COLUMBUS — State Sen. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin) has announced the release of $150,861 for Marion Technical College to supply training equipment for in-demand programs at the institution.
“Connecting our students to quality equipment and hands-on experiences better prepares them for the workforce,” Reineke said. “These funds will have a lasting impact on our next generation as they enter their careers, but they will also help maintain and further grow Marion’s industrial and healthcare sectors.”
The funds will help secure equipment for a variety of programs, including:
The funding is part of the Workforce Based Training and Equipment Regionally Aligned Priorities in Delivering Skills (RAPIDS) funding passed in House Bill 687, the state’s capital budget. Industry leaders were supportive of funding the equipment and will be directly involved in developing the training.
The League of Women Voters of Marion will present a program on Tuesday that examines whether Marion is prepared for a hazardous materials disaster like the one that happened in East Palestine, Ohio in February. It will take place at 6:15 p.m. in the Health and Technology Building, Conference Room 108, at Marion Technical College, 1467 Mt. Vernon Ave.
Speakers will be Sarah McNamee, director of the Marion County Office of Emergency Management, and Paul Glosser, assistant chief of the Marion Fire Department.
COLUMBUS — Gov. Mike DeWine has announced the availability of $100 million in funding to help local communities eliminate dangerous railroad crossings.
Ohio has approximately 5,700 railroad grade crossings, which are locations where roadways intersect with railroad tracks. Funding from the new Ohio Rail Crossing Elimination Program will support the work of local communities to engineer construction projects to eliminate these crossings and pay matching funds that are required for additional support from the Federal Railroad Administration.
Railroad grade crossings are both a safety hazard and a barrier to traffic, including emergency vehicles. Since the Federal Railroad Administration began collecting blocked crossing data in late 2019, more than 10,500 reports of blocked crossings in Ohio have been filed.
Municipalities can submit railroad crossing elimination projects to the Ohio Rail Development Commission, which will identify the projects with the best opportunities for federal funding and assist in developing these locations into competitive federal grant applications.
Marion Star