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The Brown County Press - Sunday, March 29, 2020 - Page 7
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PUBLIC NOTICES
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LEGAL NOTICE Regarding Charter Oak Cemetery in Aberdeen Ohio: In order to prepare for mowing season, please have all flowers, mementos etc. that are not in vases or otherwise attached to headstones removed by April 15, 2020. The Huntington Township Trustees will not be responsible for anything that might be left behind after that date. We want to ensure that Charter Oak Cemetery will be well groomed for the remainder of the year. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. BCP 3-29-20, 4-5-20 ---------------------------------------NOTICE GREEN TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES ARE IN SEARCH OF FAMILY MEMBERS / RELATIVES OF THE LATE HOLENDER AND SALLY B. HODCSON. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT ONE OF THE TRUSTEES. GREEN TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES DAREN HOWSER – 513-646-8832 MIKE SPITZNAGEL – 513-685-2029 GARY FRYE – 937-213-3443 BCP 3-29-20, 4-5-20 ---------------------------------------NOTICE TO BID The Board of Trustees of Pike Township is accepting bids for 2020 for RS2 and MC3000 by the gallon and No. 8 stone by the ton, delivered and applied to various roads in Pike Township during 2020; also, 405 cold mix and 404 hot mix by the ton delivered, placed and rolled during 2020. All sealed bids, accompanied by a certificate of insurance, must be in the possession of the trustees or fiscal officer by the regular meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 23, 2020, 7:PM; at the township building located at 12700 SR 774, Mt Orab, OH. Please mark sealed envelope “Road Bid”. Bids will be opened at that time. The trustees reserve the right to accept or reject any or all bids. Submitted by Jenny Lind Conrad, Fiscal Officer P O Box 95, Mt Orab, OH 45154 937-444-7418 BCP 3-29-20 ---------------------------------------LEGAL NOTICE Sealed bids for one (1) new 2021 year model 72-passenger conventional school buses will be received at the Office of the Treasurer of the Board of Education of Western Brown Local School District, and will be received at the Board of Education Offices, 524 West Main Street, Mt. Orab, OH 45154 until: 11:00 A.M. – local time Thursday, April 16, 2020 Bid documents are available from Western Brown Treasurer Office (937) 444-2506 ext. 25016. All bids will state that the buses, prior to delivery, will comply with the safety rules of the department of public safety adopted pursuant to section 4511.76 of the Ohio Revised Code and all other pertinent provisions of law. Bidders will be required to submit to the Treasurer a statement relating to the delinquent personal property taxes as per Ohio Revised Code 5719.042. Bids received after the time and date set for bid opening will be returned to bidder unopened. The said Board of Education reserves the right to waive informalities, and to accept or reject any and all, or parts of any and all bids. This legal notice is posted on the School District’s internet website. The legal notice may be accessed at: www.wb.k12.oh.us. Board of Education – Western Brown Local School District By: Denny Dunlap, Treasurer BCP 3-29-20 ----------------------------------------
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The lunchmeat section at the Amelia Walmart was bare on Sunday afternoon March 22 as residents reacted to the stay at home order.
Stay at home order CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
by this Order.” Those limited purposes are defined in the order as leaving your home for For health and safety, for necessary supplies and services, for outdoor activity, for certain types of essential work and to take care of others. The order is to remain effective until April 7 unless cancelled or changed. “The intent of this Order is to ensure that the maximum number of people self-isolate in their places of residence,” reads the order. Public Information Officer Margary Paeltz with the Brown County Health Department talked with The News Democrat about what her department is doing as a result of the order. “We are busy in the field making sure we have everything covered and are working with our partners in order to ensure the safety of the public,” Paeltz said. “We are just trying to keep people calm and answer any questions they may have or direct them to someone who can answer their questions.” Paeltz added that no positive tests for Corona Virus in Brown County had been received back from state testing laboratories as of yet. She said that the Brown County Health Department is still open for business, but with protective measures in place, including taking the temperature of visitors. Paeltz said that she expected some help from the state to arrive in the coming days. “We have put in an order for personal protective equipment (masks, gowns, gloves, etc.) for first responders and health care workers with the state and that should be delivered in the next few days,” she said. Paeltz said that she and everyone in the health care infrastructure knows that the latest restrictions are frustrating for people, but asks them to see the bigger picture. “You never know how bad something can be until you don’t do what the health authorities are asking you to do. The main thing is that we want people to take care of themselves. And taking care of themselves will take care of others,” she said. “We are asking our population to follow some guidelines for what is realistically a short period of time. Two or three weeks is not a lot to ask to get people to stay away from each other as much as possible.” If there are questions regarding whether a business is considered “Essential” by law enforcement, public officials, local businesses, or anyone with questions or concerns, please contact the Brown County Health Department at 937-378-
6892. Director Acton’s Order can be found at https://coronavirus.ohio.g ov/static/DirectorsOrderStayAtHome.pdf. Meanwhile, the Brown County Commissioners issued the following information to the public. “Thank you for continuing to be calm and patient as we manage these challenging times together. Now is the time to continue our culture of collaboration and innovation. The FAQ below is to help share some information that could be useful in the coming days. What is a shelter-athome order, or similar order? A shelter-at-home order, which is reserved for extenuating circumstances such as a public health emergency, calls for residents to stay at home barring specific, justifiable reasons. This means only essential staff would be performing essential duties. News about the shelterat-home order came from the Ohio Department of Health and the Governor’s Office. It was stated that during a shelter-at-home order, people will be able to leave their homes to buy food and medicine, commute to work for essential functions, go to medical centers and banks, or take trips related to the care for the young and the elderly. We have reviewed the order issued at the state level. A shelter-at-home order is not the same thing as martial law, which is a specific imposition of the military. We know the military does stand ready to be helpful in many ways, such as making sure personal protective equipment is rationed for use by medical personnel. A shelter-at-home order is a way to help manage a public health emergency. Remember, we are using a calm, steady approach. We are showing care for one another and doing all that we can to save lives. What happens when essential personnel are working as part of a continuity of operations plan? Supervisors may have already talked with staff about continuity of operations and what is considered essential. If you have any questions about essential duties, please contact your supervisor or department head. While conducting essential functions only, county buildings will be closed to the public at the discretion of the elected official; this is by consensus with the emergency meeting conducted in our office on March 16, 2020. There will be no county business scheduled except for essential functions. Courts will continue to manage their constitutional responsibilities. Emergency personnel will be available, law enforcement and
E911 Dispatchers will continue services. Protective services will continue. Payroll processing and certain contracting and payment functions will continue. Teleworking to the extent possible can continue. Is help available if you are experiencing anxiety? If you or a loved one are experiencing anxiety, help is available. Call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1 -800-9855990, connect with a trained counselor through the Ohio Crisis Text Line – text “4HOPE” to 741 741, or call @OhioMHAS help line at 1.877.275.6364. #COVID19OhioReady For more information, s e e www.coronavirus.ohio.g ov. The general public may call the ODH Coronavirus Call Center at 1833-427-5634. Call 911 for emergencies.” Governor DeWine has announced that any child care facility that remains open to care for children under a Temporary Pandemic Child Care license must give priority to families on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic. Placement of children must first be offered to kids with parents who are healthcare workers, first responders, hospital and clinic staff, pharmacy staff, children service workers, adult protection workers, developmental disability aides, mental health counselors, psychiatrists psychologists, nursing home workers, elder care workers, home health care workers, and dentists. Any remaining childcare openings will be open to other families. Parents can enroll now. A full list of child care centers operating under the special license can be found at http://jfs.ohio.gov/cdc. All operating child care centers in Ohio must do so under a Temporary Pandemic Child Care license and follow these guidelines: • There should be no more than six children in a class. • Ratios must be kept at one teacher to no more than six children. • Children whose parents are employed by the same entity should be kept together whenever possible. • The same teachers and children in each room should be maintained whenever possible. • There should be limited use of shared space or mixing of groups. • If shared space is used, a rigorous cleaning schedule must be in place. • Parent interaction should be limited at drop off and pick up. • The program will operate until April 30, with the potential to extend and adjust as needed.
to emergencies,” Waterfield said. He also addressed the questions that some people have been asking about face masks and their level of protection from the Corona Virus. “There are two types of masks out there. The surgical mask and the M95. The surgical masks are better than nothing, but you are still getting a lot of air coming in from the sides of the mask. An M95 mask seals around your face and does not let any ambient air in,” Waterfield said. “You should feel good if you see people wearing them because they are much more effective at protecting you from the mask wearer. When the mask wearer exhales, coughs or sneezes, the mask will catch any droplets that could carry the virus.” Waterfield said that seeing how the nation and local community is coming together during the crisis is something that is very nice to see. “GM and Ford are making ventilators when they were making vehicles a week ago. Hanes has decided to start making masks. You’ve got all kinds of people trying to help. I think it’s incredible.” When asked about people making masks in their homes and doing other things for the medical community, Waterfield said “It makes me feel like we are appreciated, along with the health care workers. It makes you feel like you are making a difference.” The one question on everyone’s mind is how long the “stay at home” order and other measures will continue to disrupt normal routines. Waterfield said that he and other first responders will stay ready regardless. “We are planning to go as long as we need to. I just want people to know that we are prepared for the long hall if necessary,” he said. The Brown County Fire Chief’s Association has named Rymer the incident commander for a COVID19 Task Force to respond to issues created by the pandemic. The association re-
cently released the following information to the public. “The Brown County Fire Chief’s Covid-19 taskforce has been working with the Brown County Department of Health to combat this virus. Members of the Taskforce have been constantly keeping up to date with CDC and Ohio Department of Health Guidelines for operations as far as public safety is concerned. Here are a few of the operational changes that you may see: • Please keep in mind that there are several different Fire/EMS departments and all operate a little differently due to how they are staffed. • Many of the fire and EMS Departments in the County are not allowing visitors in their fire and EMS stations. If you have official business the general public should contact the department on how they are handling that situation. • When we arrive on scene of an EMS call you may see us in masks, gowns, or goggles. Please do not panic. These are only body substance isolation procedures put into place at our departments to protect you, your family, and our members. • If you are transported to the emergency room, you more than likely will be placed in a mask as well. Again this is being done to protect you, your family, and our providers. • Relatives or friends will not be allowed to accompany you if you are transported. There are exceptions for our pediatric patients. This, again, is to protect you your family and our providers. • After EACH call our ambulances are disinfected completely and our crews decontaminate their clothing. This has been standard procedure for a long time and you can be assured that we are taking every step to keep you safe. We can answer most of your questions via our Facebook page. Please understand that we cannot answer all of your questions about the Covid-19 Pandemic but we can answer questions you have about our operations.”
Energy assistance program changes The Ohio Development Services Agency (Development) and The Adams Brown Counties Economic Opportunities are working to help keep Ohioans safe during this time of emergency. Recently, Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency regarding COVID-19, and Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, M.D., MPH has issued orders to limit social interactions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Effective immediately, Ohioans who are enrolling in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP) for the first time, applying for Home Energy Assistance Winter Crisis Program, or have limited income, are no longer required to visit a local Energy Assistance Provider in order to complete an application. Appointments may be completed over the phone during the scheduled appointment time rather than face-to-face. Ohioans can visit www.energyhelp.ohio.gov to start their application and upload the required documents prior to their appointment. If a you do not have access to the internet and/or cannot upload your documentation, the local Energy Assistance Provider can complete your application over the phone. For a list of required documentation or to schedule an appointment call 1-833-359-2802. “Working with our local providers, we have been providing Ohio families with the support they need to manage their energy bills, and now this support is even more important,” said Lydia Mihalik, Director of the Ohio Development Services Agency. “The online application, in a normal scenario, makes it easier to apply and reduces the length of an in-person appointment, but now it is providing a bridge to assistance during an incredibly
difficult time.” Development will also extend the Winter Crisis Program (WCP) until May 1, 2020 to align with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s extended Winter Reconnect Order and the regular Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) will be extended until June 1, 2020. Development’s Interactive Voice Response phone lines will not be available, however Ohioans may continue to call (800) 282-0880 and select option 2, to be transferred to their local Energy Assistance Provider. The Home Energy Assistance Winter Crisis Program helps income-eligible Ohioans pay their heating bills and can assist with fuel tank placement, fuel tank testing and furnace repair. Ohioans must have a gross income at or below 175% of the federal poverty guidelines to qualify for WCP and HEAP assistance. For a family of four the annual income must be at or below $45,062.50. Ohioans must have a gross income at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines to qualify for PIPP. For a family of four the annual income must be at or below $38,625.00. Ohioans that have a regulated utility and have been issued a disconnect notice are eligible for a one-time WCP benefit if they have not already received a WCP or regular HEAP benefit. For more information about the features of the Winter Crisis Program locally and what is needed to apply, contact The Adams Brown Counties Economic Opportunities at 1-937-6950316 ex: 235,236,237 or 252 Adams County Office. Brown County Office at 1937-378-6041 ex: 253,254,305 or 280. Additional information can also be found at www.energyhelp.ohio.gov or by calling (800) 282-0880.