black vulture
Leadership Highland Health and Public Safety Day
Brooke Beam, PhD
Ohio State University Extension, Highland County
Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator
Class members of Leadership Highland participated in Health and Public Safety Day on November 14, 2018. Participants learned about health care, safety, and the security procedures available for Highland County.
The Highland District Hospital provided breakfast for the participants of Leadership Highland and a tour of the hospital facilities. Randal Lennartz, President and CEO of Highland District Hospital, and Tim Parry, Vice President of Operations, discussed the hospital’s future plans for expansion. The expansion project will include a new cancer care unit, an expanded and remodeled surgery unit, an increased number of beds for patients, and additional parking, among other projects.
The second tour of the day was of the Highland County Sheriff’s Office and the Highland County Jail. Leadership Highland participants learned about the daily operation of the jail and the jobs assigned to the inmates. Corporal Benson, of the Highland County Sheriff’s Office, conducted the tour. After the tour of the jail, Corporal Benson provided a tour of the Sheriff’s Office and the 911 call center.
During lunch, Brooke Beam, of the Highland County Extension Office, conducted a workshop on communication strategies for businesses. Risk and crisis communication strategies were highlighted in the workshop, particularly for handling a press conference. Strategies for social media, photography, and basic video production were also discussed in the workshop.
Following lunch, Leadership Highland participants toured the Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District Hillsboro facilities. Firemen Anderson, Sanborn, and Snyder provided a detailed tour of the facilities and the equipment they use on each vehicle. They showed Leadership Highland participants the water trucks, fire trucks, and ambulances.
Jared Warner, Highland County Health Commissioner, led Leadership Highland participants on a tour of the Highland County Health Department and explained the different areas the Health Department covers. The Health Department provides immunizations, food inspections, sewage system inspections, tracks the spread of infectious diseases in the county, and maintains the birth and death records. In 2017, the Highland County Health Department tracked 289 infectious diseases, conducted 699 food inspections, conducted 1,028 sewage system inspections, and provided 3,702 immunizations. The Health Department is staffed by 13 full-time employees and a few part-time contractors.
David Bushelman, the Director of the Highland County Office of Homeland Security and the Emergency Management Agency, provided the final tour of the day. In the event of a natural disaster or a terror attack in Highland County, Bushelman would provide a plan for mitigating the threat. Bushelman operates and maintains an emergency call center that is on standby in case it would need to be used in an emergency. He also offers local emergency planning training.
Thank you to the Highland District Hospital, Highland County Sheriff’s Office, Ponderosa Steakhouse, Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District, Highland County Health Department, and the Highland County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for assisting with Leadership Highland’s Health and Public Safety Day. The next meeting of Leadership Highland will be held in December. For more information about Leadership Highland, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.
Upcoming Events:
The next Highland County Monthly Extension Program will be held on December 10, 2018, at 10:00 A.M. at the Ponderosa Steakhouse in Hillsboro, Ohio. Gary Ludwig from the USDA APHIS Wildlife Services will be speaking on managing Black Vulture Predation. Please RSVP and plan to attend.
Highland County Master Gardener Volunteers will hold their next meeting on Thursday, December 13, 2018, at 4 pm in the Large Meeting Room in the basement of 119 Governor Foraker Place, Hillsboro, OH. The plan for 2019 will be set at this meeting, as well as recording volunteer hours for 2018. There will be a holiday cookie exchange at the meeting. For more information, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.
A fifth Beef Quality Assurance Training will be held at Union Stockyards on Tuesday, January 22, 2018, at 6:30 P.M. Please RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.
Fertilizer and Pesticide Recertifications:
February 19, 2019
Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial
6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only
March 4, 2018
Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial
11:30 am Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only
Registration details will come in the mail from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Registration for OSU Extension Pesticide and Fertilizer and your renewal application for ODA Pesticide/Fertilizer must both be completed. Meals will be included at each recertification training at Ponderosa.
Upcoming Monthly Extension Program – December 10, 2018
Upcoming Highland County Extension Programs
Brooke Beam, PhD
Ohio State University Extension, Highland County
Agriculture and Natural Resources/Community Development Extension Educator
As the fall harvest season ends, the Highland County Extension Office will begin to hold Monthly Extension Programming again. The next Monthly Extension Program will be held on December 10, 2018, at 10 am at Ponderosa Steakhouse. Gary Ludwig, from the USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, will be the guest speaker. Mr. Ludwig’s presentation will be Managing Black Vulture Predation. He will cover information on:
- Black Vulture Identification and Habits
- Fact and fiction regarding the Black Vulture’s Protected Status
- Applying the Integrated Wildlife Damage Management (IWDM) Process to Black Vulture Problems
- Obtaining and effectively utilizing a Federal Depredation Permit
- The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) as Administered by the FSA
RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918 to reserve your seat. The cost to attend this program is free; however, attendees are strongly encouraged to purchase lunch on their own at Ponderosa.
The next Beef Quality Assurance Training will be held at Union Stockyards on Tuesday, January 22, 2018. The program will start at 6:30 pm. This will be the fifth in a series of BQAs held in Hillsboro within a span of six months to certify beef producers in the safe handling and treatment of cattle. Companies, like Tyson and Wendy’s, will be requiring beef producers they are sourcing their beef products from to be BQA certified in 2019. At this point in time, BQA certification is not mandatory for beef producers, but it is strongly encouraged if you are hoping to market your beef to a company that is requiring the certification. If you were not able to attend one of the previous BQAs, consider attending this upcoming training. RSVP to the Highland County Extension Office to reserve your seat.
Dates have been announced for the 2019 Highland County fertilizer and pesticide recertifications. In 2019, there are several thousand individuals who need to recertify their fertilizer and pesticide applicator licenses. Over 100 Highland County residents will need to renew their licenses. There will be two recertifications held in Hillsboro in 2019, so all Highland County residents needing to recertify will be able to do so in Highland County. The dates for these recertifications are:
February 19, 2019
Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial
6:30 pm Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only
March 4, 2018
Ponderosa Banquet Center, 545 S. High Street, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133
10:00 am to 11:00 am Fertilizer Recertification – Private and Commercial
11:30 am Pesticide Recertification (Core, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Private Applicators Only
Registration details will come in the mail from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Registration for OSU Extension Pesticide and Fertilizer and your renewal application for ODA Pesticide/Fertilizer must both be completed. Meals will be included at each recertification training at Ponderosa, the cost to attend both a fertilizer and pesticide training will be $40.00.
For more information about any of the upcoming programs, contact the Highland County Extension Office at 937-393-1918.