skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for the first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Weatherization: Helping Ohio Families Save Money and Keep Warm

play audio
Play

author Mary Kuhlman, Managing Editor

 Contact

Thursday, December 15, 2011   

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The state’s Home Weatherization Program has been getting a chilly reception recently, amid accusations of inefficiencies. That's not the case, according to those involved in the state's weatherization network, who say Ohio has led the nation in production and quality since the program began.

Rochelle Dennis Twining, executive director of a Community Action Organization serving Delaware, Madison and Union counties in central Ohio, says they've helped many families save money and keep warm.

"Under the stimulus program we were able to more than double the number of people we served. We served 150 households, which is quite significant in such a rural area of Ohio."

In Ohio, stimulus dollars have helped weatherize more than 40,000 homes. Besides creating energy efficiency, Twining says, the program also hired 1,100 workers and provided high-quality training, which will help further their careers.

The program is doing more than just helping families stay warm, Twining says; it's also helping with their monthly budget. She says the goal is to save families 50 percent of their energy bills.

"When they start seeing a gas bill go down 100 bucks a month, and they have that 100 bucks to buy groceries or pay for their medicine or do other things, they are very grateful."

Weatherization workers do a good deal of dangerous work, she says, and are expected to turn out a very high level of quality.

"The criticism is painful because most weatherization crews are very dedicated, and I don't think that the general public realizes the standard of perfection that we are held to in terms of our monitoring and our inspection."

An Ohio Inspector General investigation alleges that the Ohio Department of Development has provided inadequate oversight of the program. While the department says it is reviewing its procedures, federal oversight agencies involved in the program say Ohio is doing a good job.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Social Issues

play sound

Like polling from other battleground states, the race for the White House remains close in Wisconsin. But fresh numbers out this week show some …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021