The Highland County Board of Commissioners held its first meeting of 2011 Wednesday, Jan. 5 and welcomed new commissioner Jeremy Shaffer, a Lynchburg Republican and former mayor of Lynchburg.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) today released the Ohio Bed Bug Workgroup report. Workgroup members from a diverse group of professional backgrounds and perspectives, including pest management, housing, government, and public health worked together to develop 10 recommendations which outline strategies that will assist future bed bug prevention and control efforts.

The 2011 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that Congress passed on 12/22/2010 contains numerous provisions advocated by Rep. Michael Turner of Dayton that will strengthen military sexual assault prevention and response policies. Rep. Turner, recently selected as Chairman of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee, was inspired by the tragic story of Marine Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach to advocate for greater protection against sexual assault in the military.

State Representative Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville) was sworn in Jan. 3 as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives during the 129th General Assembly’s opening day ceremony.

Charges are pending following a triple stabbing that occurred in a number of apartments on Taylor Drive early New Year's day.

The following is the Greenfield Police Report for Dec. 28-31, 2010.

As of Jan. 1, 2011, Ohio's minimum wage has increased to $7.40 per hour, thanks to a decision by voters in 2006 that ties the minimum wage to inflation.

Governor Ted Strickland has signed an executive order authorizing emergency rules that require only very large emitters of greenhouse gases (GHG) to obtain clean air permits for their Ohio operations. These rules will enable Ohio businesses to operate without additional federal red tape and regulations.

Representing four different areas of government, four officials took their oaths of office Thursday night at the Hi-TEC Center in Hillsboro, to represent Highland County constituents.
 Republicans Jeremy Shaffer, Highland County Commissioner; Cliff Rosenberger, Ohio's 86th House District Representative; David Daniels, Ohio's 17th District Senator; and Bill Fawley, Highland County Auditor, were each elected during the Nov. 2 general election.

The followiing is the Hillsboro Police Report for Dec. 23-29, 2010.

Among the 29 passengers who originally survived the crash, was Bluffton baseball coach James Grandey, who was left in critical condition. Grandey is a McClain High School graduate and the son of Highland County Prosecutor Jim Grandey.

The following is the Greenfield Police Report for Dec. 24-27.

WILMINGTON, OHIO--Dr. Glenn Rogers, a member of the CMH Medical Staff who practices at East Clinton Medical Services in Sabina, has received a three-year appointment as cancer liaison physician for the cancer program at CMH Regional Health System, including Clinton Memorial Hospital and the Foster J. Boyd, MD, Regional Cancer Center.

Starting at the beginning of 2011, the OSU Extension Offices for Adams, Brown and Highland counties will all be open, but things will be different. As we close out 2010 some of the responsibilities will change. With the continued struggles, regardless if we are talking Federal, State or Local, budgets are tight and reductions are a must. In the three counties we will have a 4-H Educator in each county, but there will only be one Family Consumer Sciences Educator and one Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator to serve the three counties.

Highland County Press columnist and Greater Cincinnati area attorney Eric Deters recently dispatched his "Bulldog Nation" news team to Nogales, Arizona for a firsthand look at the criminal activity along the U.S.-Mexico border. To see the video, log on to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-P3EgQs99A