Clermont County Commissioners want to have strong, high-speed Internet access county-wide. They need your help to do this.

In the coming days, please look for a special bulletin in which you will be asked to complete an Internet survey so that we can understand your Internet access and needs. The more people who complete the survey, the better picture we will have of our strengths and weaknesses for coverage throughout the County.  

Clermont County is working with the firms Insight and CobbFendley to complete a comprehensive study of the county’s Internet resources. The survey is an important component along with individual meetings with county and community leaders.

The survey will also include a speed test to pinpoint exact speeds of your Internet service. Please fill out the survey and take the speed test. Please forward the survey to your friends and neighbors who live in Clermont County or who do business in Clermont County and rely on the Internet for their business.

Every year Clermont County Children Services strives to ensure that children in care have a wonderful holiday season. Last year, Christmas Day was made brighter with gifts for about 300 children due to wonderful sponsors like you.

If you are interested in sponsoring a child or family, please e-mail Sanna Gast at sanna.gast@jfs.ohio.gov.

Or you may use this Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1AWY9ZGE464I1?ref_=wl_share

Also, this year there is an opportunity to donate non-perishable food boxes. "Lots of our families need food and even more so this year," Gast said. "It would be nice if our families could receive food boxes during the holidays." 

The boxes can be dropped off 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays at 2400 Clermont Center Drive, South Entry, Batavia. All boxes need to be marked with "Sanna Gast Food Box for CPS families." 

Items to include: Tuna-2 cans, Chicken-2 cans, Chili-2 cans, Spaghetti Sauce-2 jars or cans, Spaghetti-4 boxes, Complete Pancake Mix, Pancake Syrup, Fruit-2 packages of fruit cups, Green Beans-2 cans, Corn-2 cans, Potatoes-2 cans, Instant Mashed Potatoes-2 boxes or pouches, Cereal-2 boxes, Instant Oatmeal-1 box, Macaroni & Cheese-4 boxes or microwaveable cups, Soup-2 cans, Cup of Noodle Instant Soup-2 cups, Ramen Noodles-4 packs, Granola Bars-1 box, Powdered Drink Mix-1 container, Peanut Butter-2 jars, Jelly-2 jars

If you love dogs, license yours!

Dog license fees provide an important source of revenue for the Clermont County Animal Shelter.

A lost dog can be easily returned to its owner if it is tagged. If the dog is not tagged, it is brought to the county’s animal shelter where every effort is made to locate the owner. 

“Dec. 1-Jan. 31 is a great time to purchase a dog license,” said Tim Pappas, the county’s Chief Dog Warden. “The cost doubles after that.”

One-year dog licenses are $16, three-year dog licenses are $48, and permanent dog licenses are $160. Kennel licenses are $80, includes 5 tags ($1 for each additional tag and only available through the Auditor’s Office by mail or in-person).

Read more here

Clermont County Community + Economic Development on Oct. 28 hosted an informational meeting for local governments, nonprofits, and school districts in Clermont County about House Bill 377, the Appalachian Community Grant Program. This program sets aside $500 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant funds for Ohio’s 32 Appalachian counties. Clermont County is Ohio’s westernmost county in Appalachia and is eligible to apply for these funds.

Clermont County is planning to apply for these funds. Local units of government are permitted to apply for these funds, but program guidelines indicate that large projects of $1 million or more will be given the highest level of consideration. Additional program guidelines indicate that strong applications will be from multiple counties partnering on larger projects that are transformational. Local government entities, please send your projects to Scott Gafvert at sgafvert@ClermontCountyOhio.gov by Dec. 2, 2022.

Michael McNamara, director of Community + Economic Development, is excited about the funding opportunity. “This is an opportunity that may come around once in a generation, and we want to make sure we have the ability to take advantage of these funds that can help us elevate Clermont County and promote stronger communities and jobs.”

McNamara confirmed that he has already been in contact with other Appalachian counties in the region, and many of them are eager to partner on larger projects.

Potential projects for Clermont County include the development of new industrial space, connectivity among the county’s hike-bike trails and canoe/kayak launches, historic preservations and other projects.

The Board of County Commissioners on Nov. 9 awarded a $1.75-million bid to Welsh Excavation Company of Cleves for the Price Road Water Main Replacement Project in Miami Township.

Water Resources Department Director Lyle Bloom said the bid came in about 93 percent of the department’s engineer’s estimate. American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds will help pay for the project.

The project involves replacing a water main installed about 60 years ago with C900 PVC, which had been used in other projects in the county. It’s estimated the new water main could last for as long as 80 years.

The Family Recovery Court of the Clermont County Juvenile Court has earned final certification from the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on Specialized Dockets.

Read more here

The Clermont County Auditor’s Office announced the launch of Open Data platform, opendata.clermontauditor.org. It is powered by Tyler Technologies Data and Insights. Clermont County Open Data is a data-driven dashboard to provide transparent information that allows the public to review and research the county’s property and financial data.

Read more here

The Clermont County Public Library is inviting you to grab a good book, a steaming cup of your favorite hot drink, a comfy blanket, and some warm socks to enjoy a few hours of reading – all while taking part in the Cozy Winter Read program this winter.

There’s nothing better on a cold winter day than snuggling up with your favorite blanket and reading a great book.

For each book you read between Jan. 2 and Feb. 28, you will be entered to win a basket full of items to keep you cozy. Winners will be announced March 5.

Registration begins Jan. 3. While supplies last, you’ll receive fuzzy socks and chocolate – perfect for cozy winter reading. All ages are invited to participate.

Also in January, adults and teens, age 11-17, can enter the library’s annual Short Story Contest. Entries will be accepted between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31. Winners will be announced April 18.

For more information, visit the library’s website, clermontlibrary.org.

While decorating for the holiday season, you may encounter a few strings of lights that mysteriously decided to quit working, or the dreaded wad of lights that is impossible to untangle. Don't throw those strings of lights away - recycle them properly!

The Adams-Clermont Solid Waste District and Cohen have teamed up again this year to provide convenient opportunities to recycle those unwanted or non-working decorative string lights. From Dec.1 to Feb. 1 residents can recycle their traditional or LED-style string lights by dropping them into a specially marked outdoor container at the following locations:

Shor Park: 4659 Tealtown Road Milford, OH 45150

container is by the public restrooms

Sycamore Park: 4082 State Route 132, Batavia OH 45103

container is by the public restrooms

Clermont County Soil & Water Conservation District: 1000 Locust St. Owensville, OH 45160

container is in front of agricultural service center at the fairgrounds, near gazebo

Pierce Township Service Department: 950 Locust Corner Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45245

container is next to the public recycling dumpsters

Clermont County Water Resources: 4400 Haskell Lane Batavia, OH 45103

Cincinnati Nature Center (CNC members only): 4949 Tealtown Road, Milford, OH 45150

Container is at the Rowe Woods Visitor Center

Long Branch Farm & Trails (CNC members only): 6926 Gaynor Road, Goshen, OH 45122

It is important to remember that holiday lights cannot be placed in your curbside recycling bin or in the

public recycling drop-off container you typically use because they will tangle around the machinery

and automated equipment at the recycling processing center. Holiday lights require special handling

and processing that Cohen is happy to provide! Please note this is for traditional or LED string lights

only - fluorescent bulbs or large halogen bulbs cannot be accepted.

For more information about this event or any other services provided by the Adams-Clermont Solid

Waste District, please visit www.OEQ.net, email DSNYDER@clermontcountyohio.gov, or phone

(513) 732-7744.

The Clermont Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is working with local partners to plan this year’s Litter Clean-Up event. The 2023 event will be held at multiple locations through Clermont County on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

Volunteers can help spruce up areas in their communities while enjoying the outdoors. There are many opportunities and areas throughout the county for volunteers to help by clearing trash and unsightly debris from our parks, waterways and other shared open spaces. Group and in-person activities will be coordinated for the 2023 event. Community coordinators will provide details on those activities later in the spring. Volunteer safety is the top priority. All volunteers will be provided with clean-up materials for their activities, including protective gloves, trash bags and litter grabbers. Individuals who request litter clean-up materials will be sent details for supply pick-up in their communities.

SWCD appreciates the support of partner agencies, including the Ohio EPA, Adams-Clermont Soil Waste District (ACSWD), the Clermont County Park District, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and OSU Extension. Most importantly, thank you to the volunteers and communities that come back year after year to protect our local natural resources! 

Please visit the SLC website for more information: www.springlittercleanup.com. For questions or additional information please contact Connie Miller at (513) 732-7075 ext. 2 or cmiller@clermontcountyohio.gov.

Fifty families served by the Clermont County Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS) enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving meal, thanks to the generosity of the Tree of Life Church in Montgomery.

Shalana Wilson (left) of the church and Sanna Gast of DJFS helped coordinate the effort. The church has donated food boxes for Clermont County families for a half-dozen years. Each box contained a complete Thanksgiving meal and a gift card for a turkey. Wilson delivered the boxes in a U-Haul truck.

"It's more important this year because, with the high food prices, a lot of families are going through hard times," Gast said. She noted that all of the boxes are spoken for, and five additional families will get meals due to donations by the Board of County Commissioners and others in the community.

Read more here