Clermont County Water Resources’ 5-year Capital Improvement Plan calls for 63 waterworks projects totaling $42 million and 55 wastewater projects estimated at $72.7 million. Water Resources Director Lyle Bloom reviewed the plan with the Board of County Commissioners on May 9. Commissioners approved the plan May 11.

Waterworks projects include 32 water main replacements ($25 million), eight water storage tank rehabilitation/removals ($4.3 million), eight water treatment plan renovations/upgrades ($4.7 million) and eight new water main extensions ($5.4 million).

Funding for the waterworks portion of the plan includes $3.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and $813,000 in Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) money.

Wastewater projects include 14 sewer replacements ($25.1 million), 12 lift station upgrades/eliminations ($9.8 million), nine wastewater treatment plant projects ($19.1 million) and 13 new sanitary sewer main extensions ($16.4 million).

Funding for the wastewater part of the plan includes $4.8 million in ARPA funds, $3 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture funds and $864,000 in OPWC money.

A full list of projects appears on the Water Resources website.

This quote comes from one of the 208 adults admitted to the Clermont County Community Alternative Sentencing Center (CASC) in 2021.

CASC is a comprehensive outpatient program that provides behavioral health services to individuals with substance abuse disorders. Individuals referred by Clermont County Municipal Court choose to be in the intensive outpatient program, which runs five days per week.

CASC is funded by the Board of County Commissioners with services provided through Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services and grants obtained by the Clermont County Mental Health & Recovery Board.

Alicia Fine, vice president of Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services in Clermont County, and team members gave an annual update to Commissioners on April 25.

Clermont County’s Family and Children First Council on May 5 approved $17,677 for suicide prevention programs at Goshen, West Clermont and New Richmond schools and Grant Career Center.

All of the schools will use the funding for Hope Squad, a peer-to-peer program.

The mission of the council is to promote and facilitate communication and collaboration among Clermont County child- and family-serving agencies. The council ensures that infants, children, adolescents and their families receive the most appropriate services to enable youth to develop adequate skills in preparation for successful adulthood.

At about 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1, Clermont County 911 Communication Center Dispatcher Aaron Daulton fielded a call. He quickly learned that 17-year-old Garrett was calling from Lodge Pole Drive in Miami Township.

“Tell me exactly what happened,” Daulton calmly asked.

Garrett responded: “I think my stepfather is having a heart attack or something. He is breathing heavily… He looks very, very red.”

Dispatcher Daulton quickly assessed the situation. He learned that Garrett’s sister (15-year-old Anderson) was with him and that the apparent cardiac arrest victim, Greg Eubanks, was unconscious in a chair. He dispatched a life squad to the scene and asked if there’s a defibrillator near. There wasn’t. He instructed the callers to drag Mr. Eubanks to the floor, which they were unable to do, so they tried to recline the chair.

Garrett handed the phone to his sister – and Dispatcher Daulton promptly gave instructions.

Hamilton Security celebrated the opening of its 180,000-square-foot plant on Round Bottom Road in Union Township on April 27.

Company President John Stroia said the project serves as a model for a successful partnership with local government, state and local economic development agencies, construction managers, architects and others. He said the company chose to consolidate in Clermont County in part because of its strong workforce.

The Clermont County Port Authority provided a tax exemption on the sales tax on construction materials. The improvements made by this project opens up more acreage near Round Bottom Road for future industrial development.

Hamilton Security produces safes, vaults, pneumatic systems and other security equipment at the 180,000-square-foot facility in Union Township. The new building sits on 14 acres of land and employs about 250.

Clermont County is hiring for a variety of positions in areas such as Water Resources, Permit Central, 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

Lola, 8, a 130-pound St. Bernard, paid a visit to the Clermont County 911 Communications Center on May 2. She was received with smiles and pets from 911 dispatchers.

Angela Payne, a member of Pet Partners of Greater Cincinnati, accompanied the friendly dog. Pet Partners is an all-volunteer group of over 200 volunteer therapy teams that provide animal-assisted activities and therapy. They are a community partner of Pet Partners, a national organization.

John Kiskaden, director of the Clermont County Department of Public Safety Services, said he first learned about Pet Partners at a regular meeting of county fire chiefs. Pet Partners told the group about work it’s doing in Hamilton County.

Kiskaden said Lola and other animals will help employees manage stress.

“We invited them in to become familiar with them, so the employees could become comfortable with a therapy animal ahead of any really traumatic need,” Kiskaden said.

There are a number of opportunities to get involved with Clermont County government, including participating on a committee or board.

The Commissioner Board of County Commissioners is responsible for appointments to various committees and boards. We encourage you to apply!

Commissioner Bonnie Batchler volunteered a recent morning assisting the Meals on Wheels team at Clermont Senior Services, Inc. She helped deliver meals to seniors who are home bound and unable to prepare meals for the week.

📽️Video with Commissioner Batchler's thoughts: https://youtu.be/lpog9jvUivE

📽️Video about Meals on Wheels: https://youtu.be/w9uokGtSLTs

Do you have a student entering kindergarten, 7th, or 12th grade? If so, make sure their routine vaccines are up to date. Public Health offers all required and routine vaccinations for school. Call 513-735-8400 for an appointment. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/BTSimm

Are you traveling overseas soon? If so, Clermont County Public Health can help. Public Health offers vaccines for typhoid and yellow fever, which may be required or recommended depending on your destination. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/ITvaccine

You will not want to miss the 2022 Senior Living Expo! After a 2-year absence, this event is back and better than ever. Join Clermont Senior Services and presenting sponsor, Superior Home Care, on June 2, for a fun-filled day to include, vendors, live music from the Pete Wagner Band, free boxed lunches, a Consumer Protection Forum presented by Park National Bank, and lots of great door prizes. Crossroads East Side will serve as the host site for the Expo this year, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; registration to attend is not required and everyone is welcome!

The schedule of events is:

10 a.m. – noon – Visit vendors, enjoy live music

Noon – 1 p.m. – Consumer Protection Forum/lunch

1 p.m. – 2 p.m. – Door prize giveaways

There are still a few vendor tables available. Please visit: https://clermontseniors.com/events/2022-senior-living-expo/ to obtain a vendor space.

Older adults play vital, positive roles in our communities – as family members, friends, mentors, volunteers, civic leaders, members of the workforce, and more. Just as every person is unique, so too is how they age and how they choose to do it – and there is no “right” way. That’s why the theme for Older Americans Month (OAM) 2022 is Age My Way.

This year’s theme focuses on how older adults can age in their communities, living independently for as long as possible and participating in ways they choose.

While Age My Way will look different for each person, here are common things everyone can consider:

• Planning: Think about what you will need and want in the future, from home and community-based services to community activities that interest you.

• Engagement: Remain involved and contribute to your community through work, volunteer, and/or civic participation opportunities.

• Access: Make home improvements and modifications, use assistive technologies, and customize supports to help you better age in place.

• Connection: Maintain social activities and relationships to combat social isolation and stay connected to your community.

Clermont Senior Services is ready and able to partner with the community to ensure older adults have the tools needed to age their way. Diverse communities are strong communities. Ensuring that older adults remain involved and included in our communities for as long as possible benefits everyone.

The Clermont County Public Library is excited to introduce new School Readiness Kits for parents with children ages 0 to 5. The kits are designed to help children develop a love for reading. Each kit has five age-appropriate books, a toy, and instructions on how to use the toy to help children understand the importance of things like letter knowledge, sounds, shapes, and colors. Families can check out up to five kits at a time for 21 days. The library created these new kits with grant funds provided by the Scripps Howard Foundation.

Join Clermont County Park District on National Trails Day (Saturday, June 4) for a combination of volunteer work and appreciation!

Activities start at 9 a.m. with a service project at the trail entrance to Wilson Nature Preserve, cutting back invasive honeysuckle to open up a better view of the river.

Afterward, join staff for a hike on the Orange Trail before coming back to enjoy a grilled lunch (vegetarian options available), free for volunteers! Additionally, give your input on what you want to see in the next few years at Clermont County Parks as part of Master Planning. So come with all of your ideas. Register here.

Clermont County Parks recently signed the final paperwork that legally transferred the Kathryn Stagge-Marr Community Park property to the park district.

The 82-acre former home of Stagge-Marr was willed to the Goshen Park District to be used exclusively for park purposes, officially opening to the public in 1999.

Up until now, all of the maintenance, facility installation and public programming have been taken care of by the board members and other passionate community volunteers.

As the park grew in popularity, the board realized that it would need more consistent funding and maintenance. In Stagge-Marr’s will, the park would be transferred to the Clermont County Park District in the event that the growth of the parks exceeded the capacity of the volunteers.

The park has been the site of many community events, including kickball and disc golf tournaments, concerts, markets and more. It also features a veteran’s memorial, fishing pond, reservable shelter and playground.

Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services (GCB) held its annual Champions of Hope event on April 29 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Cincinnati; the past two years, the event was held virtually. GCB is the contract agency of the Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board (CCMHRB) for adult mental health and adult/adolescent addiction services.  

Each year at the event, GCB presents its Champion of Hope award to an individual who has played an important role in the delivery of services provided by GCB and has supported the agency in its work. Last year’s awardee was Commissioner David Painter for his ongoing support of behavioral health services in the county and his involvement in various committees and activities related to mental illness and addiction.

At this year’s event, the CCMHRB Executive Director Karen Scherra was presented with the award, recognizing her 30+ years at the Board, with 25 years at the helm. Jeff O’Neil, GCB CEO, in announcing the award winner, mentioned Karen’s passion for assuring that behavioral health needs of county residents were met and her advocacy at the local, state, and federal levels to gain adequate resources so that necessary services were available.  

Scherra shared her family history with those in attendance that influenced her choice of career, fueled that passion on behalf of individuals dealing with mental illness and/or addiction, and laid the foundation for her desire to address the stigma around these diseases that often prevents individuals from acknowledging their illness and from seeking help.

She thanked her staff and Board members over the years for their efforts on behalf of the Clermont system and also highlighted GCB and the other contract agencies of the Board for their quality of services and their willingness to work with her and the Board to continually improve and grow the service delivery system.

The CCMHRB staff attended the Champions of Hope event to help honor Scherra, as did three Board members, Judge James Shriver, who has worked with her since the 1980s, and Karen’s two sons. . Scherra will be retiring from her CCMHRB position at the end of July and was very appreciative of this recognition, especially because it is named champion of hope, because hope is something that she has tried to assure that clients in the system experience along with getting treatment.