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P.O. Box 520 Reno, OH 45773 � 740-374-9436 � www.buckeyehills.org 

News & Issues Update
 
January 2008
National & State Updates:
 

November Ohio Unemployment Details

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Ohio dropped from 5.9 percent in October to 5.6 percent in November. The national rate of 4.7 percent was unchanged from October. In the Buckeye Hills region, all counties but one were above the state average.

Athens: 5.4%
Hocking: 6.2%
Meigs: 8.4%
Monroe: 7.9%
Morgan: 8.4%
Noble: 6.6%
Perry: 6.4%
Washington: 4.3%
 

Governor Strickland Establishes Executive Medicaid Management Administration (EMMA)

 

The biennial budget bill, HB 119, required the formation of a new office and cabinet position to coordinate Ohio's Medicaid program, a $12 billion-a-year health care entitlement. 

 

To accomplish the requirement, Governor Ted Strickland issued an executive order in December creating the Executive Medicaid Management Administration (EMMA).

EMMA will consist of an executive director; the directors of the Ohio Departments of Jobs and Family Services, Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, Aging, Budget and Management, Health, MR/DD, and Mental Health; and the superintendent of public instruction.

 

The participants are charged with ensuring that Medicaid services are coordinated and delivered cost effectively and efficiently, although ODJFS will continue to serve as Ohio's single Medicaid agency, since federal law requires that one department assume responsibility for the plan.

 

Source: Ohio Assoc. of Area Agencies on Aging Legislative Bulletin, Dec. 12, 2007.

 

OAA FUNDING AWAITS SIGNATURE OF PRESIDENT

In the nation's capital, the House and Senate adjourned the first session of the 110th Congress Dec. 19, without funding in place to pay for many of the federal government's FY 2008 programs.  In one of its last pieces of business, the House voted 272-142 to approve a $555 billion budget package (HR 2764), combining the 11 remaining unapproved appropriations bills. The budget package, added to the previously enacted Defense spending bill, met the President's $933 billion target for overall FY 2008 discretionary spending.

The Labor-HHS-Education section of the budget package, which funds Older Americans Act (OAA) programs, totals $145.1 billion in discretionary appropriations.  This amount exceeds FY 2007 funding levels by $600 million.  The bill would provide OAA programs with $30.5 million in funding above FY 2007 levels; however, funding has decreased for OAA preventive health, family caregiver support, aging research and training, and Alzheimer's Initiative programs, and for program administration.  The President is expected to sign the bill.

 

Source: Ohio Assoc. of Area Agencies on Aging Legislative Bulletin, Dec. 26, 2007

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1968-2008: Celebrating 40 Years of Regional Service!

Bound by common problems, in the late 1960s, officials of nine mostly rural counties needed a centralized planning effort. By working together, they would orchestrate a return of state and federal resources to the area through public works projects and social services to benefit the entire region. As necessity is the mother of invention, this need yielded the creation of Buckeye Hills-Hocking Valley Regional Development District.

Since the beginning, Buckeye Hills has been a model of efficiency returning hundreds of millions of available resource dollars to the area at costs of just pennies per person annually. Serving more than 255,000 residents in Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Perry & Washington Counties, Buckeye Hills continues 40 years later with its strength of commitment, dedication and optimism for the region. Visit the Buckeye Hills web site for more details.

From The Story, Buckeye Hills newsletter - Aug. 1969 (the initial District newsletter) -- Gerald G. McComb, Exec. Director and District President, Forest J. Smith, Jr.

"All your strength is in union. All your danger is in discord."  Longfellow
 
The key to understanding our socioeconomic situation today lies in our being able to see the Big Picture. The staff of BH-HVRDD understands its task as that of becoming a link between the powers-that-be and the local communities with the purpose of motivating people to action in economic development. This is "people in action," and the people and their needs is the Big Picture that we must focus upon.
 
What Gets Priority? - Dan Lloyd, Deputy Dir. of the ARC in Columbus has given to us the number one priority in the State of Ohio insofar as the Commission is concerned -  the construction of a Vocational and Technical School in Washington County.
 
The Washington County Vocational Education School project was funded at the following levels:
ARC -  $1,168,557
Other - $2,666,963
Total -  $3,835,520
 
careerToday, the facility is The Washington Career Center in Marietta and offers a wide variety of high school and adult career and technical training programs. The Career Center  helps students find their place in the ever-changing workforce. Practical application and hands-on learning in programs from auto mechanics and cosmetology to welding, forestry or computer-related fields provide students with the training to seek a career or additional education following graduation. www.thecareercenter.net
 
Regional Strategic Planning Session Held in Marietta
 
Governor StricklandIt was standing room only for participation in the regional strategic planning session hosted by Governor Ted Strickland, Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher and the Ohio Dept. of Development Dec. 10. 

The involvement and input of local stakeholders is crucial in creating sustainable initiatives that foster economic and community development at the forefront of the 21st Century. 

News from Around the Disrict...
 
Washington:
Historic Harmar Bridge Project Receives Grant 

harmar bridge

The Governor's Office of Appalachia (GOA) presented The Historic Harmar Bridge Company a $10,000 grant for its bridge stabilization project. Present at the Dec. 20 event were from left: Marietta Mayor Michael Mullen; Brooks Harper, President of The Harmar Bridge Company; GOA Director Fred Deel; Buckeye Hills Development Director Melissa Zoller and State Representative Jennifer Garrison.

The Governor's Office of Appalachia presented The Historic Harmar Bridge Company $10,000 for its bridge stabilization project at a Dec. event in Marietta with state, regional and local leaders present.

The Historic Harmar Bridge Company (HHBC) is a non-profit organization working to complete a structural engineering analysis of the historic Harmar Pedestrian Bridge in Marietta. The 1914 turn span bridge formerly accommodated railroad traffic.

The bridge was closed due to structural concerns and has impacted small business owners in both the Historic Harmar and Downtown Historic business districts.

The funds will provide the analysis to reopen the bridge and the base line engineering data to facilitate the restoration of the bridge into an American Association of State Highway and Transportation approved shared-use pedestrian and bicycle path. The City of Marietta and the Harmar Bridge Company have each contributed $5,000 to the analysis project bringing the total to $20,000

ARC Updates County Designations for 2008

The Development Department works with the Appalachian Regional Commission on behalf of the counties across our region. The 2008 County designations were updated. 

 

The Appalachian Regional Commission uses an index-based county economic classification system to identify and monitor the economic status of Appalachian counties. The system involves the creation of a national index of county economic status through a comparison of each county's averages for three economic indicators-three-year average unemployment rate, per capita market income, and poverty rate-with national averages.

Each Appalachian county is classified into an economic status designations, based on its position in the national ranking. The following three rankings cover the counties in our district. These help determine a county's local share match for ARC grant monies among other things.

Distressed counties are the most economically depressed counties. They rank in the worst 10 percent of the nation's counties.

At-Risk counties are those at risk of becoming economically distressed. They rank between the worst 10 percent and 25 percent of the nation's counties.

Transitional counties are those transitioning between strong and weak economies. They make up the largest economic status designation. Transitional counties rank between the worst 25 percent and the best 25 percent of the nation's counties.

Buckeye Hills Region Rankings
 
Distressed
Meigs
Morgan

At-Risk
Athens
Monroe
Noble
Perry

Transitional
Hocking
Washington
AAA8 Caregiver Luncheon Recognizes Regional Partners

Many Caregivers and AAA8 Partners attended the Caregiver Appreciation Luncheon on Dec. 7 at the Lafayette Hotel. Each county sheriff's office was invited and recognized with a certificate of appreciation for their partnership and promotion of Project Lifesaver. The Certificate reads, "In appreciation of your dedication to Project Lifesaver Ohio, your diligence and caring for your community enables us to further our goal of "Bringing Loved Ones Home."

 
caregiver lunch

Pictured from left to right are: Lt. Matt Large, Ross County Sheriff's Office; Lt. Dave Weber, Ross County Sheriff's Office; Sheriff Vern Castle, Athens County Sheriff; Cathy Ash, AAA8 Trainer; Sheriff Tom Jenkins, Sr., Morgan County Sheriff; Deputy Doug McGrath, Morgan County Sheriff's Office; and Lt. Jon Coppernoll, Washington County Sheriff's Office.

 

Also honored were the AAA8 region's recipients of the following awards:

  • Joined Hearts in Giving: Robert and Betty Morris
  • Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame: Norma Torres
  • 2007 Elder Caregiver of the Year: Crissina Gibson
 Senate Passes 2007 Farm Bill

In December, The Senate passed the 2007 farm bill, The Food and Energy Security Act, by a vote of 79-14. Differences between this bill and the House-passed farm bill will now be worked out in Conference. Highlights of the bill include: 

  • The rural development title provides $400 million in budget authority for a variety of initiatives that will promote economic growth and create jobs in rural communities.  This title will help agriculture producers and small businesses to create and capitalize on new opportunities.  It will bring quality, affordable day care as well as improved access to broadband to rural America.  It will provide loans to rural hospitals so that they can acquire the best equipment possible.
  • The energy title provides investments in farm-based energy by creating initiatives with financial incentives to help farmers transition into biomass crops, and supports the construction of biorefineries from cellulose ethanol with a loan guarantee program that will provide up to 80 percent of total project cost with a loan cap of $250 million.  The bill expands markets for biobased products, and invests in farm-based energy R&D, and in helping farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses move to renewable energy and energy efficiency.
  • The nutrition title strengthens our commitment to fighting hunger and promoting sound health and nutrition.  It updates archaic nutrition program rules, increases Food Stamp benefit levels, and stops the erosion of benefits that has gone unchecked since 1996.  It expands the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program created by Harkin to reach nearly 4.5 million children in elementary schools nationwide.

Source: NARC Washington Update Dec. 17, 2007

Contact Us
Buckeye Hills is organized as a voluntary organization of local government political subdivisions to foster cooperative efforts in regional planning, and implementing of regional plans and programs. Share your success stories and let us assist with your development needs - 740-374-9436.

Buckeye Hills Executive Director: Misty Casto
Buckeye Hills Assistant Executive Director & Area Agency on Aging Director: Rick Hindman
Development Director: Melissa Zoller
Communications Director: Gwynn Clifford