WEEK IN REVIEW
Friday, August 14, 2026

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Week in Review

For the week ending August 14, 2026

Monday, August 10, 2026

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Executive Order 2026-03D, which gives the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) the authority to create a statewide certification program for recovery housing operators.

Monday's announcement reflects the Administration's commitment to proactively identifying and combatting potential fraud, waste, and abuse. It also builds upon Governor DeWine's longstanding work to increase the capacity of substance use treatment across the state and reduce the stigma associated with seeking treatment.

"Recovery housing provides hope, stability, and a pathway to long-term recovery for thousands of Ohioans," said Governor DeWine. "As Ohio continues to invest in behavioral health and recovery services, we have a responsibility to ensure these programs operate with the highest levels of accountability, transparency, and integrity. The state will strengthen oversight with these new emergency rules while supporting the Ohioans who are on their road to recovery."

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Jim Tressel urged Ohioans to prepare for more dangerous storms to move through the state.

In recent days, several rounds of storms had moved through the state, bringing several inches of rain and damaging winds. According to the National Weather Service, storms moving through Ohio later that day were capable of causing flash flooding, tornadoes, and dangerous straight-line winds.

“I encourage everyone to pay close attention to local media reports and take these weather warnings seriously,” said Governor DeWine. “Even after the storms exit the state, flooding will remain a serious concern.”

Perry and Muskingum counties were already experiencing severe flooding, particularly in Crooksville and Roseville where swift water rescue teams were working to evacuate residents. On Tuesday afternoon, Governor DeWine signed a proclamation declaring a state of emergency in these counties. The proclamation includes the activation of the Ohio National Guard to assist the communities in Perry and Muskingum counties, as needed. 

Governor DeWine announced that 40 members of the Ohio Army National Guard were being deployed to support emergency rescue operations in Perry and Muskingum counties. 

Governor DeWine activated the Ohio National Guard after declaring a state of emergency in the two counties due to severe flooding. 

The 40 Ohio Army National Guard members are based out of the 1484th Transportation Company in North Canton and the 1485th Transportation Company in Coshocton. 

A total of 20 Light Medium Tactical Vehicles were used to support the rescue and evacuation process. 

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Governor DeWine visited with literacy coaches from across the state at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce's ReadOhio Coaches Kickoff training event.

ReadOhio Coaches work side by side with Ohio teachers to help them master the Science of Reading. Then, teachers use these strategies in their classrooms to help students become better readers. Since 2023, ReadOhio has expanded the Coaching program from 33 coaches in 53 schools to 145 coaches serving more than 200 schools.

Governor DeWine visited displaced residents and toured areas impacted by Tuesday's severe weather in Perry and Muskingum counties.

Governor DeWine declared a state of emergency in both counties Tuesday afternoon after storms dropped six to seven inches of rain in the area, causing widespread flooding. The water caused significant damage to infrastructure, homes, and businesses.

"These are resilient communities, and they will come back from this," said Governor DeWine. "The next step is to conduct assessments to determine the extent of the damage across Perry, Muskingum, and the other Ohio counties impacted by flooding and wind damage."

Wednesday morning, Governor DeWine also toured parts of Franklin County that were impacted by straight-line wind damage. The statewide power outage impacted 171,575 customers as of 3:30 p.m.

As more rain moved into Ohio Wednesday night, Governor DeWine warned that flash flooding was still a major concern. 

"Ohioans should continue to remain vigilant and take all weather warnings seriously," said Governor DeWine. "The National Weather Service is forecasting more storms throughout Ohio tonight that could cause flash flooding. If you encounter high water, please do not attempt to cross it."

Governor DeWine provided the welcoming remarks at the 2026 National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Summer National Meeting in Columbus.

Thursday, August 13, 2026

Governor DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Pamela Boratyn announced an $8.8 million investment in projects that make it safer and easier for students to walk or bike to school.

ODOT is awarding funding as part of its Safe Routes to School program, which helps communities build and improve infrastructure — like sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, and traffic-calming features. This year, the program is funding 17 projects across 14 counties.

"Investing in our children’s safety, health, and well-being is one of the most important things we can do for Ohio’s future," said Governor DeWine. "These Safe Routes to School grants empower local communities and give families peace of mind that their student can safely walk or bike to school every single day."

 Governor DeWine and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director John Logue announced that Ohio will expand its program to destroy firefighting foam made with dangerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 

Governor DeWine is directing more than $13 million from Ohio's recent DuPont settlement to Ohio's Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) Takeback Program.  Since launching in 2024, this first-of-its-kind initiative has destroyed more than 13,500 gallons of toxic foam submitted by 118 fire departments and two airports in Ohio.

"Until we launched this program, fire departments in Ohio had no way to safely get rid of this foam, and we didn't have an accounting of how much foam could still be out there. Now we know that there is a lot," said Governor DeWine. "We're expanding the AFFF Takeback Program to help more local fire departments responsibly dispose of these dangerous PFAS chemicals to protect the public, the environment, and the firefighters who risk their lives for the safety of others."

Governor DeWine held a press conference at the Ohio Emergency Operations Center to alert Ohioans about severe weather expected to impact the western part of the state overnight.

Governor DeWine signed an amended proclamation adding Franklin County to the state of emergency that was issued earlier this week.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Dan Tierney: 614-644-0957

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