Latest news with #OhioDepartmentofHealth
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
West Nile virus confirmed in local mosquitoes ahead of Fourth of July holiday
CANTON, Ohio (WJW) — In advance of a Fourth of July holiday weekend, people across the area were already getting outside on Thursday to enjoy the sunshine and comfortable temperatures. But the wet spring and early summer have also been good for mosquitos, and the Ohio Department of Health said West Nile virus has already been confirmed in mosquito sampling across the area. Crash on I-90 West causes backup in Cleveland Lorain, Lake, Portage, Delaware and Montgomery counties each had one pool test positive. Stark County had two pools, Summit County had four and Franklin County had eight. 'So part of the mosquito's life cycle is that they lay their eggs in stagnant water. It needs to be organic, rich — so, tires, bird baths, things like that. And even natural pools,' said Gus Dria of the City of Canton's health department. 'With this wet spring, we've had even low areas wherever water is, if water sits for seven to 10 days in warm weather, you're going to have mosquitoes that can hatch out, and they're going to be able to grow and fly into adult mosquitoes.' he added. In Stark County, the two areas where West Nile was confirmed are in separate areas of the city of Canton. 'Down there in the Southwest side near the refinery would be the nearest big business by there. And then in the Northeast, it's all the way up in the far Northeast; borders Plain Township. It would be [Ransom H. Barr Elementary School],' Dria said. 'They have some baseball fields there and they have some swampy land out there. And where we set our trap down near the swampy land, and that's where we found the other positive pool.' Summit County Public Health has also been trapping and testing mosquitos and West Nile was confirmed in four pools in three areas of the county. 'We had one in Akron and Bath and Sagamore Hills,' said Sara Cochrane of Summit County Public Health. Dria also said there is a lag time between trapping, counting and testing mosquitos — which are sent to Columbus for the testing — and then publishing the results. To combat the chance of a mosquito passing the West Nile virus on to humans, the Ohio Department of Health has launched an effort called 'fight the bite,' encouraging people to use approved mosquito repellants. 'That's the No. 1 thing that you look at. So, fight the bite. If you protect yourself so you don't get bit, that's the best way to know that you don't get the virus,' said Dria. 2025 Northeast Ohio fireworks displays Summit County Public Health also has a link to approved repellants with a guide for what may be best for you. Long pants and long sleeves may also protect against mosquito bites and ticks, but in the hot weather, repellant may be more desirable. Cochrane told FOX 8 News that fans on patios could also help keep mosquitos away because they are not particularly good flyers. Something to also keep in mind this weekend as many people go out to enjoy area fireworks is that mosquitos are most active after dark. 'We want everyone to enjoy the outdoors, get out, exercise. Make sure you stay hydrated in this hot weather, because I know I've been sweating a lot today. But it's one of those things everyone should enjoy the outdoors,' said Dria. 'Mosquitos are just one of those things you just want to be aware of and you want to protect yourself.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
03-07-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Vivek Ramaswamy opponent defends against attacks over her Covid-era policies
Former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton joins Rising to discuss her run for Ohio governor as the sole Democratic candidate.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘It is time for a change.' Dr. Amy Acton talks about running for Ohio governor, reflects on COVID-19
Dr. Amy Acton, currently the only Democratic candidate running for Ohio Governor, spoke at the City Club of Cleveland on June 25. (Screenshot) During a recent forum, former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton emphasized her role as a public servant, not a politician, in her 2026 run for governor. Acton is currently the sole Democratic candidate running for Ohio Governor in the 2026 election. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'I am a doctor. I'm definitely not a politician, but I have been a lifelong public servant,' Acton said last week during a forum at the City Club of Cleveland. 'I'm running for governor because people in Ohio are struggling, and we continue to go backwards on nearly every measure because of special interests and bad actors at our Statehouse who keep taking us in the wrong direction,' she said. 'It is time for a change, and I hear this everywhere I go.' Acton gave a 30 minute speech which included talking about experiencing homelessness as a child, serving as the ODH director during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ohio's need for change, and kindness. 'All too often, kindness is mistaken for weakness, and that is a big mistake,' she said. 'Everywhere I go, people are telling me that they want public servants again. They want us solving the problems of everyday life that we all face that aren't political.' Those problems, she said, include the cost of living, aging in place, child care, safety, and schools. She also spoke out against gerrymandering, lack of maternity units in hospitals, and cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. She also highlighted the importance of working together to tackle issues facing Ohioans. 'You get people from every sector around the table because the wicked hard things we face, like housing affordability, can't be solved by one area alone,' she said. 'It can't be solved by government alone. It takes non-profits and academics and universities and businesses all around the table trying to row in the same direction.' Acton, who is open about the struggles she experienced as a child, grew up in Youngstown. 'I had a very, very rough childhood, very bad abuse and neglect up to the age of 12 (and) ultimately ended up homeless in the middle of winter,' she said. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Acton to be ODH director in 2019 and she quickly became a household name in Ohio during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. She accompanied DeWine during his daily afternoon press conferences in the spring of 2020 and helped translate complex medical terminology into plain English. 'It was a profound honor to lead during COVID,' she said. 'We literally flatten the curve. There's great data now that shows it, and Ohioans rallied in every possible way. We saved a lot of lives, but most importantly, we're also able to open earlier than a lot of places and get back to our lives because we took decisive action.' She received a mix of praise and criticism, and protesters showed up to her Bexley house. Acton resigned as state health director in June 2020 — months after Ohio's first confirmed COVID-19 case. She said she didn't step down because of the backlash she was receiving, but instead it was because she refused to sign an order. 'There was an order that was so egregious I could not do it … because it would have broken the Hippocratic Oath, it would have hurt people,' she said. 'I could not sign my name to that order.' Acton said she was originally approached to run for office by two prominent Ohio Democrats — former Ohio Gov. Dick Celeste and former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, 'because I have a very strange constituency that does not know party, a bond formed during COVID.' Democrats are waiting to see if Brown will run for Senate or Ohio governor, or nothing at all. Currently, gaming and technology businessman Chris Volpe, of Columbus, is the only announced Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in 2026. The Ohio Republican Party endorsed businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Former Morgan County school board president Heather Hill is the only other GOP candidate running for governor, but Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel previously said he is considering running. Current Republican Ohio Auditor Keith Faber is running for attorney general in 2026; current Republican Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague is running for secretary of state in 2026; and current Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is running for auditor in 2026. Bryan Hambley, a cancer doctor with University of Cincinnati Health, is the only announced Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State. Former state representative Elliot Forhan has announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Ohio Attorney General. No Democrats have yet announced their candidacy in 2026 for Ohio auditor or treasurer. Follow Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
NBC News
26-06-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Once opponents in the Supreme Court case that legalized gay marriage, now they're friends
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The case behind the U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide a decade ago is known as Obergefell v. Hodges, but the two Ohio men whose names became that title weren't so at odds as it would seem, and are now friends. One year after the Supreme Court's June 26, 2015, decision, lead plaintiff Jim Obergefell was at an event for an LGBTQ advocacy organization when its former director asked if he wanted to meet Rick Hodges, who'd been the title defendant in his capacity as state health director in Ohio, one of the states challenged for not allowing same-sex couples to marry. "I don't know, you tell me. Do I want to meet Rick Hodges?" Obergefell recalls responding. The two met for coffee in a hotel and hit it off. Hodges said he wanted to meet Obergefell because he's an "icon." He said he remembers telling Obergefell something along the lines of: "I don't know if congratulations are in order because this began with you losing your husband, but I'm glad you won and I've never been so happy to lose in my life." Obergefell and John Arthur, who brought the initial legal action, were longtime partners living in Cincinnati. After Arthur was diagnosed with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in 2011, Obergefell became Arthur's caregiver as the incurable condition ravaged his health. They flew to Maryland to marry before Arthur died in 2013, and the legal battle began when they learned their union wouldn't be listed on the death certificate handled by the Ohio Department of Health. Although Hodges' role as health director required him to defend the state, it didn't mean that his personal views aligned with the state's position. "Personally, I was supportive of their efforts, as were some of the people who worked on the case for the state. Professionally, I had a job to do and I did it to the best of my ability," Hodges said. In the months leading up to the court's decision, Hodges had gathered a group of Ohio lawyers to develop the paperwork needed to create the licensing system for judges to grant same-sex couples marriage licenses on the day of the decision if the Supreme Court ruled in their favor, said Obergefell's lead attorney in the case, Al Gerhardstein. Gerhardstein said Obergefell and Hodge's friendship is unusual in a "very positive and exemplary way." "We need more models like that as we struggle with difficult social issues," he said. The duo said they see each other two to three times per year and have routinely spoken together at conferences and panels. "It's funny, whenever we go into an event together, everybody claps for him and looks at me like I'm the prince of darkness until we're done, and then it's great," Hodges said. They are seeing each other more often this year since it's the 10th anniversary of the decision. Recently, they saw each other at a symposium at Northern Kentucky University and at another event, sponsored by Equality Ohio, the same organization that first led to their introduction. "I can't think of other cases where the plaintiff and the defendant are friends. They might exist, I don't know about them," Obergefell said. "But I'm really glad that Rick and I are friends."
USA Today
26-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
I was the named 'opposition' in Obergefell v. Hodges. I've never been happier to lose.
10 years on, as we reflect on Obergefell v. Hodges and those who are finally able to marry the person they love, I'm honored to have played a small part, even if it was from the other side of the 'v.' Ten years ago, my name was one of the two associated with one of the most significant Supreme Court cases in modern history: Obergefell v. Hodges. The outcome granted same-sex couples the right to marry nationwide, transforming the lives of so many in a deeply personal and profoundly legal way. But the truth is, I never intended to be a part of history. Not because I opposed marriage equality. I never did. In fact, I supported same-sex marriage before my name was ever attached to the case, despite being cast as the face of the opposition. In August 2014, I was appointed director of the Ohio Department of Health. Not long into my tenure, legal counsel told me I would be named as the respondent in a fast-moving legal challenge related to Ohio's same-sex marriage, one that they added was likely to reach the Supreme Court. My name was the 'opposition' to marriage equality. But I never opposed it. At the time, I hadn't even heard of Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff who was taking legal action against Ohio's refusal to put his name on his late husband's death certificate, John Arthur, because of the state's ban on same-sex marriage. I remember saying, 'Wait, what have I done to be involved in this?' But that's how the legal system works. The case was already underway. The court needed a named state official to represent the law being challenged, and as director of the Department of Health, that person was me. I had taken an oath to defend the Constitution and the laws of the state of Ohio, regardless of personal opinions. While those laws did not yet recognize marriage between same-sex couples, I saw my role as administrative and procedural, not ideological. My job was to ensure everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. If the court ruled against the state, as we expected, it would be easy for us to comply immediately. Behind the scenes, my team prepared for that outcome. We didn't want to wait 90 days or longer to implement a ruling, but rather, we worked quietly and diligently to update forms, systems and procedures. When the decision came down, we could honor it without delay. It was important to me that we show respect ‒ not just to the law, but also to the people whose lives would be changed by it, including many of our staff members. On June 26, 2015, when the ruling was handed down, I was in a meeting when one of the attorneys walked in and said, 'We lost.' I nodded and simply said 'OK' before authorizing the release of all the preparations we had already made. I didn't get the historic calls from then-President Barack Obama that Jim Obergefell received. Rather, I did my job to ensure quick compliance ‒ and with relief that the case was resolved and that many people's lives had changed for the better. Opinion: We misremember marriage equality as 'easy' fight. But it paved the way for trans rights. From a strange role in history came an unlikely friendship A few days before the ruling, a lifelong friend of mine in a same-sex relationship called and said, 'Rick, when are you going to lose, because I want to be the first person in Ohio to get married?' I laughed and reminded him that I had no insight into the court's deliberations. But then he asked me something I'll never forget: 'Will you read the Bible at my wedding?' I agreed immediately. Days after the decision, I read the Bible at my friend's wedding. The ceremony was filled with joy, surrounded by friends, including, somewhat ironically, many top Ohio Republicans. It was a moment of real celebration, not just for him and his husband, but for everyone who had waited so long to be recognized by the law. Opinion: I told you GOP would come for marriage. Southern Baptists just proved my point. About ten months later, a mutual friend arranged coffee, and that's when I met Jim Obergefell for the first time. I was a little nervous. After all, I was the named opponent in the case that resulted from the death of his husband. But the moment we met, we clicked, and I told him I was glad he was doing well and that I had never been happier to lose in my life. From there, we became friends. It's a real friendship. Not just polite handshakes at public events, but phone calls, favors, lunches and showing up for each other in ways big and small. Jim has given me a platform to talk about the values I care deeply about: civility, dignity and respect for every human being. And sometimes even now, we speak together, not as plaintiff and defendant, but as two people whose lives were shaped by the same story from very different angles. I never set out to be a part of a civil rights case. But I am proud of how I handled the responsibility. I'm proud that our team made it easy to comply with the ruling. I'm especially proud of the unlikely friendship that emerged from it. Ten years later, we reflect on Obergefell v. Hodges and the people who were finally able to marry the person they love. I think about the sense of relief and the legal protections now provided to all married couples. And I'm honored to have played even a small part in that story, even if it was from the other side of the 'v.' This anniversary gives us the opportunity to set politics aside and reaffirm our commitment to protecting this constitutional right to marriage equality. A decade from now, and decades after that, all individuals can continue to enjoy their right to marry the one they love and experience all that comes with it. Rick Hodges is the named defendant in the 2015 landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges, due to his former role as director of the Ohio Department of Health from 2014 to 2017, and is also a former Ohio lawmaker. Now an assistant clinical professor at Ohio University's College of Health Sciences and Professions, he's also the director of the Ohio Alliance for Innovation in Population Health (OAIPH) and the Ohio University Health Collaborative (OUHC).
