Plans are underway to level the home at 1329 E. Fifth St., in Marysville, pictured above, to build a new Sunbelt Rental facility, below. Currently, Sunbelt has a store on Delaware Avenue. That building will be torn down. A Thornton’s convenience store is planned for that site. Coleman family members said the area has changed from farm ground to commercial development making the home less desirable as a place to live. (Journal-Tribune photo above by Mac Cordell) Will be future home of Sunbelt Rental A historic Marysville property may be getting a new tenant. Sunbelt Rental has submitted a proposal…
Author: Mac Cordell
Work is continuing on the ball fields at the Joint Recreation District’s facility on County Home Road. The project will add four natural turf fields and will put artificial turf on the facility’s two lighted fields. Above, Chad Lockwood, on the ladder, works to make sure fencing around one of the new fields is straight while David Arnold looks on and gives directions. Officials have been working on the new fields for weeks. The artificial turf will be installed later this month. (Journal-Tribune photo by Mac Cordell)
A pair of firefighters suffered minor injuries Friday as more than 10 fire companies battled a fire in York Township. Liberty Township Fire Chief Lloyd Segner said the home at 19020 Powder Lick Road, Raymond, was a total loss. Segner said the owner was working in his field about 4:14 p.m. Friday. The man looked up and saw a column of smoke coming from his home. There was no one inside the home at the time. “It was basically fully engulfed by the time we got there,” Segner said. The chief said a column of smoke was visible for miles…
Union County Sheriff Jamie Patton spent Wednesday and Thursday in Washington D.C. attending the White House Briefing on Secure Borders and Safe Communities. Patton said the conference addressed concerns, much larger than just immigration and concerns at the border. “The problems of immigration don’t just affect the border areas of our country,” Patton said, “They affect the interior of the country as well — with human trafficking, with drugs, with all sorts of related issues.” Patton said the gathering of more than 200 law enforcement officials, “was a good opportunity to meet the federal agencies and discuss what they are…
I don’t want to be the latest to bemoan the state of politics, but here I am. For several years it has felt like politics was more about winning than helping. Politics has always been about winning, personally. From the earliest days of democracy, and even more so before that, candidates would do whatever is necessary to win or keep their position — whether a seat on a condominium board or in the Oval Office. But in the past 10 years it seems like that mindset has translated equally, and more disturbingly, to the party. While I disagree with the…
Grand jury indictments SIMPKINS A second victim has come forward to make allegations against a former day care provider. Joshua D. Simpkins, 29, is currently serving a 15-years-to-life sentence in Chillicothe Correction Institution. In 2015, the former Marysville man pleaded guilty to one count of rape. At the time, Simpkins admitted to abusing a 3-year-old relative more than 20 times between January 2010 and December 2013. Now, another victim has come forward to say she too was abused. The Union County Grand Jury has indicted Simpkins on 14 counts of gross sexual imposition. County Prosecutor…
Charges allege man attacked woman, her son A Marysville man could be facing almost three decades behind bars after allegedly attacking a woman and her son. A Union County Grand Jury has indicted Robert J. Keelen, 38, of 294 Magnolia Drive. Keelen is charged with two counts of domestic violence, two counts of tampering with evidence and one count each of felonious assault, theft of drugs and menacing. According to court documents, on Sept. 2, police were called to the Magnolia Drive home. When they arrived, they spoke with Keelen who told police he was attacked and slammed to the…
Marysville residents and leaders want to take some time to make sure MacIvor Woods is protected. At Monday’s meeting, city council was scheduled to vote on a third reading to rezone about 14 acres behind the Kroger Marketplace and adjacent to the MacIvor Woods. Instead, council voted to table the vote along with a motion introduced to amend the legislation and require a 25-foot conservation easement on the land. If approved, the rezoning would pave the way for the Residences at Bethel Woods, a mix of 31, freestanding condominiums and 20 townhome style homes in eight buildings. Resident Mela Kircher,…
Retired Maj. Gen. Oscar C. Decker, Jr., 94, died in the early morning hours Friday. “Gen. Decker was a tremendous asset, not only to the community, but also to the nation,” said Kenneth Bonnell of the Union County Veterans Service Commission. Bonnell called Decker “a devout Christian who had a burning desire to help others.” Decker’s contributions spanned military, civil and religious service. He was a two-star general who helped develop military processes and vehicles that Army officials say are still used today. He was active with the local schools from helping to pass levies to developing civics curriculum. He…
Later today, a Union County magistrate will hear arguments in the case against two women, living in the New California Hills subdivision. Elisabeth Herndon and Megan Dowdell each own homes in the subdivision. In July, the subdivision’s homeowners’ association (HOA) filed suit against the women claiming they were in violation of the subdivision’s covenants and restrictions. Herndon and Dowdell advertise their homes on AirBnB, an online service that allows private homeowners to rent some or all of their home to visitors. The HOA is asking the court to require the women to stop allowing others to use their homes and…
Property owners in Union County are getting letters in the mail from the Union County Auditor’s Office. The letter includes a street-front photo of the property, a tentative value for the home as well as a schedule for when they could speak with appraisal staff for an informal value review. Every six years, the county auditor is required to a complete value assessment for every property in the county. Recently, that valuation was completed. Union County Auditor Andrea Weaver said that depending on the area of the county, property values rose between 14% and 28%. Weaver said the goal is…
Less than one month after a domestic violence conviction, a Marysville woman is facing additional charges for allegedly attacking her live-in boyfriend over a woman she met while in prison. A Union County Grand Jury has indicted Brenda Sue Lemmings, 29, of 8 Butternut Drive, Marysville. Lemmings is charged with one count of domestic violence. In July, Lemmings and her boyfriend were walking when Lemmings hit him several times and broke his cell phone. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve 30 days in jail, though 27 of the days were suspended. While Lemmings was in jail, she met…
Marysville city officials got their first look Monday of the 2020 budget. City Finance Director Justin Nahvi presented the budget proposal at Monday night’s finance committee meeting. The meeting was opened to all of council so members could hear what was in the works. Nahvi recommended the city be “a little more aggressive” in servicing debt. He said that over the past several years, the city has completed major infrastructure projects associated with growth. He said nearly every bridge, overpass or major thoroughfare has been improved but now most of the required projects are underway or complete so it is…
School officials have some answers about the Raymond Elementary water situation, but those answers have led to more questions. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contacted Marysville Schools about the water supply at Raymond Elementary School. Health officials said the building’s drinking water exceeds the USEPA Health Advisory Level (HAL) for antimony, a rare but a naturally occurring element. “Both rounds of tests they ran this week came back negative,” Marysville Superintendent Diane Mankins said. “What does that mean? We don’t know.” Mankins said that since the positive results, based on tests taken Aug. 20 and Aug. 30, EPA…
This week, the Ohio Department of Education released its annual School Report Cards, rating districts across the state. This is the second year that each district and school receives an overall letter grade. Local superintendents say they are pleased with the performance of their schools. Marysville, Fairbanks, North Union and Jonathan Alder each earned a B as the overall grade. Triad received a C rating. “Overall, we are very pleased with a B overall score,” said Fairbanks Superintendent Adham Schirg. He said added that, “what we are very happy with and pleased with is the work of our teachers.” Superintendent…