The Cincinnati Department of Health wants to add 16 positions to the budget for the next fiscal year. Health Commissioner Melba Moore presented the department's budget request to City Council's Budget and Finance Committee Monday.

A former first assistant United States attorney is taking over as the acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. Vipal J. Patel became an assistant United States attorney in 2000 and has served in the criminal, civil and appellate divisions of the U.S. Attorney's Office.

A nationwide suicide prevention hotline means much of the country will shift to 10-digit dialing. The change happens this fall for the 513 and 859 area codes.

Editor's note: On Monday, March 1, the same day this article was published, Gov. Mike DeWine announced that some childcare workers would become eligible for the vaccine beginning Thursday, March 4. You can read more about the new list of Ohioans who qualify here. 

Just over 13% of Ohio residents have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Among the most recent people eligible to receive it are K-12 educators. Governor Mike DeWine says with enough of them vaccinated, schools can reopen in person. But early childcare providers have been excluded from that vaccine rollout even though some have been working since the start of the pandemic.

Cincinnati's director of community and economic development says some interaction between council members and her department can be inappropriate. Markiea Carter briefed members of the new Economic Development Reform Panel at its second meeting Friday.