THE LATEST NEWS:
  • No change in Ross County. The Ross County Health District said today our four COVID-19 cases have remained steady. No deaths have been reported in our county.
  • Governor Mike DeWine today announced Battelle and JobsOhio are combining to do the sterilization of hospital masks for FREE for the next two weeks.
  • There are now 21,000 open jobs on the state's website related to jobs. If you are out of work, it's worth a look.
  • The Economic Advisory Board, which will focus on the recovery of Ohio's economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic's arrival in Ohio, has a roster. I would have liked to see a few mom and pop shop owners on the panel, but it's a good start and those chosen should represent us well.
  • IT BEARS REPEATING: You might have recognized the man singing Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A." at the end of the press conference today. That's Ross County ODOT employee Lee Baxter. Click here if you missed it.
Click on the video above for more from Mike on this topic.
A Chamber member is meeting a need, but she needs our help to get the job done
A few days ago, I gave a shout-out to Chris Powers, a Gold Member with our Chamber, for her effort to make face masks for nursing home employees, who need them urgently.

Chris started by making 30 masks for a specific nursing home, then created 75 more. Then, she received a request for 100 masks, and another for 268. That's almost 500 masks, all handmade and in a very specific fashion to allow them to be sterilized.

Now she needs our help!

You can do so in two ways: helping her create the masks, or donating material/money to help her help our nursing home employees.

What's needed? White cotton flannel (for inside the mask), regular cotton material (can be patterned or solid, for the exterior), 1/4" elastic, and white cotton thread.

This creates a mask that is CDC-compliant and the cotton will take high temperatures needed for sterlization.

How you can help? If your are handy with a needle and thread (and I am not, sadly), check out this Facebook video , which will guide you through the process to do the face mask.

If you aren't a sewer, you can still help: Review the list and see if you have material to donate to Chris and her effort. Or make a financial contribution to her. To drop off a check or material, you can stop by her house at 210 Renick Ave. in Chillicothe. There's a Scentsy box on her porch that will allow you to drop off your donation while still practicing social distancing. You can also mail her a check at Chris Powers, 210 Renick Ave., Chillicothe, OH, 45601.

As I close, I'll say this about Chris: She sells Scentsy and is amazingly good at it. She's one of the top sellers in her region and amazing supporter of the Chamber and its events and causes. Let's help her as much as humanly possible because we are all truly in this together.

One last thing: Just before I published the newsletter today, I posted the video above and promoted it across our channels. I got a message from Andy Tomlinson of Tomlinson Insurance almost immediately saying he had ordered face masks a few weeks ago with the idea that they would be needed. He wanted to donate them. Within an hour, they were on their way to National Church Residences, who needed them desperately

And ONE MORE last thing: PPG Paints donated all their face masks to Adena Medical Center, but they do offer a solution that cleans and sanitizing in one step, which may help our nursing homes, hospitals, and first responders.

Now, that's the Chillicothe I know and love! Have a great weekend everyone.

Thanks,
Mike
*NEW* Information for small business owners
For yesterday's links, click here .

CORRECTION: One of the links for the OSU SBDC was bad yesterday. Here is the correct one .

If you are looking for a list of banks who are participating in the Paycheck Protection Program, look no further than this link . Here is information from the Ohio Bankers League.

Looking for ways to generate revenue even if your doors aren't open. GoDaddy's blog has some ideas.

BWC changes impacting employer programs

Recently, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) announced that they are waiving several program requirements for employers due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
 
All safety education and training requirements for this policy year (July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020 for private employers) will be waived for those participating in the programs listed below.
The premium discounts offered will be applied automatically.
  • Drug-Free Safety Program
  • EM Cap Program
  • Grow Ohio
  • Industry Specific Safety Program
  • One Claim Program
  • Policy Activity Rebate Program
 
Calendar year 2020 public employer program requirements for participants will be reviewed in June.
 
In addition, the annual report submission deadline for employers participating in the Drug-Free Safety Program has been extended to June 1, 2020.
 
For more details on COVID-19 as it relates to BWC, see the  BWC COVID-19 FAQs . For additional information about COVID-19, visit  coronavirus.ohio.gov   or call the Ohio Department of Health at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.

FREE WEBINARS :

  • Thursday, April 9 at 10 a.m. - How to keep your company safe while working remotely (webinar link, register please)
  • Tuesday, April 14 - How to save your small business. (Cultivate Eventbrite site)
  • Each day next week - How to succeed at selling remotely (Zoom meeting (register please), courtesy of Southern Ohio Chamber Alliance)
  • Wednesday, May 6 at 9 a.m. or noon - Grow with Google session: Manage Your Business Remotely in Times of Uncertainty (webinar link)
Miss one of these updates? Click below to catch up!
April 2, 2020 - Stay-at-home order extended to May 1; OSU Small Business Development Center representatives ready to help.
April 1, 2020 - Rapid-fire updates and more resources for monies available.
March 31, 2020 - What does 'state of emergency' for Ross County mean?; Community Response team
March 30, 2020 : More information on the SBA loans, CARES Act
March 26, 2020 : What 'essential' businesses must do; SBA loans and CARES Act
March 23, 2020 : REGULAR NEWSLETTER: Even as businesses close, they're reaching out to the community; video interview with Alex Kohls from the U.S. Small Business Administration on disaster loans.
March 17, 2020 : A video message from Chamber CEO Mike Throne
Coronavirus numbers, facts and figures
Links to information:

  • The Ohio Channel YouTube page, where the Governor, Lt. Gov. and director of the Ohio Department of Health give regular updates at 2 p.m. on most days.

  • Governor's Stay at Home Order (Link)

  • The Chillicothe Ross Community Foundation's Coronavirus Fund needs donations, and can potentially help non-profits with some of the costs of helping the community cope with the impact of COVID-19 in the area.

  • The United Way of Ross County is awarding micro-grants to non-profits working to address community needs due to COVID-19's impact.
Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce | Email Mike Throne | chillicotheohio.com