Funds to be used for job creation and innovative health, education and energy programs throughout Northeast Ohio

(Washington, DC) Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-17) is proud to announce that he secured a total of $29.7 million in targeted federal investments for the 17th District in Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations bill. The funds are contained in the Omnibus spending bill which passed the House today and the Defense and Military Construction spending bills which were signed into law in September 2008. The Omnibus bill still requires Senate action. If the Senate passes amendments to the bill, any differences will have to be reconciled with the House version.

The money will fund 29 separate health, education, transportation, water, and economic development programs that will help improve the quality of life for residents of the 17th District. “The projects that we are funding in this spending bill are part of a coordinated effort to bring better jobs, better healthcare and better education to our community,” said Congressman Tim Ryan. “These federal dollars are an important lifeline for our community—helping to ensure our residents can find jobs, our children have a quality education and our community is well-positioned for future economic growth."

The full list of Fiscal Year 2009 projects can be found below.

Campbell Brownfield Revitalization Program ($700,000)

Money will be used by the Mahoning River Corridor of Opportunity to replace a lift station, force main and sanitary sewer line on the site of the Campbell portion of the MRCO site. This will enable additional growth and development at the site which has already brought in 150 jobs since 2005.

Streetsboro Trunk Sewer Improvements Project ($1,600,000)

Given to the Portage County Board of Commissioners to improve and replace two sections of failing sanitary sewer line within the City of Streetsboro, the existing sewers in these areas are operating at a fraction of their full capacity and are known to surcharge during storm events. The County plans to replace approximately 14,000 linear feet of sewer line, 54 manholes, and 39 lateral reconnections in the northeast quadrant of the City and in the Industrial Park off of Mondial Parkway.

Little Squaw Creek Interceptor Phase II ($675,000)

Phase II of the Little Squaw Creek Interceptor Sewer Project involves the construction of a sewage pumping station and 1,700 linear feet of 10-inch sanitary sewer line along State Route 193 in southern Vienna Township. Phase II of this project is a vital link between Phase I to the south in Liberty Township, and future phases to the north in Vienna Township. The entire project is expected to be completed by 2020 and consists of five phases. Groundbreaking on Phase I will begin this year.

Wick District-Smoky Hollow Development Infrastructure Improvements ($550,000)

This complex urban initiative is a cornerstone project in Youngstown's revitalization. Wick District-Smoky Hollow is the first large-scale mixed-use project seen in the city in many decades. Its central location promotes collaboration, revitalization, and economic development. The WD-SH plan calls for the construction of more than 32,000 linear feet of new infrastructure on an approximately 80-acre development site.

Alpha Micron Adaptive Liquid Crystal Display ($951,500)

The Adaptive Liquid Crystal Windows project is creating a film which can be used for commercial and residential windows. The program would develop a manufacturable system that will create a liquid crystal-based film where its visible light transmission can be altered from 70% to 30% by application of a voltage from a solar cell. The technology could vastly improve the energy-efficiency of buildings and homes.

University of Akron Fuel Cell for Clean Coal Power Plants ($1,427,250)

Researchers at the University of Akron have been working several years to demonstrate the technical feasibility of building a 5-kilowatt scale coal fuel cell that can economically convert high sulfur coal into electricity with near zero negative environmental impact. U of A is currently in the process of building the coal fuel cell and has developed all the technology necessary. The 5kW fuel cell will be capable of heating/providing electricity to an entire house. As the performance of the fuel cell components is fine-tuned and optimized, funding must be allocated for the design and construction of a 250-kW pilot plant; a critical step to scale up the coal fuel cell technology to the megawatt scale for the nation's electric power supply.

Youngstown State University Center for Efficiency in Sustainable Energy Systems ($1,903,000)

Funds will establish the Center for Efficiency in Sustainable Energy Systems at Youngstown State University as an interdisciplinary industry-university center that integrates engineering design with energy systems analysis to improve the energy utilization of today's manufacturing industry and tomorrow's alternative energy industry.

Ohio Northeast Health Systems Mobile School Based Clinic ($216,000)

Appropriated funds will be used to develop a mobile school-based health clinic program throughout the city schools of Warren, Ohio. Emphasis will be placed on primary health preventive care programs including physical exams, immunizations, developmental assessments; acute health care; and preventive education.

Humility of Mary Health Partners Teen Parent Program ($285,000)

Money will help establish a Teen Parent Program whose goals include reducing repeat pregnancies, ensuring infants receive all immunizations, and reducing accidents by educating young mothers on major safety hazards to infants at each stage of development. The program will focus on increasing young mothers' parenting skills and awareness of the signs of physical illness in the infant and making these moms aware of health resources within the community.

Children’s Rehabilitation Center ($124,000)

Funds will go towards a demonstration project that will implement a multi-disciplinary team approach for providing support services necessary to improve family functioning, build on family strengths, improve family access to a wide range of therapeutic, educational and community resources for special needs children.

Sojourner House Domestic Violence Services ($95,000)

The Sojourner House is the only emergency protective shelter in Mahoning County. Its mission is to provide a comprehensive program of crisis intervention, education, advocacy and shelter for victims of domestic violence in Mahoning County. Sojourner's emergency shelter operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Additional services include crisis, judicial advocacy and case management, domestic violence education, a children’s program and community education.

Power Up Partnership ($190,000)

The PowerUp! Partnership is a research-based project to implement an experimental student response system (SRS) as a means to improve student engagement, learning, and success and as a means to enable teachers to improve the quality of their classroom learning environments. This collaborative initiative will demonstrate the effectiveness of SRS on improved learning.

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Forum Health CT Scanner ($171,000)

Funds will go towards the purchase of a 1.5 Tesla MRI Scanner will allow Forum Health's Trumbull Memorial Hospital to provide improved vascular imaging eight times faster, significantly reduced scan times, increase volumes by ability to schedule more patients, higher resolution of small intracranial structures and joint  and enhanced spinal cord imaging. This upgrade will allow TMH to provide care to the most complex patients in our community and attract highly trained physicians.

Youngstown Symphony Education Initiative ($95,000)

Funds will be used to create a collaborative effort between the Youngstown Symphony and Youngstown City Schools to address the needs of at risk children both academically and socially by integrating music into elementary and middle school curricula.

Magnet Healthcare Initiative, with Humility of Mary ($143,000)

MAGNET, in partnership with Humility of Mary Health Partners, will establish “Lean healthcare services” using MAGNET's highly successful "Lean techniques". Lean is a continuous improvement program that uses proven tools and techniques to identify and eliminate waste in a process such as reducing the time required in admitting, providing improved patient coverage in a nursing unit or even in an operating room which increases success rates.

Edwin Shaw Rehabilitation ($143,000)

Funds will go towards the construction of a new building in downtown Akron to house Edwin Shaw Rehabilitation. Edwin Shaw's current building has structural issues that would make renovations for treatment areas and equipment, therapy area/systems and infrastructure improvement not feasible.

YWCA Strengthening Workforce Development ($146,000)

Funds will go towards workforce development, employment and training programs for the most disadvantaged citizens in our community. The YWCA intends to partner with local government, businesses and training entities to provide work readiness skills, job training and job coaching to maximize the ability of community participants to obtain employment and work towards self sufficiency.

University of Akron STEM Education Initiative ($167,000)

The University of Akron will work with local K-5 educators to introduce science, math and technology classroom activities that will lay a foundation for advanced science and math success in later grades. The program will help inspire and attract Ohio's youngest learners into STEM careers. The University of Akron will do this in partnership with representatives from current and emerging industry clusters in Northeast Ohio.

Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital community outreach programs in childhood diabetes and obesity ($200,000)

This project will establish a new Center for Childhood Diabetes and Obesity at Rainbow Hospital.

Kinsman House Interior Renovation ($150,000)

Federal funding will go towards the second phase of renovations on the historic Kinsman House. Phase one, which is completed, restored the exterior of the building and did not receive Federal funding. Phase two, the interior restoration, would consist of complete restoration of the lower, first and second floors including plumbing, fire protection, HVAC, electrical, and finishing work.

Youngstown-Warren Chamber Salute to Success ($246,643)

Salute to Success is an entrepreneurship development initiative which has been created to address the problem that the Youngstown - Warren region has had challenges with developing business startups. The goal of Salute to Success is focused on providing residents of the Mahoning Valley support in growth and development of private business through an umbrella network comprising a broad range of organizations.

Youngstown Shotspotter ($530,000)

The City of Youngstown is embarking on a series of new safety initiatives in an effort to reduce crime in various neighborhoods. In addition to traditional crime fighting activities, the city is seeking to deploy equipment and technology that will allow for gunshot detection and video surveillance in areas that have statistical patterns of heightened criminal activity.

UMIDOAP Project 180 ($120,000)

Project 180 is designed to work with incarcerated women through targeted Pre-Release Initiatives and reduce the recidivism rates upon release from the institution. Project 180 will also assist women who are at any stage of contact within the criminal justice system to achieve stability, meet short and long term goals on their way to becoming full participants in community life. The program's goal is to improve the success rates for women's full reintegration into their communities and families.

Ohio Police Athletic League Youth Sports ($300,000)

Financing will go towards organizing, creating, and maintaining recreational and educational activities twelve months out of the year for the youth of our community and surrounding areas as an alternative to delinquent acts and/or criminal behavior.

Funds will be used for equipment, insurance, site preparation, tutoring, transportation and medical services.

Inmate Management System ($300,000)

Earmark will go towards acquiring Jailview Management System technology allows Mahoning County to interface current County and City Courts systems, Courtview, to the Mahoning County Justice Center. The program supports single point data entry and up-to-the-minute inmate information. Jail data would be seamlessly derived through software licensing and integrated through a server.

Martha Ave/I-76 Connector ($1,187,500)

Funds would go towards the reconstruction of an existing east-west access road and extension of the road to access Martha Avenue and Massillon Road for economic development purposes. The new roadway would provide a major access road from Massillon Road to Martha Avenues, as well as access to and from I-76.

Warren Greenway Bike Trail ($332,500)

Funds will be used to construct approximately 3.9 miles of bike trail along an abandoned railroad right-of-way through Warren, OH.

OCCHA Senior and Youth Center ($142,500)

Federal investment will go to the conversion and renovation of a warehouse building for use as senior and youth center.

Ravenna Arsenal Ohio National Guard Barracks ($2,000,000)

The project will create housing for Soldiers when they are at the Ravenna Training and Logistics Site (RTLS) for training, filling a need critical to the mission of the Training Site.

High Altitude Airship ($3,200,000)

The High Altitude Airship program provides a high altitude (65,000 ft), low cost, maneuverable, multi-mission airborne platform in support of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communication operations. The HAA will assist in affordable, unmanned, persistent airborne operations for a broad spectrum of US government users. Moreover, communications missions can be accomplished without deploying ground troops.

Feeding Tube for Battlefield Trauma Patients ($1,600,000)

This Feeding Tube has been clinically proven at the Brooke Army Medical Center to offer the most effective method for the successful post pyloric placement of a small bowel feeding tube for battlefield trauma patients. Successful completion of Phase II will allow the elimination of X-rays as a routine part of the feeding tube procedure, saving both the patient and clinician from significant levels of exposure to radiation and saving the U.S. healthcare market $2 billion.

Alternative Energy Fuel Cell Power ($1,600,000)

Remote military base deployments require electrical power for personnel support and command and control applications, and current diesel generators are not fuel sufficient. The market for this product is estimated at more than $200 million per year, and will result in the creation of hundreds of new, high-paying manufacturing jobs for Ohio.

Liquid Crystal Laser Eye Protection ($1,600,000)

The goal of the Liquid Crystal Eye Protection project is to implement digital liquid crystal technology on curved plastic shields, visors and goggles. The threats of laser energy systems are increasing, and a digital lens providing multiple functions of light and laser protection controlled by the user will combat a threat and enhance safety.

Stryker Second Source/Next Generation Tire Development ($800,000)

This project will provide funding to the Army for research development and testing qualification of second source tires for current Stryker vehicles as well as near term next generation tires for heavier load Stryker vehicles under development. Tires are a high use item for Stryker, and the Army is interested in a second source because capacity is strained. This program ensures that services have sufficient supply capacity in a wartime effort—a matter of national security.

Corrosion Engineering Education Initiative ($800,000)

Responding to industry and Department of Defense demands, The University of Akron is establishing the first comprehensive undergraduate education program in the field of corrosion engineering and science. This effort will create corrosion-specific, accredited engineering degrees at the associate and baccalaureate levels, as well as deliver industry-accredited workforce development certification courses.

Helmets to Hardhats ($3,000,000)

This project’s intent is to facilitate access by veterans, National Guardsmen, and reservists to opportunities for skilled employment in the construction industry. This would create a smooth, shift for transitioning active duty military and create careers for existing National Guardsmen and reservists.

TacFab ($2,000,000)

The Army uses its Rapid Manufacturing System (RMS) to provide deployed forces with critical spare parts to keep its weapons systems operating under the extreme wear and conditions of battle. The Tactical Metal Fabrication System, or TacFab, will provide mobile metal casting capability that will complement the RMS to cut parts production time by up to 90%.

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