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THE EARLY BIRD NEWSPAPER
S U N D A Y, O C T O B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 6
Coalition hosts Community Conversation on Heroin SUSAN HARTLEY
STAFF WRITER shartley@earlybirdpaper.com
This was just one of hundreds of unique costumes in The Early Bird/Bluebag Media’s annual Halloween Parade. This mouse was fortunate and got the cheese without getting trapped. (Gaylen Blosser photo)
Early Bird Parade and Beggar’s Night draws thousands RYAN BERRY
MANAGING EDITOR editor@earlybirdpaper.com
GREENVILLE – With temperatures hovering around the 50-degree mark it was a perfect autumn evening for the annual Early Bird/Bluebag Media Halloween Parade and Main Street Greenville, Inc.’s Beggar’s Night. Thousands of people, from the very young through adult, invaded downtown Greenville for a little fun, candy and to show off their Halloween costumes. There were plenty of scary and gory costumes, but there were also a lot of fun and unique ideas on display. Batman (and the Batmobile), soldiers (and a tank), construction worker
(equipped with his own semi), a very cute porcupine with his dog also dressed as a porcupine, Beetlejuice and Cinderella’s very own loveable mouse Gus Gus narrowly escaping a mousetrap were all part of the fun. The judges had their work cut out for them when trying to decide the top three in each category. The Early Bird/Bluebag Media would like to thank the judges for the evening. They were – Holly Hill, Brethren Retirement Community, Tiny Tot Girls (0-6); Chief Russell Thompson and his wife, Greenville Fire Dept., Tiny Tot Boys (0-6); Joey Yost, Dave Knapp Ford, Masked Girls (6-10); Terri Flood, Wayne HealthCare, Masked Boys (6-10); Sheriff Toby Spen-
cer, Darke Co. Sheriff’s Office, Masked Boys & Girls (11-16); Sandy Buschur, KitchenAid Experience, Costumed Adults; and Brenda Stump, Brenda’s Beanery, Costumed Group. All of the judges remarked on how difficult it was to choose the top three. Following the parade, the elementary-aged costumed characters and their families stretched up and down Broadway on both sides of the street from Annie Oakley Park to the Traffic Circle as they collected goodies from the downtown businesses and a few other businesses, agencies and organizations in Greenville. Find more pictures of the event on The Early Bird’s Facebook page.
Judges no longer required to suspend license in drug cases CLINTON RANDALL
STAFF WRITER crandall@earlybirdpaper.com
DARKE COUNTY - In the past, Ohio judges have been required to suspend the driver’s license of defendants convicted for drug offenses... but no longer. On June 13, Governor John Kasich signed Senate Bill (SB) 204 into law, which no longer requires a mandatory license suspension for specific drug offense convictions. The legislation passed by a Senate vote of 33-0 on April 12, then through a majority House vote on May 24 of 95 to 2, and officially went into effect on Sept. 13. The bill is geared towards helping those convicted on certain drug offenses keep their license - which makes it much easier to job hunt ultimately get their life on track and become a productive member of society. “It just makes more sense,” said Darke County Common Pleas Court Judge Jonathan P. Hein. “Since the introduction of House Bill 86 in 2011, which changed drug offense sentencing factors from punishment
Darke County Common Pleas Court Judge Jonathan P. Hein (Clinton Randall photo)
to rehabilitation and treatment, the focus is now more on probation with requirements of finding and maintaining employment.” “The new legislation really won’t affect how we do things in the probation department,” explained Darke County Chief Probation Officer James Mollette. “Traditionally, Judge Hein granted driving privileges to many drug offenders to allow them a way to get back and forth to work. With court fines and restitution fees, being able to be employed is important and having that barrier of license suspension was always something we had to work around.” In regards to SB 204, though a judge may not suspend the license, the state may have previously suspended for other reasons
and/or a reinstatement fee is due before the person can legally drive. Additionally, the change does not affect crimes while operating a motor vehicle, which will remain as mandatory suspension cases. “When someone on probation already has a suspended license from the state or has to pay a few hundred dollars to reinstate them, is something we see a lot of and is tough for them to get to where they need to go and stay employed,” Mollette added. “When you throw a drug addiction in the mix of all of that, it definitely makes it that much more difficult while doing what we require through probation and maintain steady employment.” “This new bill won’t be a quick fix, but it will help in some cases for sure,” concluded Mollette. Senate Bill 204 was primarily sponsored by Senator Bill Seitz (R) and had many co-sponsors, including local Rep. Jim Buchy (R). To learn more about SB 204 and other Ohio legislation, visit www.legislature. ohio.gov/legislation.
GREENVILLE – About 100 people interested in combating the county’s heroin problem gathered Tuesday, Oct. 25, for a Community Conversation on Heroin. Sponsored by the Coalition for a Healthy Darke County, the meeting was held at Romer’s Catering and included a panel of local experts as well as a question and answer period. Waiting until nearly the end of the 90-minute meeting, Greenville resident Diane Cundiff quietly stood and showed a photograph of her son Travis Hampshire. Travis, 31, died Sept. 17 as the result of a heroin overdose. Cundiff said she and other family members had been driving to Day-
Members of the Coalition for a Healthy Darke County contributing to a public meeting on the county’s heroin problems included coalition chairman Matt Aultman, Pastor Mark Burd, Dr. Anna Hatic, Pastor Peter Menke, Judge Jonathan Hein, coalition president Sharon Deschambeau, Chief Deputy Mark Whittaker and Mark McDaniel. (Susan Hartley photo)
ton to participate in support group meetings for families of addicts. After attending Tuesday’s Community Conversation on Heroin, she was hopeful these and other services would continue to be made available to Darke County families. “A heroin addict isn’t going to come to you to ask for help,” Cundiff said through tears. “My son was
in an out of jail four or five years, in Darke County and in Montgomery County. I hope Darke County gets a family support group to help family members. Family members need a place to go to talk to people to get answers.” Part of the coalition’s goal to promote a healthier
COALITION
continued on page 3
Greenville’s K-8 building nearly complete SUSAN HARTLEY
STAFF WRITER shartley@earlybirdpaper.com
GREENVILLE – Work is winding down at Greenville’s new K-8th grade building on Ohio Street. On Tuesday, Oct. 25, The Early Bird was treated to a tour by Superintendent Doug Fries and Brandon Ponchot, who is with the district’s contractor Shook Touchstone. The 231,000 squarefoot school is expected to be ready by the original Nov. 15 completion date. “We are on schedule,” Ponchot said, noting that finishing touches will most likely take place after Nov. 15. During the Oct. 20 board of education meeting, Fries announced that packing boxes were being delivered to teachers by Nov. 14 so they could start packing up their rooms – but only teaching materials, books and supplies. The school’s new furnishings, including some of the technology, are expected to begin arriving Nov. 15, Fries said. The official move-in has been set to begin Dec. 19 for the January occupancy of the building. “There’s a lot going on between now and January 12,” Fries said. “It’s going to be a busy three months.” Not only are teachers and students readying for the move, so is the district’s transportation department. The move will necessitate new bus and walking routes. Families can ex-
Greenville’s new school will be ready for students by the predicted January move-in date. (Clinton Randall photo)
pect to be notified of these changes in December. When K-8th grade students return after Christmas, they will be met with state-of-the art classrooms, eight extended learning centers, computer labs in two libraries, and two outside courtyards, which may be used for teaching purposes. The middle school music students also will have access to individual practice rooms. Art students who want to try their hand at pottery will be able to do so - a special room to house a kiln is being completed adjacent to the art room. The building also boasts three gymnasiums – a very small gym in the kindergarten wing, a gym for grades 1-4 and a bit larger gym for grades 5-8. The middle school gym will seat 680 with the elementary gym seating 507, Fries said. The building also has quite a bit of storage space, including a reading collaborative book room, which will store reading materi-
als being used in the elementary grades. Two elevators, handicap accessible lockers, drinking fountains that offer water bottle fill-ups, small group meeting rooms, private bathroom/showers for coaches are just a few of the features that will make coming to school enjoyable. Separate playgrounds for kindergarten and elementary students, an outside eating area and 400 parking spots for staff and visitors are some of the exterior features. The new building sets on more than 60 acres of land, with a paved walkway encircling the property. School administrators did decide to have a pond on the property filled in, due to liability issues, Fries said. Some neighbors adjoining the property have voiced concerns for wildlife, which use the pond. “The safety of students and the public come first,” Fries said in a phone conversation with The Early Bird last week.