Local Archived News

Mail-in ballot now only option to vote
By Mac Cordell, Marysville JT reporter
Local elections officials want to clear up confusion about Ohio’s 2020 Primary Election.
“It is very confusing,” said Tina LaRoche, with the Union County Board of Elections.
Legal wrangling and health department directives in the day and hours before the state’s scheduled March 17 primary election closed the polls and set June 2 as the day for in-person voting in Ohio.
On March 25, the Ohio General Assembly passed legislation aimed at dealing with the state’s response to the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Among other items, the bill eliminated in-person voting for this election and set April 28, 2020 as the final day of Ohio’s primary election.
“You can only vote by mail now,” LaRoche said. “The June 2 option is gone.”
She explained that in-person voting is “only available for people who require in-person voting due to a disability or who do not have an address.”

Village establishes tree committee to protect new infrastructure
By Sam Dillon, Richwood Gazette
The Richwood Village Council is righting a wrong after years of an unfilled committee.
Council recently held a third reading to reestablish a tree committee for the village, something that council member Reddy Brown said the village had been operating illegally without.

Community comes together to help those in need
By Sherryl Sheets, Richwood Gazette
Give what you can…Take what you need. The message is very clear.
During this time of isolation due to the coronavirus, three Blessing Boxes has popped up in the northern part of Union County. There is a box located at the Camp Christian facility, south of Magnetic Springs. Wendy Taylor, who works for the camp, began the box program to help local families.

County case count climbs to eight
From JT Staff reports
The Union County Health Department is reporting eight, lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county as of Sunday afternoon.
Those affected range from 31 to 83 years old. The median age is 46.5 years of age, with an average of 51.4 years.
The cases are equally split between males and females.
According to Ohio Department of Health data, there are no hospitalizations of cases in Union County.

Memorial Hospital prepared for surge
By Chad Williamson, Marysville JT reporter
While some hospitals are scouting new locations to create bed space ahead of the predicted mid-April surge in coronavirus related admissions, Memorial Hospital believes it can meet the need by making adjustments within the facility.

Courts reduce operations
By Mac Cordell, Marysville JT reporter
Union County Courts are remaining open, though they are operating at limited capacity.
In an email Tuesday, the Ohio Supreme Court informed judges and attorneys in the state that it had issued an order halting, or tolling, various time requirements established by law.
“Essentially, it gives us more leeway in terms of getting cases through the court system,” said Union County Common Pleas Court Judge Don Fraser.

Pandemics are nothing new for Union County
By Sam Dillon, Richwood Gazette
In 1952, Mrs. Floyd Hamilton, lost her only son to polio.
Three years later, on April 18, 1955, it was Hamilton who administered Union County’s first inoculation for the disease that ravished the country in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Richwood declares a state of emergency
By Sherryl Sheets, Richwood Gazette
Richwood Village Council held a short meeting Monday night to discuss three resolutions. After announcing the first resolution, Mayor Scott Jerew stated that he did not want to make this resolution, but after explaining it to council members, felt like it was necessary to bring before council.
The resolution was to declare a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic and expanding the village administrator’s authority during the state of emergency.

Health Department updates on local coronavirus information
By Marysville JT Staff Reports
The Union County Health Department (UCHD) reported a new, lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 Monday.
The affected individual is an adult male.
Union County now reports eleven total cases - five adult females and six adult males. The cases range from 31-83 years old with a median age of 45 and an average age of 50.7 years old.
None of the individuals have required hospitalization and six have recovered.

Remember to vote before the April 28 deadline
By Sherryl Sheets, Richwood Gazette
The Union County Board of Elections has been temporarily closed to the public to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus and ensure the health and safety of our voters, our employees and the community.
Governor Mike Dewine announced the March 17, 2020 Primary Election was extended to April 28, 2020 due to the Coronavirus. Anyone who has not voted still has the opportunity to vote before the April 28 deadline.

Board hears updates on COVID-19 pandemic
By Sherryl Sheets, Richwood Gazette
School Superintendent Rich Baird informed school board members that Governor Mike DeWine closed Ohio K-12 schools Monday afternoon through the end of the school year, due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus. No announcements have been made regarding the opening of school in the fall, but the board heard from Baird that the district has been working one-on-one with students doing classwork remotely from their homes during this school year.

Richwood-NU Alumni Banquet cancelled
By Sherryl Sheets, Richwood Gazette
The Richwood-North Union Alumni Board has decided it is in the best interest for all of our alumni attending, as well as other people who would be helping at the banquet, to cancel our 104th RHS-NU Alumni Banquet, which had been scheduled for Saturday, June 13.

Local Marine assisted during COVID-19 crisis in New York City
By Brock Vergakis, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs
A local hospital in New York was undergoing an emergency evacuation and was sending patients in 10 ambulances to the Military Sealift Command hospital ship, USNS Comfort, all at once.
Medical staff aboard the Norfolk, Virginia-based ship are treating trauma, emergency and urgent care patients without regard to their COVID-19 status to help relieve local hospitals that have become overwhelmed with patients because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Health Department updates COVID-19 in Union County
Submitted by Union County Health Department
The Union County Health Department has not received notice of any additional cases since our April 13 community update. We continue to report 11 lab confirmed cases in Union County. Off the 11 individuals, nine have recovered, and two are actively ill. One individual required hospitalization while ill.

North Union unveils new logos
By Sam Dillon, Richwood Gazette
With the sporting world on hold North Union School District is trying to take care of business in other aspects of the athletic department. School officials released four new logos Friday that they plan to use to rebrand the Wildcats to cut down on past logos used and centralize North Union’s image.

Council asked to waive utility late fees
By Sherryl Sheets, Richwood Gazette
Mayor Scott Jerew called for a brief council meeting Monday evening to take care of immediate business with council members. Due to the continued “stay at home” guidelines set by Governor Mike DeWine, a normal full business meeting was not held.

Honda extends shut down
From JT Staff reports
Honda announced Thursday it will once again extend its production suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.