Local Archived News

Niemann brings fans over to country
By Ryan Horns
When Jerrod Niemann talks about his role as a country music songwriter, to help identify with fans, he ironically tells the story of a fictional guy who passionately hates country music.
But one day that guy suddenly finds his life completely upended, he said. Perhaps the guy gets laid off from work. His wife leaves him and takes the kids. Maybe he is driving in his car, alone on the highway, and realizes he hit rock bottom.
Then turns on the radio, Niemann said, and hears a country song he connects to on a deeply personal level. Maybe it’s Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson. And suddenly it all makes sense. He becomes a country music fan for life.
“That’s my job. That’s my reason for playing,” Niemann said.
It’s his duty, he said, to create music people can easily enjoy and relate to.
On a day off from his rigorous touring schedule, Niemann was relaxing at his home in Nashville when he took time to talk about his upcoming show sponsored by Richwood Bank in Marysville for the All Ohio Balloon Fest on Thursday, Aug. 14.
Niemann said he has performed in Ohio “maybe a dozen times” over the past several years.
“I have a lot of great memories of Ohio already,” he said. “Plus, I know it will mean a lot to JR.”
Niemann is referring to fellow band member, JR McCoy.
A 1999 Fairbanks High School graduate, McCoy followed his musical aspirations out of Ohio and ended up in Nashville as a sought after multi-instrumentalist and songwriter.
Niemann said a misunderstanding actually led to his friendship with McCoy.
“I met him through a friend,” he said. “But for some reason, I always thought that he was from Nebraska. So, every time I’d see him I’d ask about some Nebraska sports team that was playing at the time.”
McCoy would humor him, he said, and politely talk about whatever Nebraska team Niemann brought up.
Until one day, he said, McCoy confronted him about it.
“Why do you always ask me about Nebraska?” McCoy said.
“I thought you said you were from Nebraska,” Niemann said.
“No man, I’m from Ohio,” McCoy said.
They had a good laugh about that, Niemann said, and it all worked out for the best. Ohio has better teams to talk about anyway.
“Since then,” Niemann said, “I’ve sort of become an honorary Buckeye. (McCoy) takes me to games. He’s friends with some of the coaches and they set us up on the 50-yard line, right up front.”
To the musically uninitiated, Niemann’s touring scheduled of 200 shows a year is significant.
It’s also interesting to point out that the story he tells of the fictional man who learns to love country music, in many ways is the story of his own life.
As a struggling Nashville musician since 2000, Niemann co-wrote songs that appeared on nearly 10 million albums, sold by artists such as Garth Brooks, Jamey Johnson, Julie Roberts, Blake Shelton and more. But when his record deal turned sour, and a longtime relationship ended, Niemann sank into depression. He ended up losing his motivation as a songwriter. He tolled around a bit lost for a year.
With the support of some friends, Niemann said, he learned to love country music again. With fresh perspective, he set out to find his own voice and renew his dream.
Niemann exploded back onto the country music scene with his 2010 album “Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury,” which featured the number one hit, “Lover, Lover.”
“When you are sitting in Nashville trying to make it, you’re just staring at the wall hoping for a break,” he said. “So we’re very thankful to be out there all the time. It’s great staying busy. It’s a crazy business.”
The fun of the current tour, he said, is switching it up between opening for Keith Urban to stadium crowds, and then doing his own shows to smaller theaters. The large crowds give him an opportunity to reach out to new fans, but his own shows allow him to switch gears, pull out some old country standards, and generally embrace all the different styles of music he loves.
In the end, his love of traditional country actually fuels his modern approach to songwriting.
“If you look at all the country music legends, from Willie to Johnny Cash, all these guys stepped out and did their own thing. You realize there is no point in trying to be Willie or Johnny Cash because they already did it,” he said. “You have to exist with the planet. The times have changed.”
Niemann enjoys trying to challenge listeners, pushing his creativity to the limit. He said musicians like Eric Church or Luke Bryan gave country music songwriters “room to stretch,” and go crazy if they wanted to. He feels a greater freedom to pursue the sound he hears in his head.
“My goal is to keep pushing through,” he said.
Niemann now has the luxury of fleshing out all those ideas by recording in his own home studio.
“I’ll grab a 12-pack of beer. And somehow the 12-pack of beer disappears throughout the day and you end up with songs,” he joked.
But ever since hitting the top of the country music charts, Niemann said, he discovered a whole new challenge. Back when he was unsigned and writing songs in Nashville, it was easy to see where the music industry was headed next.
“Once you are in the thick of it, it is so hard to see. It’s definitely tougher when you’re on the inside looking out,” Niemann said.
His passion for music remains intact though. The other day, he said, he was playing a Waylon Jennings cover show with Shooter Jennings and other players, all doing old traditional songs to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research. His family was there. His friends were there. It was truly a good night.
“It’s those moments that I cherish,” he said.
As of press time, there are 30 preferred seats left for Niemann’s All Ohio Balloon Fest performance. VIP tickets are sold out. General admission seats remain available via www.Ticketfly.com or www.allohioballoonfest.com, as well as all Richwood Bank locations and the Marysville Journal-Tribune office at 207 N. Main St.
Attendees are asked to bring their lawn chairs, but leave the coolers at home.

Wang's Kitchen to open next week
By Sherryl Sheets
It’s been a long wait for Andy and Tina Wang to get approval to open “Wang's Kitchen,” but they were given the green light last Friday. Now they can order their supplies and get busy, hoping to open one day next week.

Water and sewer plants receive much maintenance
By Sherryl Sheets
It is a challenging job to keep a village up and running and handling the daily needs of a water and sewer operation. Village Administrator Monte Asher can attest to that.

Hand, foot and mouth disease in county
From Richwood Gazette staff reports
The Union County Health Department has received reports of two outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease. The Health Department is encouraging parents to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of the disease.

NOTICE
Due to vacation scheduling, The Richwood Gazette office will be open Monday, Aug. 18 through Friday, Aug. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, staying open during the noon lunch hour. We apologize for this inconvenience. If you have questions, you can call the Marysville Journal-Tribune at 937-644-9111.

Magnetic Springs hosts General Grant
By Sherryl Sheets
The weather was perfect last weekend when General and Mrs. U. S. Grant and General W. T. Sherman came to Magnetic Springs to relive the Civil War for visitors.

Council discusses fishing on Richwood Lake
By Sherryl Sheets
Three local, avid fishermen approached council at the July 28 meeting, on events taking place at Richwood Lake regarding jug fishing, trot lines and bank line fishing practices. They are afraid that out-of-town fishermen are catching catfish and selling them to stock personal ponds. They asked council to consider making guidelines for those who fish at the lake.

Volunteers prepare for Balloon Fest
Proceeds benefit United Way of Union County
Editor’s note: The following article is supplied by Dave Bezusko of the United Way of Union County.
As the All-Ohio Balloon Fest has become a destination event for out-of-town visitors, it’s also become a volunteer haven for locals.
“Last year, I made travel plans based on the fact that I needed to be here for the Balloon Festival,” said Angela Gamble, of Marysville, one of 280 volunteers United Way recruited to work a five-hour shift during the festival. “I will probably always volunteer for this event.”
Gamble has already registered to volunteer for all three days of the festival, which is set for Thursday through Saturday at the Union County Airport. Each night, she’ll be helping to coordinate the 52 volunteers who sign up to serve as crews for out-of-town hot air balloon pilots.
Volunteers are matched with pilots each night to help them prepare their balloons for launch. Some lucky volunteers get to join the pilots for the ride! Once the balloons are airborne, the crews navigate the flight from the ground, following them to wherever they land. Then they help pack the balloons back into the vans and return to the airport to assist with the balloon “glow” which occurs at dusk.
“I have always loved hot air balloons, and had often thought about joining a crew,” Gamble said. “This was a wonderful opportunity to join a crew to see if I liked it. I do enjoy it very much! Being so close to the balloons as they lift off, come in to land, or are glowing is an amazing experience.”
While Gamble and her teams work to help the two dozen balloons launch into the sky, Dale Strickland is one of 46 United Way volunteers who will serve on the parking crew to help the thousands of attendees get in and out of the airport grounds.
“Helping others to have an enjoyable and safe experience is my goal as a volunteer,” Strickland said. “Providing assistance to the elderly or answering questions from attendees uncertain of the show schedule, or where to park, makes me feel useful.”
Opportunities to volunteer are still available. Volunteers 13 years of age or older who are able to lift 20 pounds, are needed to help with the balloon crews each day of the festival from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Parking crew members must be at least 15 years old and are needed in shifts from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, parking crews are needed from 12:30 to 6 p.m., 3:30 to 9 p.m., and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Those interested can login and create an account at http://getconnected.unitedwayofunioncounty.org/aam/general/ and sign up for the shift of their choice. Volunteers are able to enjoy the sights and sounds of the balloons, concerts and sky jumpers while they work. A free meal ticket and entry into the festival upon completion of the shift provide further incentive.
But the biggest motivation is helping to raise money for the annual United Way campaign. This will be the ninth straight year United Way has coordinated volunteer help for the All-Ohio Balloon Fest in exchange for the net proceeds. Event organizers have donated over $51,000 to United Way during that time, including $16,040 last year on the heels of near record-breaking crowds.
Top 40 country music star Jerrod Niemann headlines the weekend’s entertainment with a ticketed concert on Thursday. Advanced tickets may be purchased online at www.allohioballoonfest.com. Only those with concert tickets can attend on Thursday night.
A weekend pass will admit attendees ages 13 and up into the festival for both Friday and Saturday. Children 12 and under are free.
There will be a minimal parking fee to park on the airport grounds to help offset the security for paid officers and airport fee.
In addition to the hot air balloon launches and glows (which occur all three evenings weather permitting), there will be live music by local bands (including Phillip Fox Band on Friday and Bon Journey on Saturday), food vendors, Sam Jackson’s Kidz City (which has a small cost for all you can jump), and more. Visit www.allohioballoonfest.com or www.unitedwayofunioncounty.org for a complete list of activities and performers.
“The Balloon Festival is a fun and exciting event,” Strickland said. “Just being a part of it is very enjoyable, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have given back to the community. Every job, large or small, is critical.”
United Way works to bring neighbors and resources together to improve lives in Union County. United Way of Union County has raised more than $18 million for local needs since it was established in 1958. More than just a fundraiser, United Way collaborates with local businesses, government, and non-profit organizations to solve pressing social service issues large and small.
For more information, please visit www.unitedwayofunioncounty.org.

NU lunch changes implemented
Bev Wasserbeck, District Food Services Coordinator, presented the school board with the new lunch regulations and menu at the monthly board meeting.

Come to The Richwood Fair
By Alicia Dysert
This year is the 122nd annual Richwood Independent Fair.
Before the first official year in 1892, the event had been held as a street fair. Once the fairgrounds were purchased, a yearly exhibition was put in place. The fair has always been held at the same location, now with two entrances, one on Gill Street and the other on Race Road.

Jail beating results in indictment
By Ryan Horns
An assault between inmates, ultimately led to the death of a Marysville child-rape suspect at the Tri-County Regional Jail in April.

Charges filed from June crash
By Mac Cordell
A West Mansfield man has been charged with killing a man on the road.

Lots to vote for Nov. 4
By Mac Cordell
While the statewide gubernatorial race will likely receive the majority of attention, Union County voters will have several local questions to resolve on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Juror names chosen for new term
From Richwood Gazette staff reports
The following jurors have been drawn for the September 2014 through December 2014 term for the Court of Common Pleas and will be subject to jury duty.

Village council passes emergency measures
By Sherryl Sheets
During the past two months, council has discussed fishing issues at Richwood Lake. At Monday night’s council meeting, guidelines were passed as an emergency to be followed by fishermen. Ordinance No. 08012014 was passed unanimously that only hook and line fishing is allowed at Richwood Lake; the use of jug fishing, trotlines and banklines are prohibited.

Richwood Fair opens today
By Sherryl Sheets
Today is the first day of The 122nd Richwood Independent Fair. So let the fun begin!

Men remembered for love of wildlife
From Richwood Gazette staff reports
Two men from the Richwood area will be posthumously honored at this year’s Farm Science Review. John Rockenbaugh was the Wildlife Specialist with the Union SWCD for many years and DeLynn Kale founded Kale Marketing, supplied equipment to the agricultural community and supported many local and state organizations.

Is your child updated on their vaccinations
From Richwood Gazette staff reports
Back-to-school season is here for some students, and that means parents are out getting supplies, new clothes and back packs. It’s also the perfect time to make sure your kids are up to date on their vaccines.