APPALACHIA
The DeWine administration Thursday released detailed guidelines for the Appalachian Community Grant Program, including project requirements, eligibility and the funding timeline. The program will provide $470 million for development projects and up to $30 million for project planning and technical assistance. The goal of the $500 million in total funds is to “revitalize communities and stimulate transformational change,” according to the administration. It will be managed by the Governor’s Office of Appalachia, which is part of the Ohio Department of Development (DOD). Grant applications will be accepted starting Wednesday, Nov. 2. The office will also host a webinar at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, to present the guidelines in detail and allow interested parties to ask questions.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Honda and LG Energy Solution’s investment of over $4 billion for electric vehicle production is expected to receive $156.3 million in state incentives, including an estimated $71.3 million in expanded Job Creation Tax Credits. Ohio Department of Development (DOD) Chief Communications Officer Todd Walker told Hannah News the tax credit will be considered at an upcoming meeting of the Ohio Tax Credit Authority (TCA). It is for 1.871 percent over 30 years and is performance-based. That will require fulfillment of job creation and payroll commitments as well as annual reports that verify progress. The project is expected to involve investment of at least $4.2 billion and creation of over 2,500 jobs. DOD is also working with the General Assembly for state investment of $85 million in local water and transportation infrastructure upgrades that ensure project success and benefit local communities.
EDUCATION
The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) said that over the course of National School Bus Safety Week — which runs from Oct. 17 through Oct. 21 – it increased enforcement efforts on school bus violations, such as passing a stopped school bus, school zone violations and other school bus or school zone-related activity. According to OSHP, National School Bus Safety Week is supported by the National Association for Pupil Transportation and serves as a reminder to motorists, students and school bus drivers of the important role they each have in ensuring children’s safety. This year’s theme, “1 Bus + 1 Driver = a BIG Impact on Education,” reminds motorists and students about the dangers that exist outside the school bus.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE
Sen. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) will retire from the Legislature, effective Monday, Oct. 31, the senator announced Thursday. “It has been an honor and privilege to serve in the Ohio Legislature for the past 22 years in both the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate,” Fedor wrote in her retirement letter to Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima). “This was an extremely difficult decision to make and one that I reached after consulting with family, friends and colleagues,” Fedor continued. “Although I will no longer serve in the Legislature, my passion having taught in our school classrooms for 18 years is still my core foundation — children are 100 percent our future. It is my hope that I will be successful in continuing in public service.” A spokesperson for Fedor’s State Board of Education (SBOE) campaign told Hannah News that Fedor’s retirement from the General Assembly will not affect her state school board campaign.
OHIO HISTORY
The Ohio History Connection recently broke ground on a new $17 million storage center that will house and protect about half of the state’s collections objects. The new Collections Care Center is being built on the northeast part of the Ohio History Center’s Columbus campus. The building will have 16,500 square feet of storage space and 12,800 square feet of offices and workspace. Construction is expected to be completed by April 2024.
WORKFORCE
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Wednesday opened the registration period for the Nov. 2 OhioMeansJobs.com regional virtual job fairs it will host. Job seekers who register beforehand can have their resume viewed in advance and may be able to schedule meetings with employers on the day of the event. The job fairs run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and are organized by Ohio region, with one each for Northwest, Northeast, Southwest and Southeast Ohio.
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Director Matt Damschroder announced Thursday that an additional tool has been added to the Apprentice.Ohio.gov website to help Ohioans find answers to questions about apprenticeship programs: a “Chat with Virtual Assistant” feature. This automated assistant, named “Antonio,” was built with artificial intelligence software. Users can simply type in their questions or — to see categories of information — click “What can Antonio help you with?”
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