Archive - News Article
December 14th
Auglaize County Health Department employees can expect pay raises in 2012, although those rates won’t be applied uniformly.
Auglaize County Health Board members voted Tuesday to revise the pay range schedule for the department and set new pay rates for its 29 employees in 2012.
Health Commissioner Charlotte Parsons said with the previous pay range schedule set in 2000 and last updated in 2005, salaries no longer fell in line with averages around the state so it was time to make a change.
With $13 million spent in the past few years to replace the city’s electrical system, including three substations, Wapakoneta city officials want to rebuild the fund for possible expansion in the new industrial park.
In the past three years, three substations — Middle Street, Harrison Street and Defiance Street — along with poles and transformers throughout the city have been replaced as the city upgrades its electrical system.
Another $44,000 has been added to the Auglaize County Courthouse renovation project with the latest change orders.
The increases bring the total change orders for the $8 million project up to $289,000 to date.
“We expect these things and are still sitting OK yet,” Auglaize County
Administrator Joe Lenhart said. “When you look at an $8 million project it’s to be expected when you tear into a 100-year plus building.”
The latest in the list of change orders includes $26,400 for Brian Brothers Painting & Restoration for paint restoration. The base amount of which was $463,500.
December 13th
A procedural change sits on the horizon for the Wapakoneta City Recreation Board in regard to approving expenditures in 2012.
Safety-Service Director Bill Rains explained expenses approved by Wapakoneta City Recreation Board members for projects and services for the city’s park system must be OK’d by the city auditor first to ensure money is in the fund. The city would then issue a check.
CRIDERSVILLE — Administrators with a local village have agreed on a settlement for damages that were caused to a displaced family by a tornado that hit the village over a year ago.
Cridersville Village Solicitor Jim Hearn announced at Monday’s council meeting that a settlement with Kathleen and Steve Florence, of East High Street, whose house was destroyed by a tornado in October 2010, was agreed upon in the amount of $22,000.
WAYNESFIELD — Waynesfield Board of Education members officially recognized Colin Maxwell as he made his last appearance as a school board member at Monday’s meeting.
Maxwell, who served 14 years (1997-2011) on the board, decided not to run again this year. His position will be filled by Mark Chiles, who previously served on the board.
“I’ve been on the board a long time and I feel we have accomplished a lot,” Maxwell said after the meeting.
December 12th
Dressed in their black military outfits and wearing garrison caps, nine members of the Wapakoneta Veterans of Foreign Wars post stand waiting at attention along the sidewalk to the home one returning Iraqi veteran grew up.
His siblings and friends crowd the porch at 213 E. Benton St. as his mother stands on the bottom step fidgeting first with her hands cupping her face and then at her side — all watching as U.S. Army Private 1st Class Than Bowersock walks down the sidewalk. He spent the last year in Iraq.
As the bitter cold December wind whipped through Greenlawn Cemetery, a group of people held a moment of silence for local soldiers killed in action.
“May we continue to honor our veterans and their sacrifices for years to come,” said Ralph Reynolds, a member of the local veterans organization Freedom’s Colors, as he led the group gathered to lay the wreaths in remembrance of seven Wapakoneta soldiers killed in action.
“This is one way of paying respect and saying thank you,” he said as each wreath was laid.
For one six-year-old at the Wapakoneta Elementary School, settling into the school routine was scary at first. However the kindergarten student of Abby Truesdale is settling into the day’s routine just fine, the young girl says.
“It was really hard getting used to it,” Avery Hudt said. “It took a while getting used to it.”
However, she said she may have had a little bit of an advantage getting used to school. The daughter of Karen and Josh Hudt said her mother works as a first grade teacher at Wapakoneta Elementary School and her grandmother works in the office.
December 9th
BOTKINS — Maybe the Botkins Trojans varsity boys basketball team was just off to too hot of a start this season.
School personnel canceled Friday’s meeting with the Houston Wildcats after a fire alarm went off just before 7 p.m. as the junior varsity was approaching half time. Approximately 700 people had to be evacuated from the gymnasium, taking refuge outside the building.
