State Rep. Dr. Terry Johnson announced Tuesday about 8 p.m. that Kasich had decided that the Ohio River Valley Juvenile Correctional Facility (ORV) in Franklin Furnace will close Sept. 10 as scheduled.
The Department of Youth Services announced March 16 the state would be closing the facility to cut costs. Protests began immediately, arguing that ORV is the newest and best-equipped facility in the department. Johnson joined that opposition, speaking at a rally in Franklin Furnace, then beginning a dialogue with Kasich, which resulted in meetings to discuss the closing.
Johnson was waiting to hear back from Kasich on Tuesday evening, hoping he had changed his mind. It didn't happen.
"Gov. Kasich has made his decision. It is not what we had wanted to hear," Johnson said. "I am disappointed and heartbroken for the employees and families impacted. I still do not feel that ORV should be closed. However, I will now focus my efforts on ensuring the facility is used for some other purpose that will continue to provide jobs for our area."
Kasich's decision came after two meetings were held to discuss the ORV closure on Monday. An initial session was conducted with members of the governor's staff and the DYS leadership. Johnson, Scioto County Commission President Skip Riffe, Lawrence County Commission President Les Boggs, Ironton Mayor Rich Blankenship, and several ORV employees attended the first meeting.
A second meeting with Kasich followed with Johnson and ORV employees Daryl Wynn and Joel Patrick in attendance to oppose the closing. Also in attendance were Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Director Gary Mohr and DYS Director Harvey Reed.
Johnson thanked the ORV employees for what he called "an excellent job advocating for the facility to remain open.
"No one could have presented their case more effectively," Johnson said. "Their words were compelling because ORV is the best facility in the DYS inventory and they know it. Ohio lost a great resource today."
David Pigman, superintendent of ORV, also spoke of the dedication of the employees at ORV.
"I am very proud of our employees. These are hard-working people who have held out hope, and I am extremely proud of their support and efforts," Pigman said.
There had been information from the DYS at the outset of the announcement that workers could move to other facilities within the department.
Pigman said about 44 mid-level management and non-bargaining unit as well as some bargaining unit employees have found positions and have moved on.
"I appreciate the other facilities who have been kind enough not to fill positions and to hold them for our employees when their time is finished here," Pigman said.
Pigman said in the years he has been at the facility he has grown close to the employees he sees every day.
"We have a tremendous workforce here, and we have been trying to find jobs for as many as possible, and that is what I will use my energy to do until I'm out the door," Pigman said. "I have been giving employees time off with pay to apply for jobs, and Workforce Development has come in to help because we got a grant."
FRANK LEWIS may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232, or flewis@heartlandpublications.com.
The vision is clear.
Welcome, to the "Twilight Zone."
The City is bankrupt, but still wants a new City Building, the County Government is the first County in the history in the STate of Ohio, out of 88 counties that couldnt pay its bills, but you never ever hear one word from either government about recruiting Industry to the City or County that would pay taxes and solve the money problems.
Why is it Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Dayton, Toledo, Middletown, Springfield, Mansfield, and others get new Industry, Malls, Business but Portsmouth or Scioto County never gets any ????? Could it be they dont know how to recruit them.
In the past 2 years or more, all you hear at council meetings are new Police Stations, new City Buildings. County Commissioners are exactly the same as the City Officials. If this area put as much effort into recruiting Industry as they do fighting drugs, there would be a job for everyone who wanted one.
Wasn't Mayor Malone at at least one of those meetings?
Where's the system in Scioto County, there is none, they just squawk and holler until reality makes them make haphazard decisions by necessity, not by professional proactive management decisions, etc.
So what's next Good Doctor, how about some intervention with Economic growth and development to increase the city and county revenues?
How about be inviting with regional and local plans to attract new business and industry prospects, with office and industrial parks. You got that one Butler building over in NB, they call an Industrial Park is it? Up that steep driveway?
What's next and what have you accomplished since taking office, do you have a list of legislation and or committees after your name yet?
Can you get the prison from the state real cheap and use if for a creative use? They gave the county Juvie Jail to the Hughes Counseling Emporium, and you do likewise with the closing ORV?
Frank how about an article on Dr. Johnson, like the first 100 days in office, etc., guess we missed that milestone?
It's not how many times we get knocked down, it's how many times we get back up and go again until we accomplish something besides effort and failure, it's called accomplishment and success, etc. Governing.