The Board of County Commissioners have awarded the bid for a 29,000-square-foot expansion and renovation of Juvenile Court to Mark Spaulding Construction Company of Florence, Ky. The bid was for $7.5 million for the base project, with a grand total of $8 million that includes proposed alternates.

The project will consist of five courtrooms, administrative offices, holding cells and high density filing rooms for the Courts as well as individual offices for Juvenile Probation along with conference rooms and group activity rooms.

“The expansion of the Juvenile Court facility allows the Court to combine staff and services from five buildings into one location,” Judge James Shriver said.

Chief Dog Warden Teresa Fox (third from left) reported to the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 26 that the Clermont County Animal Shelter recorded a 98.48 percent live release rate in 2021.

"We are committed to making sure the county shelter remains no kill," Fox said.

In 2021, the shelter's nine-person team adopted out 204 dogs and reunited 209 with owners. The shelter took in 258 dogs, 455 strays, 82 owner surrenders and seven seized.

Partnerships were started with Vantage Aging and the Grant Vocational School Animal Science Program.

In 2022, the shelter plans to explore grants and partnerships to provide services to cats in need, work with a behaviorist with hard-to-place dogs, offer additional evening hours, and expand the volunteer program.

Clermont County Animal Shelter on Feb. 7 received a $20,000 donation from Nestlé Purina to support a new area at the shelter that will create socialization benefits for dogs in their care.

The shelter recently completed major upgrades to enhance infrastructure and maintenance at the facility, and additional funds from Purina will be used to add shade and a fence for an outdoor play area so dogs can enjoy enrichment and exercise.

Judge Mary Lynne Birck became aware early on in her term that litigants were struggling to secure much-needed social services for their children, their families, and themselves. How does the Domestic Relations Court issue realistic orders when on a daily basis litigants are facing drug abuse, domestic violence, mental illness, homelessness, and loss of employment? Judge Birck knew that social services are available in Clermont County to address these issues, but was there a way for the Court to connect litigants to these services before they left the building and ultimately fell through the cracks once again? Enter - Susan Grabowski.

Earlier this year, Grabowski retired from a 36-year career at Clermont County Job and Family Services, specializing in children’s services. She rose through the ranks of the agency where she started as an investigator and retired as a supervisor. The burnout rate in this profession is high but she navigated this stressful environment knowing she was making a difference one family at a time.

“I am a laid-back person, pretty calm, and I learned early on in my career not to take my work home with me,” Grabowski said. She may have been ready to retire from JFS but she wasn’t so sure she was ready to retire from helping Clermont County families. Enter - Child Focus.

Judge Birck and Child Focus had been brainstorming when the idea of a liaison between Domestic Court and Child Focus presented itself. Judge Birck agreed to contact Grabowski and this “match made in heaven,” as Judge Birck termed it, was too wonderful an opportunity for Grabowski to say no to. Her two weeks of retirement came to a screeching halt. She is now employed by Child Focus through a grant that was obtained through SAMHSA. This grant is only in place for two years but that may change as this program progresses and is evaluated.

Grabowski has an office off the Court’s lobby that allows her to meet with litigants who are referred to her by Judge Birck, the magistrates, the House of Peace volunteers, the Court’s Mediator and Parenting Investigator and attorneys. She will be sitting in on court hearings to get a better idea of the population that this Court serves.The goal of this program is for her to meet with litigants before or after a hearing to start the intake process that will ease the way for them to enter the many programs that Child Focus offers.

“Susan is a great addition to my already wonderful, caring staff,” Judge Birck said. “Her position will evolve as the needs of the litigants we serve evolves. I encourage people to stop in and meet Susan and learn of the many opportunities that are available to children, families, and adults through Child Focus."

New Richmond on Jan. 27 received a $20,000 donation from Nestlé Purina to support the development of a 2-acre dog park.

The park, which honors Elko, New Richmond’s former K-9 officer who passed away in 2021, is a space dedicated to enhancing dogs’ lives and will continue to augment New Richmond’s historic downtown.

The park will feature two off-leash areas – one for larger dogs and one for smaller dogs – trees with shaded areas, park benches, agility equipment and potable water to keep dogs hydrated.

Have you checked out the new Purina factory in Williamsburg Township lately?

Most site work is complete – and building erection is taking place! It’s anticipated that the factory will produce pet food in 2024.

Visit purinajobs.com/WT to learn about current and future job openings.

Disposable paper cups, most plastic cups, and aluminum cups are now accepted in all curbside recycling bins and public recycling drop-off dumpsters in Clermont County, regardless of the hauler.

Examples of the newly accepted material include paper and plastic beverage cups from fast-food restaurants (Starbucks, McDonalds, etc.), plastic souvenir cups, and aluminum cups such as those used at many stadiums and some dedicated outdoor refreshment areas (DORAS).

Whether your recycling hauler is Rumpke or Republic, all mixed recycling collected in Clermont County is transported to Rumpke’s recycling processing plant in St. Bernard for sorting and recovery.

Rumpke is constantly working with manufacturers and other partners to develop solutions for expanded recycling opportunities. The paper mills that receive Rumpke’s recovered cardboard and paper have now agreed to accept paper cups in their material stream, mainly due to the high demand for cardboard. Innovations in plastic recycling have opened up manufacturers and other partners to accept additional types of plastic, while advancements in robotics and new technology has significantly helped to sort plastic cups from the recycling stream.

What is not accepted: Styrofoam or polystyrene (foam) cups are still not accepted at Rumpke’s recycling facility. Most colored party cups (i.e., Solo brand cups) are made of polystyrene (#6) and should not be placed in recycling containers. Straws, ceramic and glass cups, and K-cups/coffee pods are also still not accepted.

Plastic lids on plastic cups are now accepted and should be reattached prior to placing in the recycling container. However, plastic lids on paper cups are not accepted and should be removed.

To see a complete list of the public recycling drop-off locations in Clermont County, as well as a complete list of acceptable recyclables, please visit the Adams-Clermont Solid Waste District’s website at www.OEQ.net

Storm spotters play an important role in identifying and relaying storm-related information to the County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), local public safety officials, and the National Weather Service.

Attend one of the two-hour, evening webinars on March 24 or April 18. Meteorologists from the National Weather Service will provide severe weather awareness training.

The Clermont County Municipal OVI Court Specialized Docket held its 36th graduation ceremony on Feb. 18. The event, presided over by OVI Court Judge Jesse B. Kramig, featured seven participants who successfully completed the program. These seven graduates entered with a combined total of 24 OVI convictions. Utilizing the OVI Court Specialized Docket as an alternative to incarceration saved the county $57,456 and 798 jail bed days.

The OVI Court Specialized Docket is dedicated to rehabilitating high-risk multiple OVI offenders through a combination of intensive community control supervision, frequent judicial monitoring, cognitive-behavioral interventions, and specialized substance use treatment at the Clermont Recovery Center, a division of Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services.

The OVI Court Specialized Docket began in 2005. The Clermont County OVI Court is certified by the Specialized Docket section of the Supreme Court of Ohio. Anyone interested in learning more about the Clermont County OVI Court, please contact Probation Officer Brian Dixon at (513) 732-8142.

Clermont County is hiring for a variety of positions in areas such as Water Resources, the Animal Shelter, Job and Family Services and more.

These are great jobs in the public retirement systems with good benefits and the opportunity for growth.

To see what's available, click here

Enjoy early spring at the Clermont County Public Library with some great programs:

• Used Book Sales, Union Township, the week of Feb. 28 during regular business hours.

• Learn about beekeeping, Bethel, March 5

• Visit Wyoming as part of th Armchair Travel Series, Zoom, March 7

• Free Tax Prep Assistance, Bethel, March 12

• Author Peter Bronson will discuss the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire, Miami Township, March 28

Visit the library's website for a complete list of programs.

The Auditor’s Office has partnered with DocuPet for dog licensing. Your dog's license includes HomeSafe™ 24/7 lost pet service and designer license tags. 20% of every designer tag purchase is donated to Clermont County Animal Shelter.

🐕 Learn more:

Clermont Senior Services has named Bill DeHass chief operating officer. DeHass began his work for Clermont Senior Services in 2006 as a social worker in the organization’s Case Management Department. He worked directly with Clermont County’s older adult population as an intake coordinator and as an investigator for Adult Protective Services. In 2015, he became the manager of the Transportation Program and, soon after, the director of the Community Services Department. His current local leadership roles include serving as the chair for the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments’ 5310 Oversight Team, as well as serving on the Family Services Planning Committee in Clermont County. Until 2020, Bill also served as the chair for the Association for Professionals in Aging.