Triad officials are happy with the district’s state report card scores, while optimistic they can continue to improve. “We did pretty well,” Chief Academic Officer Jenna Fograscher told the Board of Education during its meeting Thursday. The last state report card was issued in 2019, as they were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fograscher said she was happy to see that the district did not regress through periods of virtual and hybrid learning over the past couple years. “I still think that we can see a lot of growth,” she said. “We didn’t lose anything these past few years.” The…
Author: Kayleen Petrovia
From there, their and they’re to (or is it two?) than and then, all of us could go on and on about the rules of the English language. As a native English speaker, it’s easy to latch onto how arbitrary the rules of our language’s grammar and spelling can be. While the origin of words and phrases can be really interesting, they also make you realize how complicated English is. This became abundantly clear to me when I went on a service trip to Guatemala while in college. Naturally, when we met other college students from Guatemala, we talked about…
The X-ray image above shows Sierra Neil’s jaw after 75% of the lower bone was removed to prevent the growth of a large tumor caused by fibrous dysplasia. Neil has been through five surgeries to remove the tumor, add a plate to hold her jaw together and now reconstruct the bone with grafts from other parts of her body. (Photo submitted) — Sierra Neil, left, is pictured with her daughter Raelynn, husband Jerred and son Carter. Neil learned she has fibrous dysplasia, a condition that causes cartilage-like tissue to develop in the place of normal bone, while she was pregnant…
A local laser cutting company will receive a tax abatement to expand its operations, with the support of the Jerome Township Trustees and Union County Commissioners. Ohio Laser, which has an existing facility in Jerome Township, will receive a seven-year, 50% tax abatement to complete an expansion project adjacent to their existing facility. The 57,000 square-foot facility will be constructed on a two-acre site at 8260 Estates Parkway. The expansion will result in the creation of 30 new jobs and the retention of 62 existing positions. Union County-Marysville Economic Development Director Eric Phillips explained that Ohio Laser, which was founded…
The Union County Health Department is stepping in to ensure that local community members battling cancer have assistance getting to their treatments. The Board of Health unanimously adopted a cancer treatment travel support policy during its meeting Wednesday. Through the policy, the health department will administer financial assistance for those who must travel to receive treatment for their cancer. Health Commissioner Jason Orcena said UCHD was asked by the United Way of Union County (UWUC) to take on the responsibility following the resignation of the Union County Cancer Society’s director. Accreditation Coordinator Tim Kelley explained that the Union County Cancer…
Plain City Council’s meeting agendas may look a little longer in the future, though the meeting length may not be affected. During Monday’s meeting, Council President Michael Terry noted that the “discussion items” portion of the agenda will carryover unfinished business, even if it is not a major point of discussion for that meeting. He said it is an effort to hold council accountable and ensure items are being addressed – and not forgotten – before they are removed from the agenda. Beyond that, Mayor Jody Carney asked that council liaisons to boards and committees send written reports to her…
Jerome Township officials were split on whether to initiate a zoning text change that would shift some decision making from the Board of Trustees to the zoning commission. During the most recent trustees meeting, Zoning Inspector Eric Snowden described the document as an “omnibus” text amendment, as the 94-page document proposes changes to articles throughout the zoning text. He said a similar amendment is proposed “approximately once a year” to ensure consistency throughout the text. A number of the changes revolve around amendments to improve “consistency in terminology, capitalization or similar technical details,” according to a summary provided to the…
Jerome Township officials will not compare quotes between manufacturers as they consider the purchase of an aerial ladder truck. The Board of Trustees directed Fire Chief Douglas Stewart on Tuesday to solicit a quote from Sutphen. “I’m not interested in seeking quotes outside of that,” said Trustee Wezlynn Davis. Over several months, township officials have heard presentations from Stewart regarding the proposed purchase of an aerial ladder truck. Based on the responses to a questionnaire completed by Sutphen and Pierce Manufacturing, Stewart recommended the township purchase from the latter. The conversation continued in private when the trustees held a special…
Plain City Council and the Madison County Commissioners are in official agreement that they would like to regionalize their water and sewer services. The two boards each recently voted at a special joint meeting to file a petition to establish the Mid-Ohio Water and Sewer District. “We know this is best for the residents of our village, we know this is best for the environment of the Big Darby and we know this is best for the future growth of the area,” said Council President Michael Terry. John Albers, with law firm Albers & Albers, explained that approval to file…
Plain City Council will hold a joint meeting with the Madison County Commissioners next week to determine whether they will regionalize water and sewer services. Council voted unanimously during its regular meeting Monday to set a special meeting for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Plain City Municipal Building. The meeting is the next step toward regionalizing utilities, as council voted unanimously in August to sign a letter of understanding regarding “the negotiation and planning stages of formation of a proposed regional water and sewer district.” Council President Michael Terry previously explained that if the services are regionalized with Madison County,…
The Jerome Township trustees approved a new policy for hiring employees, although one board member expressed concerns that he could be excluded from the process. During a special meeting Monday, the Board of Trustees voted 2-1 to adopt a hiring process. Trustee Barry Adler emphatically dissented, voicing his vote as “absolutely no.” Trustee Chair Megan Sloat said the purpose of the document is to provide a framework to be followed when officials are seeking to fill a township position. It lays out guidelines for posting available positions, accepting applications, scheduling interviews and making an offer of employment. “This policy is…
No action was taken following an executive session to discuss the potential purchase of an aerial ladder truck, but Jerome Township Trustee Chair Megan Sloat said she feels officials are now in a better position. “I think that went really, really well,” Sloat said following the nearly two-hour executive session. The board held a special meeting Monday at the fire department, during which the executive session was held to discuss the purchase of property for public purposes and the employment of a public employee. When the trustees adjourned for the executive session, the board left the room with Fiscal Officer…
Local health department officials are honing in on a handful of goals to help serve the county as efficiently as possible. During the most recent Board of Health meeting, Accreditation Coordinator Tim Kelley and Deputy Director of Health Promotion and Planning Elizabeth Fries shared a presentation surrounding the development of an updated strategic plan for the agency. Ultimately, Kelley said internal research and focus groups resulted in four major goals for the Union County Health Department. They include: addressing rapid growth in the area and its impact on services provided by UCHD, the changing relationship between the government and health…
The Jerome Township Board of Trustees adopted one new procedural policy, but chose not to act on another. The policy adopted will reduce the number of meetings at which department heads are in attendance, but the trustees did not vote on a policy that would outline how funds are spent on legal fees. Trustee Chair Megan Sloat said during the meeting Tuesday that she realized department heads often share only a short report but sit through “very long” trustees meetings. She proposed asking department heads, which include the office manager, roads superintendent, zoning inspector and fire chief, to submit a…
As hundreds of soldiers gathered to prepare to be deployed, the attention was not on them but the audience. “The most difficult sacrifice lies with those who care about the soldiers on this floor,” said Commander of the 1st Battalion of the 134th Field Artillery Regiment Lt. Col. Michael Bystry. The stands in the gymnasium of Marysville High School overflowed to the floor Wednesday evening as loved ones watched soldiers from the 37th Infantry Brigade gather for their Call to Duty ceremony. The soldiers are among 1,800 Ohio National Guard servicemembers who will deploy in support of Combined Joint Task…