Commissioners proclaim Red Ribbon Week
Lead Summary
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
Highland County Commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Jeremy Shaffer proclaimed Oct. 24-28 as Red Ribbon Celebration Week in Highland County.
Attending the proclamation signing at the Oct. 19 commission meeting were Hillsboro City Schools Superintendent Rick Earley; Janet Fair, student assistant and prevention specialist at Hillsboro City Schools; teachers; and several students from the middle school and high school.
Red Ribbon Week raises awareness of drug use and the problems related to drugs, and encourages parents, educators, business owners, and other community organizations to promote drug-free lifestyles.
This year’s celebration will kick off on Oct. 21 with kickoff at Friday's football game.
“Red Ribbon Week encourages our entire community to adopt healthy, drug-free lifestyles,” Fair said in a news release. “The campaign brings together parents, schools, and businesses as we look for innovative ways to keep kids and communities drug free.”
The red ribbon symbolizes a continuing commitment to reducing the demand for illicit drugs in our communities. In 1985, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique S. "Kiki" Camarena was killed by drug traffickers. Shortly after Camarena's death, citizens from his hometown of Calexico, California, began wearing red ribbons to remember him and commemorate his sacrifice. Congress established Red Ribbon Week in 1988.
In other business:
• The Highland County Investment Advisory Board held its quarterly meeting Oct. 19. The includes Wilkin, county auditor Bill Fawley and county treasurer Vickie Warnock.
The board reported that interest earnings continue to trend low, even with the STAR (State Treasury Asset Reserve) Ohio program with the Ohio Treasurer's Office.
Fawley said the county's $4 million – of non-general fund investment dollars – earned .04-percent interest, or $93.36.
"All the counties are in the same boat (with interest earnings)," Fawley said. "In STAR Ohio, the money is safe and accessible."
"It's the same battle everyone else is facing," Wilkin said. "There's no interest income."
Fawley reported that the county's permissive sales tax remained strong in August, at $482,562.19. For August 2010, the permissive sales tax revenue was $447,637.78.
Fawley had less positive news on a projected loss of $191,000 on local government funding from the state. "I was hoping our sales tax increase would offset (cuts in) local government funds next year. But it's not going to be there."
Fawley also touched on "another unfunded mandate" from the state auditor's office and reductions statewide in the anticipated local government funds from the new casinos being built in Ohio.
• Commissioners entered into executive session with Cross Management to begin talks on a three-year contract with employees of the Highland County Sheriff's Office.[[In-content Ad]]
Attending the proclamation signing at the Oct. 19 commission meeting were Hillsboro City Schools Superintendent Rick Earley; Janet Fair, student assistant and prevention specialist at Hillsboro City Schools; teachers; and several students from the middle school and high school.
Red Ribbon Week raises awareness of drug use and the problems related to drugs, and encourages parents, educators, business owners, and other community organizations to promote drug-free lifestyles.
This year’s celebration will kick off on Oct. 21 with kickoff at Friday's football game.
“Red Ribbon Week encourages our entire community to adopt healthy, drug-free lifestyles,” Fair said in a news release. “The campaign brings together parents, schools, and businesses as we look for innovative ways to keep kids and communities drug free.”
The red ribbon symbolizes a continuing commitment to reducing the demand for illicit drugs in our communities. In 1985, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique S. "Kiki" Camarena was killed by drug traffickers. Shortly after Camarena's death, citizens from his hometown of Calexico, California, began wearing red ribbons to remember him and commemorate his sacrifice. Congress established Red Ribbon Week in 1988.
In other business:
• The Highland County Investment Advisory Board held its quarterly meeting Oct. 19. The includes Wilkin, county auditor Bill Fawley and county treasurer Vickie Warnock.
The board reported that interest earnings continue to trend low, even with the STAR (State Treasury Asset Reserve) Ohio program with the Ohio Treasurer's Office.
Fawley said the county's $4 million – of non-general fund investment dollars – earned .04-percent interest, or $93.36.
"All the counties are in the same boat (with interest earnings)," Fawley said. "In STAR Ohio, the money is safe and accessible."
"It's the same battle everyone else is facing," Wilkin said. "There's no interest income."
Fawley reported that the county's permissive sales tax remained strong in August, at $482,562.19. For August 2010, the permissive sales tax revenue was $447,637.78.
Fawley had less positive news on a projected loss of $191,000 on local government funding from the state. "I was hoping our sales tax increase would offset (cuts in) local government funds next year. But it's not going to be there."
Fawley also touched on "another unfunded mandate" from the state auditor's office and reductions statewide in the anticipated local government funds from the new casinos being built in Ohio.
• Commissioners entered into executive session with Cross Management to begin talks on a three-year contract with employees of the Highland County Sheriff's Office.[[In-content Ad]]