GREENVILLE—The Darke County Commissioners met on Thursday afternoon to discuss economic development and to sign a Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week proclamation. Commissioners Matt Aultman, Mike Stegall and Larry Holmes were all present.
Cameron and Kristen Ruffer, of Versailles, lost their three-year-old daughter Callie to Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) in Dec. 2021. In honor of their daughter’s life, the Ruffer’s asked the board to spread awareness of the toll CHD takes on thousands of families in the U.S each year, and the research that has yet to be done on CHD.
The board signed a proclamation declaring the week of Feb. 7 to Feb. 14 to be Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week in Darke County. The proclamation acknowledged that one in 100 babies are born with CHD Defects, which is about 40,000 babies each year in the U.S. This makes CHD the most common cause of birth defect-related infant deaths in the U.S.
Next, the board approved Resolution, (R-54-2022), for the designation of economic development to be lead agency. The Miami Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC) and the Dayton Development Coalition (DDC) partnered with the U.S. Economic Development Administration to update to the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for the Dayton region. The region includes the following 13 counties: Auglaize, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Darke, Greene, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Shelby and Warren.
The MVRPC and the DDC engaged stakeholders from each participating county and the major industry associations to ensure that the content of the strategy reflects the needs of all in the Dayton region.
The Darke County Board of Commissioners hold regular session every Tuesday and Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at 520 South Broadway, Greenville, Ohio 45331. For more information contact the commissioner’s office at 937-547-7370.
