Heart and Hustle in Hamilton County

241-KIDS is Hamilton County’s 24/7 child abuse hotline — the number anyone can call when they’re concerned about a child’s safety. For more than 50 years, Hamilton County Job and Family Services has operated this critical emergency line, responding to reports of suspected abuse, neglect, dependency and families in crisis who need help. Hotline workers answered nearly 50,000 calls last year. Some a...

In this episode of Heart & Hustle , we sit down with Tony Staubach, Food Waste Diversion Coordinator for Hamilton County ReSource, to rethink how we view food. Tony shares how simple habits like meal planning and shopping with intention can keep food out of the landfill and money in your pocket. With organic waste accounting for roughly 15% of our local landfill and the average family of four...

In this episode of Heart & Hustle , County Administrator Jeff Aluotto chats with Michelle Balz from Hamilton County ReSource about all things waste management. Together, they go beyond the basics of recycling—talking about how to keep your produce fresher for longer, safely dispose of hazardous products around the house, turn yard waste into healthy soil through composting, and more. It’s a pr...

Season 5, Episode 3 of Heart and Hustle in Hamilton County dives into how repairing and preserving homes strengthens entire communities. Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluotto and Media & Engagement Director Bridget Doherty talk with LaChé Roach of LISC Greater Cincinnati about Lead Safe Hamilton County and the Revive + Thrive Home Repair Loan Program. Together, these efforts are tackling...

Ever wonder why fire hydrants aren't always red? We're back with another off-site episode of Heart and Hustle, where we go out and learn all things fire hydrant maintenance with our field operations crew from Planning + Development in Springfield Township. Teaser alert: fire hydrants tend to be magnets for cars! To learn more about Hamilton County, Ohio, our services and job openings, vi...

In this episode of Heart and Hustle in Hamilton County , hosts Jeff Aluotto and Bridget Doherty speak with Greg Forté, Director of the Office of Small Business, about how the County is supporting its thriving community of micro-businesses and entrepreneurs. They highlight impactful programs such as grant funding, coaching, and events like Small Business Day and Pitch Night, which have helped over...

This episode explores the story of the new Regional Safety Complex and how the County, City, and communities came together to relocate a gun range out of Lincoln Heights. Hosted by County Administrator Jeff Aluotto and Communications Director Bridget Doherty, it also features Deputy County Administrator Anson Turley and Hamilton County Sheriff Office Chief Deputy Jay Gramke.  To learn more about H...

Whenever we have a long hiatus in our podcast, we return with a new season of jam-packed government content for our one listener! We jest (but do appreciate our one fan). In our season opener, we talked with Robert Bell and Gabrielle Woehler with the Hamilton County Economic Inclusion and Equity Department.  Robert and Gabrielle discuss the evolution of DEI efforts baked into the County's pur...

"Don't call it electrocuting fish," was our first lesson in electrofishing- a practice where you temporarily stun and collect fish and other aquatic wildlife to determine the health of a stream or waterway. We took our podcast on location to Howard's Creek in Whitewater Township with Sara Fehring and Sarah Meadows from the Hamilton County Conservation District. So, grab your ru...

In 2022, over 50,000 calls rang into Hamilton County's 513-241-KIDS hotline, and over 6,000 cases were opened for assessment. During the entire month, Hamilton County Job and Family Services has been sharing tips on how to prevent child abuse and support families. HCJFS Director Michael Patton and Deputy Director of Children's Services Alexandra Patsfall  joined the Heart and Hustle Podc...

Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluotto talks about the County's biggest achievements in 2022 with some of his top operations staff. Human Resources Director Frank Spataro, Senior Policy Manager Marc Von Allmen and Assistant County Administrators Holly Christmann and Lisa Webb take the mic to discuss some of their favorite projects in 2022 and what they have to look forward to in 2023. Ham...

Long-time Chief of Staff for the Hamilton County Recorder’s Office David Pittinger gets into the details of the office’s efforts to modernize record keeping to improve accessibility and prevent fraud.  The Recorder’s Office just announced a new Real Estate Fraud Alert Service to alert those who enroll for the service of filings under their names, warning property owners to potentially fraudulent a...

There's a new Dog Warden in town. Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society is Hamilton County’s first no-kill shelter operator -  fulfilling the County's Dog Warden responsibilities of collecting stray dogs and enforcing dog licenses.  In August 2020, Cincinnati Animal CARE officially  took over operations of the County's dog shelter in Northside. At that time, the shelter was at full...

Continuing our conversation with local housing experts: Hamilton County Community Development's Interim Director Emily Carnahan, Liz Blum with the Community Building Institute at Xavier University, and Kristen Baker with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) get to the heart of the conversation on whether our neighbors can afford to stay in the communities where they live.  Recent stud...

The news lately has been filled with headlines around housing values and housing affordability.  In this episode of Heart and Hustle, we talk with three housing experts in who really tackle the question- Is housing affordable in Hamilton County, Oh? Hamilton County Community Development's Interim Director Emily Carnahan, Liz Blum with the Community Building Institute at Xavier University, and...

The Hamilton County Environmental Crimes Task Force is heating up this summer. Corporal  Bryan Peak with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office leads a multi-department effort to crack down on illegal dumping of tires, construction debris and other household items. Listen to the latest podcast of Heart and Hustle in Hamilton County, and subscribe, to hear about this great program helping to imp...

In a disaster, Nick Crossley says there's no such thing as 'no.' In Episode 9, the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency Director talks about the biggest challenge he faced during the early days of the local COVID-19 pandemic.  "If you ever call me, I'm saving your cell number," says Crossley who discusses how he gets around the word "no" in order to f...

Looking for ways to celebrate Earth Day? What better way to honor our planet than nourishing its soil with your kitchen scraps! Just as gardening and cooking have gained new enthusiasts during this pandemic, so has composting.  We discuss tips and tricks with our local composting connoisseurs – Michelle Balz and Gage Bradford with Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District. Michelle and Ga...

Hamilton County Board of Elections' top officials, Sherry Poland and Sally Krisel,  talk about changes made on the fly to conduct Hamilton County's 2020 elections during the COVID-19 pandemic.   With nonstop directives coming out of the State due to the  Governor and the Courts arguing  election postponement, Director Poland and Deputy Director Krisel reflect on their sleepless night bef...

Hamilton County Environmental Services Director Brad Johnson discusses the rich history of environmental awareness in Cincinnati and Hamilton County that dates back to the 1800s- when Cincinnati was one of the largest cities in the country and one of the first to monitor air quality thanks to a women's organization.   With the pandemic, Environmental Services has seen its fair share of change...

The Hamilton County Office of Reentry had to get creative fast when the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak ramped up locally in March of 2020. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office instituted measures to reduce the jail population while also increasing safety measures inside of the jail. Once inmates served their time and were released, reentry advocates hit the phones to ensure resources were availab...

Chances are every person in Hamilton County will dial 911 at least twice in their lifetime.  And connecting people to emergency services like police, fire, and EMS during a pandemic is more important than ever.  911 services have seen a tremendous amount of change over the past year, but the mission has remained the same: providing  the most accurate, expeditious, and innovative communication serv...

“2020 will go down as the year of the public servant,” said Hamilton County Job and Family Services Director Tim McCartney who reflected on the tumultuous year and saw a lot of reasons to be optimistic. On this episode of Heart and Hustle, McCartney  and Frank Spataro, director of Hamilton County Human Resources, discuss the rapid organizational changes that took place in response to the COVID-19...

Assistant County Administrator Holly Christmann discusses the heart and hustle behind allocating Hamilton County's $142 Million in CARES Act funding. We dissect how the County prioritized that funding as well as talk to a small business owner who used a CARES Act grant to sustain her business and provide much needed services to her local community.  To learn more about Hamilton County, Ohio,...

Heart and Hustle in Hamilton County is a podcast about the people, places, and policies that govern our local response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Hosted by County Administrator Jeff Aluotto, Heart and Hustle discusses the issues, challenges, and opportunities Hamilton County, Ohio faces as we battle a global pandemic.  On Episode 1: Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman takes a look back at the whirlw...