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Shine light on JobsOhio

King Bureaucracy and its robe of red tape aren’t exactly the model for how to get things done effectively and efficiently. But state government agencies are bound to operate transparently enough that Ohioans can SEE what they would like to improve. JobsOhio brags on its own website that it operates in the shadows, using public money. “We’re private, which means less red tape,” the agency tells prospective development partners. “We ensure your confidentiality and safeguard you from unexpected setbacks.” Given such a message, combined with JobsOhio’s mixed-at-best success ...

Community, company support student success

It’s easy to ignore those requests to round up your purchases for donations at big national chains. After all, we don’t see the results of all that accumulated small change. But here in Washington County, one establishment is a little different, as those who round up their purchases at Par Mar Stores are primarily responsible for the nearly $300,000 that was awarded to 167 local students this year. During an event honoring the top eight Par Mar Scholarship winners, recipient Austin Williams found out his entire college career will be covered. “I didn’t think I’d be able to go ...

Summer fire safety still essential

Late spring into summer is the perfect time for sitting around the fire pit in the evening, or burning off the last of the debris from cleaning up your property for the year. And burn laws do change at the beginning of June. “Starting on June 1st you can burn any time of the day. You are still required to stay with it the entire time. You’re required to have the minimum 10-foot safety strip around it. That’s what I would encourage the public is that if they do decide to burn during the summer months, especially July and August it gets very dry and we can have summer fires,” ...

Encouraging vaccine hesitancy has proved deadly

Politicizing healthcare — from vaccines to research and safety net funding — has led to some dangerous changes in public health in this country. Among them is the surge in measles and whooping cough cases. Vaccine hesitancy fueled by intentional misinformation and disingenuous religious freedoms outrage has resulted in significant increases in the two potentially deadly illnesses. Across the country, there have been 1,983 measles cases in the first half of this year, according to an Ohio Capital Journal report that used U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The total ...

Stay focused on OhioSEE funding

At the end of the school year, Gov. Mike DeWine attended an event at a Dublin City Schools elementary school, during which he did a countdown that ended with several young students putting on their prescription glasses for the first time. It was the lead-in for DeWine to talk about the expansion of the OhioSEE program. And, for those of you who remember what it was like to put on glasses and see clearly for the first time, likely quite an effective one. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, OhioSEE has so far administered approximately 1,900 eye exams, with nearly 1,200 ...

Family caregivers important part of healthcare system

Millions of Ohioans are caregivers for family members or neighbors in Ohio. As Ohio AARP Executive Director Jenny Carlson put it, “That’s one in four adults … holding up our healthcare system.” As public officials demand greater scrutiny over how Medicaid funds are used for at-home caregiving, AARP has conducted a study that shows many of the adults who are caring for aging parents and other family members are struggling financially, and nearing burnout. “Right now, it’s reaching a breaking point,” Carlson said in an interview with Statehouse News Bureau. “We have an ...