Ohio's May Unemployment Rates
Ohio's unemployment rate was 8.6 percent in May, unchanged from April. The U.S. unemployment rate for May was 9.1 percent.
In the Region:
Athens: 8.6
Hocking: 9.1
Meigs: 12.7
Monroe: 10.6
Morgan: 11.8
Noble: 12
Perry: 10.7
Washington: 8.0
Growing a stronger region means asking the right questions and finding the best answers for business.
BizNet helps do both.
Biznet is a business resource network created to help the region succeed.
To date, Biznet partners have met with 114 businesses to assess their needs and concerns as well as provide resources.
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Buckeye Hills Executive Committee:
Meet the Members
Beginning this month, in each issue we will feature a few Executive Committee members so you can get to know them more.
ATHENS COUNTY:
Athens County Commissioner
Lenny Eliason
Lenny has been an Athens County Commissioner since 1998. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Commissioners Assoc. of Ohio and as a Past President.
He is also currently President of the Board of CEBCO (County Employee Benefits Consortium of Ohio). Currently, he is serving as the 1st Vice President for NACo National Association of Counties). He serves as Chair of the NACo Finance Committee and as the executive committee liaison to the Rural Action Caucus, The Affiliates Council, and the Information Technology Committee.
Lenny also serves on the Tri-County Community Action Board.
He says that County Commissioners are key players in bringing new businesses and industries to their communities, and keeping established employers from moving away. This means creating environments favorable for business growth and development using tax incentives and infrastructure planning tools more aggressively than ever.
Lenny adds that Athens County is the gateway to Appalachia as folks travel South. He notes the people are the region's biggest asset - resilient, proud and hard working.
In his limited free time, Lenny enjoys genealogy, golf, travel and time with family and friends.
Athens Mayor
Paul Wiehl
Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl says the city is a unique, vibrant place primarily because Ohio University's main campus is within the city.
He works with Athens City Council to bring new laws into effect, helping the local businesses and citizens to live and work better.
Mayor Wiehl's daily life involves meeting with city department heads, making public appearances and working with the local media and businesses. Also, he also noted that he has the task to conduct marriages - he works to make each ceremony special for the couple with the right tone for their day.
Everything he does as Mayor, works towards a better life for all of Athens' citizens. He said that he inherited a pin from the previous Mayor that says "Athens Absolutely" to remind him that he is to be a selfless promoter of the city.
He has served on the Buckeye Hills Executive Committee for four years. He said that he's gained a larger perspective of the needs of the area in terms of infrastructure and economic development. He has also learned about state and federal funding agencies that serve SE Ohio.
In his free time, Paul enjoys hiking, beekeeping and a good book. |
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Buckeye Hills Updates Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) with EDA
The 2011 CEDS Update is now available on the Buckeye Hills web site. This is an annual report which includes local input on major issues impacting communities in the region. The intent is to evaluate and describe changes in the area's economy, update development goals, strategies, and strategy implementation, as required by EDA. View CEDS
The CEDS Advisory Committee, which included professionals from a wide and varied field, performed a key role in the identification of program strategies for the region. Any questions may be forwarded to Bret Allphin, GIS Manager. |
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 Sam Cook, Former Buckeye Hills Treasurer and Executive Committee Member Remembered
Sam Cook, a long-time Buckeye Hills Treasurer, Executive Committee member and supporter, passed away June 5, 2011. His loss will be felt within our organization for many years.
As a former Washington County Commissioner and community advocate, his legacy as a business leader, public official and charity ambassador will be long remembered. Cook, 86, retired in December 2010.
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 Enterprise Appalachia Tax Brief
Enterprise Appalachia and Inc. magazine explore the ideal location selection model for entrepreneurial start-ups highlighting four key criteria: capital, knowledge and labor, supply chain, and market growth resources. The Enterprise Appalachia Tax Brief discusses how Ohio's tax system encourages wealth and prosperity.
Download the Brief |
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Around the District:
Athens County: Go Bus Participation Picks Up
 The GoBus Intercity Bus Service is a collaborated effort between Ohio Department of Transportation, The City of Athens, and Hocking Athens Perry Community Action. The project is part of a nationwide effort to connect rural areas and urban centers that result in connections of greater regional, statewide, and national significance.
The service was initiated by the Federal Transit Administration and the Ohio Department of Transportation. The City of Athens received funding from these organizations to manage and promote this service to help link Athens, Ohio and neighboring rural communities to the cities of Columbus, Ohio and Cincinnati, Ohio. They also received federal stimulus money to purchase three new deluxe motor coaches to operate along these routes. The City of Athens appointed Hocking Athens Perry Community Action, a non-profit corporation dedicated to the needs of the region, as the project administrator.
The buses run each route twice daily with connections to Greyhound's nationwide system and the Port Columbus International Airport providing Southeast Ohio residents with greater access and mobility. Source: http://www.ridegobus.com
 Foundation for Appalachian Ohio to Move to New Home
The former Peoples Bank building on Nelsonville's Public Square will become home to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio early next year.
The organization will use the facility for office space and to provide meeting space for the foundation and the region. With grants from the Governor's Office of Appalachia and the Rocky Community Improvement Fund, the roof on the former bank building will be replaced, asbestos remediation and some limited remodeling will be done. Besides providing additional office and meeting space, having the building in use will help preserve a prominent part of the Nelsonville Public Square.
Photo from Athens Messenger
Morgan & Perry County: United Way Donates to Community Groups
The United Way of Muskingum, Perry, and Morgan (MPM) Counties is advancing the common good by focusing on income, education, and health and investing in community programs that provide measurable results. United Way has partnered with individuals, businesses, and government entities to invest $880,496 in the tri-county area this year.
In Morgan & Perry Counties:
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Licking and Perry Counties: $3,823 for Youth Mentoring
- Big Brothers Big Sisters (serving Muskingum, Guernsey, and Morgan Counties): $50,322 for Youth Mentoring
- Morgan Behavioral Health Choices: $9,842 for Student Assistance Services
- Morgan County Senior Center: $8,672 for Homemaker Assistance
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Aging & Disability Resource Network (ADRN) Hosts Webinars for Veterans and County Boards of Developmental Disabilities
Collaborating to Better Serve Communities
The Buckeye Hills and its Area Agency on Aging 8 (AAA8) introduced a breakthrough solution - The Network of Care website (www.networkofcare.org) that empowers seniors and people with disabilities, caregivers and service providers with comprehensive long-term care services, information and education available in the eight-county region. Click here for The Southeast Ohio version.
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Shown from left (seated): Helen Ring, Monroe County Board of Developmental Disabilities; Vicki Rafferty Hocking County Veterans; Cindy Aiello, Perry County Board of Developmental Disabilities; Standing: Roy Ash, Washington County Veterans; Dennis Lehman, Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities; Karon Fisher, Hocking County Board of Developmental Disabilities; Dolly Brumage, Morgan County Board of Developmental Disabilities; Jan Powell, Washington County Board of Developmental Disabilities; Judy Mears, Perry County Veterans; Charles McAuley, Noble County Veterans and Mindy Cayton, Area Agency on Aging 8. |
At a training hosted in Marietta in June, representatives from the 8-county region's Veterans Service Commission offices and Developmental Disabilities Boards learned more about the web resource and how its use could assist their consumers. As part of the training, each group received a repurposed laptop from Buckeye Hills to help spread the word about the new web resource.
"Our goal is to give individuals the tools they need to age with dignity and independence and to assist their caregivers in the process, said Rick Hindman, AAA8 Director. "The Network of Care site helps people find the right services at the right time. It is a great resource for folks to find information, resources, and even confidentially manage their personal medical information on the free personal health record."
The Network of Care will help people find resources without having to waste a lot of time searching. As a resource of The Southeastern Ohio Aging and Disability Resource Network (ADRN), the site will also enable service providers to help clients connect to the resources they need through better inter-agency communications.
To learn more about the SE Ohio ADRN, visit the web site at http://www.areaagency8.org/services/ADRN.
Scenes from Elder Abuse Awareness Day - June 15
Why heighten awareness? Because every five seconds an elderly person is abused.
In 2010, Ohio had an estimated 2,158,611 individuals over 60 with 238,431 reported cases of elder abuse - who knows how many went unreported?
AAA8 Staff helped draw attention to the issue of Elder Abuse by participating in Elder Abuse Awareness Day June 15. Staff person Gerri VanNoy handcrafted purple bracelets for staff to wear and many also wore purple attire.
Many gathered at the Monroe County Senior Center wore purple and participated in a balloon launch to raise awareness of elder abuse.
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