Forgotten Ohio

In this episode of Forgotten Ohio, host Karen Fatula sits down with Dr. Amy Acton, former Director of the Ohio Department of Health and 2026 Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, during her visit to St. Clairsville and Belmont County. Dr. Acton discusses her background growing up in Youngstown, her experiences in public health, and the issues she sees facing Ohio Appalachia, including rural hospital closures, health care access, Medicaid expansion, and property taxes.Dr. Acton also talks about her campaign priorities and why she believes Ohioans are looking for leaders who solve problems rather than create them.Forgotten Ohio is a hyperlocal, nonpartisan podcast bringing news and stories from Ohio Appalachia and the Ohio Valley.Listen and subscribe at www.forgottenohio.com

From November 13–20, 2025, Belmont County, Ohio, had no working CodeRED emergency alert system, leaving residents without notifications for water advisories, severe weather or public safety threats.The outage followed a nationwide cyberattack on the OnSolve CodeRED emergency notification platform which was accompanied by a data breach involving the personal information of registered users. Nearly 11,000 Belmont County residents were enrolled in the system.In this episode, county officials are asked about their response to the outage, revealing gaps in communication, coordination, and public notification. As questions mount, responsibility appears to shift between agencies while residents wait for clear answers.This episode examines how the emergency alert system failed — and how journalist Karen Fatula sought transparency and accountability on behalf of the public.