BURTON, Ohio -- Geauga County commissioners on Thursday advanced plans to use opioid settlement funds for community grants and new technology to speed drug prosecutions.

The county’s opioid remediation fund now holds about $670,000 from settlement payouts and could exceed $1 million if unspent, according to Prosecutor Jim Flaiz.

The settlement dollars stem from multibillion-dollar agreements with drug makers, distributors and pharmacies accused of fueling the opioid crisis through deceptive marketing and lax oversight.

Ohio created the OneOhio plan in 2020 to divide the funds, sending 30% directly to local governments, 55% to a statewide foundation for regional projects and 15% to the state. Geauga is part of Region 13 of the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, which also includes Ashtabula, L

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