All five of the state's public employee pension funds denied a request from the Ohio News Organization, a collaboration of the state's largest newspapers, to provide details about service time, pay and benefits for each of their 400,000 recipients. Identifying names would have been excluded. The State Teachers Retirement System and the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund have asked the state Legislature for increased taxpayer contributions to keep the funds solvent.

Culvert replacement on S.R. 124 near the intersection of S.R. 134 will require S.R. 124 and West Road (Township Road 132) be closed beginning Monday, September 13 for approximately two weeks.

U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Cleveland, received praise from President Obama during his Friday press conference. Obama acknowledged the Ohio Republican's decision to vote for legislation that reportedly includes $12 billion in tax incentives for small businesses and a $30 billion investment in independent community banks to encourage lending to small businesses.

A Georgetown man was killed Sunday afternoon in a motorcycle crash on North High Street near the intersection at Diamond Drive, according to the Hillsboro Police Department.
 The HPD reported that John T. Durham, 63, was traveling northbound on a 2002 Yamaha motorcycle at approximately 12:58 p.m. when Carol Reffitt, 48, of Hillsboro, was southbound on North High Street and allegedly swerved left of center to avoid striking a vehicle that had stopped in traffic in front of her.

Ohio Congressman John Boehner, the top Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, said on Sunday, Sept. 12 he would support an extension of tax cuts for middle-class Americans even if tax cuts for higher income earners are permitted to expire.

"Norm has supported the livestock project sales for these many years and given back to the Highland County community and young people," said fair board member Dave Stratton. "His financial support of these sales is done with out fanfare and publicity. I doubt that many people in our county know the extent of Norm's support for the Highland County Junior Fair sales."

Thousands of area residents flocked to the Highland County Fair Wednesday for free admittance.
 Fair board president Dave Stratton said that due to the economic hardships, the board felt that everyone deserved to have some fun.
 Attendance is up from last year, he said, which saw more than 60,000 people through general admission.
 Livestock sales began Wednesday night, with the sales of market barrow and goats.

A Dodson Township man who pleaded guilty in July to unlawful sexual contact with a minor has been sentenced to three years in prison.
 Nicholas A. Smith, 31, was indicted May 4 by a grand jury in Highland County Common Pleas Court on one count of sexual battery, a felony of the third degree. On July 23 he pleaded guilty to a bill of particulars on the sexual contact charge, a felony of the third degree.