Richwood officials are looking into having water issues on two village streets added to a list of priority areas. At the regular village council meeting on Monday, Council member Von Beal suggested having areas of Wood Street and Beatty Avenue on the village’s northeast side added to the list of flooding locations to be fixed. “They get a lot of water laying in their yards,” he said. “If there are established storm sewer lines there, I would think we would want them open.” He said he didn’t know if lines existed there previously, but said it could be something the…
Author: Michael Williamson
Residents that use Union County’s transportation service may have noticed a reduction in trip options. County officials said UCATS (Union County Agency Transportation Service) is currently down 50% of its drivers, which has caused the agency to scale back some of its services. At a recent meeting of county department heads, Human Services Director Sue Ware told the county commissioners that the department is prioritizing medical appointments and taking seniors to the grocery store. Other services may not be available. She said the agency typically has eight drivers but currently only has four. “You might hear some concerns with some…
Union County Tourism wants Richwood involved in its wayfinding signage project but village officials said the high cost of signs make them hesitant. (Graphic submitted) — Richwood officials said they are interested in the county’s wayfinding signage project, but have some questions about the cost and ultimate benefit to the community. At the recent village council meeting, Karen Eylon with Union County Tourism, formerly the county’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the board the tourism committee overseeing the countywide signage project wanted to get Richwood involved. The issue, however, is that signage could cost upwards of $74,000 for the village.…
The Union County Commissioners have filed suit against Jerome Township over the board’s recent zoning amendment, another blow to an already strained relationship. At the regular meeting Wednesday, the county commissioners approved a resolution that authorized Roetzel and Andress, a law firm with offices throughout Ohio, to file a civil action against “Jerome Township, the Jerome Township Trustees and the Jerome Township Zoning Inspector” to challenge the amendment’s validity. The action came after the trustees voted 2-1 in July to amend their zoning text affecting how non-residential developments participate in Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Community Reinvestment Areas (CRA) and Joint…
Boy Scout Troop 440 waits to raise the flag commemorating the start of the Richwood Independent Fair Wednesday morning. Several village and county officials were present for 131st annual event put on each year in the village’s southwest corner. The fair runs Aug. 30 through Sept. 4 and will feature entertainment such as a rodeo, demo derby and fireworks. (Journal-Tribune photo by Michael Williamson) —
With growth happening in the southern portion of Union County, officials think Richwood should prepare to be next. Savannah Allen with Union County Economic Development told Richwood Village Council Monday evening that growth would eventually make its way north and that the village should be prepared. “As we see some of the growth from Intel and Honda and the Columbus region, Richwood is really poised, I think, to have some of that growth offset other parts of the Columbus region,” she said. “We were looking to see if there might be interest in forming some committee to see what parts…
Two Fairbanks graduates, Kate Ruff and Danielle Hoover, helped publish a former Fairbanks middle school teacher’s children’s book, Swim, Cutie Swim. Sue Lowery, who passed away in 2018, wrote the story in 2003 after a family trip to Chincoteague Island, Virginia. (Photo submitted) — A children’s book, written by a former Fairbanks teacher, got published, with help from two former students. Kate Ruff and Danielle Hoover, both Panther alumni, helped finish and publish the late Sue Lowery’s children’s book, Swim, Cutie Swim, which the former middle school teacher began writing after a trip in 2003. Kathy Lowery, a family member…
Several weeks ago, I did a column about how I hadn’t been to the theater in months and that the release of Oppenheimer might just be the movie to bring me back. With multiplex ticket prices up over $10 or $12, snacks that double that, and a list of releases that are less than inspiring, it was going to take something big, something important, something historic, something nuclear. Oppenheimer was the obvious choice. So, I did see the movie, although not in the 70mm, IMAX presentation I wanted to (I did see it in IMAX, however). And after that build-up…
The Union County Sheriff’s Office will be awarded money from the state for retaining staff since the pandemic. Sheriff Jamie Patton told the county commissioners Wednesday that members of his staff were among the more than 10,000 law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel in Ohio that qualified for state retention incentives as part of the Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention, and Resilience Program. The program was created to address first responder burnout caused by “understaffing and overall job stress,” according to a release from Gov. Mike DeWine’s office. Patton said the county received just over $200,000 in funding from…
Union County Commissioners met with students and chaperones from Yorii, Japan Wednesday morning during the board’s regular meeting. The students, from both middle and high school grades, made the rounds, taking tours of city and county offices with the help of City of Marysville and county representatives. The commissioners, including Dave Burke, left, and Dave Lawrence, right, presented on county business and were given gifts. The visit marks one of a series of events for local officials planning to visit Marysville’s sister city in the coming weeks. (Journal-Tribune photo by Michael Williamson) —
North Union Board of Education and administration officials tour the high school football stadium Monday, prior to the monthly board meeting. The group walked the campus facilities, noting progress on recent projects such as the football stadium and practice fields. (Journal-Tribune photo by Michael Williamson) — As the second week of the 2023-24 school year kicked off, North Union officials took note of the progress made on recent district facilities projects. At the first board of education of this academic year, school officials walked the grounds of North Union High School to see the recent updates to the building’s campus.…
Union County made nearly 10-times the interest by the second quarter of 2023 than it did by the second quarter of 2022. County Treasurer Andrew Smarra told the commissioners Wednesday that the county’s financial outlook was positive and thanks to the continuous rise in interest rates at the federal level, the county has been able to take advantage of the rates translating to high earnings. The conversation was partly over of the board’s quarterly investment advisory committee report. “Through six months, we’ve generated $2 million in interest,” Smarra said. “That’s 10-times what we did last year in the second period.”…
Large wooden fence posts have been installed around panels at the Union Solar project site on Route 31 in York Township. A combination of frustrations, ranging from fencing design issues to a general oversaturation of solar development, led the township trustees to ask the county commissioners to designate the county a restricted area to future wind and solar projects. Commissioners said they were open to the idea but made no official decisions. (Journal-Tribune photo by Michael Williamson) — York Township is asking Union County officials to restrict the county from any future alternative energy development. In a letter presented to…
Union County officials are working through the process of looking over their capital projects plan and what facility needs might look like in the coming years. At the recent county commissioners meeting, Dan Schall with Bradley Payne, an advisory firm out of Columbus, discussed the group’s plan for approaching building projects, updates and costs. Assistant County Administrator Letitia Rayl, who also operates as the county’s budget officer, said a main priority is the court offices, but several things may be on the table. “Our major concern comes with court offices and the courthouse itself,” she said. “With it being a…
Routes 31 and 4, where each road intersects Route 347 north of Marysville, will receive a single-lane roundabout thanks to the state’s $61 million dollar traffic safety project. The Ohio Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Improvement Program identified each of the intersections as dangerous following numerous accidents including fatalities. Route 4 work is planned for fiscal year 2026 and Route 31 is scheduled for 2028. (Graphic submitted) — Union County will be receiving money from the state to install roundabouts at two key intersections north of Marysville. On Monday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced $61 million in funding for 27…