Canal Winchester Messenger - September 19th, 2021

www.columbusmessenger.com
Township seeks federal pandemic funds
By Linda Dillman
Staff Writer
The Madison Township Trustees are taking
action to get their piece of $1.9 trillion
in federal money that is aiding the country’s
recovery from COVID-19 and the virus’ impact
on the economy and public health.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) emergency
legislative package provides resources
needed to address the ongoing COVID-19
crisis and spur economic recovery. It was
signed into law by President Joe Biden on
March 11.
At their Sept. 14 meeting, the trustees
approved the creation of an American Rescue
Plan fund to receive federal dollars.
“The initial information was received the
end of April 2021,” said Madison Township
Administrator Susan Brobst. “However, in
May it was determined that all township eligibility
status for direct ARP funds was yet
to be determined and was sent to the state
legislature to decide.
The township received information in
June 2021 after the passage of Senate Bill
111, which provided the amendment that allowed
townships to be included in the distribution
to non-entitlement units of local
government.”
Madison Township Fiscal Officer Laurie
Vermeer submitted the application at the
end of August.
Brobst said there are 1,308 townships in
Ohio, three of which are large enough to be
directly included in the ARP funding, leaving
the remaining 1305 townships left hanging
to know if they would receive any funds.
“Not all states have townships, so the
language used in the original bill unintentionally
created the issue,” said Brobst.
While Brobst said the final amount of
funding is yet to be determined–the deadline
to apply for funds was extended–information
initially received by the township
indicated a potential maximum of $1.2 million
payable in two installments.
The act provides resources to protect the
jobs and health of first responders and other
essential front-line workers, including testing,
contact tracing, and mitigation and purchasing
personal protective equipment.
The national vaccination program and
complementary measures to combat the
coronavirus–including scaling up testing
and tracing, addressing shortages of personal
protective equipment and other critical
supplies–are also part of the American
Rescue Plan Act.
“At this point, we do not know how or
what any of the funds will be used for, as we
have not discussed any potential projects
with the board or staff,” said Brobst. “We
have received preliminary information on
initial categories and some guidance. However,
we are still waiting on more specific
clarification/guidance which is coming from
various agencies. As of now, our plan is to
watch as additional information becomes
available, discuss with department heads
later this year, and present recommendations
to the board which will then be discussed
at the end of 2021 and the first
quarter of 2022. We also have to keep in
mind, these funds can be used over multiple
years.”
ARP Funds must be dedicated to specific
uses by Dec. 31, 2024.
The encumbered funds must be paid out,
purchases received, and projects completed
by Dec. 31, 2026. Any money that is left
over after the deadlines must be returned to
the U.S. Treasury.
Other township news
Madison Township Fire Department
Battalion Chief Mark Ballenger was presented
a 25-year service award by Fire Chief
Derek Robinson and Madison Township Police
Officer Angie Gamblin was promoted to
sergeant.
In June 2018, Gamblin was the first female
officer hired by the township after
graduating from the Eastland Career Center
law enforcement academy in April 2018.
“This is absolutely one of my proudest
moments,” said Madison Township Police
Chief Gary York. “She was our first female
officer, our first female supervisor, and now
our first female sergeant. We’re proud of
her.”
September 19, 2021 - MESSENGER - PAGE 9
Bomb threat at CW Schools
Canal Winchester High School received
a bomb threat on Sept. 13 at 7 a.m. and the
Canal Winchester Middle School received a
bomb threat at 7:10 a.m. For the safety and
security of students and staff district officials
made the decision to close school.
According to district officials, the Columbus
Bomb Squad along with the Fairfield
County Sheriff’s Department cleared the
high school and middle school buildings. All
buildings closed for the day Sept. 13 and
therefore no remote learning occurred All
after school activities proceeded as scheduled.
The district opened Sept. 14 as normal.
According to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s
Office, on Sept. 12 an unidentified male contacted
the Sheriff’s Office and made several
bomb threats in and around the city of Canal
Winchester. Upon investigation by the Sheriff’s
Office and in cooperation with the Federal
Joint Terrorism Task Force, the threats
were determined to be “non-credible.”
On Sept. 13 additional threats were received
by Canal Winchester Schools. The
calls were linked to the same suspect and
were also determined to be non-credible.
After investigation the Sheriff’s Office
determined the suspect is located near the
west coast of the United States.
CW Farmers’ Market
The Canal Winchester Farmers’ Market
will operate on Saturdays through Sept. 25
from 9 a.m. to noon. For information visit
www.thecwfm.com.
Moses-Mouser Eye Care
Dr. Joshua Morris is an Optometrist who grew
up in Bellville, Ohio. He completed his undergraduate
degree at the University of Akron, where
he graduated magna cum laude with honors.
Dr. Morris attended The Ohio State University
College of Optometry and graduated cum laude
with honors to receive his Doctor of Optometry Degree in May 2019. After
completing his studies, he was awarded the “Primary Vision Care Clinical
Excellence Award”, in 2019.
Dr. Morris is a member of the American Optometric Association, the Ohio
Optometric Association, and The Ohio State Alumni Association. He is
excited to practice full scope optometry, diagnosing and treating a variety
of ocular disorders and diseases in patients of all ages, but has a special
interest in contact lenses and ocular disease.
On a personal note, Dr. Morris and his wife Tess, enjoy spending time with
their family, friends, and their Bernese Mountain dog Maverick, cheering
on The Ohio State Buckeyes, trying new foods, and exploring Columbus
breweries.
Q: What are floaters and what causes them?
A: Floaters are small dark shapes that move across your vision. They can appear
as dots, threads, squiggly lines, or even like cobwebs. Most floaters are caused
by normal changes in the eye. As you age, small strands of vitreous (gel-like fluid
that fills your eye) can clump together and cast a shadow on your retina (the
light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye). Those shadows appear as floaters
that drift across your vision. You may notice floaters more when you look at a
bright background, like a computer screen or a blue sky.
Q: How often should someone with new
floaters get an eye exam?
A: Someone experiencing new floaters, a large increase in the number of floaters,
or flashing lights should see an eye care professional immediately. Sometimes
floaters have a more serious cause, including: infection, injury, inflammation,
bleeding, retinal tear or retinal detachment.
Someone with a few stable floaters should see an eye care professional at least
once a year for a comprehensive dilated eye exam.
Schedule your comprehensive eye exam
today with Dr. Morris
6441 Winchester Blvd. E., Canal Winchester, OH 43110 614-963-3827