On Wednesday, December 14, a local contingent witnessed the legislative steps creating the Officer Dominic Francis Memorial Highway between mile markers 139 and 143 on Interstate 75 in Bluffton. The group met with House Speaker Robert Cupp (R-Lima) and Jon Cross (R-Kenton), toured the state house and, according to Bluffton Police Chief Ryan Burkholder, “were given the red carpet treatment.”
Those present were JAMPD Park Ranger Chad Cupples, who initiated the request to create a memorial highway; Ricki Francis, widow of Officer Francis; Taylor Born, daughter of Officer Francis; Bluffton Police Chief Ryan M. Burkholder, Sgt. Tyler Hochstetler, and Lt. Matt Oglesbee. The group was introduced to legislators from the balcony.
This week, area resident Martin Fisher spotted and successfully photographed a bald eagle on Township Road 30.
While the bald eagle population in Ohio is growing, Hardin County has had nest counts in the single digits recently. A 2020 map of Ohio bald eagle nests shows 9 nests in Hardin County, some counties with zero nests, and a high of 90 nests in Ottawa County on Lake Erie.
The 2020 bald eagle nest total was 707. In March 2022, the estimated nest count was 806.
The Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program has announced that 2,277 blighted and vacant structures in 42 counties will be demolished to pave the way for new economic development and housing opportunities across the state. Twenty of these projects are in Hardin County (see attached list).
The projects will be funded with the Ohio Demolition and Site Revitalization Program set-aside grants announced for each county in July. Thirteen counties will also receive additional program funding totaling $35.3 million to cover expenses in excess of the initial set-aside grants.
In total, the Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program will award nearly $150 million in grants for projects across the state. Details on demolition projects in additional counties will be provided in the coming weeks.
How would you summarize November 2022 weather? All over the place?
Here is the local report with highs, lows and precipitation from National Weather Service observer Guy Verhoff in Pandora, who always sends his report with the salutation, "Have a blessed week!"
The Saturday, December 3 meeting to discuss the proposed Village of Ada Neighborhood Revitalization Grant application was led by senior planner Whitaker Wright of CDC of Ohio, Inc., who reviewed a spreadsheet of results to date from a survey of Ada residents (attached). He also led discussion on developing and documenting community projects in the village, which is also part of the application process.
SURVEY RESULTS
With 57 residents responding at the time of the preliminary evaluation, survey results were sorted into categories including
