The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a double fatal crash at U.S. 62 south of Hillsboro at Dunlap Road that occurred at approximately 2:29 p.m. Wednesday, July 18.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, 19 hospitals have closed their maternity units since 2004.

The most recent maternity unit to close its doors was at Brown County General Hospital in Georgetown, which since has become Southwest Regional Medical Center.

A Dodge Neon rolled from the UDF parking lot on North High Street in Hillsboro Tuesday morning, crossing West North Street and coming to rest on the south side of the Hillsboro Post Office.

A Hillsboro man has been indicted on heroin trafficking charges, following an undercover drug investigation by the Highland County Sheriff's Office and the Pipeline 23 Major Crimes Task Force.

    Lamoine Curtis, 51, was indicted by a grand jury in Highland County Common Pleas Court during its July session. He was arrested July 13 on the warrant from the indictment.

The Highland County Cattleman’s Association and Highland County Beef Queen Tori Walker completed the 2012 “Summer of Giving” project on July 9, with donations made to five area families.

A pair of outstanding basketball coaches will be honored as grand marshals of the Greene Countrie Towne Festival parade. The local coaching legends are Rick Van Matre and Dennis Overstake, who have attained remarkable success in shaping the lives of young people at McClain High School. Both have also achieved amazing career records as coaches.

The Search and Extraction team is part of the Ohio National Guard's Homeland Response Force. The Homeland Response Force is one of 10 organizations nationally that can respond to a chemical, biological, radical or nuclear disaster.

    A fire leveled a pole barn in the area of East Berrysville Road and Pleasant Road Friday evening, just before 6:30 p.m.

    According to acting Chief Jeff Martin of Hillsboro Fire and Rescue, the station received the call around 6:20 p.m. to find the 60 x 120-foot pole barn on fire.

    A final reading and vote by the Hillsboro City Council on a resolution on EMS and fire services has been delayed, after council cancelled a special meeting that had previously been scheduled for Monday.

    Council held a special session Friday evening in the Hillsboro Municipal Courtroom, with nearly 50 area residents - including approximately a dozen non-firefighter city employees - in attendance.

    After two and a half hours in executive session to discuss contract negotiations and safety issues, Council President Lee Koogler said that a second meeting, scheduled for Monday evening, had been cancelled.

A group of employees with the city of Hillsboro is drafting a petition to present to the Hillsboro City Council, asking them to look at all sides and consider who will be impacted in decisions regarding the current budgeting issues and the pending resolution proposing the city disband Hillsboro Fire and Rescue and contract with the Paint Creek Joint EMS and Fire District for services.

    Heather Flint, a special administrative assistant II who works in the city's administrative office, said that the petition was her idea.

    The city of Hillsboro is facing a projected negative balance of $670,572 by the end of 2013, leading into a negative starting balance of $420,572, if drastic cuts are not made in the city budget.

    In a press conference held Thursday in the Hillsboro City Building, Hillsboro Auditor Gary Lewis said that the fiscally responsible option for the Hillsboro City Council to take is to contract with the Paint Creek Joint EMS and Fire District for services. However, even if the city enters into such a service agreement, a 15-percent cut in general fund departments would still be necessary for the city to have a balanced, functional budget.

Hillsboro Auditor Gary Lewis has called a press conference for Thursday morning to follow up on his recent report that the city is in a critical financial state.

    "The purpose of the conference will be to follow up on my comments from Monday’s council meeting. I believe it is important to inform the public about the condition of our General Fund going into the second half of this year and what next year will look like with the prospect of changes in our fire and EMS operations," Lewis said.