Highland County commissioners proclaim Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Highland County commissioners Terry Britton, David Daniels and Brad Roades proclaimed October 2026 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Highland County during their Wednesday, Sept. 23 meeting.

Accepting the proclamation were Alternatives to Violence Center director Dara Gullette and staff members Sarah Collins, Jeanine Mullenix and Lynn White.

According to Gullette, the AVC is focusing on what they describe as an “often overlooked part of domestic violence,” which are family pets, throughout the month of October. 

“We’re going to focus on animal abuse and the effects of domestic violence on animals and how that prevents victims from leaving an abusive relationship,” Gullette said. “We have the Humane Society, a couple of the vets and the groomers that when they get their hair [done] and all that stuff, they're going to promote domestic violence and have the purple bandanas and some stats on animal abuse and the effects that has on victims leaving an abusive relationship. If you see pictures of dogs in purple gear, that's what we're hoping for this year.”

In addition, Gullette said that Petland is collecting pet food donations on the center’s behalf to support domestic violence victims when they are placed in a shelter with their animals. 

To help spread awareness, the Alternatives to Violence Center is seeking participation from “groomers, vets, pet stores, rescues, boarding/daycare facilities, trainers and other pet businesses.” According to the AVC Facebook, the center will provide the materials if any of these businesses are willing to help share information and photos. 

Area pets can participate by dressing in a purple band, bow, hair clip, collar or other purple accessory. Owners can share photos to the Alternatives to Violence Center at jgillespie@co.highland.oh.us to help promote Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 

For more information on how to get involved, call (937) 383-3285.

Commissioners also voted 3-0 to approve the annual request from Gullette seeking permission for the Alternatives to Violence Center to apply for the revenue from the marriage license fund, which the center uses as matching funds for grants.

“Our projected income for the year is $742,288, and our expenses are $742,102,” Gullette said. “We request these marriage license fees each year. It's been part of our help with our cash match dollars when we do apply for grants.”

However, Gullette said the funds also help with emergency housing needs.

“Our shelter is constantly full, and any time we do emergency shelters, that’s a stay in a hotel,” Gullette said. “We quickly run out of those funds, and then they have nowhere to put victims, so sometimes we’re able to dip with the marriage license fees.”

After meeting with the group, Daniels read the proclamation to “hereby proclaim the month of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and urge all citizens to work together to eliminate domestic violence from our community.” 

The Highland County AVC office is located at 135 North High Street, Suite 1. Staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through their crisis line at 1-888-816-1146.

Anyone interested in supporting the AVC program and shelter, including through monetary donations or donations of needed supplies, can find more information at: https://www.avconline.info/support-us. Volunteers are also welcomed. For updates on their Domestic Violence Awareness Month observance, follow the center’s Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AVC1981.

In other discussion:

• Via resolution, commissioners voted 3-0 to establish a hospital tax assessment to fund the nonfederal share of the rural Ohio hospital tax pilot program pursuant to AM. SUB. H.B. No. 96.

As previously reported, commissioners passed the same resolution in July 2025, roughly 24 hours after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed the state operating budget bill into law. 

Colleen Ernst, executive vice president of health care consulting firm Adelanto Healthcare Ventures (AHCV), was present for talks last year and also attended the meeting Wednesday to explain the resolution.

“The state of Ohio started a program last year that would allow hospitals in southern Ohio access to additional reimbursement for Medicaid services,” Ernst said Wednesday. “Medicaid services, of course, go to those who are low income with a qualifying disability or condition, and when hospitals treat those patients, they're reimbursed through a combination of state dollars and federal dollars. 

“That pool of funds falls short of helping hospitals actually get full reimbursement for cost, and that's actual cost — not billed charges, not something you'd see on a commercial insurance negotiated rate, but actual out-of-pocket cost for the hospital to perform those services. Historically, the state of Ohio had not been accessing all federal dollars available for hospitals performing Medicaid services, and this program allows the hospitals to get access to those additional dollars.”

It was also brought out that there is no impact on “any individual citizens. 

“This program and this opportunity doesn't cost your individual citizens a single penny,” Ernst said. “It doesn't pull from your general revenue. The hospitals are actually paying a tax, putting up their dollars, and that counts as those state dollars that we're missing to pull in the federal match, so it is a broad-based and uniform rate. 

“It affects the two hospital facilities here in Highland County, one of which is Adena, and the other is Highland District Hospital, and they pay a tax to you. Those tax dollars then help pull in that federal money left on the table. That helps ensure that the tax dollars your citizens are paying in federal taxes come back into the community to support the hospitals and help make sure they can care for everyone, regardless of income.” 

Commissioners thanked Ernst for the information on the resolution.

• At the recommendation of county sewer billing clerk Alex Stratton, commissioners voted 3-0 to approve revisions to the county’s sewer use policy, particularly involving repayment plans for delinquent users and denying multiple hookups to single grinders. 

“What Alex is presenting here have been customary practices that we have used over the course of years, but never really adopted a formal policy about that,” Daniels said. “While this policy never existed, this has been practiced since the beginning of the system.”

• It was noted that commissioners held four different meetings in the past week since Sept. 14, including a department head meeting, their regular Wednesday meeting, their usual Monday work session and a special meeting Tuesday.

The Monday, Sept. 21 meeting was a work session with economic development director Julie Bolender to discuss the county’s comprehensive plan. The Tuesday, Sept. 22 special meeting included a session with EMA director David Bushelman and Paint Creek Joint Fire/EMS District Chief David Manning to review a Rural EMS Modernization grant, as well as talks with Judge-elect John Judkins on courthouse renovations.   

• Commission clerk Ashleigh Willey reported that the Ohio Power Siting Board notified commissioners of the approval of Hecate Energy’s battery storage facility on the site of their solar project, while the OPSB has also received, but not acted on, the application of Barr Energy for an unrelated battery storage facility. 

• Roades said that fencing is being installed at the site of the county’s future recycling center site on Hobart Drive.

• Commissioners announced that they will host the annual Ohio Public Works meeting Oct. 7 at 1 p.m.

• Representatives of the Kafkis Agency attended to discuss supplemental insurance benefits. Commissioners referred them to Amy Bradley, the county’s Human Resources director. 

Commissioners also made the following approvals, each by a 3-0 vote:

• Commissioners voted 3-0 to accept a $4,800 quote from ODJ, Ltd. for the removal of a vault door in the administration building basement. 

• In response to a petition filed by the Clay Township Trustees to vacate a street in Clay Township, commissioners agreed to set the time and date for a public viewing to be held on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 10 a.m. at the site of the street and a public hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 11:30 a.m. at the Highland County Commissioners Office. The street is approximately 0.03 miles long, located south of state Route 138 and in between parcels 05-23-100-066.00 and 05-23-100-068.00 in Clay Township, Highland County, Ohio. 

• In a separate resolution, in response to a petition from Clay Township trustees to vacate the remainder of a lane in Clay Township, commissioners scheduled a public viewing for Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 10:30 a.m. at the site of the lane and a public hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 11:30 a.m. at the Highland County Commissioners Office. The lane is approximately 0.57 miles long, located north of state Route 138 and the parcel at 05-23-000-457.00, and is located on the property of 05-18-000-118.00.

• Commissioners approved an agreement among commissioners, the sheriff’s office and Polaris Pharmacy Services of Warrington, LLC/PolarisRx for pharmaceutical services for Highland County Jail inmates.

“With our new medical people coming in, what this company does is it gives us whatever meds an inmate’s taking — they all come in one packet for each day,” Sanders said. “There is no sorting of medications by our jail staff.”

• Commissioners, along with the Fraternal Order of Police and Ohio Labor Council, Inc., also agreed to a letter of agreement regarding service time for sick leave conversions upon retirement. Daniels said this is a “clarification” to the contract, as the language in that section “did not reflect the intent of what happened in negotiations.”

• The approval of a State of Ohio Department of Transportation State Infrastructure Bank Loan for the Highland County Airport Authority hangar construction project. 

• A request for qualifications for an architect/engineer for professional design services for Highland County.

• The execution of a public improvement notice of commencement for Midwest Maintenance, Inc. for the first phase of courthouse renovations.

• Commissioners appointed Jim Roeder to the Southwest Prevention Council for a two-year term, beginning October 2026 and expiring September 2028.

• A budget modification within the Commissioners General Fund – from Contributions to Professional & Technical Services in the amount of $20,000.

• Commissioners authorized a “then and now” purchase order and authorized the county auditor to issue warrants for payment.

• A transfer from County Transfers Out, to Airport Capital Improvement 4220 in the amount of $14,900. Also requested is an additional appropriation from unappropriated funds in the amount of $14,900.

• A budget modification within the County Miscellaneous Fund – from County Buildings to Employee Retirement in the amount of $19,313.20.

• In separate motions, commissioners approved 63-month contract agreements with the sheriff’s office and Canon Inc., one for the local network and one for the LEADS network.