The observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month is underway, and those passing by the head of Chillicothe’s Yoctangee Park are able to see the symbol of that abuse in our region.
Pinwheels totaling 2,096 were placed this week, representing the number of child abuse reports that came in for our nine county region for the year 2020.
Of those cases reported, more than 500 proved to be actual child abuse, according to Julie Violette, the new Executive Director of the Child Protection Center, which is based in Chillicothe.
Violette says- “The most important thing is to get the word out there about all the resources that are available to go ahead and help stop child abuse, help end the cycle. The end of any cycle begins with prevention. If we just tell one friend or one neighbor about resources for the help that is out there, we can help to be the change we are all looking to be.”
Other ways the community can get involved in the fight against child abuse is through fundraising efforts to assist the Child Protection Center.
Your donation goes directly to the education to prevent children from being abused with our Body Safety class and Stewards program, medical costs associated with examining each child, counseling to help the children and their families and to help create a safe, child-friendly environment.
Their next fundraiser is the Dr. David Ater Memorial Golf Outing, which will be held August 21st. The 4-person-scramble will be held at Jaycees Golf Course with 8am registration and a 9am shotgun start. Early registration is encouraged.
(Portsmouth) — The Fluor Corporation has announced a contract extension with the U.S. Department of Energy for its current decontamination and decommissioning work at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (GDP) in Piketon.
According to a press release, the reimbursable contract is executed by Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth LLC, a Fluor-led partnership, together with BWX Technologies, Inc., and Jacobs.
The extension includes an additional 12 months with two additional 6-month options and is valued at up to $690 million including options.
The scope of the project includes the continued deactivation, demolition and disposal of selected site facilities, process equipment, related process buildings, and other ancillary facilities as well as continuing environmental remediation, uranium stewardship and community outreach programs.
“In partnership with the DOE, the Fluor team has done a tremendous job at delivering on the important decontamination and decommissioning work that is well under way at Portsmouth,” said Tom D’Agostino, president of Fluor’s Mission Solutions business. “We have been working at Portsmouth for 10 years and this extension provides a continuity of service crucial for the site and the DOE as the project moves into the next phase of demolition and waste placement. We look forward to maintaining our momentum and working collaboratively with the DOE and the community.”
The DOE Portsmouth site is a 3,700-acre federal reservation located in southern Ohio. It was built in the early 1950s by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission as part of the nation’s nuclear weapons complex producing enriched uranium from 1954 until 2001.
(UPDATED 4/6/21) April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the Chillicothe Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to keep their eyes and their focus on the roadway while driving.
Over the last five years, 212 people lost their lives as a result of distracted driving. During this same timeframe, distracted driving led to 66,181 crashes in Ohio. Statistics show that male drivers accounted for 55 percent of all distracted driving crashes and 64 percent of the related fatal crashes. Nearly one in three distracted drivers were between the ages of 16 and 24 years old. Because drivers are reluctant to admit to distracted driving, the actual number of distracted driving crashes, injuries and deaths are believed to be significantly higher.
“Distracted driving must become as culturally unacceptable as impaired driving is today. They’re equally avoidable and equally dangerous,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “Allowing something to take your focus off the roadway is irresponsible and the consequences can be troubling for Ohio families.”
“When you take your eyes off the road – even for just a few seconds – you are putting your life and the lives of others in danger,” Lt. Karwatske, Commander of the Chillicothe Post said. “There is nothing more important than the safety of yourself, your passengers and other motorists – everything else can wait.”
Distracted driving is any non-driving activity with the potential to distract a person from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing. Distractions can be visual, taking eyes off of the road; manual, taking hands off the wheel; or cognitive, taking the mind off driving. Texting while driving is an example that results in all three types of distraction. Sending or receiving a text message takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field when traveling at 55 mph.
As a reminder, Ohio law bans all electronic wireless communication device usage for drivers under 18. Texting while driving is illegal for all drivers and is a secondary offense for adults 18 and above.
(ORIGINATED 4/3/21)
(COLUMBUS) – The Ohio State Highway Patrol is teaming up with other members of the 6-State Trooper Project to focus on the enforcement of distracted driving laws. The push begins April 5th and runs through April 12th.
The high-visibility enforcement will also include state police agencies out of Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Between 2016 and 2020, distracted driving resulted in 212 deaths on Ohio’s roadways. Sending or receiving a text message takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field when traveling at 55 mph.
“By driving distracted, you are putting yourself and the lives of others at risk,” said Colonel Richard S. Fambro. “Every time someone takes their eyes off the road – even for just a split second, its consequences can be devastating.”
On October 29, 2018, Ohio passed House Bill 95, a law which broadened what is considered distracted driving and increased the fine if it was a contributing factor to the commission of the driving violation.
Distracted driving is any non-driving activity with the potential to distract a person from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing. Distractions can be visual, taking eyes off of the road; manual, taking hands off the wheel; or cognitive, taking the mind off driving. Texting while driving is an example that results in all three types of distraction.
The 6-State Trooper Project is a multi-state law enforcement partnership aimed at providing combined and coordinated law enforcement and security services in the areas of highway safety, criminal patrol and intelligence sharing.
(ATHENS) – Ohio University has been awarded a Choose Ohio First (COF) grant by the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) to support students in critical STEM fields.
The $1,068,522 grant over five years is to recruit and support each cohort during its educational journey. The grant supports students in science, including health professions, technology, engineering and mathematics. The grant was approved by the State Controlling Board today.
“We are honored to receive a Choose Ohio First grant and be a part of an initiative that exemplifies our commitment to student success, access to education and the importance of preparing students to meet the emerging workforce needs in the state of Ohio,” Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis said. “This initiative aligns with our focus on being Fearlessly First and providing support to STEM students, as well as the faculty working to address the workforce needs for their students. We are extremely grateful for Chancellor Gardner’s leadership in helping students achieve their educational goals in these areas.”
OHIO will use the funding to provide STEM scholarships, which will help improve Ohio’s workforce development capacity to innovate and grow the state economy. One hundred percent of the funding from the grant goes toward scholarships for students in the selected majors. The grant also requires a one-to-one match, meaning OHIO will match the ODHE scholarship amount with other, internal scholarships for each student.
The 10 programs that are part of OHIO’s Choose Ohio First Scholars program include the Biological Sciences Pre-professional (pre-health) program and nine engineering and technology programs in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology united in advanced manufacturing. It’s anticipated that 145 students in total will benefit from the enhanced levels of student support to reach their degrees.
In addition to the benefit to participating students, OHIO’s Choose Ohio First program will promote faculty and industry partners to collaborate to address high-demand workforce needs in advanced manufacturing and healthcare. Professional advisors, internship and career specialists, and student academic support specialists are embedded within the Russ College and the Department of Biology to ensure that each COF Scholar has a robust support network to help them succeed academically at OHIO and beyond. This advising model is especially important to first-generation and underrepresented students, who are encouraged to apply for the program.
The students selected for the Choose Ohio First Scholars program will be provided with access to curriculum, expert faculty, dedicated student support professionals, financial support and offered opportunities for internships, co-ops, and other research experiences.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to bring together students from majors across the Russ College for coordinated class and research activities,” Dale Masel, professor of industrial and systems engineering, said. “Today’s highly-automated manufacturing plants are designed and operated by many different types of engineers working collaboratively, so the Choose Ohio First program will be a great way for students to collaborate with others outside their discipline.”
Masel said the state of Ohio has the third-largest manufacturing workforce in the U.S., so when the Russ College’s COF Scholars graduate, they will have the skills needed to support Ohio’s economy. Through teaching topics related to Industry 4.0, or the methods needed to maintain competitiveness in the manufacturing industry, Choose Ohio First engineering scholars will learn interdisciplinary collaboration among the nine programs in engineering, preparing them to excel in the workforce.
Similarly, Choose Ohio First scholars in biological sciences will gain valuable laboratory experience that has applications in medicine, the environment, and other related fields. They will also have equal opportunity to seek additional internships with partners outside of the department and the University should they choose to do so.
Now that warmer weather has brought lawn mowing back into practice in Ohio, we are being reminded about the possible safety hazard of blowing grass clippings onto streets and roads.
Most motorcycle riders say that like leaves on the roads that create slick road conditions when they become wet, grass clippings can create hazardous or slick conditions on the pavement for riders as well.
While Ohio law does not specifically forbid this practice, there are laws on the books that state “injurious materials” can not be placed on the roadways. The question is, do grass clippings fall within that category?
In a 1952 Ohio Supreme Court ruling concerning “mud” left on roads, the court determined this could not be considered as “injurious material”.
Regardless of whether it does or not, if enough evidence of grass clippings can not stand the legal test for criminal charges in court, it could still leave a person open to being sued in civil court.
Some Ohio cities have passed ordinances banning grass clippings being left on city streets, including the City of Chillicothe, where this language was added to the existing Ordinance #311.01, in 2019.
The sidewalk construction project for Western Avenue in Chillicothe is now underway.
Work on the project will take a couple of weeks to complete.
Traffic in the westbound lane on Western Avenue will be restricted to one lane between NAPA Auto Parts at Central Center to Jiffy Lube at Woodbridge Avenue.
(COLUMBUS)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine provided the following updates on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CONDENSED HEALTH ORDER Governor DeWine announced today that the Ohio Department of Health will issue a simplified health order that streamlines previous orders into a single order that underscores the most important tenants of infection prevention. “Our understanding of this virus and how it spreads is much more advanced than it was when we first learned about coronavirus in early 2020,” said Governor DeWine.
“As we move to begin a new chapter in our fight against the pandemic, where more and more Ohioans are being vaccinated, this new order will focus on our best defense measures against COVID-19, such as wearing a mask, social distancing, limiting large gatherings, being outside, and practicing good hand hygiene.”
HIGH SCHOOL VACCINATIONS Governor DeWine announced that he has asked Ohio’s local health departments and vaccine providers that are offering the Pfizer vaccine to coordinate with local high schools to offer vaccinations to high school students who are 16 or older. Pfizer is the only vaccine that is currently approved for children as young as 16.
Today’s announcement follows last week’s announcement that vaccination clinics will be offered at all higher education campuses in the coming weeks. “As with our colleges, by taking vaccines to schools, we’ll increase the percentage of people in this age group who choose to get vaccinated,” said Governor DeWine.
OhioRISE As part of the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s managed care overhaul, Governor DeWine announced the “Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence (OhioRISE) program. The program will feature new, intensive, community-based services that will serve youth in their homes and communities, rather than in congregate settings that can be far away from a child’s home and support system.
Over the next ten months, Aetna Better Health of Ohio will work with the Ohio Department of Medicaid and the Family and Children First Cabinet Council to launch OhioRISE to serve all of Ohio’s eligible children.
To enroll in OhioRISE, children must be Medicaid eligible, have significant behavioral health needs, and require enhanced services.
CASE DATA/VACCINE INFORMATION In-depth COVID-19 data for Ohio: coronavirus.ohio.gov.
The Pickaway County Library has updated its hours of operation, effective immediately.
The Main Library in Circleville is open to the public seven days a week.
Monday through Thursday 10AM to 8PM
Friday and Saturday 10AM to 6PM
Sunday 1PM to 5PM
The Younkin Branch Library in Ashville is open to the public five days a week.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 10AM to 8PM
Friday and Saturday 10AM to 6PM
Patrons entering the building will have one hour of access and be required to wear a mask covering the nose and mouth. Social distance is also requested.
Window and curbside service will remain available, including for patrons who for medical reasons cannot wear a mask.
Library materials are quarantined for four days upon return before being available to check out. The library is not accepting donated items at this time.
The public meeting rooms are available at the Main Library for groups of 10 or less during regular library hours.
Library programs will be online via the website or Facebook. Online services continue to be available 24 hours a day with your library card, including OverDrive/Libby, Hoopla and Kanopy. Assistance using these services is available during typical business hours in person or via phone or email at info@pickawaylib.org.
