Highland County Farm Bureau representatives Steve Dillon, Heather Utter and Jim Faust provided an update on the bureau’s local policies for Highland County Commissioners Jeremy Shaffer, Shane Wilkin and Tom Horst at the Jan. 12 commission meeting.

Highland County Farm Bureau representatives Steve Dillon, Heather Utter and Jim Faust provided an update on the bureau’s local policies for Highland County Commissioners Jeremy Shaffer, Shane Wilkin and Tom Horst at the Jan. 12 commission meeting.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced confirmation that U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates will continue funding for the Joint Strike Fighter F136 competitive engine. After he intervened in December, Brown received confirmation from U.S. Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew that the budget measure known as the Continuing Resolution will maintain funding for the Joint Strike Fighter F136 competitive engine. Brown has now successfully received an assurance from the Department of Defense that the agency would carry out the intent of Congress by funding the competitive engine, which is being developed by General Electric (GE) in Evendale.

Southern State Community College is teaming up with the Center for Entrepreneurship at the Ohio University Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs to offer a 3 hour workshop titled “Listening to Your Business.” The program, a part of the FastTrac® family of programs, is designed to give owners tools to plan for the future by taking a snapshot of the current business, evaluating where the owner is in the planning process and translating goals into action steps.

State Representative John Carey (R-Wellston) was appointed by House Speaker William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) to serve as chairman of the Primary and Secondary Education Subcommittee of the Finance and Appropriations Committee during the 129th General Assembly.

Several area schools are closed Wednesday, Jan. 12, including Hillsboro City Schools, Bright Local, Lynchburg-Clay, Fairfield Local, Greenfield, Hillsboro Christian Academy, SSCC, Adams County/Ohio Valley, and Eastern Brown. Check our delays and closings link for updates.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has announced that he has officially authorized action seeking to add Ohio to the growing roster of states challenging the constitutionality of the recently enacted healthcare law.

Crews in Adams, Brown and Highland counties are now putting down salt, grit and calcium chloride to routes along the state highway system as the snow is starting to stick and pavement is wet, slick and becoming lightly snow covered.

The following is the Hillsboro Police Report for Jan. 9, 2011.

Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, 40, remains in critical condition Sunday after being shot at point-blank range outside a Tucson grocery store Saturday, Jan. 8, while meeting with constituents. Six people were killed and at least 12 others were wounded, according to reports. Jared Lee Loughner, 22, is the alleged gunman and is in custody.

Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, 40, remains in critical condition Sunday after being shot at point-blank range outside a Tucson grocery store Saturday, Jan. 8, while meeting with constituents. Six people were killed and at least 12 others were wounded, according to reports. Jared Lee Loughner, 22, is the alleged gunman and is in custody.

Rick O’Dell has been selected to become a member of the Institute of Investment Management Consulting. The Institute of Investment Management Consulting (IIMC) was developed to help financial advisors drive success in their consulting practices through educational programs, ongoing communications forums and networking with other financial advisers.

The executive order authorizes the ODNR Division of Wildlife to adopt a new rule that prevents new private ownership of wild animals that are dangerous to human health and safety, requires existing private owners of dangerous wild animals to register the animals with the state, and details the type of facilities that can own and rehabilitate dangerous wild animals.

The following is the Greenfield Police Report for Jan. 1-4.