Madison Messenger - September 13th, 2020

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PAGE 2 - MADISON MESSENGER - September 13, 2020 www.madisonmessengernews.com Some COVID-19 relief funds remain unclaimed Kristy Zurbrick Madison Editor As of late last month, $176,000 of the $1.1 million Madison County received in CARES Act funds remains unclaimed. Passed by Congress in March, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides economic relief in the wake of the COVID- 19 pandemic. Of the $1.1 million allocated to Madison County, $500,000 was earmarked for use at the county level. The breakdown by municipality is as follows: London, $98,000; Plain City, West Jefferson and Mount Sterling, $74,600 each; and South Solon and Midway, $25,590 each. Between $11,400 and $11,600 was designated for each of the county’s 14 townships. To receive the funds, a government entity must pass a resolution to accept the funds and file the resolution with the Madison County Auditor’s Office, create an account in which to place the funds, and agree to comply with reporting requirements on expenditures. The funds must be used for COVID-19 related expenses and must be spent by Dec. 31. The county and the municipalities of London, West Jefferson, Plain City and Mount Sterling have filed resolutions and claimed their funds. The villages of South Solon and Midway have not. Among the townships, Deercreek, Oak Run, Range and Union have filed Using CARES Act funds, government leaders at the county level have purchased thermal body temperature camera systems like this one for installation at the Madison County Courthouse and other county buildings. resolutions; the other 10 townships have not. Jennifer Hunter, Madison County auditor, said she has reached out to the Madison County Townships Association to encourage those 10 remaining townships to take the steps necessary to claim the funds. Any unclaimed funds go back into the pot and are redistributed, she said. Hunter said she hopes that Congress will extend the deadline for using the funds, so that she and other county leaders have more time to get local government leaders on board and, in turn, those leaders can figure out how they can use the funds. Some might not know what expenses are eligible or that they can share the funds, she said. “You can get creative and donate your share to schools, non-profits, food banks, fire departments, or other government entities for use on COVID-related expenses,” she said. “Some big cities are creating grant programs (with the funds) to help small businesses.” According to Rob Slane, county administrator, the county has put its share of CARES Act funds to use in a multitude of ways, from touchless hand sanitizer, towel and soap dispensers to thermal scanners for taking temperatures of people entering county buildings. The funds also have been used for safety signage, camera systems and televisions for conducting online meetings, and plastic surface furniture that’s easier to disinfect than cloth furniture. “We’re literally buying disinfectant by the barrel,” Slane added. Hunter reported that more CARES Act funds could be coming Madison County’s way. She received notification the week of Aug. 24 that a second round of funding is in the works. She was told to expect about $500,000. Formula for funding distribution Hunter is looking into what it would take to change the formula the county uses to distribute local government funds from the state. The county is using the same formula and percentages to distribute the federal CARES Act funds. Last month, London Mayor Patrick Closser raised questions about the formula, asking why London, home to approximately 23 percent of the county’s population, receives 9.2 percent of the funding while Mount Sterling, Plain City and West Jefferson each receive 7 percent. Hunter said Madison County’s formula was established many decades ago, likely in the 1960s. The Ohio Revised Code calls for the creation of a county budget commission to determine the formula. Such commissions are comprised of the county prosecutor, county auditor and county treasurer. Hunter said population is one factor counties consider in setting their formulas. Road miles and property valuation are some of the other factors. Each county determines their own set of criteria. While Closser says Madison County’s model is outdated and needs to be reviewed as soon as possible, Hunter said any changes likely would come no earlier than 2022. “I talked to other auditors to see if they’ve updated their formulas. I discovered that it is a very involved process,” she said. The county, the city as the largest municipality in the county, and a majority of the remaining villages and townships have to approve any changes. “We haven’t gone through that process before, and it’s going to be a lengthy one, I believe,” Hunter said. ERIN Continued from page 1 and dancing with each other. It seemed like the world stopped,” she said. Like many times before, Ackley-Everhart said, Erin was sending her a sign when she needed it. Some of those who responded to Terry’s Facebook announcement asked if they could still donate to the scholarship fund even though the meet isn’t taking place this year. That’s when Ackley-Everhart got the idea to start a gofundme page. “Terry is not one to throw a hand out and ask for help, but I thought, ‘It needs to be done,’ and that’s when I called Amy (Brake) and said, ‘Let’s do this together.’” Brake was a freshman at London High School and a member of the cross country team the year that Erin passed away. “That team and that whole class of 1998 will never forget that tragedy,” she said. “Things have changed in 22 years, but this will never change. I will never stop volunteering for this.” Every year, Brake and her family help to collect donations for parking at the meet. “We love the fact that Erin’s memory lives on in this scholarship and event,” she said. She also loves that the London community at large, not just people connected with the meet, have embraced the gofundme effort. In the first four days, the page brought in $3,185 in donations. Ackley-Everhart and Brake started with a goal of $2,000. They plan to keep the page open until Sept. 20, Terry’s birthday, then personally deliver the funds to Terry and Connie. Terry said the gofundme effort came as a surprise to him and Connie. “We appreciate it,” he said. To date, the Erin L. Nance Memorial Scholarship Fund has raised approximately $54,000 and benefited more than 70 London students. Anyone interested in donating through the gofundme effort can visit gofundme.com and search for “Erin L. Nance Scholarship Fund CC Classic.”
www.madisonmessengernews.com September 13, 2020 - MADISON MESSENGER - Page 3 #Just Ask: Raising awareness of suicide prevention Throughout September, Mental Health Recovery Board of Clark, Greene & Madison Counties (MHRB) is leading a statewide campaign to raise awareness of suicide risks and prevention. The campaign, titled “#JustAsk,” focuses on overcoming cultural and social stigma surrounding discussion about suicide. As part of an annual observance of National Suicide Prevention Month, MHRB is providing participating public health organizations, health and behavioral health providers, news outlets and members of the public with access to an informational and marketing toolkit to help initiate conversations around suicide prevention. “Suicide is a silent killer in the United States. Although it’s the second leading cause of death for people ages 18 to 34, Americans are still not comfortable talking openly about suicide,” said Dr. Greta Mayer, CEO of MHRB. “The way COVID-19 has changed our lifestyles is exacerbating stress factors and disrupting our normal coping mechanisms. These are worrying signs that suicide may be another epidemic we will Golfing and goofing The Madison County Chamber of Commerce held its annual golf outing on Aug. 27 at the London Country Club. Twenty teams registered and 18 played, the most participation the event has seen in over seven years. The outing raised more than $15,000. The Morgan Stanley and Coughlin teams tied for first place. Contest winners were: closest to the pin, Chris Knight; longest drive (male), Josh Goodker; longest drive (female), Susan Thompson; 50/50, Jim Christel; eMerge Real Estate prize ($200 gift card to Golf Galaxy, Mike McCarty. face in the future, unless we take action now.” Last November, the Ohio Department of Health released a report indicating a 45 percent increase in Ohio’s suicide rate between 2007 and 2018. Among youth ages 10-24 during the same time period, suicide deaths increased by a staggering 56 percent. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that between 1999 and 2018, the national suicide rate increased by 35 percent, from 10.5 people per 100,000 to 14.2. In real terms, more than 48,000 people died by suicide in 2018 alone. In Ohio that same year, the suicide rate was 15.2 per 100,000 people, exceeding the national average and accounting for 1,836 suicide deaths overall. Mayer cautioned that the number of deaths likely is underestimated and does not fully describe the scope of the suicide crisis. The impact of suicide includes the 10.7 million American adults who seriously contemplated suicide, 3.3 million who made a suicide plan, and 1.4 million who attempted suicide, according to the CDC, as well as the fallout experienced by affected friends, colleagues and family members. The #JustAsk suicide prevention campaign seeks to prevent suicide through encouraging people to reach out to loved ones, have open conversations about mental health, and to learn more about suicide risk factors and prevention methods. The campaign focuses on removing stigma so that people can feel empowered to ask others directly if they are considering suicide and helping them connect to professional care. “Contrary to popular belief, talking about suicide in direct terms does not encourage or inspire a person to kill themselves. A person who is suicidal often shows signs of distress and is likely already considering suicide before the word itself comes up in conversation,” said Mayer. “Just asking a simple, direct question to loved ones—‘Are you thinking about killing yourself?’—can be enough to interfere with their tunnel vision, acknowledge their emotional pain and introduce them to an alternative way of coping.” Included in the toolkit are social media graphics and sample posts with the campaign’s hashtag, a guide to statewide and local suicide loss and prevention resources, and links to national suicide prevention toolkits. The toolkit now is available on the MHRB website, www.mhrb.org. Anyone experiencing a crisis can receive immediate help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or through Crisis Text Line by texting 4HOPE to 741-741. In the event of an emergency, call 911. For more information about mental health and substance use resources in Clark, Greene and Madison counties, visit www.mhrb.org. Team Coughlin–(from left) Susan Thompson, Mike Wilson, Troy Wilson and Mike Birk– tied with Team Morgan Stanley for first place at the Madison County Chamber of Commerce golf outing. Both teams scored 56. Team Morgan Stanley–(from left) Brian Otis, Travis Fling, Eamon Costello and Liz Lynch–tied with Team Coughlin for first place at the Madison County Chamber of Commerce golf outing. Both teams scored 56.
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Madison Messenger - September 13th, 2020

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