Jerome Township officials recently approved their 2023 budget, which includes notable revenue increases resulting from a bump in property taxes. Fiscal Officer Robert Caldwell said, in total, the township will see a $763,000 increase in revenue generated by property taxes compared to 2022. The 2022 final budget included $11,191,141 in revenue compared to $12,993,697 in the original 2023 budget – a $1.8 million jump. Expenditures are slated to be up this year as well, jumping $2.9 million to $13,377,911 from $10,463,706. Caldwell noted that the jump in expenditures is largely due to construction costs for Station 211, the Jerome Township…
Author: Kayleen Petrovia
Students in Mrs. Macie Cayot’s class are pictured participating in a “book tasting.” Cayot transformed her classroom into a restaurant, at which each table represented a genre of books. During their “reservations,” students ordered off a menu and read a few pages of books to get a taste of that genre. (Photo submitted) — Triad educators are excited about a new tool the district is using to expand the world of reading for its students. Middle School Library Aide Jen Graham spoke to the Board of Education during its Thursday meeting about a program called Sora. The online program allows…
Plain City officials took the first step toward providing a tax abatement to a developer who would like to turn the former Rialto Theater into an event center. On Monday, council approved a motion to certify a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) abatement application for 251 W. Main St. The vote did not approve the abatement, but sends the request to the Jonathan Alder Board of Education for approval before it will come before council again. Council member Frank Reed was the lone dissenting vote, though several council members voiced some support for his arguments. The application was submitted by T&L…
Another Marysville convenience store made a customer a millionaire when a $1 million Mega Millions ticket was sold at Corner Carryout. “It’s always a cheerleading, happy session when someone wins here,” said Store Manager Julia Eickhoff. The winner has not yet come forward to claim the prize but Eickhoff said she is “very excited” that a winning ticket was purchased at the South Maple Street store. “I know most of my regular lottery customers by name. I know about their families,” said Eickhoff, who has been a store manager for eight years. The $1 million second-tier prize was part of…
The Union County Health Department recently updated the community regarding the spread of multiple illnesses that had many residents on alert through the fall and early winter. Public health officials noted that number of influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) cases have declined recently, but they are continuing to monitor other illnesses like COVID-19 and measles. According to UCHD, flu activity has slowed after a “sharp peak in flu-related hospitalizations across Ohio in December.” “Based on flu surveillance from other regions, we are anticipating the flu season to continue to have smaller peaks and valleys through the rest of the…
Plain City Council spent its first meeting of the year planning for the future. During council’s work session Wednesday, members set their goals for 2023 and were appointed to their committee assignments for the year. Council reviewed its 2022 goals as a starting point to develop its goals for the upcoming calendar. Some remained the same, others were adjusted based on progress and a few were marked as completed. 2022 Council President Michael Terry said he feels their goal to make continued progress on the Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade and 208 Plan should simply be adjusted to replace the latter…
I used to think I wasn’t a very superstitious person, but the Ohio State Buckeyes have made me realize otherwise. Despite all of my efforts (making sure to even cook snacks in a friend’s OSU-branded Crockpot instead of my normal, plain one), the outcome of the College Football Playoff matchup made me realize that I really need to step up my game if I want 2023 to go well. Luckily enough, after doing a little bit of research, I learned that there are countless ways that you can earn yourself a little good fortune on New Year’s Eve. Thankfully -…
Although the board took no action, the Jerome Township Trustees began the year by considering policies they may implement in 2023. At the start of the meeting, Trustee Megan Sloat moved to add an item to the agenda regarding food trucks at the Township Hall. She said township officials have been contacted by residents renting the township hall, inquiring whether they may have a food truck on the premises during their rental time. Sloat said, in past instances, renters have been permitted to have food trucks during their rental time. However, she said township employees have raised concerns that a…
The Union County Health Department is informing community members of a potential exposure to measles. Those who are not vaccinated or have another known immunity who were at Meijer on Coleman’s Crossing Boulevard in Marysville on Dec. 23 from 9 a.m. to noon or Dec. 26from 2-5 p.m. should watch for signs and symptoms of measles. Those who develop symptoms should call their healthcare provider. UCHD officials noted that it can take up to 21 days to develop symptoms from the time of exposure. UCHD Epidemiologist Mary Salimbene Merriman has previously said symptoms of measles include a general feeling of…
The first case of measles in more than 20 years has been reported in Union County and the health department is preparing for more potential cases. Mary Salimbene Merriman, an epidemiologist at the Union County Health Department, said the Union County case is part of a measles outbreak in central Ohio – the fourth largest outbreak in the U.S. in the past two decades. Measles commonly causes diarrhea and ear infections, but can also lead to pneumonia or a swelling of the brain that can leave children deaf or with intellectual disabilities. Merriman noted that 81 confirmed cases have been…
Jerome Township Trustees spent their final meeting of the year wrapping up business and looking forward to 2023. Topics discussed by the board Tuesday included plans to approve the 2023 budget, awarding a contract for the comprehensive plan rewrite and progress on the township’s second fire station. Fiscal Officer Robert Caldwell briefly mentioned highlights of the 2023 budget but recommended the board wait until its Jan. 3 organizational meeting to approve it, as he has not yet received property tax valuations from the Union County Auditor’s Office. “We are pretty early in December,” Caldwell said, adding that Franklin County just…
The preliminary design for a roundabout at the intersection of Mitchell-Dewitt Road and Industrial Parkway is pictured above. Officials from the Union County Engineer’s Office and an engineering consultant said construction will begin in summer or fall. (Graphic submitted) — Following extensive interest in improvements to the Mitchell-Dewitt Road/Industrial Parkway intersection, Jerome Township residents could see a roundabout in less than a year. Jerome Township recently hosted an informational meeting and open house with the Union County Engineer’s Office and American Structurepoint Inc., the engineering consultant spearheading the design of the intersection improvements. Kyle Messaros, a roadway engineer with American…
While the numbers initially look the same, Triad officials are digging deeper to see growth among their students in reading proficiency. Chief Academic Officer Jenna Fograscher shared an update during the most recent Triad Board of Education meeting regarding the fall reading scores for third graders. She said 49% of students achieved proficient scores – the same percentage as students achieved this time last year – but she still sees “a lot of growth.” Of the students who have not yet achieved proficient scores, Fograscher said many more are “one step away” compared to last year, when students had more…
Whitmer Woodworks, a woodworking company located at 8490 Carters Mill Road in Plain City, was destroyed by a fire early Tuesday morning. Pleasant Valley Fire District Chief Mark Kidd said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Although one person was working in the building at the time the fire started, he was able to exit before firefighters arrived. (Photo submitted) — Officials from the Pleasant Valley Fire District are continuing to investigate after a Tuesday morning fire destroyed a local business. The structure that housed Whitmer Woodworks, located at 8490 Carters Mill Road, Plain City, is considered…
As Plain City officials work toward an update of the village’s zoning code, they are giving extra thought to one specific type of property: short-term rentals. During council’s most recent work session, Law Director Paul La Fayette asked council members for more input regarding potential restrictions on Airbnbs and other rentals spanning 30 days or less. La Fayette told council that “case law is supportive” of local government’s authority to restrict short-term rentals. He emphasized that he was speaking specifically in regard to rentals that span 30 days or less. Since 2019, there have been “six or seven communities in…