Comedian John Mulaney has a joke about the New York Post and how it chooses to identify people in headlines. He said the tag “hero” is placed on anyone who simply does their job, listing “hero tutor teaches after school” as an example. Obviously an exaggeration, but his idea is something I agree with. We throw the term hero around too loosely these days. This is probably going to upset some people, but not all police officers, firefighters and members of the military are heroes. They serve the public in a variety of important ways and their jobs can put…
Author: Chad Williamson
Despite sunny skies and mild temperatures, high winds ripped through Union County on Saturday. Brief power outages were reported and numerous limbs and trees were damaged, like this one on West Fourth Street. According to the National Weather Service, wind gusts as high as 60 mph were reported in Ohio on Saturday. (Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson) —
The All Ohio Balloon Fest is pivoting to a new style of music for its Friday night entertainment in 2023. After booking almost exclusively country music or ’80s rock for shows at the Union County Airport since 2012, the organizers have moved into the arena of ’90s rock, booking well known band The Wallflowers to perform on Friday, Aug. 11. The need to adjust became clear as organizers began working in the early fall to find bands for 2023. “We have known for a few years that there would be a flood of artists, that stayed home during COVID, that…
Marysville School officials are concerned with contents of Ohio House Bill 1 (HB1), painting the tax rollback legislation as a sort of wolf in sheep’s clothing. “Those changes are going to trigger a number of things that may not be very good,” board member Dick Smith told the board at its meeting Thursday evening. After being first mentioned by district treasurer Todd Johnson during the February meeting of the board, Smith dedicated a portion of his legislative report Thursday to HB1 which he said is listed as a priority bill. The bill looks like a boon to taxpayers, offering reductions…
North Lewisburg police officers will be seeing a change in the way overtime hours are accrued. Village council voted Tuesday night to approve the department for a 28-day pay period, compensated in two pay checks, which will allow more flexibility in shift scheduling. While all public and private employees are required to be paid 150% of their regular pay rate for all hours worked in excess of 40 in one week, special provisions are made for police and fire department workers. The reason for this is that first responders often require extended shifts, such as 24-hour or 12-hour durations, as…
I think one of the most important components in being successful in any career is to be honest about your worth. All paying jobs have value which, generally, revolves around improving lives on some level. Whether it’s paving roads, selling T-shirts or washing the windows of skyscrapers, an occupation provides a service that another person wants. For our efforts we receive financial compensation, but for many there is also a personal satisfaction as well. The most fulfilling occupations are those in which the person truly believes in the value of the product or service they provide. But we need to…
The storms that raced through Union County Monday brought strong winds with them. While widespread damage was not reported, the baseball diamond at Marysville High School saw the roof of its home dugout, above, completely ripped off. At left, workers from Segner Contractors gather up pieces of the roof, which blew west toward the high school, with some debris reaching the student parking lot. Representatives from Segner Contractors felt the roof could be repaired in time for the first home game later in March. (Journal-Tribune photos by Chad Williamson) —
The Marysville School System is contesting the value of six commercial properties in the district, a move that could result in more than $400,000 of increased tax payments. While the number is substantial, the board of education learned at Thursday night’s meeting that recent state legislation has substantially limited the district’s ability to challenge values. Treasurer Todd Johnson said the district previously would challenge values on more than 20 properties each year before House Bill 126 was approved in July, which stipulates that only properties sold for 10% above and $500,000 more than the county auditor’s estimated value can be…
North Lewisburg’s negotiations with other counties to find a solution to its sewer regionalization issue seems to have paid off. Village Administrator Todd Freyhof told council this week that a Feb. 1 meeting with members of the Logan County Sewer District resulted in a fee structure he believes the residents can live with. “The price is in the range of where we hoped it would be,” Freyhof wrote in his report on the issue. The village is being urged by the Ohio EPA to combine its sewer operations with a larger processing facility in the area. Essentially, North Lewisburg’s sewage…
It’s the most dreaded time of year. Seasonal depression? Nope. Doldrum between major holidays? That’s a blessing. Property tax bills arrived? Very sad, but that’s not it. It’s time for the arrival of the Super Bowl squares, a topic explored in this week’s Journal-Tribune podcast. Every year, the two-week runup to the Super Bowl offers youth and adult sports teams the opportunity to grab a quick $500. If your are fortunate enough not to be encircled by sports culture, let me explain. Teams hold a fundraiser which aligns itself to the score at the end of each quarter of the…
Marysville’s Board of Education is hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst in regard to its upcoming levy attempt. Hoping to convince voters to approve the five-year emergency operating levy in May, the board made a decision to reduce the amount of the ask at Thursday’s meeting. Later in the meeting, the board prepared a series of potential cuts to be enacted if the levy fails. District Treasurer Todd Johnson proposed that the original 9.9-mill levy request, approved last month, be reduced to 8.4 mills. Johnson said pushback from residents factored in to the adjustment, as inflation and…
A Marion woman has been indicted after allegedly having and attempting to hide a baseball sized bag of meth. The Union County Grand Jury has indicted Cynthia Fay Boston, 47, of Marion, charging her with one count each of aggravated trafficking in drugs and aggravated possession of drugs. According to court documents, on Aug. 6, Boston was driving on U.S. 33 near U.S. 42. She was allegedly stopped for not displaying a license plate. Officers learned she was also allegedly driving on a suspended license. Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips said that during the stop, the deputy “observed the driver…
The Village of North Lewisburg has a leak and it’s a big one. Village Administrator Todd Freyhof told council members at a meeting this week that the village is losing about a million gallons of water per month that never makes it to homes. Freyhof said the water department has been performing leak inspections and believes it has found at least part of the problem near the Meadows subdivision. Freyhof said village crews can hear water moving in the lines near some of the fire hydrants. Freyhof said a majority of the individual water meters on homes in the Meadows…
As we prepare to start 2023, I was reminded of my own start at the Journal-Tribune. I was thinking about this watching the J-T newsroom staff work this week to prepare the list of Top 10 local stories for 2022. That same assignment was the first story I wrote at this newspaper, compiling the list of top stories of 1990. I was looking back at copies of that newspaper today, the top story being about the efforts of local residents to stop the construction of a incinerator facility for infectious, medical waste. Other top stories included the departure of a…
The Marysville School District has been experiencing a surge in the number of students with special needs and nowhere is that more evident than at the preschool level. In Ohio, children ages 3-5 with special needs must be provided with free preschool services by public schools. In Union County, children with delayed development are served by the Harold Lewis Center (HLC). There is no guarantee of free preschool for traditional students. At Thursday night’s board of education meeting, Superintendent Diane Allen said that a typical year might see Marysville place 60-75 students at Harold Lewis. But that rate has accelerated…