Every year Clermont County Children Services strives to ensure that our children in care have a wonderful holiday season. Last year, Christmas Day was made brighter with gifts for about 300 children due to wonderful sponsors like you.

If you are interested in sponsoring a child or family, please e-mail Sanna Gast at sanna.gast@jfs.ohio.gov.

Or you may use this Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1AWY9ZGE464I1?ref_=wl_share

Also, this year there is an opportunity to donate non-perishable food boxes.

"Lots of our families need food and even more so this year," Gast added. "It would be nice if our families could receive food boxes during the holidays."

The boxes can be dropped off 9 a.m.-noon on Fridays starting Nov. 4 at 2400 Clermont Center Drive, South Entry, Batavia. All boxes need to be marked with "Sanna Gast Food Box for CPS families." 

Items to include: Tuna-2 cans, Chicken-2 cans, Chili-2 cans, Spaghetti Sauce-2 jars or cans, Spaghetti-4 boxes, Complete Pancake Mix, Pancake Syrup, Fruit-2 packages of fruit cups, Green Beans-2 cans, Corn-2 cans, Potatoes-2 cans, Instant Mashed Potatoes-2 boxes or pouches, Cereal-2 boxes, Instant Oatmeal-1 box, Macaroni & Cheese-4 boxes or microwaveable cups, Soup-2 cans, Cup of Noodle Instant Soup-2 cups, Ramen Noodles-4 packs, Granola Bars-1 box, Powdered Drink Mix-1 container, Peanut Butter-2 jars, Jelly-2 jars 

If you love dogs, license yours. Dog license fees provide an important source of revenue for the Clermont County Animal Shelter. Clermont County remains committed to staying a top-quality no-kill facility. Your license payment helps take care of vulnerable animals.

A lost dog can be easily returned to its owner if it is tagged. If the dog is not tagged, it is brought to the county’s animal shelter where every effort is made to locate the owner. 

If you have found a lost dog, you can search using the dog tag number to locate the owner: https://clermontcounty.docupet.com/en_US/. With full access to HomeSafe™ 24/7 lost pet service, you may upload recent photos of your pet and include important information that will help identify and retrieve them if they become lost.

“Dec. 1-Jan. 31 is a great time to purchase a dog license,” said Tim Pappas, the county’s Chief Dog Warden. “The cost doubles after that.”

One-year dog licenses are $16, three-year dog licenses are $48, and permanent dog licenses are $160. Kennel licenses are $80, includes 5 tags ($1 for each additional tag and only available through the Auditor’s Office by mail or in-person).

Clermont County reminds everyone that county buildings will be illuminated green Nov. 7-13 as part of Operation Green Light, a new national collaborative initiative of the National Association of Counties (NACo) to support military veterans

Operation Green Light will raise awareness about the unique challenges faced by many veterans and the resources that are available at the county, state, and federal levels to assist veterans and their families.

You are invited to light your businesses and residences green also.

Visit clermontcountyveterans.com for more information and links to resources available to veterans.

A new committee is forming to develop a hike, bike, and paddle plan for Clermont County. The county’s Department of Community + Economic Development (CED) is serving as lead agency for the plan.

CED invited stakeholders interested in transportation and recreation initiatives to an initial meeting at UC-Clermont on Sept. 30.

Attendees included representatives from townships, municipalities, Clermont County Parks, Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau, ODOT and bicycling and trails groups. CED experts shared initial research regarding existing trails, bike, and paddling routes, possible funding sources, planning needs and the like. They gathered feedback from attendees and discussed next steps.

The planning committee will meet during the next year. 

Read more here

Don Swartz was sworn in by Judge Mary Lynne Birck as the newest magistrate of the Clermont County Court of Common Pleas Division of Domestic Relations on Sept. 22. He joins magistrates Penny Gates, Heather Cady and Nathan Little in hearing civil protection orders, dissolutions, and other domestic relations matters.

Witnesses included Magistrate Swartz’s wife and children, other county officials and employees of the Domestic Relations Court.

Magistrate Swartz came to the Domestic Relations Court after working as a private attorney and, notably, as a Guardian Ad Litem in Clermont County for years.  

“I’m looking forward to serving the citizens of Clermont County in my new role," Swartz said. "When I was a Guardian Ad Litem, I worked with families to ensure that the interests of children were given proper consideration by the Court, and I see this as a both a continuation and a giant leap forward in that responsibility. I’m committed to ensuring fair, well-reasoned, and respectful decisions for all parties.”

-Submitted by Rob Barnhorn

Joshua and Candice Smith of Lebanon wanted children, but that had not happened for them. As they approached their 40’s, they considered adoption. But the process of fostering to adopt was intimidating, so they decided not to proceed.

Then, two years ago, Candice’s cousin Caleb was born. His parents were unable to care for him due to drugs. He had been placed in foster care with Candice’s aunt and uncle, an older couple who stepped in short-term.

“Eventually, it was decided that Joshua and Candice should care for him and adopt,” said Cheryl Humphrey of Clermont County Children’s Services. “They love Caleb just as their own and he is a very happy and thriving child. He is very spoiled and loved.”

The adoption was finalized on Aug. 22 to Joshua, 42, an IT director, and Candice, 41, a stay-at-home mother.

Read more here

Learn more about adoption

Billie and Dwayne Richards were on the verge of homelessness, without reliable transportation and unemployed. They had lost custody of their five children. They were using methamphetamine.

After 17 months in the Clermont County Family Recovery Court, the situation changed completely for the married couple of 22 years and their kids, ages 19, 18, 16, 13, and 8.

“Billie and Dwayne have overcome some of the most challenging barriers in their road to recovery,” said Judge James Shriver at the Richards’ graduation from the program on Oct. 13. “They both completed substance use disorder treatment, obtained stable housing, have reliable transportation, gained full-time employment, and their children have been home for over 100 days now.

“Billie and Dwayne both have over one year of sobriety and each of them has provided over 130 negative tox screens.”

The specialized docket under Judge Shriver was one of the first of its kind in southwestern Ohio when it started on Nov. 13, 2014. Clermont County Family Recovery Court was based on the drug court model, which emphasizes treatment over punishment.

Read more here

Judge Mary Lynne Birck and Courtney Nelson, administrative assistant and USN veteran (on behalf of Judge Jesse B. Kramig), along with a group of local veterans, visited the newly built National Center of Excellence for Complex Post Traumatic Stress on Sept. 29.

The center is operated by the Save a Warrior Organization and located in what they have named “Warrior Village,” in Hillsboro. During their visit, Director of Development Laura Rapoch talked with the group about Save a Warrior’s mission and what their program is designed to do for veterans and first responders. 

Warrior Village is located on 350 acres and gives a peaceful and serene environment for program participants to find their way back to their inner selves, as they work through the steps of the program. The Save a Warrior Organization has helped save countless lives since its beginning in 2012 and has alumni from all 50 states. They are dedicated to serving men and women across the nation, who have served either in the Armed Forces or as a first responder. 

If you would like more information regarding Save a Warrior’s mission, or are a veteran or first responder who is interested in applying for their program, visit www.saveawarrior.org.  

Commissioner Bonnie Batchler (left) and Commissioner Claire Corcoran with Gary Moore, first vice president of OKI Regional Council of Governments. 

They attended the Duke Energy Foundation 2022 Nature Grant Ceremony held at the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati.

Taking Root will receive $20,000 for the Tree Canopy Expansion Project. Twenty schools will receive 10 trees each to help restore their tree canopy. An additional 350 trees will go to neighborhoods in Clermont County that have been identified as the most in-need for refurbishment as well.

Are you interested in improving your wellness by exploring: gratitude, traditional foods with a twist, sustainability, self-care, and more – all wrapped up with new gift ideas? Join Ohio State University Extension for the “Unwrap Your Gifts” six-week email wellness challenge to learn more about these and other wellness topics.

The email challenge connects participants with tips, research, and resources to help blend the traditions of healthy holidays while also taking care of yourself. Go to https://go.osu.edu/abchrivercounties and answer a few short questions to get registered. During the week of Oct. 24 all registered participants will receive a pre-challenge message. Participants will then receive one email per week from Oct. 31 to Dec. 19. Participants will have access to optional resources available including the Ohio State University Extension Live Healthy Live Well Blog, a free wellness webinar series, and a fun Bingo card. Pre-and post-challenge online surveys will be used to track participant progress and comments.

Join an award-winning group as it offers another chance to connect with adults who are interested in wellness via email. “Unwrap Your Gifts” will challenge you to explore a variety of “Gifts” to be a better you. This program is offered free and is sponsored by Ohio State University Extension. 

For additional information contact Margaret Jenkins, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, at Jenkins.188@osu.edu or 513-732-7070. 

Join the Clermont County Park District for a lecture on Planting for Birds on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at Pattison Park Lodge in Owensville. Come mingle, share some refreshments and learn! Presentations are geared towards adults/teens and are free and open to all.

Plants and birds have a long history of working together. As an example of mutualism, this development and relationship between plants and birds have had far-reaching consequences, encouraging co-evolution that enhanced the survival of both plants and birds. Planting for Birds explores some of these relationships, tips on how we can grow plants to create habitats to help birds thrive, as well as resources for selections of beautiful native plants that support our local ecosystem.