Highland County commissioners issue proclamations for Ohio Proud, Overdose Awareness Day

Highland County commissioners Terry Britton, David Daniels and Brad Roades issued two proclamations — one honoring an Ohio Proud participant and one in recognition of Overdose Awareness Day — during their Wednesday, Aug. 26 meeting. 

The first proclamation was in honor of Highland County’s Ohio Proud representative, Country Manor Mixes of Leesburg, as they participate in the Ohio Department of Agriculture program and were chosen to represent Ohio at the state fair this year. 

According to the proclamation, “County Manor Mixes was recently recognized as one of only 60 Ohio Proud companies selected to have its product featured in the Ohio Proud showcase at the Ohio State Fair, highlighting the quality and diversity of products made here in Ohio.”

The Ohio Proud designation is offered for products that are “at least 50% raised, grown, or processed in Ohio and meet all inspection and labeling requirements” and produced by a company registered with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, according to the ODA. 

“Ohio is has a fairly significant food processing and food production economy, and what Ohio Proud is meant to do is have a platform where consumers can meet with local producers to find locally sourced homemade products,” Daniels said. 

The proclamation was accepted by Country Manor Mixes co-owner MaryBeth Hodson, as she and Cindy Smith have been operating the company for over two decades. 

“We're a small company,” Hodson said. “We make all our products by hand, one tablespoon at a time. We take dry ingredients and mix them together and make different kinds of dips, spreads and desserts and dipping oils. 

“You can cook with them. We season all of our mashed potatoes, all of our meats, all of our vegetables. We do all kinds of stuff with them, but we still make them all by hand.”

As mentioned, Hodson added that Ohio Proud products have their own space at the Ohio State Fair. Daniels said the shop went from selling $6,000 in Ohio products last year to $40,000 in products this year. 

After meeting with Hodson, Britton read the proclamation in honor of Country Manor Mixes, which “exemplifies the Ohio Proud spirit and has been in operation for more than 21 years and has proudly participated in the Ohio Proud program for nearly 17 years. 

“Owners MaryBeth Hodson and Cindy Smith have built Country Manor Mixes into a successful Ohio business specializing in gourmet food mixes, offering more than 48 varieties of dips, breads, desserts and dipping oils, made with quality ingredients including ground spices and dried vegetables,” Britton read from the proclamation. 

For more on Country Manor Mixes, visit https://www.countrymanormixes.net.

Commissioners also issued a proclamation in honor of Overdose Awareness Day, which was accepted by Kim Davis and Jon Parr of the Highland County Probation Department; Melanie Ballein of Scioto Paint Valley Mental Health; Creed Culbreath of REACH For Tomorrow; Highland County Sheriff Randy Sanders; and Bill Showman of Paint Valley ADAMH.

According to Davis, the county’s annual observance will be held Monday, Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. in front of the Highland County Courthouse.

“We have someone that's coming out that will actually be demonstrating how to properly give NARCAN to someone and a little bit of medical information along with that,” Davis said. “We have great support in the community. We've got probably 10, 15 different vendors in the area that will be setting up, whether it's a treatment center or domestic violence.”

According to the Ohio Department of Health, “More than 1 million people, including 60,000 Ohioans, have died from unintentional drug overdoses in the United States since the year 2000. These preventable deaths are the reason communities across Ohio and the nation come together each year on and around Aug. 31 for Overdose Awareness Day and throughout September for National Recovery Month.

“The number of unintentional overdose deaths in Ohio fell 34% in 2024 to 2,931, according to the latest data from the Chronic Disease, Violence and Injury Epidemiology Section at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). The 2024 figures were down from a peak of 5,174 in 2021, and they marked the third consecutive year that Ohio experienced a decline in overdose deaths.”

“National Overdose Awareness Day, unfortunately, was started due to the amount of overdoses that occur every year,” Davis said. “We have started seeing the numbers go down, so I believe with the effort of our community and nationwide, the education and a lot of the access to some of the services that previously had been hard for folks to get into is now more available.

“The court system, the police department, all the sheriffs, all of that contributes to the amount of overdoses going down. We have an amazing community who cares about our people and goes to great lengths to try to make sure that everyone has proper care and has access to services.”

Britton read the proclamation to recognize Ohio Overdose Awareness Day in Highland County for Aug. 31 and to “encourage all residents, organizations, schools and agencies to observe the day with appropriate remembrance, education and outreach, and support opportunities to heal and save lives.

“The observance of this day brings focus to both the tragedy of life lost and the hope of recovery,” Britton read from the proclamation. 

For links regarding treatment resources, visit https://odh.ohio.gov/media-center/feature-stories/overdose-awareness-08…. You can also call or text 988 or visit 988Lifeline.org for 24/7, confidential support.