The United Way of Logan County campaign cabinet is busy distributing materials and many companies are either planning or conducting internal employee campaigns. Mike Minnich (pictured) and Jack Reser, 2009 campaign co-chairs, and United Way Agency representatives, have been busy speaking at several campaigns.

“What a wonderful way to increase public awareness about all of the services that the 24 United Way agencies provide to our community” says Mr. Reser;  “Our Super Heroes in Logan County give of their time, talent and treasure to help their neighbors and improve lives.”

Mr. Reser applauded the staff and volunteers of the agencies - “statistically, United Way will serve over 15,000 people this year. While we lack the resources to help all people, thanks to the generosity of our neighbors, one in three Logan County residents will be assisted.”

Mr. Minnich thanked the campaign donors: “We are blessed with hard-working people who care most about ‘paying it ahead’ - giving to United Way even when they have no immediate need. Because when tragedy strikes a friend, and it will, help will be there. My friend Herb, and 99 other folks, received help paying for medication from the Logan County Cancer Society made possible by United Way’s grant of $31,958 to their mission.”

Logan County Super Heroes committed $12,850 this week to the campaign, raising the total to $181,179. “The needs of those in need are greater in tough economic times; every gift, no matter the size, helps.” Minnich said.

Minnich spoke with Bill Tipple about the campaign.

Listen to his comments.  

Information is available, and contributions can be made by calling the United Way office at 592-2886, stopping by 122 N. Main St., Bellefontaine, or visiting the web site at www.uwlogan.org.

The campaign runs through November 30th.

A 14-year-old Columbus boy has become the first child in Ohio to die from swine flu.

The boy passed away Thursday night at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

76 children across the nation have died from swine flu. 

The Ohio Department of Health Friday submitted an order for more than 152,000 doses of H1N1 flu vaccine to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The order includes 58,300 doses of nasal-spray vaccine and 94,400 shots of H1N1 flu vaccine.

Nasal-spray vaccine is approved for use only in healthy people ages 2 to 49, while the shots will be given to high-risk individuals including pregnant women; people who live with or care for children less than 6 months; all people 6 months to 24 years; and people 25 to 64 years with chronic medical conditions.

The vaccine will be shipped directly to providers and could arrive by October 20th.

For more information on vaccine availability, check the ODH Web site at http://www.odh.ohio.gov or call the ODH H1N1 information line at 1-866-800-1404 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Logan County Health District expects about 30,000 vaccines to arrive later this month.

Thanks to a federal grant, the shots will be free.

The City Engineer’s Office has announced that Boca Construction will begin grinding city streets Monday and Tuesday in preparation of street paving the following week.

Residents are asked not to park on the following streets to allow work to be completed:

E. Palmer from Main to Madriver

N. Park from Williams to Irving

E. Williams from Park Rd. to Park entrance

Watson Way from Detroit to Central Court, south side only

Opera from Columbus to Chillicothe

East 68 bypass including Auburn and Madriver

E. Chillicothe from Madriver to Powers

S. Stanley from Columbus to Chillicothe

Eastern from Hayes to Columbus

S. Park from Auburn to Spring

S. Detroit from Water to Carter

Canby from Chillicothe to Auburn (along garage and house only)

S. Troy – 300” at overpass

All road work is weather permitting.

The Central and Executive Committees of the Logan County Republican Party met for their October meeting last night in the Council Chambers of the Bellefontaine Municipal Building.

The elected officials in attendance gave updates on their offices and upcoming projects.

Candidates for city offices on the ballot in November reported on the progress of their campaigns; no Republican candidate faces a contested election this November in the city.

Logan County Sheriff Andy Smith was the featured speaker. Sheriff Smith informed the group about his office’s efforts to continue to provide quality services to the citizens of Logan County in the face of reductions in personnel and funding. He also spoke about potential grant opportunities that his office is seeking.

The resignations of Tony Core and Tara Wagner as Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively, were accepted with regret.

Ranae Lentz was elected as Chairwomen of the Executive Committee.

Robert S. Storm was elected as Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Central and Executive Committees will be held on December 10th.

A city man found in a home near Mary Rutan Hospital was arrested on multiple charges yesterday afternoon.

The Bellefontaine Police Department reports that Larry Cox of 320 Palmer was working in his detached garage around noon when he noticed his home’s back door was open.

When Cox went inside, he found Rob Price, 36, of 112 West Williams Avenue.

Price (pictured) told Cox that he entered the home because someone had fired shots at him.

After being questioned, Price admitted that he was lying about the shooting.

Price was then charged with burglary, possession of cocaine, obstructing, and two counts of inducing panic.

The reported shooting prompted Bellefontaine Middle School and Northeastern Elementary to go on lockdown for about thirty minutes.

Price was lodged in the Logan County Jail.

The Bellefontaine vs. Tipp City football game scheduled for tonight has been postponed until Sunday at four p.m.

Ohio High School Athletic Association officials helped set up the new date and time.

You can hear the game live on 1390 WBLL with Ken Keller and Kevin Braig.

The Chiefs are 6-0 and the Red Devils are 5-1.

On Thursday, Tipp City school officials cancelled all weekend extracurricular activities because of illness.

About 200 of the high school’s 850 students were sick on Thursday.

Tipp City Schools are open today, but the school said sick students should stay home.

Congratulations to Benjamin Logan juniors Andria Beehler-Evans, Brittney Poling, Mika Griffith and Wesley Stover for taking first place in the ONU Math Shoot-Out on October 7. The students placed first out of 16 area schools in the event sponsored by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Ohio Northern University.

The Shootout is a mathematics problem-solving contest in the form of dodge ball (without the ball of course). 

ONU invites three or four juniors from area schools to compete.  The students were divided into groups of four and given 50-60 problems to solve during the morning session. In the afternoon, the students were placed on one of two teams to compete.  Team points were awarded for correct solutions.  Students also earned points for their schools by giving correct solutions.  The students played for the ONU Mathematics Trophy and other prizes.

Apparently math isn’t the only thing Benjamin Logan students are good at, either. 

Original artwork created by Benjamin Logan Local students attending has been selected for exhibit in the 7^th annual Ohio Association for Gifted Children (OAGC) Susan Faulkner Fine Arts Exhibition and Auction.  The following pieces were selected from over 90 entries from throughout the state and will be featured in a silent art auction and exhibit held as part of the OAGC’s Annual Conference at the Easton Hilton in Columbus from October 11-13.  

Katie Cole – “Kanye West”

Shyann Hefner – “Untitled- After Dr. Seuss”

Yale Reames – “Eagles”

Lauren Stahl – “My Life”

Vanessa Wilkins – “Dawn of a Dream”

Jessica Woodhouse – “Her True Colors”

At the conference, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction for these outstanding pieces of original artwork.  These students have donated their pieces and will receive half of the auction price for their artwork; the other half of the auction proceeds will be put into the OAGC Scholarship fund. Additionally, one student from each of three age groups will receive a scholarship award at a special “Meet the Artists” reception on Sunday, October 11, at 5:30 at Easton Hilton, Juniper A room. At this reception, Columbus artist and professor, Daric Gill, will share his insights about the numerous opportunities that are available to artists and the student artists will be recognized for their accomplishments.

The Logan County Children Services Board forecasted the rest of its fiscal year and heard a presentation from Emily Pool, School Outreach Coordinator, when it met in regular session Thursday night.

Executive Director John Holtkamp reported Thursday that Children Services will meet its projected budget for the year and further reported that no layoffs would be necessary, though he added that some “re-tooling” may be required to meet the needs and expectations of the community.

Community interaction was a top priority for the board Thursday night as it also listened to Pool’s presentation regarding Children Services’ relationship with local schools and how the two bodies can work together to ultimately achieve Permanency.

According to Pool, Permanency is the ultimate goal for any child associated with Children Services; that is, the feeling of a permanent relationship with a family member or other adult.

Pool went on to explain that children with a sense of permanence in their lives tend to do better in schools, and are better adjusted emotionally as they progress through adolescence.

This point tied in with the board’s Kinship Care initiative, which places an emphasis on involving relatives in the long-term care of children in the Children Services system.

Listen as Pool talks about the importance of Permanency and the steps those considering adoption can take.

Finally, the board announced Thursday its “Fall Into Adoption” event, which will take place Sunday, Nov. 8 at 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at Marmon Valley Farm, activities will include hayrides, horse rides and a chili cook-off.

The board will meet again next month.

The Logan County Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its 69th annual meeting Wednesday night at the Huntsville Event Center.

About 200 business and community leaders gathered to look back on the last year and recognize many for their contributions to the chamber and the community.

Tammy Allison was saluted for her work as chamber chairperson over the last year.

Tara Wagner will serve as the chairperson for 2009-2010.

Retiring board directors Chad Ross, Denyse Bayliss, and Julie McIntosh were acknowledged for their many hours of service.

Ross served on the board for seven years.

Wagner introduced new board directors Bart Patterson, Carly Schaub, Paul Benedetti, and Matt Chamberlain.

The evening concluded with an awards presentation.

Chamber ambassadors Ronda England and Heather Cox were recognized for perfect attendance at chamber ribbon cuttings over the last year.

The Ambassador of the Year Award was presented to Carrie Reynolds of Alan Galvez Insurance (right). 

She talked with Bill Tipple after winning the award.

The Integrity in Business Award went to longtime business owner Alan Galvez (left).

Galvez has been in the insurance business for nearly 40 years and started Alan Galvez Insurance in 1988.

A video tribute featured remarks from colleague Larry Mawhorr and Logan County Family Court Judge Doug Chamberlain.

Galvez reflected on the award with Bill Tipple.

Finally, the Richard J. Rupp Leadership Award was presented to Rick Gildow (right).

Gildow has worked at TRC since 1977 and has been the company president for the past 17 years.

He was recognized for growing the East Liberty business into one of the largest auto testing facilities in the world.

Gildow was saluted for his countless hours of service in the community.

He’s a former member of Bellefontaine City Council, past chairman of the chamber board, and continues to help with the athletic programs at Bellefontaine High School.

Tom Simon, Rick Hatcher, and a few TRC associates were featured on a video tribute explaining why Gildow was the right choice.

He spoke with Bill Tipple after winning the award. 

Longtime Chamber President/CEO Ed Wallace said the evening went well.

Listen to his comments.

The chamber of commerce has about 430 members.

The Logan County Sheriff’s Office arrested a local man on a sex-related count earlier this week.

Detectives charged Keith Tussing, 30, of 340 Taft Avenue, Urbana, with one count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor (third-degree felony) on Tuesday.

Detectives began an investigation late Saturday night after receiving a complaint from the victim’s family.

Tussing was lodged in the Logan County Jail.

The Bellefontaine Police Department arrested a city man on a sex-related charge earlier this week.

Michael David Miranda, 46, of 520 North Elm Street, was charged with rape.

The alleged incident happened last spring with a 5-year-old Bellefontaine male.

Miranda was lodged in the Logan County Jail on Tuesday.

Logan County Children’s Services assisted in the investigation.

Award-winning teacher Phil Forsythe (left) has been named this month’s Community Hero.

WPKO and Kevin F. Jennings Funeral Home select a recipient each month.
Forsythe was nominated by his wife, Jean; his daughter, Lisa; and many peers.

Phil was nominated for his dedication to his profession and his family.
Forsythe is a 2nd-grade teacher at Southeastern Elementary. This is his 37th year in the classroom.

Phil strives to make EVERY student feel important, and his passion is unmatched.

He frequently spends his nights and weekends planning for the next day’s lesson.

Forsythe was presented a Community Hero plaque while appearing on Wilkinson in the Morning Thursday.

He was joined by (in order) Southeastern Principal Pat Martz, Bellefontaine Superintendent Beth Harman, Phil and wife Jean, and longtime colleagues Peggy Thompson and Debbie Ellis.

Listen to the complete interview with Chad Wilkinson and Forsythe.

Some of Forsythe’s accomplishments include:

- Cooperative teacher for 14 student teachers

- Mentor for 10 new teachers in Bellefontaine City Schools

- Awarded 33 local teacher grants worth over $25,000

- Martha Holden Jennings Scholar

- Ambassador Award for the Mailbox Magazine, which is a national magazine

- Chairman of the BEA Friend of Education Award from ‘95 to ‘09

- Bellefontaine City Schools Service Award winner

- Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers for 9 years

- Spearheaded pop tab collection project, collecting over one million pop tabs and sending the money earned
to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital burn unit

- Nominated for American Legion Teacher of the Year at the District Level in 2003

- Award recipient of the Rotary Club Excellence in Teaching Award

Forsythe has also helped run a family business in downtown Wapakoneta for 34 years.

He’s been a Sunday School teacher for more than 30 years at all levels at the Huntsville Presbyterian Church.

He’s also served as an elder, trustee, and deacon at the church.

If there is a Community Hero you would like to nominate, go to http://www.peakofohio.com/heroes/

We salute Phil Forsythe for making Logan County a better place to live and learn!!!

A local driver suffered minor injuries in a rollover wreck south of Middleburg Wednesday afternoon.

The Marysville Post of the State Highway Patrol responded to a one-vehicle accident on State Route 287 just before four o’clock.

Troopers report that John Musick, 51, of 10886 State Route 287, Zanesfield, was driving a ‘95 Toyota Tacoma northbound on 287 when he lost control on a curve, went off the right side of the road, overcorrected, then went off the left side of the road and overturned.

Musick was transported to Union County Memorial Hospital in Marysville by Allen Township Fire and EMS.

He was wearing a seat belt, and his pickup suffered heavy damage.

The accident remains under investigation.

State Representative Dave Burke (R- Marysville, pictured) today announced legislation to prohibit the use of electronic tracking devices to determine the location or movement of a person without that person’s consent.

House Bill 304 was prompted by a constituent who was told after going into a grocery store that a man got out of a black van and crawled underneath her car and attached a black box to it before driving away. Fearing the box was a bomb, the woman called the authorities who discovered it was a global positioning system (GPS) tracking device. Currently, it is not illegal for anyone to place a GPS tracking device on anyone else’s vehicle in Ohio.

“It should be the goal of all elected officials in Ohio to promote life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Burke said. “In the case of our legislation, we are sending a message to all current and future residents of Ohio that liberty still means something and our elected leaders will fight to preserve it.”

When signed into law, this crucial legislation will provide a search warrant to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, or other authorized individuals for the installation, use and removal of a tracking device under specified conditions. Additionally, the same use would be sanctioned without a search warrant in emergency situations under certain terms.

Burke’s office has actively engaged law enforcement and judiciary groups for their feedback on the initiative and plans to hold stakeholder meetings in the coming weeks. The bill will now be assigned to a committee where further discussion will occur.

The Marysville Post of the State Highway Patrol responded to a “T-Bone” crash east of Urbana Tuesday afternoon around 4:30.

Troopers report that Richard Dickerson, 45, of Springfield, was driving a ‘98 Honda Accord northbound on Three Mile Road when he pulled into the path of Victoria Vernon, 16, of Mechanicsburg, who was operating an ‘01 BMW westbound on State Route 29.

Her car then struck an ‘08 Honda Pilot driven by Robert Hale, 50, of Springfield.

CareFlight transported Dickerson to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. He’s listed in critical condition.

Vernon and a passenger in her car, Joseph Brown, 21, of Mechanicsburg, suffered minor injuries.

Both of them were transported to Mercy Memorial Hospital in Urbana.

Hale was not injured.

The Accord and BMW were heavily damaged.

All four occupants were wearing their seat belts.

The accident remains under investigation.

Honda is touting their newest vehicle that will be produced at the East Liberty Plant later this fall.

The all-new 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour will feature a versatile, upscale 5-passenger interior with an innovative rear storage area, a standard 3.5-liter i-VTEC V-6 engine and available four-wheel drive when it goes on sale in November, American Honda Motor Company announced today.

“Honda has a longstanding reputation for maximizing interior space and utility in its vehicles,” said Erik Berkman, vice president of corporate planning and logistics for American Honda Motor Company. “Like the award-winning Honda Fit, the Accord Crosstour uses a versatile design to create an interior that functions with the practicality of a larger vehicle.”

The rear storage area features an innovative 8-inch deep under-floor Hidden Removable Utility Box with a reversible lid, featuring both plush-carpeted and durable-plastic sides. Levers near the interior fender wells, accessible from the tailgate opening, allow for one-touch conversion of the seats into the floor for additional cargo space.

The interior design is intended to enhance the feeling of width and space in the passenger cabin while creating a premium and accommodating atmosphere. The inset sculpting of the instrument panel along with a wide center console increases the sense of roominess. Intuitively grouped controls for the audio, climate and available navigation system are designed to operate with solidity and precision.

The exterior styling evolves the Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) concept by integrating a sleek and aerodynamic shape that blends sporty, low-profile contours with versatile CUV functionality.

The Accord Crosstour will be positioned at the top of the Accord family when it goes on sale in November. Additional details will be announced later in the year. Consumer information is available at automobiles.honda.com/future-cars.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife will hold a public drawing Thursday for a special deer hunt to be held on Transportation Research Center, Inc. (TRC) managed property in southern Logan County during the 2009-10 Archery Deer Season. The drawing will take place at the West Mansfield Conservation Club. Registration begins at 6 p.m. and the drawing will be held at 7 p.m. To participate in the drawing, hunters must be present and show a 2009 Ohio hunting license and a 2009 Ohio Deer Permit.

A total of 40 hunters will be drawn. Hunting days are Saturdays and Sundays only. Successful applicants will be able to choose a block of three consecutive weekends to hunt beginning in late October and continuing through the end of archery season on February 7th, 2010. Hunters must attend a mandatory orientation prior to their hunting dates. Permits are transferable up to the date of the orientation session, but not after. Hunters must abide by all rules and regulations that apply to the Statewide Deer Archery Season, as well as rules that are assigned to this special controlled deer hunt.

Hunters may kill deer of either sex during this hunt. As is true for all Division of Wildlife Controlled Hunts, Antlerless Deer Permits will be valid for this hunt. Using the appropriate combination of Either Sex and Antlerless Deer Permits, hunters could potentially harvest a total of 6 deer, of which only one may be antlered. Hunters must temporarily tag each deer before harvesting additional deer. All deer (including antlered deer) taken by hunters during this archery hunt will count towards their statewide bag limit.

Successful hunters are encouraged to help those in need by donating a deer to the Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry Program. Visit www.fhfh.org for more information and to find local processors that accept donated deer.

Five defendants were sentenced by Logan County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark O’Connor earlier this week.

Robert Ferguson (pictured), 39, of Belle Center, was sentenced to fourteen months in prison after violating his community control. He originally pled guilty to safecracking.

Savannah Stanley, 24, of Bellefontaine, was sentenced to twelve months in prison for obstructing justice and trafficking in drugs.

John Inman, 33, of Bellefontaine, was sentenced to eight months in prison for non-support of dependents.

David Williams, 29, of Bellefontaine, was sentenced to thirty days in the Logan County Jail and ordered to pay a $250 fine and court costs for domestic violence.

Jennifer Wells, 23, of Zanesfield, was found guilty of burglary after violating her intervention in lieu of conviction. She was sentenced to five years community control and ordered to pay a $250 fine, court costs, and attorney fees.

Bellefontaine got to breathe easier a little sooner this week as they were watching “Dancing with the Stars,” when Louie Vito was called safe before the end of Tuesday’s results show.

Louie’s score of 20 landed him in the top group of men for the week, unlike last week when he was in the bottom three.

The final four celebs who were "in danger" were Michael Irvin, Aaron Carter, Debi Mazar and Joanna Krupa. Debi, on her second week at the bottom, was sent home.

Tom Delay’s surprising performance on Monday night would also be his last; he decided not to move on in the competition due to his fractured feet.  Despite having the second lowest score Monday night it was said early in the show that Tom was safe.  It was later announced, by DeLay himself, that he would not continue in the competition.

The fans at the Holland Theatre gathered again to watch the show, and were very excited about this week’s results. Susan O’Rielley talked proudly about Louie saying, “He’s a great representative for Bellefontaine, I’m really proud to see him there.”

Listen to Susan tell Ashleigh Klinger about her reaction to Tuesday’s show.

Louie wasn’t the only one doing well during the show, the Holland Theatre has also been reaping the benefits. With the donations for the parties, as of Tuesday, the Holland has brought in around $5,000.
Dava Royer says that the theatre will be contributing it to the $35,000 project to renovate the offices and the art gallery of the building.

The parties will also have a new addition next week, with a special hour before the show for karaoke. The doors will open at 6:30 on Monday and 8 on Tuesday, with karaoke starting at 7 and 8.

Listen to Dava talk about the Holland Theatre’s project, karaoke, and her feelings on the results show.

The Ohio Department of Public Safety’s (ODPS) Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) has awarded $33,149.17 in federal traffic safety funding to the Logan County Sherriff’s Office for federal fiscal year 2010, according to Sheriff Andy Smith.

The funds are passed through OTSO from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to support the effort of safety partners statewide and focus on traffic safety priority areas such as restraint use, impaired driving, motorcycle safety, and youthful drivers.

In the past three years, Ohio’s roadway fatalities have decreased to near record lows. There were 1,191 fatalities on Ohio roads in 2008, down from 1,257 in 2007 and 1,239 in 2006.

The Logan County Sheriff’s Office is working to continue that trend.

Competitive grant proposals are accepted and reviewed by OTSO, with funds awarded to projects that will have the greatest impact on reducing fatal crashes or significantly improving traffic safety systems.

A passenger was injured in a two-vehicle crash in the city last night.

The Bellefontaine Police Department responded to a wreck in the 1000 block of South Main Street shortly after eight o’clock.

Officers report that an ‘01 Chrysler Town and Country van driven by David Reilley, 49, of 501 Gunntown, Bellefontaine, was rear-ended by a southbound ‘95 Olds Cutlass operated by Zachary Bozman, 19, of 102 Canby Street, Quincy.

Sherry Reilley, 50, who was riding in the van, suffered minor injuries.

Bellefontaine Fire and EMS transported her to Mary Rutan Hospital.

All three occupants were wearing their seat belts.

Bozman was cited for failure to maintain assured clear distance.

His car suffered moderate damage.

Reilley’s van sustained minor damage.

Fans at the Holland Theatre were not happy with Louie Vito’s score on “Dancing with the Stars” Monday night. Especially when Judge Len Goodman gave Louie a 5 out of 10 for his Rumba.

“I think he should be dismissed,” said Johni Whitaker.

Nevertheless, Louie and his partner Chelsie Hightower were handed a 20, their highest score so far.

Mya was the repeat top scorer this week with a 27; and the lowest score was given to Michael Irvin with a 14.

Tom DeLay was the surprise of the night, not because of his score, but because he danced on two stress fractured feet.

Party-goers at the Holland enjoyed the show all together though, feeling very positive about Louie’s performance.

Fans enjoyed dance lessons from Dance Fusion instructor Amber Foulk (left), who talked about the difficulty of learning ballroom dancing.

“It’s very difficult to try to be in sync with your partner and not step on each other’s feet and make sure you’re moving the right way.”

Listen to Amber’s comments on ballroom dancing and her opinion on how difficult it should be for Louie to learn.

The party continues at the Holland Tuesday night for the results show, with the doors opening at 8 and the show starts at 9. Admission is a donation of $5; children are free.

Listen to what Johni Whitaker thought about Monday’s performance.

Beginning Thursday, the BMV will now require those applying for a new or first time driver license or state ID card, replacing a lost or stolen ID card, or making an address change on a license will need to provide documents that establish the applicant’s current Ohio residential street address.

This change impacts customers obtaining Temporary Permits, Driver Licenses, Commercial Driver Licenses, Motorcycle Endorsements, and State of Ohio ID cards.

A document proving current street address must be shown in addition to the primary and secondary documents required to prove name, date of birth and Social Security Number if those documents do not prove the current street address. If the primary or secondary documents shown prove the customer’s current residential street address, no additional proof of residency is required.

A list of acceptable primary and secondary documents can be found at http://publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/bmv2424.pdf.

A list of acceptable documents to prove residency will be added to this list online by Thursday.

Examples from the list include: Current and valid automobile liability, premises liability or life insurance policy, checking or savings account statement within the last 60 days, major credit card bill issued within the last 60 days, paycheck stub issued within the last 60 days or a utility bill from an electric, telephone, water, sewer, cable, satellite, heating oil or propane provider issued within the last 60 days.

This rule change occurred as part of the BMV’s continuous review of operations and will increase the security and reliability of the documents issued by the BMV.

The Russells Point Village Council passed a pair of ordinances and discussed leaf removal when the group met in regular session Monday night.

The first ordinance was a routine administrative action which enters Mayor Greg Iiams in contract with RCAP and the State of Ohio.

The latter ordinance passed by council saw the group accept a $500,000 grant from the State of Ohio to help fund the new filtration system the village is legally obligated to install.

Listen to Iiams talk about the grant.

The council announced Monday night that it would be sponsoring a leaf removal for Russells Point. Though specific details were not immediately finalized, residents can expect an update in the coming weeks.

Council reminded citizens during the meeting that village offices will be closed next Monday, October 12th, in observance of Columbus Day.

The council also announced Monday night they will be working on next year’s budget at the next council meeting which is slated for October 19th at 7:00 p.m.

On Friday, ten Indian Lake freshmen were inducted into the middle school’s Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame is the highest honor at Indian Lake Middle School and has been for the past 14 years. To be eligible for induction the students had to maintain a 3.8 GPA (grade point average) while a student at ILMS; maintain a 98% attendance rate while a student at ILMS; and have been enrolled at ILMS 70% of the semesters during the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade years. Students also could not have any chronic or excessive discipline problems.

The new Hall of Fame inductees are Jeramy Adams, Kara Allison, Kelsey Allison, Kayla Foy, Jessica Green, Claire Maier, Katie Ray, Leslie Reichert, Ellie Schwieterman, and Anna Yerian. These students' photographs will be displayed on plaques at the Indian Lake Middle School with other former ILMS students who were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The ceremony concluded with a reception that allowed the inductees the chance to revisit their years and the staff at ILMS. The inductees were then given the rest of the school day to spend with their parents.

The Marysville Post of the State Highway Patrol responded to a two-vehicle minor injury accident west of Lakeview Sunday evening around 6:20.

Troopers report that Nathan Creviston, 19, of 6043 State Route 296, Cable, was driving a Honda Accord eastbound on Route 33 when he struck a Chrysler Town and Country van operated by William Bazill, 82, of Uniopolis, who was attempting to turn from County Road 270 onto 33.

Indian Lake EMS transported Creviston and Bazill to Mary Rutan Hospital.

Both drivers were wearing their seat belts.

Both vehicles suffered heavy damage.

The accident remains under investigation.

The Champaign County Sheriff’s Office reports that a local man was killed in an ATV crash between West Liberty and Urbana early Sunday.

The sheriff’s office and West Liberty Fire and EMS responded to a crash off the west side of Route 68 near Lippencott Road just after midnight.

Deputies report that Todd Conrad, 44, of West Liberty, was driving an ATV southbound in the right of way area when he lost control while trying to avoid a utility pole.

Conrad was ejected and struck the utility pole.

He was pronounced dead at the scene and was not wearing a helmet.

The ATV rolled in the ditch and came to rest near Conrad.

The accident remains under investigation.

This week’s “In Sync” featured Russ Foust, who’s the longtime fire prevention officer at the Bellefontaine Fire Department.

He’s been a firefighter with the city for 21 years, and has served in his current position for 13 years.

Foust discussed National Fire Prevention Week, which runs through next Saturday.

Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 fire that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8th, but continued into and did most of its damage on October 9th, 1871.

According to popular legend, the fire broke out after a cow - belonging to Mrs. Catherine O'Leary - kicked over a lamp, setting first the barn, then the whole city on fire.

Foust has spent the last few days visiting elementary students across the city to stress fire prevention.

This year’s theme is “Stay Fire Smart, Don’t Get Burned”.

Foust says planning can be the difference between life and death.

He urges all of us to make sure our homes have working smoke detectors and a family escape plan. He said we should check our smoke detectors each month and conduct “family fire drills” to make sure every family member knows what to do if a fire would occur.

Because a fire doubles in size every minute, a quick exit is critical.

Many structure fires burn at temperatures over 1,000 degrees. Foust says once you’re out of the home, never go back inside. He says it can be a fatal choice.

With the heating season approaching, he urges us to make sure our furnaces and fireplaces have been properly cleaned and maintained.

Foust says remove clutter and any other flammable items near a heat source. Examples would be magazines and papers.

Foust conducts free home and business inspections to make sure each building is safe.

He can be reached at the fire department (corner of Sandusky and Detroit) Monday through Friday at 599-6168.

You can see more at http://www.ci.bellefontaine.oh.us/fire/

You can see more on National Fire Prevention Week at http://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=1438

“In Sync” airs Sunday mornings at 8:30 on WBLL and at 8:45 on WPKO.

The Weekly Agenda for Commissioners Core, Knight, and Bayliss, for the week of October 5th through October 9th:

Monday:

12:00 p.m. Mental Illness Awareness Ceremony – Courthouse Lawn

Tuesday:

8:30 a.m. COMMISSION IN SESSION

10:00 a.m. John Holtkamp re: quarterly update on Children’s Services

11:00 a.m. Bid date for FY 08 CDBG Village of Lakeview – street & storm water main improvements

1:00 p.m. David Higgins and Tammy Nicholl – MHDAS budget cuts

7:30 p.m. Logan County Fire meeting – West Mansfield

Wednesday:

6:00 p.m. Logan County Chamber of Commerce annual meeting – Huntsville event center

Thursday:

8:30 a.m. COMMISSION IN SESSION

9:00 a.m. Public Records training – Grange Building

9:00 a.m. Logan County Coalition against Domestic Violence – Metro Housing

10:00 a.m. Mike Minnich and Mike Yoder re: Net Gain Services

1:00 p.m. LUC meeting (BAYLISS)

5:00 p.m. Public Records training – Grange Building

6:30 p.m. Ohio Hi-Point Public Safety Services Advisory Committee – House 4 – Ohio Hi-Point (BAYLISS)

Friday:

10:00 a.m. CEBCO Board meeting – CCAO Board Room (BAYLISS)

The Commission may also take up and act upon matters that have not yet been brought to the attention of the Commissioners or the Clerk/Administrator at the time of the preparation of this agenda.

East Columbus Avenue between Hayes and Reservoir Road will be closed to thru traffic beginning Monday.

Ritter Pipeline will be performing gas line work for Vectren.

The project will take a couple of days to complete, and will be followed by Ritter working on Columbus between Reservoir and Eastern later in the week, shifting the closure to east of Reservoir.

All roadwork is weather permitting.