ProgressOhio

Visiting Marietta on Tuesday, Secretary of State and U.S. Senate hopeful Jennifer Brunner touted a new Web resource her office developed and launched.

The program, "Better Lives, Better Ohio," is an online resource that combines data from various federal, state and local agencies to help citizens and lawmakers quickly access and analyze information about the state.

"What this really is, is an index of indicators of the quality of life in Ohio," Brunner said during her presentation at Washington State Community College, one of several stops she made Tuesday in Marietta.

The Web site includes a wide spectrum of county-by-county information including natural resources, economic factors, health statistics, crime, census data and citizen involvement.

Brunner said the information will be helpful to students and individuals who need data for grant applications, as well as the general public and lawmakers, who want to track the effects of policy change.

Brunner said an example would be to follow drug abuse and crime statistics in areas that have lost drug courts or counseling due to budget cuts - both of which have occurred in Washington County in recent years.

“Better Lives, Better Ohio” Web site