The Union County Health Department is partnering with Ohio University in a way that will help students get real-life experience and the health department gain valuable assistance. During the Board of Health Meeting Wednesday, the board unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with OU’s College of Health Sciences and Professions to establish an academic health department. Board members Tiffany Wood and Donna Burke were absent. According to the Public Health Foundation, academic health departments are “sometimes described as the public health equivalent of the ‘teaching hospital’ affiliation found between hospitals and medical schools.” Health Commissioner Jason Orcena said the partnership…
Author: Kayleen Petrovia
Deconstruction of the historic Brice Train Depot has begun at its current location in Upper Arlington. The depot will be relocated and reconstructed in Plain City, where it will become the centerpiece of the Public Square at the corner of East Bigelow Avenue and Church Street. (Photo submitted) — Officials from the Village of Plain City announced that work began on The Depot at Public Square. Crews from Outdoor FX and the village recently began dismantling the historic Brice Train Depot at its current location in Upper Arlington in preparation to relocate and reconstruct it in Plain City this summer.…
Google has to be my most-visited website. Sometimes I’m there to do research for work, other times to learn new skills or figure things out, but many times, it’s out of pure curiosity. It always surprises me that no matter how niche your search may seem, Google has thousands of potential answers and recommendations for what you’re looking for. It feels like millions of people must have the same questions that I do. So, I was even more surprised to learn that Google claims 15% of the searches made each day are unique. While I’m not sure I’ve ever been…
A members-only bourbon bar is one step closer to opening in Plain City, after officials approved an application that will allow the owner to move forward with acquiring a liquor license. Council voted unanimously Monday to approve a TREX application for 114 West Main LLC. The TREX application is an Economic Development Transfer Form that will allow a business to transfer an alcohol permit that was already issued in another city, village or township into a jurisdiction that does not have any openings available for that permit. The applicant is specifically seeking to receive the transfer of a D-1, D-2…
Jerome Township officials gave the green light to a tax abatement that will be offered to a new logistics center. Trustee Chair Barry Adler emphasized that the Enterprise Zone Agreement with Mixt Solutions and Mixt Holdings is an agreement with Union County, but requires approval by Jerome Township. Mixt Solutions, which describes itself as an online sales company specializing in Amazon-based consulting, intends to construct a 60,000-square foot e-commerce, marketing and logistics center on 3.076 acres of land at 8495 Rausch Drive. According to information in the agreement, construction is expected to begin on April 15 and be “substantially completed”…
The Jerome Township Division of Fire will add one new member in an attempt to handle the growth in the area. “I think there is a need,” said Township Administrator Brandon Standley. “I think it’s only going to get greater as the township grows.” Standley said he has had several discussions with Fire Chief Doug Stewart regarding the community safety lieutenant being stretched thin by the inspections required by rapid development. In his annual report, Stewart noted that the department completed 414 fire safety inspections in 2023, which found 692 violations. Still, the chief told the trustees that there were…
With less than a week until the total solar eclipse on April 8, officials from the Union County Health Department are offering tips on how to prepare. “Prepare for this event like a winter storm is coming,” Shawnna Sue Jordan, communications specialist with UCHD said. She encouraged community members to make sure they have a supply of food, medicine, medical supplies and baby food or diapers, if necessary. She said having basic first aid or cold relief supplies on hand can come in handy. Jordan also said those living in the area should have a full tank of gas prior…
A Plain City property owner that was hoping to create a Downtown Revitalization District withdrew his application during a public hearing on the matter. “Pencils have erasers for a reasons,” Rayce Robinson told council during its most recent meeting. Robinson, who owns the Clock Tower and McCune buildings among other Uptown properties, recently requested the creation of a Downtown Revitalization District (DRD), as it would allow the village to issue additional liquor licenses to interested businesses. The village currently has a state-mandated quota of three D5 liquor licenses, which allow consumption of alcohol until 2:30 a.m. One is held by…
Plain City is partnering with the local American Legion to create a new program to honor village veterans. The village is launching a Military Heroes Banner Program, through which banners featuring local servicemembers will be displayed in the Uptown during “patriotic holidays” like Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Military organizations or immediate family members can apply to recognize a veteran with a full-color, double-sided banner featuring the servicemember’s name, photo, branch of service and years of service, Development Director Jason Stanford explained. The banners will be installed on light poles in the Uptown district, then given to the family after…
Jerome Township Division of Fire Chief Doug Stewart recently presented the department’s 2023 annual report to the Board of Trustees, including this breakdown of the EMS responses by type of incident. The largest share of responses, 20%, were for motor vehicle crashes. (Graphic submitted) — As he reflected on the growth of the department over the past year, Jerome Township Division of Fire Chief Douglas Stewart said he is already preparing for more. While the fire department had eight total responses less in 2023 than it did in 2022, Stewart said he anticipates that to increase given the pace of…
State Rep. Tracy Richardson will be the Republican candidate in the November general election for District 86 after winning a primary contested by challenger Wezlynn Davis. “I am honored to serve as the State Representative for our community and truly thank all who supported me in this recent primary campaign,” Richardson wrote in a statement to the Journal-Tribune. “To our residents, please know that your vote of confidence, calls, kindness, messages and signs in your yard meant the world to me.” According to unofficial results from the Union County Board of Elections, 61.58% of voters, or 5,802 people, in Union…
Student Katie Hammersmith is pictured creating a charcoal drawing of the actor who plays Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe. Throughout the course of one school day, Hammersmith said she also hoped to complete a “hyper realistic” charcoal drawing of Potter’s companion Hermione Granger, as played by Emma Watson. The artwork created during Marysville High School’s Arts Immersion Day will be listed in a silent auction to benefit a local organization as decided by the students. (Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff) — This week, the entryway of Marysville High School became an art studio, the courtyard was a canvas and classroom desks…
The area highlighted in blue indicates the location of the proposed Plain City Downtown Revitalization District. Creating the 32.4-acre district would allow the village to make up to six more liquor licenses available in that area. (Graphic submitted) — Plain City officials are considering the creation of a Downtown Revitalization District that would allow the village to issue more liquor licenses. “I believe that this proposed district will substantially contribute to entertainment, retail, educational, sporting, social, cultural and arts opportunities for the Plain City community,” Mayor Jody Carney wrote in a letter to council and Council Clerk Justin Dreier. Carney…
An updated noise ordinance was approved in Plain City to the dismay of several residents who have insisted the permitted noise levels are too loud. Council voted 5-0 Monday to approve an ordinance that shifts noise restrictions from the “reasonable person standard” to concrete decibel levels. Council member Tyler Harriman was absent. While a number of residents advocated for such a change in the past, several spoke strongly against the specific decibel levels council approved. In residential districts, sounds above 60 decibels are not permitted at any time. In mixed use districts, the level increases to 70 dB from 11…
Eric and Ina Medici, owners of the former Farmers National Bank building pictured at right, used the rendering from the Plain City Uptown Master Plan to illustrate their vision for Bicentennial Park. The village is currently applying for grant funding to extend the flatiron and close Gay Street to vehicle traffic – a project that the Medicis are calling the perfect opportunity for a public-private partnership, since they own about half of the area. (Graphic submitted) — Plain City officials are hoping to work alongside a local business owner to revitalize the Bicentennial Park area. “When you talk about public-private…