Aukerman’s assists in relief efforts
Matt Light football camp ushers in new era
SPORTS • 6A
LOCAL • 1B
THE EARLY
BIRD NEWSPAPER
THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER PAPER O OF THE GREAT DARKE COUNTY FAIR!
Weekend edition
Online at earlybirdpaper.com
Sunday, June 16, 2019 • $1
Darke County Courthouse security project to begin RYAN
BERRY EDITOR
DarkeCountyMedia.com
SUSAN
HARTLEY
MANAGING EDITOR DarkeCountyMedia.com
GAYLEN GREENVILLE – The new BLOSSER SPORTS EDITOR to the rear security entrance DarkeCountyMedia.com Darke County Courthouse is expected to begin soon. LINDA On Monday, June 10, the MOODY REPORTER Darke County CommisRYAN DarkeCountyMedia.com BERRY sioners voted to award the EDITOR project contract to Arcon DarkeCountyMedia.com Builders,CLINTON who submitted the RANDALL lowest bid — $756,000 — CORRESPONDENT SUSAN DarkeCountyMedia.com for the estimated $750,000 HARTLEY MANAGING EDITOR project. DarkeCountyMedia.com BETHANY J.also Commissioners ROYER-DELONG RYAN accepted an alternate bid GAYLEN STAFF WRITER BERRY for $7,100 to extend electriDarkeCountyMedia.com BLOSSER EDITOR Courtesy photo SPORTS EDITOR cal services if required by DarkeCountyMedia.com Above, theDarkeCountyMedia.com architect’s rendering of the new rear security entrance for DP&L. the Darke County Courthouse. SUSAN LINDA
MOODY REPORTER
Village hall tops RANDALL council meeting DarkeCountyMedia.com
CLINTON
CORRESPONDENT DarkeCountyMedia.com
“It is the heart and soul ROYER-DELONG of this community,” said STAFF WRITER Piel. “It’s a tragedy to think DarkeCountyMedia.com we want to abandon it.” Piel further agreed with a suggestion made by Dave ARCANUM — It was Kessler to create a commitstanding room only at the tee that would decide, “Its Arcanum council meeting by Ryan an Berry hour of future, not its fate.” before that began with Editor public comments surround- sharing a story of a show DarkeCountyMedia.com that had once brought in ing both the future of the 700 people to the location. former village hall and the “I would really love to see pending new administrative a planning commission for building Tuesday evening. that building,” said Piel. Arcanum resident Dave Councilman Jerry BoolKessler thanked the council by Linda Moody man understood a need for the tour of the former DarkeCountyMedia.com for the new building but village hall last Thursday, admitted that perhaps the stating it was a “neat location was not ideal while opportunity.” Before the clarifying, “We’re not in any two dozen in attendance hurry to get rid of this old took turns to express building.” concerns and ideas. Some “Nobody wants to see ideas included wanting to the old building go down,” register the former village hall as a historical building echoed Mayor Greg to holding nothing against Baumle, going on to state they would be “building the the new administrative new building” while pulling building, only wanting its minutes from September placement prominent as opposed to hiding it behind 2017 to emphasize the time already spent on the the VFW. project. Concerns included the “We’ll do it right,” concondition of the village tinued Baumle, stating hall, the lack of anything as simple as a broom being those on the council wantswept over the interior to a ed to do what was best for fear it would sit and further the community, and optimistic they would find the deteriorate. right tenant for the former Arcanum resident Jim village hall. He encouraged Piel agreed with Kessler that the tour was amazing, Dave Kessler and Boolman to work together to form a with the comment that village hall committee. when everyone thinks of Arcanum, they think of the Reach reporter Bethany J. Royervillage hall. A sentiment DeLong at 937-548-3330 or email shared by another individbroyer-delong@aimmediamidwest. ual stating when Googling com. Read more news, features, and sports at DarkeCountyMedia.com. “Arcanum” the result is always the village hall. BETHANY J.
RYAN’S WORLD LINDA’S MOOD SWINGS
RYAN’S HARTLEY WORLD
The project completion date has been set for midDecember. “We want everything buttoned up and completed by tax collection season,” said Commissioner Matt Aultman. Improvements to the courthouse have been on the commissioners’ to-do list for several years – with a focus on renovating the front entryway by replacing the deteriorating steps. In November, Darke County Common Pleas Court Judge Jonathan P. Hein filed a court order requiring safety and security work be completed at
the courthouse. The directive, filed Nov. 19, ordered a “single entry and other courthouse security measures.” In early April, commissioners met with the courthouse security team and architects at Mote & Associates to review and approve a proposal for a new rear entrance. The project includes the construction of a 1,000-square-foot annex at the rear entrance of the building. Upon completion, the front entrances of the courthouse will be closed permanently and will be used only
as emergency exits. Mote & Associates also worked closely with the Darke County Sheriff’s Office, which will be providing deputies to man the new entry. New features will include bullet proof glass in the windows of the annex and a holding cell big enough to fit three prisoners, which was a request made by Sheriff Toby Spencer. The new addition also will be ADA compliant. Reach Managing Editor Susan Hartley at 548-3330 or shartley@ aimmediamidwest.com. Read more news, features and sports at DarkeCountyMedia.com
MANAGING EDITOR
DarkeCountyMedia.com by Ryan Berry Editor DarkeCountyMedia.com
Proposed poultry farm worries residents BLOSSER GAYLEN
Meeting set for June 20 LINDA’S SPORTS EDITOR DarkeCountyMedia.com
MOOD LINDA MOODY SWINGS REPORTER by Linda Moody DarkeCountyMedia.com DarkeCountyMedia.com
NEWCLINTON WESTON- A RANDALL CLR Eggs LLC represenCORRESPONDENT tative isDarkeCountyMedia.com expected to be at the June 20 meeting of the BETHANY Allen Township J. ROYER-DELONG Trustees to hear the STAFF WRITER concerns of people in the DarkeCountyMedia.com area on a proposed 4 million, cage-free hen farm with egg processing. “We’ve been told this is just a township meetBerry ing, and notby Ryan a public Editor DarkeCountyMedia.com hearing,” said Joey Schmitmeyer one of the neighboring residents who is opposed to the proposal. “Someone is to be there to listen to our concerns.”by Linda Moody The meeting will be DarkeCountyMedia.com held at 7:30 p.m. at the New Weston Town Hall with the public invited to attend. The proposed layer operation will be located in a corner field at McFeeley-Petry and Rhynard-Fink roads, with a pullet farm to supply hens for egg processing to be located on Hiestand Road nearby. Signs reading, “No More Factory Farms Here” are appearing more and more in this rural Rossburg/New Weston area. CLR Eggs LLC is proposing to build the operation with a permit under the name, Golden Heritage Farm, which sits on approximately
RYAN’S WORLD LINDA’S MOOD SWINGS
100 acres. It was reported that Cooper Farms is partnering with two local families, the Roses and Le-Fevres, to invest in this farm; the first phase of which will be a two million, cage-free hen farm with three buildings and the second phase to possibly bring in two million more hens and three additional buildings in the future. Schmitmeyer and a couple of others, including Tom Wentworth, have expressed their concerns about the project and will be looking for answers at the meeting. Their list of concerns include water quantity and quality effects; how much water will be used daily; air quality; traffic; road cost and upkeep; smell; flies and bugs; disease; sound; safety (trucks running stop signs etc.); lights; Eldora Speedway conflict; amount of animals in an area; care of animals; contamination effects of manure, disease and pharmaceuticals; and flooding. There is a fear that wear and tear on the road will be more than their township can handle. They have been told most of the traffic will be on Hiestand Road, because of McFeeleyPetry’s flooding issues. They are concerned that the operation will
Linda Moody|DarkeCountyMedia.com
Signs such as this can be seen on properties in and around the Rossburg/New Weston area.
affect all of the water in that area. It was pointed out that the communities of New Weston and Rossburg are all on wells. “We’re already overloaded with the different animals in this area… hogs, turkey, chickens,” Wentworth said. “We’re being saturated with all the manure and fertilizers. There are hog barns on almost every corner.” “We’re not against these farms, but they have to do it in areas where the environment can absorb it,”” said Schmitmeyer. “We’re thankful for the jobs Cooper’s do, but just ask they
do it in areas that fit in the neighborhood better. Put it where the environment can handle it.” He concluded, “We’ve cut out our own slice of heaven here and are trying to live the American dream on this small country road.” A Facebook page, titled “No More Factory Farms Here,” has been created and residents are post their concerns on the site. Contact Darke County Media Staff Writer Linda Moody at lmoody@ aimmediamidwest.com or 937569-4315, ext. 1749. Read more news, features and sports at DarkeCountyMedia.com.