from Board of Elections

All voters must be registered by February 6, 2012 to be eligible to vote in the March 6th Primary Election.

• Voter Registration Form and Instructions

from Board of Elections

You may vote Absentee in person for the March 6, 2012 Primary Election at Memorial Hall, 280 E Broad St Columbus, OH 43215

• Request an Absentee Ballot

from Children Services

This past year the agency experienced an increase in demand for services with reports made to the Child Abuse Hotline reaching a record high of 28,311, up 11% compared to 2010. While this upsurge has also led to an increase in investigations, ongoing protective and placement caseloads of children have remained relatively stable.

• Read the Report

from Children Services

The Franklin County Children Services 2012 Resource Guide is a valuable directory of services for our families, social workers and community partners. This guide serves as only one of many avenues the agency has implemented to demonstrate our commitment to protecting children by strengthening families.

• Read the Resource Guide

from Children Services

The Nancy Fitzgivens Child Protection Award recognizes a direct service social worker that is committed to protecting children and strengthening families. Nominations are being accepted now until February 24, 2012.

• Download the Nomination Form

from Children Services

Child abuse related deaths are reaching near epidemic proportions. Franklin County Children Services, in conjunction with The Center for Child and Family Advocacy at Nationwide Children's Hospital, has launched a campaign urging single parents to consider carefully who they allow to care for and be with their child. For full information, go the Franklin County Children Services web site.

from Public Health

Cold and flu season is upon us once again, but you don't have to fall victim to the virus if you follow a few easy suggestions. Franklin County Public Health has posted tips and suggestions on its web site.

• Franklin County Public Health Website

from Metro Parks

Registration is now open for volunteer training at Inniswood Metro Gardens. Registration will be open until March 1st, 2012. Volunteers will participate in all aspects of the park, including maintenance, education, and special events. Details are available at the Metro Parks web site.

from Board of Elections

The Franklin County Board of Elections voted today to print 94,950 paper ballots for the March 6, 2012 primary election- a number that exceeds a recent directive from the secretary of state by not only printing enough paper ballots to match 10 percent of a precinct's turnout from the 2008 primary, but also enough to cover each provisional ballot cast in a precinct during the primary four years ago.

• Read Complete Press Release

from Board of Commissioners

The Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC), in association with the 200Columbus: The Bicentennial organization, has announced that a second round of grants is available to non-profit organizations to commemorate Columbus' Bicentennial year and the role of neighborhoods in the shaping of Columbus' past, present and future. Applications for the second round of grants are due on Wednesday, February 15, and must be sent electronically.

• Apply for a 200Columbus Neighborhood Grant

from Board of Commissioners

On January 9th, Commissioner Paula Brooks was unanimously elected as Board President for 2012. Commissioner Brooks previously served as Board President in 2006 and 2009.

Read the Press Release

from Soil & Water

The Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District will begin taking pre-orders for trees in Mid-January. Customers will be able to pick up their plants in the spring. Please see the Soil and Water website for full details!

from Board of Commissioners

Central Ohio is home to some special people. These are the people who care about their neighbors and about people they may never meet. They're the people who go above and beyond to make their communities better. The Jefferson Awards recognize those super-volunteers who improve the quality of life in Central Ohio. If you know someone who provides outstanding volunteer service that makes Central Ohio a better place to live, nominate him or her for a 2012 Jefferson Award.

• Click here to nominate someone

from Board of Commissioners

EcoSummit 2012 will bring together the world's most respected minds in ecological science to discuss restoring the planet's ecosystems. Visit the EcoSummit 2012 website for more information.

from Board of Commissioners

Since its emergence from a dense Ohio forestland in 1812, Columbus has become a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with a rich, proud heritage and an even brighter future. Celebrate all the things we love about Columbus now and all it promises to be during 200Columbus the Bicentennial, a year-long series of festivals, special events, music, arts and cultural exhibits, performances and more to mark the city's 200th birthday. For more information, go to 200Columbus.com.

from Auditor

The Franklin County Auditor provides a property tax reduction for seniors and disabled individuals through the Homestead Exemption. All homeowners who qualify for the Homestead Exemption will receive a flat $25,000 property tax ex-emption on the market value of their home. Eligibility for this program is not dependent on income. Enrollment period is the first Monday in January through the first Monday in June. Click the link below for details.

• Homestead Exemption

from Board of Commissioners

Do you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit? Come to one of 19 FREE tax prep sites; you're eligible for free tax prep if your household income was up to $49,000 in 2011. You may qualify for a refund even if you think you don't owe any taxes. Households earning up to $49,078 in 2011 may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Tax prep is free, even if you don't qualify for the EITC. No fees or high interest loans! Call 2-1-1 today to schedule an appointment. Sites are open evenings and weekends from February through April.

• Read the brochure

from Children Services

The holiday season can be a hard time for families who cannot provide all that they would like for their children. This year, Franklin County Children Services made a merrier Christmas for more than 5,300 Central Ohio Children while raising more than $200,000! The funds raised purchased gift cards for Teenagers and provided special holiday meals for families. See a video from Holiday Wish at http://youtu.be/k5Dka6BTK0s.

from Metro Parks

Winter hikes are back! Metro Parks will open the 39th winter hiking season on January 7th at Blacklick Woods and will visit 13 different parks through February 25th. Hikers who complete seven different hikes will receive a decorative patch. For details please visit the Metro Parks web site!

from Children Services

• Create A Sense of Order

from Soil & Water

Leaves. They aren't beautiful fall color when they are smothering your lawn and clogging your roof gutters. Try not to think of them as a nuisance but as a resource. Leaf compost is an excellent soil amendment, adding nutrients, creating soil structure and pore space in sticky clay soils, aiding infiltration of rain into the soil during wet weather and holding moisture for plant use during dry weather. Raking or blowing leaves into the street causes flooding from clogged storm drains and impairs streams with an excess of nutrients. If your community uses leaf-vacs for collection, keep the leaves on the tree lawn or in your yard and out of the street.

For free disposal of leaves, SWACO lists locations at http://swaco.org/YardWaste.aspx. For help with composting, call Franklin Soil and Water at (614) 486-9613.