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EMA ANNOUNCES SIREN CHANGE - May 24, 2013
The project of activating outdoor warning sirens from the Darke County Emergency Communications Center located at the Sheriff’s Office is now complete. Some residents in county Villages will notice a change in testing of these sirens.
Beginning June 3, 2013 sirens located in Ansonia, Arcanum, Ithaca, Bradford, Burkettsville, Gettysburg, New Madison, Wayne Lakes, North Star, Rossburg, Union City, Versailles, and Eldora Speedway will be tested the first Monday of every month at noon.
If inclement weather is occurring and/or is forecast to occur that day, the monthly test will be postponed until the following month. This decision will be made at the discretion of the Darke County Sheriff’s Office Administration. The City of Greenville will continue to activate their own sirens however, a back-up activation point has been added to the Darke County Emergency Communications Center.
The weather events that trigger a siren activation remain the same. Activation of a warning siren is based on a tornado warning from the National Weather Service or a verified spotting by a training official.
Tornado and wind related events killed nearly 25 Ohioans in the past five years despite advances in how people are alerted of strong storms. Experts agree there isn’t one perfect plan for alerting those in the storm’s path, but say the key is having several systems in place to ensure there are multiple ways a resident can be notified.
What it comes to emergency preparedness, local communities use a variety of resources to help get the word out to their citizens about pending disasters. Authorities encourage citizens to do all they can to make sure that are in a positions to get alerts about potential threats.
GUEST COLUMN BY REP. ADAMS - May 24, 2013
While the budget bill was still in the Ohio House of Representatives, committee hearings about the budget were posted online, where people could tune in to watch deliberation and testimony about the legislation.
Filming committee meetings served a very important purpose, which was to make state government more open to the people of the state. Ohioans deserve to know what their tax dollars pay for.
Similarly, letting people and businesses know the rules that affect them is a necessary component to building a fair and prosperous economy. With more than 120 agencies and commissions statewide, there are times when various rules may change to help an agency carry out its purpose.
The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review, more simply known as JCARR, is tasked with making sure that the actions of these agencies are within the boundaries of their authority. Made up of legislators from both the Ohio House and Senate, JCARR reviews nearly 9,000 rules every year.
The committee recently launched a new website called “RuleWatch Ohio,” which provides updates of rules that helps families, businesses and individuals follow rule changes in Ohio. The website can be accessed by going to www.RuleWatchOhio.gov.
To track changes, a person simply needs to log into the site and then click on the various subject matters that he or she wants to follow. There are several topics to choose from, such as accounting, insurance, and agriculture. You can choose to follow as many topics as you like.
From there, RuleWatch will send messages directly to your e-mail account, updating rule changes in the selected areas. It will send no more than one e-mail per day.
Additionally, Ohioans can submit to JCARR recommendations or concerns regarding rule changes. The committee is very receptive to hearing your ideas because everyone offers a unique perspective of how various rules impact their lives and businesses.
Technology has helped businesses operate more efficiently for years, and through resources like RuleWatch Ohio it is helping state government run more smoothly as well.
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM - May 23, 2013
Earlier this week, Greenville Safety Service Director Curt Garrison addressed City Council during his administrative report. Garrison used the moment to address the public as he hopes to build a neighborhood watch program in the community. Earlier this month, Garrison, Mayor Mike Bowers and a member of Greenville Police met with a neighborhood watch program to talk about the recent break-ins in the community. From that meeting, Garrison hopes other citizens step forward and more importantly form neighborhood watch programs. The Safety Service Director hopes to build more relationships in the community and distribute packets pertaining to a neighborhood watch in the near future. If you're interested in forming a group in your neighborhood you're asked to contact Garrison at 548-1819.
VERSAILLES SENIOR RECEIVES SCHOLARSHIP - May 23, 2013
Versailles High School’s Megan Hemmelgarn, a senior from Rossburg, will receive $1,000 for college tuition as a winner of the 2013 Community Blood Center (CBC)/Vectren Lead the Way Creative Scholarship for High School Seniors. CBC and Vectren challenged high school seniors in CBCs 15-county region to be clever, creative, and inspirational as they designed a high school blood drive marketing campaign. The program awarded five $1,000 scholarships. The other winners are Shana Meyer from Russia High School; and Michael Jacob from Lehman Catholic High School in Sidney. Applicants were asked to create a blood drive theme and explain why it would be effective in encouraging students to donate. They were also challenged to express the theme using conventional marketing techniques or innovative, artistic expressions. Megan, a member of the National Honor Society at Versailles High School,plans to attend Bowling Green State University in the fall. The Lead the Way Creative Scholarship for High School Seniors is made possible by a $5,000 grant from Vectren.
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