Being part of a military family can be a high honor for those who carry on a long legacy of service through generations. For Union County resident Ken Bonnell, he’s the person at the start of that line. Tomorrow morning, Bonnell will be inducted into the Ohio Military Hall of Fame with Valor at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus as part of the annual recognition of those who served and received medals for valor. “It’s something to look back over these 50 years and think about my time in the service,” Bonnell said. “ I now have three sons retired…
Author: Michael Williamson
The paving project for Route 161 through Plain City is on track to start earlier than expected. Village Administrator Nathan Cahall said the Ohio Department of Transportation initially planned for a June/July start date but could begin construction next month. “Residents will have noticed the contractor has put some construction signs around town already. So it’s looking like this will be sooner rather than later,” Cahall said. “They will be done earlier than we thought so we won’t be able to start our sidewalk projects before the paving begins.” The village had planned to do some updates to curb and…
Hope Jones, center, administrative secretary at the Union County Coroner’s Office, is retiring after 58 years with the county. A reception is planned for April 30 at 2 p.m. in the commissioners’ office at 233 W. Sixth St. Also pictured are Coroner’s Office investigators Jim Fish, left, and Lance Emberling, right. (Journal-Tribune photo by Michael Williamson) –––– If you want to know something about Hope Jones, you might have to ask one of her friends or coworkers. However, if you want to know how to spell a medical term or what it might feel like to walk the Scottish countryside,…
Earlier this month, Ohio legislators approved an increase to the state gas tax and starting this fall, Union County will see the first signs of revenue from the measure. The increase of 10.5 cents a gallon for gas and 19 cents a gallon for diesel will take effect in July 1. County Engineer Jeff Stauch said Union County would see $1.5 million per year in revenue from the increase and a quarter of that will be available for use as early as October. He added the money would likely go toward road resurfacing improvements. “We should be repaving 15-20 miles…
Road closures are coming to Route 4. Starting next week, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) will close portions of Route 4 north of Marysville that will affect traffic until the end of May. Crews will be replacing culverts along the road beginning at Wolford-Maskill Road. The closure will start Monday at 8 a.m. The work is the first in a series of projects ahead of a large-scale, road resurfacing measure for Route 4 between U.S. 33 and Route 37. Work will encompass culvert replacements and a bridge repair happening throughout the summer and fall. “The work starting next week…
Some new businesses could be on their way to Jerome Township. At the regular meeting of the township zoning commission Monday, the board discussed some of the projects that will be up for consideration at the next meeting of the township trustees, May 6. Mark Spagnuolo, zoning inspector for the township, said there is going to be a multi-tenant building coming to the Dublin Green development area. “Three of the four tenants will be Tropical Smoothie, a Verizon store and The Casual Pint,” Spagnuolo said. “Of the three, The Casual Pint will be a quieter sports bar type place with…
Plans are moving forward to annex land into the Village of Plain City that would house the proposed Madison Meadows development. On Monday, council had the first reading of pre-annexation legislation that would bring 104.22 acres of land, currently owned by F&T Hostetler Farms, LLC, into the village. The property is located at 10885 Lafayette-Plain City Road and would be the site of a 505-unit development. According to early designs, the development would consist of 150 single-family units, 91 single-family condo units and 264 multi-family units. “The developer is looking to do the annexation agreement and the rezoning simultaneously,” said…
Officials from Union County and Dublin City Schools gathered on Apr. 12 to break ground on a new elementary school located in Jerome Village. Pictured from left: Rep. Tracy Richardson; Union County Commissioner Chris Schmenk; Katy O’Neal, levy committee; Deb Papesh, levy committee; Beca Mayr, levy committee; Todd Hoadley, Dublin City Schools superintendent; Brad Ellis, COO of Nationwide Realty; Scott Melody, Dublin Board of Education president; Rick Weininger, board member; Lynn May, board vice president; Chris Valentine, board member and Brian Kern, CFO/Treasurer of Dublin City Schools. (Journal-Tribune photo by Michael Williamson) –––– The first of three schools in the…
Jerome Township Division of Fire will soon have a new fire truck. Township trustees voted Monday to purchase a new truck for $510,000 from Sutphen in Dublin. The 2019 Sutphen Pumper will replace an existing truck that is now out of commission and not repairable, according to Jerome Fire Chief Doug Stewart. The engine cost is $472,000 but the trustees approved the additional $38,000 to go toward equipping the truck to meet the needs of the township. “This truck will be brand new off the line and is similar to our existing one so training will be minimal,” Stewart said.…
Clint Hayes has been named the new principal at Jonathan Alder High School. The district board of education approved Superintendent Gary Chapman’s recommendation at the regular meeting on Apr. 8. Chapman picked Hayes, who will be moving from principal at the junior high, to fill the spot of current high school principal, Michael Aurin. Aurin will be leaving the district in July to start as principal at Dublin Jerome High School. With Hayes in place in the high school, the junior high spot is now open. “We’ve had over 60 applicants and began the screening process,” Chapman said. The final…
Plain City officials are shown above breaking ground for the new municipal building located on Village Boulevard. The new facility will house the administrative offices and police department. Pictured above, from left to right, are: Beth Rihl, project manager with Carney-Ranker Architects; Sherry Heineman, village council; Jody Carney, village council; Police Chief Dale McKee; Mayor Darrin Lane; Renee Sonnett, fiscal officer; Nathan Cahall, village administrator; Shannon Pine, village council, Kerri Ferguson, village council and John Rucker, village council. (Journal-Tribune photo by Michael Williamson) –––– Plain City officials have broken ground for their new municipal building. A ceremony was held Friday…
Plain City is exploring options to form a Special Improvement District (SID) for the village. At the work session Wednesday, council met with Shannon Fergus a city-planning consultant with the firm MS Consultants. Fergus specializes in economic development with a focus in the downtown area of cities. “It’s a pretty interesting economic development tool that isn’t used as much in Ohio as it is in other parts of the country,” Fergus said. “In Ohio, I think we have 23 or 24 Special Improvement Districts—most of them are in the larger cities. We have six here in Columbus.” SIDs are created…
Officials are planning a groundbreaking ceremony for the new village administration building. Above is a drawing of the proposed building. (Photo submitted) –––– Another step in the process has been made to expand parking in the Plain City uptown area. According to Village Administrator Nathan Cahall, the village has reached an agreement with the three owners, Buckeye Brass and Winds, Joe Craft and Ralph Smucker for the lot located just behind Lovejoy’s Plaza. Owners have agreed to lease the lot to the village for $1. “I’ve been in negotiations with all three owners over the last six months and we…
The increase in Ohio’s gas tax has been approved after a long stalemate with House and Senate votes. Legislators decided on 10.5 cents a gallon for gas and 19 cents for diesel. For officials representing Union County at the state level, the vote was difficult but necessary. Rep. Tracy Richardson said she was initially against the increase but went into meetings hoping to better understand what this increase would do for local communities. “I learned that the need for some increase was vital for helping to address serious concerns regarding our roads and bridges,” Richardson said. “The motor fuel tax…
Union County leads the state in employment opportunities for the developmentally disabled. According to a report from the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), Union County ranks first by employing 66 percent of that specific population of adults, compared to a state average is at 31 percent. “Union County has been responsible for a large percentage of community employment for a very long time,” said Kara Brown, superintendent with the Union County Board of Developmental Disabilities. “We’ve been doing community employment for at least thirty years.” Brown said the county’s success employing adults with developmental disabilities can be attributed to…