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PRESS

The Brown County Press Sunday, August 31, 2014 •Volume 42 No. 4

Sun Group NEWSPAPERS

Serving Brown County, Ohio since 1973

www.browncountypress.com bcpress@frontier.com Phone (937) 444-3441 Fax (937) 444-2652

CMYK

CMYK

THE BROWN COUNTY

Improved traffic flow in Mt. Orab BY Wayne Gates The Brown County Press Local drivers will soon be enjoying three million dollars worth of traffic flow improvements at two Mt. Orab intersections. The traffic signal at State Route 32 and Brooks-Malott Road went live on Aug. 28 and the barricades came down. That means that Southern State Community College students and staff can now access the campus from State Route 32, and can depend on a traffic light to help them turn safely. “This is a really good safety enhancement for the area. There is a lot of traffic on 32 and this signal will help it keep moving smoothly”, said Ohio Department of Transportation District Nine spokesperson Kathleen Fuller. The $1.2 million dollar

project was taken on by the village of Mt. Orab and paid for by safety grant funding. Fuller praised the efforts of Mt. Orab Mayor Bruce Lunsford and the village council in making the project happen. “The nice thing about working with a community like Mt. Orab is that they are forward thinking. They are always thinking about what they need to do to deal with future growth”, Fuller said. Less than a mile east, the improvements to the State Route 32 and U.S. 68 intersection are nearly complete as well. Fuller said the traffic signals at that intersection are scheduled to go live on Tuesday, Sept. 2. That project was supervised by ODOT, and cost 1.82 million dollars. The village of Mt. Orab contributed $200,000 of that and paid $90,000 for the iniCONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Wayne Gates/THE BROWN COUNTY PRESS

The traffic lights at State Route 32 and Brooks-Malott Road were activated for full use on Aug. 28. The lights at Sr. 32 and the U.S. 68 overpass are scheduled to be activated on Sept. 2.

Kasich comes to Bethel to tout farming BY Kristin Rover The Brown County Press

Wayne Gates/THE BROWN COUNTY PRESS

Students at Georgetown Junior/Senior High School get on their bus to head home on Aug. 26.

Districts, police work to keep bus students safe BY Wayne Gates The Brown County Press Over 1000 kids in Ohio were injured in a school bus accident between 2011 and 2013. That is just one of the sobering statistics from the Ohio Highway Patrol. Almost 1500 crashes every year. Just over 4000 drivers cited for failing to stop for a bus that was taking on or dropping off passengers.

In Brown County, there were 16 motor vehicle accidents involving school buses between 2011 and 2013. Those buses are now back on the road for the new school year, carrying thousands of kids back and forth to school. Colon Graves is the Transportation Director for the Georgetown Exempted School District. He said his drivers have close calls every day. “Everybody is in a hurry,

but safety is so important with these kids getting on and off the bus. People may be late to work or something and they see a bus ahead of them and do everything they can to get around it. I don’t think the safety of the children enters their minds.” Sherry Ridner has been driving a bus for 36 years. “There have several times I’ve had to blow my horn to get the kids to stop because I could just tell the car coming CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Mt. Orab canine team racking up drug busts

Governor John Kasich and Lt. Governor Mary Taylor visited Bethel Feed and Supply during an agriculture-focused campaign stop on Aug. 26. Kasich and Taylor discussed their accomplishments since they have been n office and addressed several topics including agriculture, jobs, education, and more. “It's important to understand where we were and what we've accomplished,” Kasich said. Kasich and Taylor talked about balancing the budget, and reducing taxes. “We are not only balanced, but have a $1.5 billion surplus,” Kasich said. Taylor said they worked to eliminate the estate tax, CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Kristin Rover/THE BROWN COUNTY PRESS

Governor John Kasich talks with constituents about agriculture, jobs, education, and other topics at Bethel Feed and Supply, located on Plane Street in the village of Bethel. The shop was one of three locations Governor Kasich and Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor visited Aug. 26 as part of an agriculture-focused campaign.

B R O A D S H E E T O D D

Groundbreaking for new visitors center held at Rankin House BY Martha B. Jacob The Brown County Press On August 23, over 300 people took part in the rededication of the John Rankin House Historic Site in Ripley and were also privy to an exciting announcement. Members of the Ripley Heritage, Inc., the History Connection, and over 300 visitors watched as a ground

breaking ceremony was held for the construction of a new visitor center at the site. “That was our big surprise for everyone who came to the rededication of the Rankin House,” said Betty Campbell, president of Ripley Heritage, Inc. “We are all so excited about this new visitor center coming to this historic site. It will include an area for exhibits, a gift shop and a

meeting area where up to 50 students or people can attend lectures and other events.” Ripley Heritage, Inc. has managed the John Rankin House Historic Site on behalf of the Ohio History Connection (formerly the Ohio Historic Society) since 1981. Ripley Heritage, Inc., collects, preserves and interprets the history of Ripley CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Two hundred successful drug detections in six months. That’s how well the Mt. Orab Police Department Canine Unit is working. The unit is lead by Officer Mike Dearing with his dog Monthy and Officer Craig Heintzelman and his dog Gator. “(Monthy) is an extraordinary dog. Everyone says that for a young dog just starting his career, he’s doing very well”, Dearing said. He added that he and the dog have been staying busy. “We’ve been all over the county. The only department that hasn’t used us is the sheriff’s department. We’ve also been to Clermont County and Highland County. Even on our days off, we get called out a lot. It could be a tracking mission for a suspect or missing person, or a search mission for

9/11 Memorial Dedication in Aberdeen BY Martha B. Jacob The Brown County Press

Provided/THE BROWN COUNTY PRESS

Mt. Orab Police Officer Mike Dearing and Monthy.

possible narcotics.” One recent success was apprehending a suspect who ran away from a meth lab that was recently busted on Highway 68, south of Mt. Orab. “This guy was buried up

in some rose bushes and we would have never found him. The dog alerted to a human scent and I said ‘Police Canine...talk to me now’’ and he said ‘I’m right here!’ and gave up. He was CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

“Never Forget 9/11 Memorial Dedication” in Aberdeen, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014 at the Aberdeen Park greenspace. Thanks to the efforts of Aberdeen Fire Chief Will Eastwood, Police Sgt. Shawn Newman and members of the Aberdeen Concerned Citizens, the Village of Aberdeen was able to obtain a small piece of the World Trade Center, hit by terrorist attack in 2001. In early August 2009, the village learned that it would be one of only 40 sites in the state of Ohio to receive a piece of an I-beam which was once part of one of the World Trade Center.

“This piece of I-beam weighs over 2,230 pounds is about 79 inches long,” Chief Eastwood explained. “It will be located in the middle of this memorial. “The floor of the memorial itself will be a concrete form in the shape of an octagon in honor of our Pentagon which was also hit on 9/11. We are very excited about the dedication next Saturday, and we hope everyone in Brown County will join us.” The beam will be located in the middle of the concrete surrounded by a black onyx plaque honoring firefighters, a plaque honoring police officers, EMS, and 9/11. The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. with parade registration at the middle school

Valero station. The parade begins at 10:30 a.m. and travels down Rt. 52 to Market Street, then down river to the green space in the park. Free hotdogs and hamburgers will be provided by the Aberdeen-Huntington Township Fire and Life CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Index

Classifieds ...................17, 18 Court News.........................8 Death Notices .....................6 Legals..........................19-21 Opinion..............................4 Sports ..........................13-15 219 South High St. Mt. Orab, OH 45154

CMYK

CMYK

BY Wayne Gates The Brown County Press


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