Frances and I will continue to be politically active private citizens. We will continue to stand with working men and women to build a stronger Ohio — and to defeat anti-worker and anti-middle class legislation that may arise.

As of Dec. 31, 2011, 71 Influenza-associated hospitalizations had been reported to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). This year, 1,230 such hospitalizations had already been reported by the comparative time frame.

During today’s opening ceremonies for the 130th General Assembly, Bob Peterson (R- Sabina) was sworn in as the Senator for the 17th Ohio Senate District, which encompasses Fayette, Clinton, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Pike and Ross counties as well as portions of Lawrence, Pickaway and Vinton counties.

Ohio House Bill 555 will change the manner in which the state's public school districts are evaluated. Signed last month by Gov. John Kasich, the legislation replaces the old school rankings – which ranged from academic watch to excellent with distinction – to letter grades from A through F.

Taking just a few minutes to donate a cheek swab or a blood sample and join the Be The Match bone marrow registry could eventually save the life of a cancer patient. One Hillsboro family hopes a Be The Match event in Leesburg this month will find a bone marrow donor for a young husband and father.

Recent federal action and Ohio’s declining unemployment rate will soon trigger a change in the amount of federal unemployment compensation available to Ohioans.

On Dec. 20, Governor Kasich signed House Bill 360, which revises the amount and methods of collections and remittance of the wireless 9-1-1 charge for prepaid wireless services.

Since 1981, no Republican Senator has joined the Senate Finance Committee more quickly than Portman. In addition, Portman announced that Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), the incoming Senate Minority Whip, has asked him to continue serving on the Whip team as a Deputy Whip.

Greenfield Village Council voted Wednesday to name Highland County Court/Madison Township court administrator Ron Coffey as the successor to retiring city manager Betty Bishop.

WILMINGTON – Air Transport Services Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATSG) today announced the election to its Board of Directors of Richard Baudouin, an experienced aircraft leasing executive who co-founded Aviation Capital Group (ACG), a global leader in aircraft leasing and finance.

The first-ever agriculture-related event – "Agriculture is Everyone's Business" – hosted by the Highland County Chamber of Commerce will be held 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 18 at the Southern State Community College Patriot Center. Featured speakers will be Orion Samuelson of RFD-TV and WGN Radio in Chicago, and Ohio Director of Agriculture and former Highland County Commissioner David Daniels. Tickets are $5.

The first-ever agriculture-related event – "Agriculture is Everyone's Business" – hosted by the Highland County Chamber of Commerce will be held 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 18 at the Southern State Community College Patriot Center. Featured speakers will be Orion Samuelson of RFD-TV and WGN Radio in Chicago, and Ohio Director of Agriculture and former Highland County Commissioner David Daniels. Tickets are $5.

"I am calling on President Obama to withdraw his recent executive order raising federal salaries – including for members of Congress. Until a long-term deficit reduction agreement is reached, we should not consider increasing the pay for Congress.” – Sen. Rob Portman

Ohio's white-tailed deer muzzleloader hunting season will open statewide Jan. 5-8, 2013, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

In response to requests for information relative to planning school safety initiatives, Ohio Homeland Security has partnered with the Ohio Department of Education to assemble informational resources from a variety of reliable sources and is providing them to Ohio’s school administrators and the law enforcement community.