MOUNT VERNON — With the April 8 solar eclipse six days away, Knox County EMA is putting the final touches on its preparations.
According to Amy Seward, deputy director for the Emergency Management Agency, Ohio has 540 events planned. Nine are in Knox County.
“The EMA has asked anyone who has anything related to the eclipse to let them know so they can put it on their tracker,” she told the commissioners on Tuesday. “There are four in Fredericktown, one in Centerburg, and a couple sprinkled throughout Mount Vernon.”
She said the weather forecasts mid-60s but with 49 percent cloud cover. However, the clouds will be high in the sky.
“Even if it is cloudy, we’ll be able to see the eclipse,” she said.
Fire, EMS, and law enforcement are upstaffing part of the day, with second shifts arriving early to avoid traffic. EMA staff is activating the emergency operations center later this week, making sure phones and other communication devices work.
The county engineer’s office is preplanning where to place barricades and how to reroute traffic and tractor-trailers should roads need to be closed.
EMA will send out major alerts through the county’s WENS system.
Other EMA activities include:
•A lock-down drill at East Knox schools with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office
•Regional tabletop chemical attack exercise with the Health Care Coalition (50 participants and 20 organizations) and a tabletop exercise with Knox Public Health regarding measles
•Working with the Amish communities on various topics and planning for safety events
•Approved as a Storm Ready Community through the National Weather Service in Cleveland
•Partnering with Mental Health & Recovery and Licking County EMA to form a mental health team for emergencies
Job & Family Services
Director Scott Boone reports the Opportunity Knox/Ohio Means Jobs building is 22 years old and “starting to fall apart.” Floors, tiles, the roof, and six HVAC units need repairs. The estimate to replace one HVAC unit is between $9,000 and $15,000. Additionally:
•The workforce study is complete and sent to the commissioners.
•Medicaid unwinding is still an issue.
•Sent Adult Protective Services data to the commissioners. The 60-plus demographic continues to grow.
•Social services is handling about 60 placements each month. Sent cost figures to commissioners.
•April 10 is Wear Blue Day.
Recycling & Litter Prevention
Matt Baugher, recycling and litter prevention manager, said Hefty’s ReNew orange bag recycling program will roll out as a curbside-only program for participating trash haulers; Rumpke is the largest hauler locally. Currently, DKMM does not have enough bins or space in the townships to accommodate the program.
Baugher also reviewed March events with the commissioners:
•Friends of the Kokosing averages 10 to 15 volunteers each week for river clean-up events. “It’s not unlikely at some of the big ones we get a ton of trash,” Baugher said.
•Education activities include working with Scout groups and giving a Zoom lecture for a class at The Ohio State University. Discussion includes rural sociology: How do you run a recycling program in a rural community?
•Shred it Day is slated for June 15.
Legislative action
The county commissioners conducted the following business on April 2, 2024:
•Proclaimed April Child Abuse Awareness Month
•Approved financial Memorandum of Understanding Amendment between Morrow County Job and Family Services and Carroll, Hancock, Harrison, Holmes, Knox, Marion, Sandusky and Wood County Job and Family Services for the employment of Collabor8 Call Center operations coordinator
•Approved the Knox County 911 Program Review Final Plan
