Latest news with #Baldridge
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Program for Ohio's water health could face dramatic cut in funding
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A program created in 2019 for Ohio's water health, called H2Ohio, could face a dramatic cut in funding. H2Ohio was created by Gov. Mike DeWine. The program is run by three state agencies to achieve one goal: ensuring Ohioans have access to clean and safe water. 'We've got a lot of water,' Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture Brian Baldridge said. 'But we need to make sure we have quality.' Baldridge works alongside the directors of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to keep H2Ohio effective. But right now, the state budget slashes its funding. Columbus' Leveque Tower to covert apartments into for-sale condos 'In many ways, they've already achieved a lot of the things they wanted to do,' Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said. 'Not at all,' Baldridge said in response to Huffman's comment. 'This is a continuation.' The past two fiscal years, H2Ohio received a combined $53 million to continue its work. DeWine wanted a slight increase of about $1 million for the next two. But Ohio House members cut it by about 46%, funding it at about $14 million for fiscal year's 26 and 27 each. In a statement, the Ohio EPA said in fiscal years 24 and 25, 400 H2Ohio grants were awarded statewide to support things like water, infrastructure, dam removal and chloride reduction. With the funding cut the EPA spokesperson tells me only 20-30 grants will be issued the next two years. They say H2Ohio has been 'instrumental in helping communities, especially small and disadvantaged ones.' Huffman said not only does he think H2Ohio could go without all of that money, but he said the state has other priorities. 'I think there's money I that fund that we could use for many of the other programs, so it's really just a balancing,' he said. 'This is a long-term program, this is a long term vision,' Baldridge said. 'It's just all about water quality here in our state because it is so important in our state.' The budget does still need to go through the Ohio Senate before it passes the Statehouse. Baldridge and the Ohio EPA said they are going to continue pushing for the programs funding to come back up. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Country Comeback Story Drew Baldridge Finds Himself on the Cusp of Another No. 1 with 'Tough People' (Exclusive)
Drew Baldridge's latest single, "Tough People," is currently circling the Top 10 on the Mediabase charts He became the first self-released artist to hit No. 1 on the country charts last year Now, Baldridge is gunning for a second shot at the top spot Country music's rising star Drew Baldridge currently finds himself on the cusp of perhaps another No. 1 hit with his current Top 15 single 'Tough People.' And certainly, he has Luke Combs to thank. "Luke recorded 'Tough People' first,' Baldridge remembers in a recent interview with PEOPLE about the impactful song he wrote alongside Combs, Adam Sanders and Jordan Walker that was released last October. "I was looking for a second single and I had always loved 'Tough People,' but I just felt like the song was already his." Nevertheless, Baldridge decided to call the two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year anyway. "I remember Luke saying, 'Dude, you wrote it, and you should sing it,'" recalls Baldridge. "'It's your song and I'll root you on all the way to No. 1.'" And that is now looking like the trajectory that 'Tough People' is going to take — and Combs knows it. "I saw him in Nashville when 'Tough People' had just reached the Top 15 and I thanked him and he was like, 'Shut up, man,' Baldridge, 32, recalls with a laugh of the moment he shared with Combs while out on tour with Cody Johnson. "He said, 'Don't say thank you. This is your moment. This is your song. I'm so happy for you.' And he was so kind. And it's just been another one of those things where you see why when you take a chance on yourself, you never know what might happen." He draws in a deep breath. "It's just been the roller coaster of a ride for me for the last 18 months,'"continues Baldridge, who also launched The Tough People Fund earlier this year to "highlight those individuals, families and communities that are experiencing the toughest of times." "Being in town for 13 years and being at the point of giving up … to scoring a No. 1 record." Related: Drew Baldridge's Song 'She's Somebody's Daughter' Is Experiencing a Resurgence — 5 Years Later (Exclusive) Indeed, Baldridge's first No. 1 hit "She's Somebody's Daughter" catapulted the Illinois native to new heights not only in the eyes of fans, but perhaps more importantly, within the country music industry as a whole. "Picking the second single was almost harder than picking the first, because I wanted to make sure I didn't end up a one-hit wonder," Baldridge says quietly. "I love 'She's Somebody's Daughter,' but I didn't want to be the 'She's Somebody's Daughter' guy forever. I wanted to be more than that." Having become the first self-funded artist to reach No. 1 on country radio with their debut single, Baldridge's newfound fame not only left him in awe of what he had accomplished, but all that he and his wife Katherine had accomplished together. "A lot of people don't realize how many sacrifices she had to make and how big of the story that she was," says Baldridge of his wife of almost four years, with whom he shares a 2-year-old son, Lyric Lee. "I was running a label and booking my shows and doing this all alone. And she was almost like a single parent sometimes because I was gone so much. She was drained. But she stayed with me through all of that and supported me. It takes a special partner in your life to do the life that we have." Related: Drew Baldridge and Wife Katherine Welcome a Baby Boy, Lyric Lee: 'Best Gift for Christmas' It's also taken the love of Baldridge's fans to get him to where he stands today — especially the fans who stuck by him long before he found himself as a constant on the country music charts. "Awhile back, I went around the country and played all of these people's backyards and it was those people that kept me going," Baldridge remembers. "It wasn't Nashville, and it wasn't radio in that moment. It was the actual people I was making music for. That's when everything changed. I realized that I was making music for real hearts and souls." And it's those stories that Baldridge says he hopes to continue to tell. "We're all struggling,' concludes Baldridge, who will head out on the road this summer with fellow country music hitmaker Bailey Zimmerman on his New to Country tour. "But let's put a light on these tough times that we're going through. We're all tough people. We all have a scar. We all have a story, and I think that's what I want my music to say." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Chart-topping musician to headline Westville festival
WESTVILLE — The Westville Lions Club has announced the entertainment lineup for the 113th Westville Labor Day Celebration. Taking place on Aug. 30, the event will be headlined by Drew Baldridge. Baldridge, an Illinois native, is making waves in the music scene in Tennessee, a news release states. Baldridge will captivate the audience with his new single 'Tough People,' as well as his recently acclaimed viral hit, 'She's Somebody's Daughter,' which reached number one on the charts. The evening will begin with a performance by Neon Rodeo, a cover band specializing in the sounds of 90s country music. 'The 113th Westville Labor Day Celebration promises excitement for the entire family, featuring a giant carnival with rides and games suitable for all ages. We will once again offer a variety of vendors and delicious food options, along with a spectacular fireworks display in the park on Sunday evening. Join us for a weekend filled with fun and excitement in the heart of Westville,' a news release states. In addition to musical entertainment, the festival will host the longest-running Labor Day Parade in downstate Illinois. More event details will be available online soon, but concert tickets are on sale now. Gates for the concert will open at 6 p.m., and the show will start at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $10, while party pit tickets – located closest to the stage – are $25. Ticket prices will increase on the day of the show. Both ticket types are available now at
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Funding available to help Ohio farms still reeling from drought
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Department of Agriculture announced the sign-up period for Ohio farmers to apply for relief funding following last year's drought. 'We went to the different counties that were really impacted throughout this historic drought that we saw last summer and into the fall and we were meeting with farmers, meeting with local stormwater offices, and hearing their concerns,' Ohio Department of Agriculture director Brian Baldridge said. Ohio lawmakers were part of these visits too. Baldridge said the initial place farmers can turn to for help is the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But they decided to add some additional assistance. Governor Mike Dewine signed Senate Bill 54 into law in 2024, which allocated $10 million worth of funding for the 28 counties hit the hardest by the drought. Firefighter injured after falling down stairs in Columbus house fire 'We were hearing stories from farmers who had been seeding their winter storage of hay since the first part of July, hauling water because those streams, ponds, wells, springs were dried up on their farms,' Baldridge said. One of those farms includes Harrison Farm in Groveport. The owner, Katherine Harrison, said the drought didn't just cause a rough spring and summer. It also led to the worst winter she's ever had on the farm. 'I struggled to give my animals the care that they needed and keep this farm operating. I gave up a lot of things that I needed so that funds were there for the farm,' Harrison said. She is the fifth generation of her family to own the farm. It means a lot to her to keep all 700 of her animals healthy. 'Every day I am working and so typically I work seven days a week, ten to 14 hours a day because I believe in this farm,' she said. Typically in the spring and summer months, the animals will graze the pastures, according to Harrison. But after the drought hit, the grass dried up. She was forced to use her hay supplies that are saved for winter. By late fall, she said the hay was gone too. Luckily, community donations came in. 'Frankly, we would not have made it through the winter. Having the Christmas trees and the pumpkins allowed us to be able to make it to today,' said Harrison. While these donations kept the animals fed, Harrison said the different foods led to health issues. For example, it's lamb and kidding season but many of the mothers don't have enough milk. 'When a mother cannot provide the care that a baby needs, then it becomes my responsibility. So not only have we navigated health issues in the adult animals as well as in the newborns, but we've also had those situations where mama may not have enough milk from nutritional compromising,' she said. Harrison said this funding would help get the animals healthy again and allow her to stock back up on depleted supplies. 'I am hopeful to soon be able to enjoy buying groceries without worrying about whether the farm is going to keep going,' she said. Applications are open until April 1. The eligible counties include: Athens, Belmont, Carroll, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Licking, Madison, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Tuscarawas, Vinton and Washington. The Ohio Department of Agriculture said the funding is available to any livestock producer participating in the USDA FSA Livestock Forage Disaster Program. Baldridge said farmers are encouraged to contact their local Soil and Water Conservation Districts to discuss eligibility and to apply. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bird flu taking mental toll on Ohio farmers, but resources available to help
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — The numbers related the bird flu outbreak are staggering, with nearly 12 million birds killed on Ohio farms alone since Dec. 24. Agriculture officials say it's impacting not just the farms but the farmers themselves. A Darke County commissioner, a farmer himself, is working to make sure people in the community who farm have the mental health resources they need. According to Commissioner Matt Aultman, the bird flu outbreak, hot on the heels of last summer's drought, has put a lot of strain on local farmers. 'Farmers aren't known for weakness,' said Aultman. 'We try to be a strong group of people.' With bird flu hitting 1st Ohioan, what are the symptoms and how is it treated? He said that he knows what it's like to go through a difficult time when much of your day gives you too much time to contemplate. 'When you spend six, seven, eight hours by yourself, you kind of overthink things,' said Aultman. 'I'm a big overthinker myself, and you kind of get in your own head with everything.' 'We Got You Back' program for farmers Aultman said he's made it part of his mission to let fellow farmers know they are not alone. 'No matter how dark yet, there are resources and support out there to help you get to tomorrow,' he said. Brian Baldridge, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, said that with the bird flu outbreak in the Miami Valley, it's logical for farmers to feel additional stress. Former CDC director predicts bird flu pandemic: What to know 'We're depopulating them because of an outbreak,' said Baldridge. 'There's a lot of stress and mental aspects and financial strains that goes on through this process.' Stressful times such as these are why the Ohio Department of Agriculture teamed with the Farm Bureau and Ohio State to launch the 'We Got Your Back' program. The website for the program provides a list of free mental health resources designed just for farmers. 'In the ag community, we're a small, small group of people when you look at the population of actual farmers,' said Baldridge. 'Putting together those resources that are easier, accessible, is our goal and just bringing people together and again bringing more attention to this topic.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
