every level of the home and inside and outside of each sleeping area. Ohioans are also encouraged to develop an escape plan with two ways out and make sure every family member knows what to do and where to meet outside if the smoke alarm sounds.
Even “smart home” alarms, and other alarms that are hardwired and interconnected throughout the home, have batteries as a fail-safe backup system and should be checked this weekend.
To find a smoke alarm’s age and expiration date, look on the back of the alarm where the date of manufacture is marked. Smoke alarms should be replaced 10 years from that date (not from the date of purchase). Alarms with a manufacture date of March 12, 2011 or earlier should be replaced.
Ohioans should change the batteries in their smoke alarms at least twice a year – at the beginning and end of daylight saving time. Marshal Reardon offers these additional tips:
Test smoke alarms at least once each month to ensure they are working properly.
Vacuum the dust from inside the alarm at least once every year.
Never “borrow” a smoke alarm’s battery for another use.
If a smoke alarm does not have a date of manufacture, consider it older than 10 years.
More information about smoke alarms and fire safety may be found here.
(ATHENS, Ohio) – “What is, Ohio University?” That may be the winning response on the Monday, March 15, airing of Jeopardy! when OHIO will be featured as a clue.
Bobcat and trivia fans alike are welcomed to “Stand up and Cheer” for the classic quiz show at 7:30 p.m. ET to watch for the clue and play along.
OHIO will appear in the category, “A College Conference Call.”
Before the episode airs, Bobcats and the OHIO community can also refresh their Ohio University knowledge by visiting www.ohio.edu/ohio-facts.
For more Jeopardy! fun and information, be sure to follow the game show on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The following construction projects are anticipated to affect highways in Ross County next week. All outlined work is weather permitting.
NEW* Scioto Trails State Park Culvert Replacement – Scioto Trails Forest Road 5 will be closed for 60 days near the intersection with Stony Creek Road starting March 22. Estimated completion: Spring 2021
NEW* Tar Hollow State Park Slide Repair – Park Road 10 will be closed for 30 days in Tar Hollow State Park for a slide repair project starting March 15 at 7 AM. Estimated completion: May 14.
Ross County Guardrail Replacement – Various county roads will be reduced to one lane daily from 7 AM to 5 PM starting March 1. Traffic will be maintained using flaggers. Estimated completion: Summer 2021
U.S. 23 Slide Repair – U.S. 23 northbound will be reduced to one lane immediately south of S.R. 372 beginning at 7 AM on March 15. Estimated completion: Spring 2021
The following construction projects are anticipated to affect highways in Pickaway County next week. All outlined work is weather permitting.
U.S. Route 62 Bridge Replacement – The U.S. 62 bridge over Deer Creek will close starting Monday, March 15 through September 2021 for bridge replacement. Detour: U.S. 62 to I-71 to SR 56 to U.S. 62 or reverse.
The following construction projects are anticipated to affect highways in Pike County next week. All outlined work is weather permitting.
NEW* S.R. 772 Slide Repair – S.R. 772 will be reduced to one, 13-foot lane between S.R. 124 and McKinney Road starting March 15 at 7 AM. Traffic will be maintained using temporary signals. Estimated completion: Summer 2021
NEW* Pike Lake State Park Resurfacing – Various park roads in Pike Lake State Park will be reduced to one lane daily from 7 AM – 5 PM starting March 15. Traffic will be maintained using flaggers. Estimated completion: Spring 2021
NEW* S.R. 32/Shyville Road Intersection Improvement – Beginning March 15, traffic lanes on S.R. 32 will be shifted in advance of construction of a new RCUT intersection design. Additional traffic impacts will be communicated as the project progresses. Estimated completion: Spring 2021
The following construction projects are anticipated to affect highways in Scioto County next week. All outlined work is weather permitting.
U.S. 23/Feurt Hill Road Intersection Improvement – Feurt Hill Road will be reduced to one lane starting March 8 at 7 AM. Two lanes in each direction will be maintained on U.S. 23 throughout construction. Estimated completion: Fall 2021
State Route 823 routine maintenance – state Route 823 will be reduced to one, 14-foot lane in each direction daily from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for routine maintenance, pavement grinding, and other work as needed from March 8 to March 27. Estimated completion: March 27, by 6:30 p.m.
The following construction and maintenance projects are anticipated to affect highways in Lawrence County next week. All outlined work is weather permitting.
State Route 7 Rockslide Remediation – S.R. 7 southbound between Buffalo Creek Road and Tallow Ridge Road is reduced to one, 12-foot lane. Additional traffic control measures may be necessary as construction progresses. Estimated completion: 2021
Lawrence County Debris Cleanup – Multiple routes in Lawrence County will be reduced to one lane daily from 7:30 AM to 5 PM for continued work to clear debris following an ice storm that hit Lawrence County in mid-February. Traffic will be maintained using flaggers, barrels, cones, and other traffic control devices as needed. Estimated completion: March 12, 2021
The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office is investigating numerous thefts that occurred recently at the Fayette County Fairgrounds.
In a press release from the sheriff’s office, it states that members of the Fayette County Agricultural Society reported that multiple camping trailers and motor homes that were stored onsite at the Fayette County Fairgrounds were discovered having been entered and several items reported missing.
Sheriff’s detectives are continuing their investigation and following leads as to the disposition of the stolen property.
The Fayette County Agricultural Society is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the ARREST & CONVICTION of the person or person(s) involved in said crimes.
Anyone with information related to these crimes are encouraged to contact the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office at (740) 335-6170 or by visiting the Fayette County Sheriff OH mobile app and clicking on “Submit a Tip”.
For those submitting a tip, you must identify yourself to be eligible for any reward.
The 4th annual Play For 21 Golf Tournament this year on May 15th at Jaycee Golf Course.
“We are so grateful for all the support from previous events and hope you will consider supporting by being an event sponsor this year”, according to sponsors Jen and Jeff Miller.
Hole sponsorships are $100 per hole and all proceeds benefit the Tristan Miller Foundation. Sponsorship will provide you with a hole sponsorship 18 X 24 sign on the day of the golf scramble as well as mentions on Facebook.
They are also accepting gift cards and silent auction items for the event if anyone wants to donate.
Golfers wanting to put a team together should call (740) 703-4285.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted today provided the following updates on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CLEVELAND MASS VACCINATION SITE
The Cleveland mass vaccination site, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will launch on Wednesday, March 17, at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center in downtown Cleveland. As of today, more than 17,000 Ohioans have registered to receive their vaccine at the site.
Additional appointments will become available throughout the coming days. To schedule an appointment at the Cleveland mass vaccination site, or with a vaccination provider, visit gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov.
NURSING HOME VISITATION
Governor DeWine today discussed the new federal regulations for nursing home visitation, as well as Ohio’s Vaccine Maintenance Program. The visitation guidelines, issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) indicate visitation should be happening in nursing homes. There are a few specific exceptions that would limit visitation, such as outbreaks in the facility or an extreme number of cases in the community. Full information on the federal nursing home visitation guidance is available at cms.gov.
Additionally, Governor DeWine highlighted the progress being made by Ohio’s Vaccine Maintenance Program for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Ohio’s Vaccine Maintenance Program ensures new nursing home residents and employees, and established residents and employees who previously decided not to receive a vaccine, can still choose to receive one. Governor DeWine emphasized the importance of every nursing home resident receiving a vaccine.
Long-term care facility visitation status is available on the dashboard at coronavirus.ohio.gov.
STATEWIDE CASE RATE
Governor DeWine announced that, statewide, Ohio is currently at a rate of 155 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people during the past two weeks. Last week, statewide data put Ohio at 180 cases per 100,000 people.
“In Ohio, we are still at a very elevated level of cases, but today’s health data is certainly trending in the right direction,” said Governor DeWine.
In an evening address last week, Governor DeWine announced that when Ohio reached 50 cases per 100,000 people for two weeks, all health orders will be lifted.
The Ohio Department of Health will update this data each Thursday.
RAPID TESTING
Governor DeWine today detailed four initiatives that are making rapid COVID-19 tests more accessible to Ohioans:
Federal Qualified Health Centers
The state’s ongoing partnership with federally qualified health centers has led to the availability of over 150,000 rapid tests at community health centers. These centers have professionals on-hand to administer the tests free of charge.
Local Health Departments
Local health departments have partnered with their communities to make at-home testing available to schools, nonprofit organizations, and first responders.
Public Libraries
The state has recently partnered with public libraries to make at-home tests available to more Ohio communities. During the first two weeks, Ohio has partnering with 120 libraries.
K-12 Schools
A new partnership launched today will bring 200,000 at-home tests to Educational Service Centers. To increase confidence and safety in schools, Governor DeWine encourages school districts to take advantage of this resource and develop aggressive testing plans.
Between libraries and local health departments, at-home testing is accessible in 76 of Ohio’s 88 counties. Some of these areas had disproportionate access to testing earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic.
GUIDANCE ON FAIRS
Governor DeWine announced that the Ohio Department of Health issued a revised order that allows for the reopening of all fair activities if certain health conditions are met. The updated order includes compliance with the statewide mask order and social distancing. Additionally, there will be a 25 percent maximum for indoor grandstand capacity and a 30 percent maximum for outdoor grandstand capacity.
Additionally, the Ohio Department of Health will issue updated order and guidance regarding festivals, parades, proms, and spring sports. For spring sports, students will not be required to quarantine because they have an incidental exposure to COVID-19 in a classroom unless symptoms develop.
These orders and guidance will be forthcoming from the Ohio Department of Health.
HUSTED RECEIVES COVID-19 VACCINE
Lt. Governor Husted today traveled to his hometown of Montpelier, Ohio to visit a vaccination site at the Montpelier Superior School, where 840 people were scheduled to receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
During the press conference, Lt. Governor Husted joined Montpelier Mayor Steve Yagelski and local resident Shirley Fry in receiving the vaccine, which was administered by Public Health Nurse Tammy Riegsecker. The Lt. Governor became eligible for the vaccine today, as part of Phase 2B in the state’s vaccination plan in which Ohioans age 50 and above are eligible for vaccination.
LETTER ADDRESSING PUA FRAUD
Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor today sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging the development of a national, coordinated response to ongoing, widespread fraud attempts being committed through the unemployment system, specifically the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program.
See below for an excerpt from the letter:
“We urge you to immediately develop a national, coordinated response to this ongoing attempt to defraud the American people and our national and state governments. While states are doing everything they can to administer the federal programs while maintaining system integrity, a state-by-stare response is proving inadequate. This is not an Ohio problem — it’s a national problem that requires a national solution.”
CURRENT CASE DATA
In total, there are 984,934 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 reported in Ohio and 17,825 COVID-19 deaths. A total of 51,323 people have been hospitalized throughout the pandemic, including 7,255 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov.
