THE LATEST NEWS:
  • The latest numbers for our county: The Ross County Health District announced today the following information: 42 positive cases (one death), 59% male and 41% female, and nine currently hospitalized. The age range is from 19 to 80 years. There have been 431 Ross County residents tested with 361 testing negative, and 28 awaiting test results. Sixteen recovered cases are reported.
  • I think it's safe to say we miss a lot of things, but we can still look forward to the Chillicothe Paints summer season, which is now pushed back to July 1. Check out a great column from the Wilmington News-Journal about our fond memories of VA Memorial Stadium.
  • The news of the day from Gov. DeWine's press conference today was about deep state budget cuts, totaling $775 million (including cuts to education across the board). But for our restaurants/bars, day care facilities, salons and barber shops, and other businesses who have been waiting for the guidelines, it looks like we're closer to see those requirements. There's no press conference planned for tomorrow and DeWine said they'll work toward presenting some of the new requirements for those businesses Thursday.
As we responsibly restart Ross County, let's spend some time thinking about our recovery
As some of our businesses adapt to the changing nature of operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, we're also trying to figure out how we can help Ross County navigate the "new normal" and recover from the impact.

That's why we're happy today to announce that we're going to get some guidance on how to handle both sides of that equation.

Net week, we'll have a FREE virtual Q&A session with Quint Studer, our annual meeting speaker this year and a renowned leader in helping communities move toward vibrancy.

Since day one of the crisis, Quint has been on the frontlines with business owners. He’s been busy leading and participating in webinars, doing interviews, and holding one-on-meetings. He knows first-hand the issues you’re facing and can help you “sharpen your saw” and come out stronger on the other side.


Not only can Quint offer guidance based on his decades of helping organizations get through tough times, in the past few weeks, he’s harvested lots of creative solutions and best practices from some of America’s smartest entrepreneurs, business leaders, and communities.

Finally, he gets how vital a strong and galvanized business presence is to a local economy. And he knows how leaders can work together to create a more vibrant and connected community.

We're hoping you'll join us for this event, which is planned to begin at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 14. Click below for more information and to register.
Chamber May events will stay virtual
As we mentioned yesterday, we're working toward re-opening our Chamber office no later than Monday, but maybe sooner.

We did a great virtual Health Care Network event today that focused on suicide prevention. The June event will likely be a virtual one as well.

Today, announced our virtual Q&A event with Quint Studer and also letting everyone know that our events will remain virtual for the rest of May. Here's the slate (events may be added later):

Wednesday, May 20, 5:30 p.m. - our Virtual Business After Business event returns. Sadly, we'll miss out on Horizon hosting us at Na zdravie Winery, but we'll gather on Zoom and have a little fun, maybe welcome a few guests, and give away some prizes. Click here to register.

Wednesday, May 27 at 1 p.m. - our virtual Greater Chillicothe Women in Business event. We'll have more information on that in the coming days, but we worked out the kinks to have a great session with Serena DeGarmo of Captivating Salon and Boutique. We're working on the agenda of that meeting now. Ladies, fire up the laptop and join us !

If you have questions, send Mike Throne an email or call 740-702-2722.
Free webinars for small business owners
  • Wednesday, May 6 at 11 a.m. - SBA Loans: Forgiveness Updates, myths, and additional scrutiny (register here)
  • Wednesday, May 6 at noon - ThinkHR compliance seminar on layoffs, furloughs, and recalls (register here)
  • Thursday, May 7 at noon - Maximizing Relief for the Restaurant Industry by GBQ (register here)
  • *NEW* Monday, May 11 at 1 p.m. - Chamber Member Benefits 101 - strategicHR, Inc. (register link)
  • *NEW* Tuesday, May 12 at 9 a.m. - Best Practices in IT Security Yor Your Business, presented by the OSU South Centers in collaboration with Ohio University Southern. Register by May 8 via email.
Miss one of these updates? Click here to catch up!
Coronavirus numbers, facts and figures
Links to information:

  • Looking for a job? The state has a job page on its Coronavirus page that helps connect those out of work with jobs.

  • The Ohio Channel YouTube page, where the Governor, Lt. Gov. and director of the Ohio Department of Health give regular updates at 2 p.m. on most days.

  • *NEW* Governor's Stay at Home Order (Link)

  • The Chillicothe Ross Community Foundation's Coronavirus Fund needs donations, and can potentially help non-profits with some of the costs of helping the community cope with the impact of COVID-19 in the area.

  • The United Way of Ross County is awarding micro-grants to non-profits working to address community needs due to COVID-19's impact.
Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce | Email Mike Throne | chillicotheohio.com