CACHS presented an ambitious proposal that pledged to reduce shelter intake; accept owner surrenders; and engage the community by offering opportunities to volunteer, foster, donate and adopt.  Read more here.

Capt. Mike McConnell on how a new body scanner at County Jail 

has made the jail safer for inmates and staff.

  Congratulations to Clermont County Public Health! It is now officially accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board.The path to national accreditation began in 2011. To become accredited, CCPH had to show it met or exceeded a set of standards by going through a self-assessment and peer review. The accreditation program works to improve the quality of the nation's public health departments. Read more here.

SSPs are intended to reduce the spread of infectious diseases such as hepatitis and HIV. The programs provide access to sterile syringes to people who inject drugs. The program can also make referrals to substance use disorder counseling and treatment programs. They also provide education on the prevention of infection and offer testing and referral for treatment for hepatitis C and HIV.

The proposed program in Clermont County would be a collaborative effort between Clermont County Public Health, Hamilton County Public Health, the Cincinnati Exchange Project, and Mercy Health Clermont. If approved by Public Health's board, a van would come to Mercy Clermont's parking lot a half-day a week.

Please go to this link to find out more about the program and participate in a survey. The deadline to participate in the survey is Friday, Dec. 8.

  Clermont County Park District

The National Alliance on Mental Illness, better known as NAMI of Southwest Ohio, held its 8th Annual Evening of Hope on Nov. 1 at the Cintas Center where it announced its Excellence in Mental Health Care awards. This year, Karen Scherra, Executive Director of the Clermont County Mental Health and Recovery Board, was recognized for Outstanding Leadership in a Community Setting. In addition,  Dr. Katherine Schmidt, also from Clermont County who works for Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health, received the Exemplary Psychiatrist award. From left, Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services CEO Jeff O'Neil; Heather Turner, NAMI Executive Director; Karen Scherra; Dr. Katherine Schmidt; and MHRB Chairperson Karen Conrad. Read more here.

RAIN BARREL ARTISTS: Professional and student and amateur artists are invited to apply to be a part of the 6th annual Rain Barrel Art Project, a joint effort of  Save Local Waters , and the  Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden . 

As part of this initiative, students and other community members throughout the Ohio River Valley are asked to submit artistic designs to beautify otherwise dull rain barrels that are then displayed at the Cincinnati Zoo and auctioned off to raise funds for conservation education. Read more here.

OVI GRADUATION: The Clermont County Municipal OVI Court Specialized Docket held its 26th graduation ceremony on Nov. 1. (OVI is an acronym for operating a vehicle while impaired.) The event, presided over by OVI Court Judge Kevin T. Miles, featured seven graduates. Nicholas Melvin, a substance abuse counselor at Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health, was the guest speaker. The OVI Court Specialized Docket is dedicated to rehabilitating high-risk multiple OVI offenders through a combination of intensive community control supervision, frequent judicial monitoring, and specialized substance abuse treatment at the Clermont Recovery Center. To learn more, contact Brian Dixon at 513.732.8142.

4-H VOLUNTEERS: OSU Extension Clermont County celebrated its 4-H volunteers at its annual banquet on Nov. 17. In particular, Brenda Bayne and Mary Huddle  (photo at right) were honored as recipients of the Clermont County 4-H Committee Leadership and Service Award. Brenda is the head adviser of Ruff 'n Stuff 4-H'ers and serves on the Clermont County 4-H Committee. Mary is the head adviser of Young Riders 4-H, serves as the horse consultant for the Junior Fair, and is on the Clermont County Horse Committee. Congratulations, Brenda and Mary!

AT THE LIBRARY: The tradition continues this holiday at the Clermont County Public Library. Make a gingerbread house together as a family to enjoy all season. We have lots of times available. Visit our website for a list of times and dates. 

The library also has the following programs planned for December:

* Winterfest, 11:30 a.m. Dec. 9, New Richmond
* Art Academy Family Art Day, 2 p.m. Dec. 9, Milford-Miami Township
* Create a 3D Collage, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 11, Goshen 
* A Night of Christmas Splendor, 6 p.m., Dec. 12, Bethel
* A Visit from the Cultural Center of India, 2 p.m. Dec. 16, Union Township
* Learn how to take great photos, 3 p.m. Dec. 16, Williamsburg
The library will be closed Dec. 23 and Dec. 25.

Enjoy your holiday!