Bulk Waste Collection
Beginning January 14, 2019, bulk waste collection day is changing to the second Monday of each month.
THE DRUG & OVERDOSE EPIDEMIC IN LORAIN COUNTY
Preservation of the health, safety, and welfare of our county residents is a responsibility we take seriously. Fatal drug overdoses keep rising in Ohio with the Ohio Department of Health recently reporting a 20% increase. The impact is being felt in our community at an alarming rate.
ere in Lorain County (population 306,000), new research estimates 35,000 residents are misusing or abusing opioids*. Last year, 132 overdose deaths occurred. Some of the dead included grandparents. An alarming number of infants are being born displaying withdrawal symptoms due to drug exposure. 75% of our children being placed in foster care in the county is due to parental substance abuse.
Fentanyl is now being mixed with all kinds of street drugs triggering overdoses and death. It is alarming to report that the federal government has assigned two designations to our county because it has become one of the leading drug trafficking counties in the nation. This drug activity is harmful to our families, our children and our local economy ($200-million/year negative economic burden*).
This Public Awareness Report will provide you with the latest information on the severity of the toll the drug epidemic is having on our county. We continue to work with law enforcement and those on the front line. Public Awareness Report
BUDDY CONNECT PILOT PROGRAM
Friendships are just plain good for you. In fact, social connectedness is strongly linked to a person’s overall health, including risk for chronic diseases, depression, happiness, and suicide. To better connect Lorain County adults ages 55 and over to the community, the Lorain County General Health District is launching the Buddy Connect Pilot Program—for no cost. Starting this fall, two phone calls from a volunteer buddy will help you or a loved one to connect to the community; home visits are also available. Call 440-567-4120 to sign up or to volunteer.
TRASH BIN PLACEMENT
Did you know the Republic Services trash truck’s mechanical arms can reach nine feet? PLEASE keep your trash bins three feet from the road to give the Road Department room to plow.
NEED HELP PAYING YOUR GAS BILLS?
FirstEnergy’s (NYSE: FE) Ohio utilities, remind customers having difficulty paying their utility bills that they may be eligible for special financial assistance programs. In Ohio, customer assistance programs include:
• Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP Plus)
The Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP Plus) is an extended payment arrangement that allows Ohio customers meeting program guidelines to pay a percentage of their income or $10.00 per month, whichever is greater, instead of their usual electricity bill. Eligible customers must have a household income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. For more information, call (800) 282-0880.
• Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
HEAP is a federally funded grant program administered by the State of Ohio Department of Development through a network of local community action agencies. HEAP provides customers help with paying winter heating bills, and occasionally summer cooling bills. For more information, call (800) 633-4766 (Ohio Edison and Toledo Edison customers); or (800) 589-3101 (Illuminating Company customers).
• Salvation Army Emergency Hardship Programs
The Salvation Army organizations across the Ohio utility territories offer emergency assistance programs for those who have suffered a recent financial hardship and need temporary help to pay their electricity bill. Program funding is provided by FirstEnergy’s Ohio employees and customers. The distribution of funds is administered by Salvation Army agencies located throughout Ohio. Contact your local Salvation Army agency to learn more.
• Emergency Assistance
Additional help in paying utility bills may also be available to low-income residents through local county departments of human services, community action agencies, soldier’s relief commissions or veteran’s services offices. Listings for these resources can be found in the blue pages at the front of your local telephone directory, or you can call your county government or visit them online to learn
more.
Ohio residential customers of FirstEnergy’s utilities looking for a convenient way to manage their electric bills also can sign up for the FirstEnergy Installment Plan, which allows customers to make consistent monthly payments to avoid the impact of seasonal highs and lows in their electricity bills. To apply or learn more about programs to help keep electricity bills affordable, visit www.firstenergycorp.com or call Ohio Edison customer service at (800) 633-4766; The Illuminating Company customer service at (800) 589-3101; and Toledo Edison customer service at (800) 447-3333. Ohio Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., serves more than 1 million customers across 32 Ohio counties. Connect with Ohio Edison at www.ohioedison.com, on Twitter @OhioEdison and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OhioEdisonThe Illuminating Company serves more than 750,000 customers across Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties. Follow The Illuminating Company on Twitter @IlluminatingCo and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/IlluminatingCo. Toledo Edison serves more than 300,000 customers in northwest Ohio. FollowmToledo Edison on Twitter @ToledoEdison or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ToledoEdison.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company’s transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Visit FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com and follow on Twitter at @FirstEnergyCorp.
LORAIN COUNTY OFFICE ON AGING
The core services offered by Lorain County Office on Aging are designed to promote the health, well-being, and independence of at-risk aging and disabled adults living throughout Lorain County. Services include:
Aging & Disability Resource Network (residents 60+ & adults with a disability)
Information & Assistance
Benefits Screening & Assistance
Options Counseling to help aging & disabled adults remain safely in community settings
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
Support Services to maintain health, well-being & independence
Housekeeping Services
Chore Services
Home Delivered Meals
Transportation Assistance to Health Care Appointments
Food Pantry Services (including home delivery of commodities and fruits & vegetables)
Senior Dining Program
RSVP (volunteer opportunities for Lorain County residents 55+ years)
Senior Years Newspaper
Health Education Services
Kinship Care Program
Main Office
320 N. Gateway Blvd., 2nd Floor
Elyria, OH 44035
(440) 326-4800
Services: Benefits Assistance, Support Services, Options Counseling, Information & Assistance, Senior Dining, Food Pantry Services, Chore Services, Housekeeping Services, Transportation to Healthcare Appointments, Kinship Services, RSVP Volunteer Program, Senior Years Newspaper, Health Education Services.
Service Area: Lorain County
DO NOT KNOCK REGISTRY
Tired of unwanted door-to-door sales? Sign up for the Do Not Knock Registry at blocktheknock.com.
How will a door-to-door solicitor know to not come to my house? Solicitors must request a permit from the Elyria Township Fiscal Officer to be able to sell door-to-door. At that time, Pat will provide them with the Do Not Knock Registry listing the addresses that they are not allowed to go to. You will also receive a Do Not Knock window cling to place near your front door for further notification to solicitors that you’re on the Do Not Knock Registry.
Does the Do Not Knock Registry prevent ALL door-to-door solicitors from coming to my house? No. Non-profit organizations are still allowed to knock on your door.
What should you do if a solicitor still knocks on your door? Ask what organization they’re with. Non-profit organizations like public schools or churches are not regulated by the same rules as for-profit solicitors. Request identification. If you feel the solicitor is in violation of the Do No Knock Registry contact the Fiscal Officer or one of the Trustees to report them. And remember never, ever give anyone a copy of your utility bill.
For more information, go to blocktheknock.com.
FIRSTENERGY CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I2OcmnXy54169PDjcDdJseEHbufjKDZw/view?usp=sharing
LORAIN COUNTY EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM
February 18, 2015 -- This link is to register for the County's Emergency Notification System. It's free to all residents of Lorain County. Emergency Notification System
WRAP MATTRESSES AND UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE IN PLASTIC FOR DISPOSAL
Due to the increasing number of bed bug infestations, all mattresses and upholstered furniture MUST be wrapped in plastic in order to be picked up. If a mattress has been ordered for removal and is out for collection on your scheduled bulk pickup day and it is not wrapped in plastic, the hauler will NOT remove the mattress. ALL mattresses, whether infested with bed bugs or not, are now required to be wrapped in plastic. It is a health hazard to the drivers, workers, and residents for the mattresses to be exposed.
The plastic isn't necessary when disposing mattresses and upholstered furniture during Dumpster Days.