Governor Mike DeWine issued the following statement on Monday
on the death of Dr. Paul Farmer.
"Fran and I are heartbroken at the death of Dr. Paul Farmer, a man
who has saved countless lives around the globe.
"We first met Paul many years ago on a visit to Haiti when I was
still in the U.S. Senate. We got to know him and learned about the
amazing community health work he was doing in rural villages in
Haiti and Rwanda.
"He was instrumental in drastically reducing the AIDS rate in rural
Haiti by recruiting and training community members to serve as
health workers, who would go out and help villagers with AIDS
receive and stay on life-saving anti-retroviral drugs. He proved
that even in the poorest of countries, where many are illiterate,
that patients could effectively take the multi-regimen of anti-AIDS
pills. We visited the hospital and facilities he founded in Cange, a
rural village in the east-central part of Haiti, and saw first-hand
this miraculous work.
"Paul Farmer was just a good and decent human being. He was a man
of great passion, vision, and hope. He spent a lifetime in service
to others, fighting every day for a better, healthier world for all.
He touched so many lives in so many ways, and Fran and I are
grateful that we had the chance to know him, to work with him, and
to call him our friend. We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife
Didi Bertrand and their children, Catherine, Elizabeth, and
Sebastian."
On Tuesday, Governor DeWine, First Lady Fran DeWine, and Ohio
Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz announced
that the state is awarding more than $28,000 in grants for new or
improved children's literacy trails in Ashland, Athens, Champaign,
Ottawa, and Preble counties.
The grants, awarded as part of ODNR's Recreational Trails Grant
Program, will fund trail and trailhead construction, maintenance,
and storybook signage for each trail. Similar to ODNR's Storybook
Trails at 11 state parks, the local trails will promote the benefits
of early literacy and a heathy lifestyle.
“Developing an appreciation for reading at a young age is so
important for children as they grow, and we are excited to award
these grants to help more communities combine the love of reading
with the love of nature,” said Governor DeWine.
“These trails give families a new and exciting way to get out and
spend time,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “I’m excited that even
more communities will be able to build these trails and encourage
children to learn in a really fun way, all while teaching them the
importance of protecting our natural resources.”
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Lt. Governor Husted speaks to the OACC
Governing Board during a meeting in Columbus.
Also on Tuesday, Lt. Governor Jon Husted stopped by the Ohio
Association of Community Colleges Governing Board meeting at
Columbus State Community College. He discussed the recent
announcement of Intel coming to Ohio and the company's workforce
needs with members of the Board.
Additionally, on Tuesday, Governor DeWine issued the following
statement on the death of Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla.
"Fran and I were saddened to learn this morning of the death of
longtime Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla. Sheriff Abdalla was
a decorated U.S. Army veteran who wholeheartedly served his
community with pride and dedication for decades.
"Sheriff Abdalla's no-nonsense personality was one of the things
Fran and I enjoyed the most about him. During my time as Ohio's
attorney general, I was honored to work with him on numerous cases,
including a double homicide from the 1970s that he vowed to solve.
It was that unwavering determination that led to the suspect's
arrest in 2014 and the suspect's conviction the following year.
"Sheriff Abdalla truly made a tremendous impact on Jefferson
County, and he will be missed. Fran and I offer our deepest
condolences to his family."
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Governor DeWine speaks to members of the
media about Euclid Police Department's recent grant award for a
body-worn camera program.
On Wednesday, Governor DeWine visited Euclid to discuss the Euclid
Police Department's recent grant award of $120,275 to launch a new
body-worn camera program for its officers.
Last month, Governor DeWine announced $4.7 million in body-worn
camera grant funding for 109 law enforcement agencies in the state.
In total, this funding will help agencies purchase around 1,700 new
body cameras, as well as computer equipment, software, video
storage, and more.
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Governor DeWine stands alongside members of the Euclid Police
Department after a press conference announcing a grant being awarded
to fund a new body-worn camera program.
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Lt. Governor Husted delivers keynote remarks at the Hamilton
County Development Company's Annual Economic Achievement Awards and
Innovation Expo.
Also on Wednesday, Lt. Governor Husted traveled to Cincinnati,
where he provided the keynote remarks at the Hamilton County
Development Company's 39th Annual Economic Achievement Awards and
Innovation Expo.
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The Lt. Governor also visited Kings High School on Wednesday to
meet with students in the school's Employability program, as well as
staff and community members. Students in the Employability program
presented Lt. Governor Husted with the Kings Hard Hat Award, which
is given to stakeholders that promote workforce development and
student achievement.
Additionally, the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) announced a
partnership with the State of Ohio, PBS affiliate ThinkTV, national
and local organizations, and regional officials to create and
distribute their aviation-focused, STEAM Program Discovering Flight:
Learning with the NAHF to Ohio schools most impacted by learning
loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Through the creation and promotion of a new and exciting STEAM
curriculum, the NAHF is continuing Ohio’s strong legacy of being
first in flight and first in aviation innovation,” said Governor
DeWine. “I applaud the Hall of Fame for its efforts to teach
students about Ohio’s proud past, while also inspiring them to
champion the future of Ohio-led STEAM – and specifically aviation –
breakthroughs.”
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In honor of the life and legacy of Medina County Domestic Relations
Judge Mary Kovack, Governor DeWine ordered that flags of the United
States and the State of Ohio be flown at half-staff upon all public
buildings and grounds throughout Medina County. Flags shall remain
lowered until sunset on the day of her funeral. All other public
buildings and grounds throughout the state may fly the flags of the
United States and the State of Ohio at half-staff at their
discretion for the same time period.
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Lt. Governor Husted speaks about the Innovate the Code bill
and Intel’s investment during Common Sense Initiative's Small
Business Advisory Council meeting
The Lt. Governor was in Columbus on Thursday, where he spoke to
Common Sense Initiative's Small Business Advisory Council during a
meeting about the Innovate the Code bill and Intel's investment.
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On Friday, Lt. Governor Husted,
Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation,
announced that the 13th application period for TechCred will open on
March 1st and close on March 31st.
"TechCred is helping businesses and thousands of Ohioans become
more competitive,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “TechCred has become
part of the job training fabric of Ohio as many companies apply to
use the program regularly. As a result, we want to help Ohio’s job
creators plan ahead, so we are announcing an official application
schedule for the rest of 2022 that will help businesses maximize
TechCred and better compete in today’s tech-infused economy.”
Since the program launched in October 2019, a total of 1,615 Ohio
employers have been approved for TechCred, which will fund up to
32,269 tech-focused credentials to upskill Ohio workers. The results
of the 12th round, which closed on January 31st, will be announced
in the coming weeks.
“Ohio’s economy is growing, and businesses can fill their tech
needs by upskilling current workers and preparing new employees for
careers,” Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik
said. “Businesses have been successful in using TechCred to upskill
their workforce.”
Also on Friday, Governor DeWine and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz
issued a bipartisan response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Governor DeWine and Governor Walz serve as co-chairs of the
presidentially-appointed Council of Governors. Both governors are
committed to working with leaders at the federal level and across
the nation and world to stand against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“At the direction of President Vladimir Putin, Russian forces have
invaded Ukraine in violation of international law. This is
unacceptable, and all freedom-loving people should stand against
this unprovoked invasion,” said Governor DeWine. “Ukraine has been a
sovereign and independent state since the collapse of the former
Soviet Union in the 1990s. The United States and Ukraine share
common values including freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. Our
thoughts are with the Ukrainian people.”
“We stand with Ukraine and condemn Russia for these unprovoked and
unlawful attacks,” said Governor Walz. “We stand ready to support
the federal government in guiding our nation through this violent
time, and I am committed to standing together with leaders at all
levels of government, regardless of political party, to work towards
peace. It’s time to unite, protect democracy, and work together to
end this violence and hold Russia accountable.”
Additionally, on Friday, Governor
DeWine announced a partnership between the Ohio Traffic Safety
Office (OTSO) and the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA)
to raise awareness about the resources available to help teens drive
safely.
“We want everyone on the road to make it home safely. If we put
teens in controlled driving situations before they face them in real
time, they will be better prepared to navigate the road safely,”
said Governor DeWine. “Inexperience behind the wheel is a major
factor in crashes for new drivers. Giving our young people more
opportunities to practice making good driving decisions will prevent
crashes and save lives.”
OTSO houses the Teach Your Teen to Drive (TYTTD) website, which
includes links to short videos for teens to learn how to safely
enter and exit a highway, change lanes, and manage intersections.
Other links feature a guide with tips and tricks to prepare for
behind-the-wheel practice, Ohio driving laws and requirements, and a
tool to help families track their progress and record which driving
environment their teens need more practice with.
As of Friday, there have been 2,651,304 confirmed and probable
cases of COVID-19 in Ohio. Additionally, 36,580 confirmed and
probable COVID-19 deaths have occurred. A total of 112,203 people
have been hospitalized, including 13,204 admissions to intensive
care units.
CASE DATA/VACCINE INFORMATION
In-depth COVID-19 data for Ohio: coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Ohio's central scheduling system: gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov
All vaccine providers: vaccine.coronavirus.ohio.gov
More vaccine information: coronavirus.ohio.gov/vaccine
For more information on Ohio's response to COVID-19, visit
coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH. |
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