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2024: The Year in Review, Part 4

The Highland County Press - Staff Photo - Create Article
Pictured Oct. 21 in the new bus garage during the ribbon cutting for 750 McClain Ave. are Greenfield school district and Elford Construction people involved in the project. The group is bookended by Jamie Wheeler, executive director of the Highland County Chamber of Commerce, on the left and Highland County Economic Development Director Julie Bolender on the right. (Photo by Angela Shepherd/GEVSD)
By
Caitlin Forsha, The Highland County Press

The Highland County Press is recapping some of the top stories from 2024. The following is Part 4 of the series.

October

• Highland County resident Shannon Yochum was one of six Appalachian Ohioans selected to receive a 2024 Jenco Award, as reported Oct. 2.

• After law enforcement conducted multiple arrests, five of the seven secret indictments from the Oct. 1 Highland County grand jury session were unsealed Oct. 2. Officers with the Highland County Task Force arrested four men and one woman following the defendants’ respective indictments on drug charges.

• A year after Gary Lee Pettiford, 71, of Greenfield was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of raping a juvenile, he was resentenced — to the exact same prison term — Oct. 2 following an appellate court decision.

• The Fairfield Lady Lions clinched the Southern Hills Athletic Conference Division II volleyball championship, winning Oct. 3 against the Ripley Lady Blue Jays.

• The Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs won a Southern Hills Athletic Conference soccer championship for a third consecutive season, winning Oct. 4 at home against the Fairfield Lady Lions by a 4-0 score.

• The Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs clinched a 12th consecutive Southern Hills Athletic Conference boys soccer championship Oct. 7 by defeating the host North Adams Green Devils by a 3-0 score.

• Highland County commissioners both endorsed and “strongly encouraged” support of the Children Services levy issue on the November general election ballot during their Oct. 10 meeting.

• Merchants National Bank (MNB) announced Oct. 10 that Dr. Nicole Roades, of Hillsboro, has joined the bank’s board of directors.

• Steven Reese Barnes, 43, of Lynchburg was sentenced to five and a half years in prison Oct. 11, after being indicted on 73 counts related to alleged sex crimes in Warren County. Barnes pleaded guilty to gross sexual imposition and several charges of pandering sexually oriented matter.

• Hillsboro’s Corbin Winkle was the winner of the 2024 Frontier Athletic Conference boys cross-country championship Oct. 12 at HHS.

• Oct. 12 was a championship day for Whiteoak senior Landen Eyre and the Lynchburg-Clay boys cross-country team, as Eyre became a four-time Southern Hills Athletic Conference champion, while the Mustangs won the team championship in boys competition.

• With Greenfield City Manager Todd Wilkin resigning effective Oct. 15, the Greenfield Village Council selected engineer and DLZ Ohio Vice President Gary Silcott of Logan as interim city manager.

• The Ag Soils team of McClain students Noah Sponcil, Olivia Stegbauer, Katie Cook and Leah Lovett placed second overall in their state contest, as announced Oct. 15. They will represent the McClain FFA in the National Land and Range Competition in Oklahoma City in spring 2025.

• The Southern Hills Athletic Conference announced Oct. 15 the 2024 All-SHAC teams for the fall season, with Highland County having 43 players and four coaches honored. Coaches and Players of the Year from Highland County included Lynchburg-Clay’s Todd Faust (Boys Cross-Country Coach of the Year), Olivia VanFleet (Girls Soccer Player of the Year), James Walker (Boys Golf Coach of the Year), Braedon West (Boys Soccer Player of the Year), Dennis West (Girls Soccer Coach of the Year), Jason West (Boys Soccer Coach of the Year) and Saxen Wilkin (Boys Golfer of the Year); and Whiteoak’s Landen Eyre (Boys Cross-Country Runner of the Year).

• The state announced more than $52 million in support for brownfield remediation and building demolition projects Oct. 15. The Highland County Land Reutilization Corporation was awarded a $129,628 Brownfield Remediation Grant for the East Monroe Tank Farm.

• Southern State Community College Professor Jeff Wallace was invited to present at the Appalachian/Carpathian International Mountain Conference in Romania Oct. 15-18.

 • Highland County Board of DD, in conjunction with Highland Housing Services, celebrated the completion of a new home in Leesburg that will provide housing for Board of DD clients with an open house and ribbon cutting from the Highland County Chamber of Commerce Oct. 15.

• The Frontier Athletic Conference Oct. 16  announced the 2024 All-FAC teams for fall sports except football, with Highland County having one athlete of the year and a total of 25 honorees. Hillsboro senior Corbin Winkle was selected Boys Cross-Country Runner of the Year.

• The City of Hillsboro announced it was extending its Phase II Water Emergency, while city council members also voted to approve preliminary legislation for a new “incentive district” in the Fairground Road neighborhood during their Oct. 17 meeting.

• Owen Faust and Brayden Hill were recognized at the October Lynchburg-Clay Board of Education meeting for achieving perfect scores on their Ohio State Tests last year, as reported Oct. 18.

•. The Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs won a 2024 Division III District cross-country championship Oct. 19. In the same race, Whiteoak senior Landen Eyre made Southeast District history by becoming a four-time district champion runner.

• The District 14 Volleyball Coaches Association released its All-District teams, as reported Oct. 21, with nine Highland County volleyball players honored for their play this fall. Leading the way for Highland County was first-team honoree Jobey Hattan of Fairfield.

• Recent accomplishments of students within the Hillsboro City Schools district were celebrated at Hillsboro’s Oct. 21 Board of Education meeting, including recognizing 16 students who achieved perfect scores on state tests: Jaxon Alexander, Jayson Cardeman, Blaine Gard, Kenneth Greer, Kinley Jackson, Briar Jones, Myla Jordan, Peyton Moore, Addison Mootz, Layla Purdin, Cohen Rhoads, Isaac Sheeley, Grant Shepard, Aubrie Short, Devon Steward and Chase Willey.

• Greenfield Exempted Village Schools celebrated the new multi-purpose facility at the practice field, which is now the McClain Avenue Complex, with an open house, ribbon cutting and recognition of those who have been integral to the project Oct. 21.

• Attorneys for the Highland County Board of Commissioners, Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins and former Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera Oct. 21 submitted an answer to a federal civil lawsuit filed by Highland County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Brandon Stratton in August, denying the allegations.

• The Highland County Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural STEEL (Strengthening Together Experienced and Emerging Leaders) Conference was held Oct. 22 at Southern State Community College’s Patriot Center. Renowned performance coach and USA Today-bestselling author Jordan Montgomery delivered the keynote address.

• The City of Hillsboro Oct. 22 announced the proposed development of a new .5-mile loop trail located within city limits. This trail project, designed to promote public health, safety and outdoor recreation, will transform a wooded, undevelopable area into a valuable community asset by connecting key parts of the city, including the business district, healthcare facilities and existing sidewalks and pathways.

• On Oct. 23, the OneOhio Recovery Foundation announced $1.7 million in seven new Regional Grant awards from six different OneOhio Regions, including an over $750,000 grant for the Paint Valley ADAMH Board.

• Seal-Tite LLC opened its doors for its first-ever Community Day, welcoming more than 100 students from Highland County and surrounding areas, alongside members of the general public. The two-day event on Oct. 24 and Oct. 25 featured guided tours of the manufacturing facility for both students and the public.

• The Hillsboro Indians regained possession of the Rotary Bowl trophy due to their performance in Week 10 against rival McClain, defeating the visiting Tigers 41-10 at Richards Memorial Field Oct. 25. The game also saw Hillsboro junior running back Jeven Hochstuhl rush for five touchdowns, tying the Hillsboro single-game mark previously set by Luke Gallimore (Oct. 21, 2016) and Austin Barrett (Sept. 9, 2022).

• Highland County teen Kelsie Crowder showcased her talents at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif., courtesy of Major League Baseball (MLB) and RCX Sports. Crowder has earned an all-expenses-paid trip to the MLB Pitch, Hit and Run (PHR) finals, in conjunction with Game Two of the World Series Oct. 26.

• The Fairfield Lady Lions played in their first district final volleyball game in program history Oct. 26, falling in four sets to Nelsonville-York.

• Seven graduates were honored for their successful completion of the New Way to Recovery Drug Court Docket of the Highland County Common Pleas Court in the program’s sixth graduation ceremony Oct. 27 at Carpenters House of Prayer.

• On Oct. 29, a jury seated in Highland County Common Pleas Court convicted John Powell, 55, of Hillsboro of five counts related to the death of his 10-year-old grandchild, including two first-degree felony charges of involuntary manslaughter. Following a trial that began Monday and concluded Tuesday morning with jury instructions and closing arguments, it took the jury of seven women and five men a little over an hour to return guilty verdicts on all five counts.

• The Division V Regional Semifinal at Herrnstein Field in Chillicothe on Oct. 29 became the final destination of the 2024 Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs’ soccer season, falling to Minford by a 3-1 score.

• A busy Oct. 30 meeting saw Highland County commissioners approve new vehicles for the Sheriff’s Office, hear a positive report on permissive sales tax receipts and agree to contribute $250,000 toward a broadband project, among other matters. During the same meeting, Highland County Economic Development Director Julie Bolender introduced commissioners Wednesday to Heith Brown, who has been named workforce development director (formerly known as the ACCESS director).

• The Willowbrook Solar I project in Highland and Brown counties officially started commercial operation, according to a letter listed under correspondence on the Oct. 30 Highland County commission agenda.

• The Frontier Athletic Conference announced the 2024 All-FAC Football Team Oct. 31, as Hillsboro and McClain combined for eight selections.

• The Chatfield Edge, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting post-secondary students through advising, mentoring, scholarships and personal enrichment, Oct. 31 announced the sale of its 99-acre St. Martin, Ohio property to Future Plans, Inc., a nonprofit that provides technical and capacity building support through the GRIT Project for all 32 Appalachian Ohio counties.

November

• The Highland County Historical Society celebrated the dedication of the Hodson House with a ribbon cutting from the Highland County Chamber of Commerce, along with the Hodson family, friends and members of the community, on Nov. 1. The Hodson House is located at 149 East Main Street in Hillsboro and was dedicated to honor the memory of Bob Hodson and his wife, Dorothy, who lived in Hillsboro for 80 years and were major supporters of continuing the history of Hillsboro and Highland County.

• Greenfield Elementary third-grader Hazel Vesey and art teacher William Roller each had a work of their own creation on display at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus’s Jurassic Art exhibit, which is running Nov. 2, 2024 to March 2, 2025.

• For the first time in Lynchburg-Clay’s boys cross-country program history, the Mustangs raced as a team in the OHSAA Division III State Cross-Country race Nov. 2 at the Fortress Obetz course. The Mustangs finished 20th as a team. Whiteoak senior Landen Eyre placed fourth overall in the speed-filled event that saw the former course record broken four times. In the Division II State Cross-Country Championship race, Hillsboro senior Corbin Winkle finished in 48th place with a personal-best record time.

• Hillsboro graduate and Shawnee State University bowler Zach Ison earned his first career individual event victory at the American Heartland Bowling Association's Event No. 3 on Nov. 2, leading the SSU Bears to a third-place finish as a team in the seven-unit field at Cedar Lanes in Sandusky.

• State leaders announced more than $55 million in continued support for brownfield remediation and building demolition projects across the state Nov. 4. Highland County was awarded $500,000 for 41 sites, including locations in Bainbridge, Greenfield, Hillsboro, Leesburg, Lynchburg, Mount Orab (Buford) and Sinking Spring.

• Major League Fishing announced Nov. 4 the roster of 66 pros — including Cole Floyd of Leesburg — who will compete on the Bass Pro tour in 2025, the seventh season of professional bass fishing’s premier tournament circuit.

• Voters in the Village of Greenfield approved a proposal to change the village’s form of government, returning to an elected mayor instead of an appointed city government, in the Nov. 5 general election. The election also included Madison Township selecting a new County Court judge, with John Judkins winning the contested race. On its third consecutive attempt, the countywide Highland County Children Services levy — Issue 10, a proposed 0.9-mill, five-year levy renewal “providing funds for the support of children services and the care and placement of children” — failed again, as did a proposed health department levy renewal at a reduced rate.

• Almost one year to the day after approving a new recovery coordinator position, Highland County commissioners met with Highland County RISE coordinator Taylor Avedisian and Highland County Sheriff Randy Sanders during their Nov. 6 meeting.

• Officers with the Highland County Task Force executed multiple arrests in a Nov. 6 roundup, one day after a Highland County grand jury handed down 10 secret indictments. Officers arrested five of the 10 individuals charged via sealed indictment. All five suspects were arrested on charges related to meth possession and/or trafficking.

• Two local residents, including Highland County native Gerold “Buzzard” Wilkin and outgoing U.S. Second District Representative Brad Wenstrup, were inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Nov. 7.

• Following an oral hearing in Highland County Common Pleas Court, Judge Rocky Coss ruled in favor of former Blanchester Police Chief and Richland County Secret Service Officer Scott Reinbolt in his civil lawsuit against the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission regarding a rejected application for an instructor certificate Nov. 7.

• Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s Office announced Nov. 8 that Karen S. Daniels of Hillsboro (Highland County) has been appointed to the Southern State Community College Board of Trustees for a term ending May 11, 2030.

• Jo Sanborn Earley resigned Oct. 21 as an at-large member of Hillsboro City Council, with the Hillsboro representatives of the Highland County Republican Central Committee voting to appoint Kathryn Hapner as her replacement, as reported Nov. 9.

• The Ohio Prep Sports Media Association Nov. 9 released the 2024 All-Southeast District football teams, with Highland County having five honorees this year, including first-team selections Jamar Young and Zack Brown, both of Hillsboro.

 • On Nov. 11, the Ohio Educational Service Center Association (OESCA) presented Lisa Hord, Strategic Project Support Specialist at Southern State Community College, with the Outstanding Leadership Award.

• Four Highland County soccer players and one assistant coach were named to the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association All-Ohio teams, as reported Nov. 13. Honorees included Lynchburg-Clay players Isaac Eyre, Olivia Van Fleet and Braedon West, as well as assistant coach Landon West, and Fairfield’s Vivian Henninger.

• Highland County commissioners heard an update on the successes of a Healthy Aging Grant, approved a pay raise for county employees and made several approvals related to ongoing projects Nov. 13. Highland County Community Action Executive Director Julia Wise provided the final report for the county’s Healthy Aging Grant at the start of the meeting, saying that a minimum of 400 unduplicated seniors were served.

• A resolution authorizing the mayor to take the necessary steps to purchase a 227-acre parcel for $110,000 on North High Street for a municipal parking lot was approved by a 5-2 vote by Hillsboro City Council Nov. 14. Following a 28-minute executive session to discuss personnel, council also voted unanimously to approve two ordinances to reimburse former city auditor Alex Butler for a finding for recovery issued by the state and related legal fees following the city’s 2022 audit. Also, prior to the start of the meeting, newly appointed councilwoman at large Kathryn Hapner took the oath of office.

• Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted Nov. 15 announced that 16 training providers located across Ohio will receive a total of $7.1 million to provide training for technology-focused credentials at no cost through the Individual Microcredential Assistance Program (IMAP). The list includes Southern State Community College.

• Heather L. Tarr, formerly of Lynchburg, was appointed assistant director of VA Northern Indiana Health Care System effective Nov. 17.

• Hillsboro City Council hosted an eight-minute public hearing Nov. 18 to discuss legislation for a proposed Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district in the Fairground Road/Pea Ridge Road area.

• The Greenfield Exempted Village School District Board of Education approved the five-year financial forecast and recognized middle school FFA students for their achievement in recent soil judging and high school student-athletes who achieved league honors in fall sports Nov. 18.

• State leaders Nov. 19 announced $58.2 million in state support to help clean up and redevelop 61 hazardous brownfield sites in 33 counties. The Highland County Land Reutilization Corporation (land bank) had two projects awarded: a former gas station on East Main Street in Hillsboro ($129,082) and a former machine shop on East Jefferson Street in Greenfield ($130,919).

• A restitution hearing was held Nov. 21 in Highland County Common Pleas Court, where Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss ordered former area pastor James Blaine to pay $150 per month toward the over $72,000 he currently owes. The hearing was held  more than 14 years after Blaine was sentenced for stealing from the Greenfield church where he was employed.

• The Highland County Land Reutilization Corporation (land bank) board awarded bids, which were opened back in July, for the state building demolition program Nov. 21.

• During the Southern State Community College Board of Trustees meeting on Nov. 21, the Board entertained two agenda items essential to long-term sustainability and the College’s mission component of quality. The first item proposed several programmatic changes, while the other involved a resolution to resume full operational use of the College’s entire physical footprint at the Early Learning Center in Hillsboro.

• The Fairfield varsity boys basketball team and athletic director Jimmy Barnett accepted the district’s Delmar Yockey All-Sports Award for 2023-24 Nov. 22 at the Southern Hills Athletic Conference boys basketball preview at Peebles. This is the Lions’ third consecutive Delmar Yockey Award.

• The Ohio Bankers League (OBL) announced Michael Pell, President and CEO of First State Bank, as the 2024 Banker of the Year, as reported Nov. 25.

• State leaders Nov. 26 announced that 49 communities in 45 counties will receive $10.9 million in allocations to support community development projects. Highland County will receive $240,000 to construct a courtyard and install outdoor equipment at Highco, Inc., which is a center for persons with disabilities. The county will also provide funding to repair the roof of the Because He Lives food pantry, located in Lynchburg.

• The City of Hillsboro announced Nov. 26 that its Phase II water emergency has been lifted, after nearly three months.

• Highland County Auditor Alex Butler shared “good news and bad news” regarding the county’s permissive sales tax report with Highland County commissioners Nov. 27. The county is on pace to break its record-high permissive sales tax collection for a fifth straight year, but the county saw a 10-percent drop in November 2024 from the amount collected in November 2023. In other discussion, a resolution to direct $2 million of the County’s Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund payments to the Highland County Engineer Truck Barn Project, as well as a memorandum of understanding with the Highland County Engineer’s Office regarding the funding, were both approved.

December

• John Powell, 56, of Hillsboro was sentenced Dec. 2 to serve at least eight and a half years in prison, after a jury convicted him in October of involuntary manslaughter and other charges related to the death of his 10-year-old grandchild.

• The Hillsboro and Peebles Chapters of Modern Woodmen of America honored former Highland County EMA Director James Lyle as a Hometown Hero for 2024 in a dinner and ceremony held Dec. 2 at the Alley Grille in Hillsboro. Lyle was recognized for his 50 years of service as a firefighter.

• Gene Michael Belisle, 58, of Paducah, Ky. was charged with first-degree felony counts of rape and kidnapping dating back to 2008 as one of 10 indictments handed down by a Highland County grand jury in their final session of the 2024 calendar year Dec. 3.

• State leaders Dec. 4 announced $86.1 million in state support to help clean up and redevelop 81 hazardous brownfield sites in 46 counties. Locally, the Highland County Land Reutilization Corporation (land bank) was awarded $497,522 for the former Rocky Fork Truck Stop cleanup/remediation.

• Ella Say, a junior at Lynchburg-Clay High School, won the RPHF Solid Waste District’s annual poster contest in honor of America Recycles Day, as announced Dec. 4.

• National Cooperative Bank (NCB) awarded a $40,000 Community Reinvestment Act Grant to the Highland County Community Action Organization, as reported Dec. 5.

• Kenley Juillerat, an eighth-grade student at Whiteoak Junior High, was honored with the Hometown Hero Award by Dan Mayo of Modern Woodmen for her incredible “My Hands to Larger Service” project, as reported Dec. 5.

• The 10th District Court of Appeals upheld a magistrate’s decision earlier this year ruling in favor of Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins and the City of Hillsboro in a quo warranto case involving the Hillsboro Area Economic Development Corporation, a community improvement corporation founded in 2015 under the tenure of former Hillsboro Mayor Drew Hastings, according to a Dec. 9 filing.

• Hillsboro High School senior Camryn Spruell signed her national letter of intent to play Div. I collegiate softball at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., as reported Dec. 10.

• Interact for Health has awarded four additional recipients of the Rural Changemaker Grant, the final round of strategic investments in rural communities for 2024, as reported Dec. 11. Hope House Christian Counseling, which provides faith-based and traditional counseling and mental health services in Highland County, received a $100,000 grant.

• The Division II and III football All-Ohio teams were announced Dec. 11 by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association, with Hillsboro’s Jamar Young and Zack Brown both named All-Ohio.

• Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Dec. 11 announced sentences in a high-profile deer poaching case. Christopher J. (“CJ”) Alexander, 28, of Wilmington was sentenced to 90 days in jail and ordered to pay a combined $43,000 in penalties, restitution and court costs for the unlawful harvesting last year of an 18-point white-tailed deer. Corey Haunert, 29, of Hillsboro was sentenced to community control, had his hunting license revoked for three years and all hunting-related property seized as evidence forfeited and was ordered to pay a $500 wildlife fine, $500 in restitution to the poaching hotline and court costs. Kristina Alexander, 37, of Blanchester and Zachary Haunert, 31, of Lebanon were sentenced to one year of monitored time supervision and ordered to pay fines and restitution.

• Highland County commissioners agreed to roll back a portion of the county’s property taxes for current expenses for one year, in response to recent property reevaluations, Dec. 11. Commissioners voted to amend their agenda to add, and ultimately pass, the resolution reducing the rate of property tax within the 10-mill limitation for tax year 2024 (collectable in 2025). During the same meeting, Innergex community and government relations representative Janet Grothe presented a $21,250 check to Highland County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jennifer Schinkal and Lieutenant Craig Seaman for the purchase of five new Flock Safety cameras.

• In the last regular meeting of 2024, the Greenfield school board met in the McClain library on Dec. 16, where they recognized VFW Post 4736 members for a recent donation of a large drop-down flag for the MHS gym.

• Zachary T. Jensen, 30, of Greenfield man was sentenced Dec. 17 to 10 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to multiple counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. He will also be classified as a tier II sex offender, which requires registration every 180 days for 25 years.

• Highland County commissioners approved the 2025 budget resolution and other end-of-year business during their final regular meeting of the 2024 calendar year Dec. 18. The 2025 annual appropriation resolution is $2 million higher than the 2024 budget, with a $16,750,000 general fund budget and $66,756,108.36 overall.

• It was reported Dec. 18 that The Highland County Community Fund (HCCF), in partnership with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO), has awarded four grants, totaling $11,500, to support projects and programs benefiting the county’s residents and communities. Grants were awarded to Hillsboro Christian Academy to purchase books for third-grade classes; Hillsboro First Baptist Church to purchase diapers and other items for The Diaper Depot’s distributions to families who need assistance; Area 937 Community Outreach Inc. to purchase higher-quality meats for its monthly food distributions serving at-risk families; and Grow! Highland County to support its enterprise facilitation programming that provides free and confidential resources for new and existing businesses in Highland County.

• The Lynchburg-Clay soccer teams and state-qualifying boys cross-country team were recognized at the December LC Board of Education meeting Dec. 19 for all of their accomplishments during the fall season.  Also at the December board meeting, Lynchburg-Clay board members recognized Mrs. Leigh Ann Allemang, a seventh grade math teacher at Lynchburg-Clay Middle School, who was honored by the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics with the Linda M. Gojak Award, which is the middle school state award for outstanding middle school math instruction.

• Highland County Recorder Chad McConnaughey was sworn in for his fourth term in office Dec. 19.

• University of Oregon senior Peyton Scott scored nine points to lead Oregon's starters in a win over UC Irvine Dec. 19, surpassing 2,000 career points in the process. Scott also surpassed 2,000 points during her high school career at Lynchburg-Clay.

• Members of the Highland County Land Reutilization Corporation (land bank) board continued discussions on properties impacted by the state’s recently Brownfield Remediation and Building Demolition and Site Revitalization grant programs during their Dec. 19 meeting.

• A number of candidates have submitted applications and resumés to the Village of Greenfield, seeking the position of city manager. So far, at least seven candidates have submitted information for possible selection, as reported Dec 19.

• Fairfield Local High School hosted their fourth annual Lions Care Day Dec. 19. Leading the way in community service, the student body and staff alike participate in a day of service projects to give back to their community.

• Longtime community servant Dorothy May Ellis Hodson, of Hillsboro, passed away Dec. 20 at the age of 95.

• Highland County commissioners officially closed out the 2024 calendar year with their final end-of-year approvals, including appropriating more COVID-19 recovery dollars, during a meeting Dec. 23. That included $582,948 for engineering services/contract administration and miscellaneous costs associated with the Rocky Fork Lake WWTP Improvements; $500,000 for the engineer’s truck barn project; and $24,150 for legal services to Bricker & Eckler.

• Hillsboro City Council members approved the 2025 budget ordinance, a collective bargaining agreement for the police department and three tax increment financing (TIF) ordinances Dec. 23. The general fund budget is $14,501,289, with a total overall budget of $26,645,717 for 2025.

• Highland County Juvenile and Probate Court Judge Kevin Greer administered the oath of office to Highland County Clerk of Courts Dwight “Ike” Hodson Dec. 30.

Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.

 

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