www.browncountypress.com
Serving Brown County, Ohio since 1973
Vol. 37 No. 20
Steer noseprinting scheduled Steer noseprinting has been rescheduled for Jan. 2 from 8 - 9:30 a.m. for all Brown County steer and state fair heifer exhibitors. The event will be held at the Brown County Fairgrounds. In case of inclement weather, participants should stay tuned to the local media outlets. April 1st is the deadline for membership in the 4-H program.
BC Press to be closed for holidays The Brown County Press Office at 219 S. High St., Mt. Orab, will be closed this Friday, Jan. 1, 2010, for New Year’s Day. The newspaper office will reopen for regular business at 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 4, 2010, following the Jan. 1 closing. Normal business hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Fridays.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Medical facilities were 2009’s top story Other top stories include county budget, library levies, new schools BY Wayne Boblitt The Brown County Press Mt. Orab received two new medical facilities in 2009, and Brown County General Hospital in Georgetown received a new owner this year. Brown County’s two library districts were on the winning end of a levy campaign during 2009, and two public school districts in the county celebrated the openings of their 2009-10 School Years in August with prestigious new classroom buildings. These are among the stories that made The Brown County Press’ list of the Top 10 Stories of 2009 in Brown County. Press Editor Wayne Gates and news reporter
Wayne Boblitt collaborated on making and ranking the selections. In some instances a top 10 story actually may be a group of related stories that combined make an even bigger story. This year’s Top 10 News Stories are as follow: OVERALL TOP STORY: MEDICAL FACILITY NEWS IN MT. ORAB AND GEORGETOWN. Mt. Orab welcomed a much-needed medical facility when the new Mercy Medical Center Mt. Orab opened Aug. 1 at BrooksMalott Road and State Route 32 (the Appalachian Highway). Shortly after its opening, Mt. Orab Mayor Bruce Lunsford reported
The Brown County Press/WAYNE BOBLITT
The new Mercy Medical Center Mt. Orab, at left near a tent, and the new HealthSource of Ohio Office Building, right, are shown on the medical campus they share following their construction and opening this year at Brooks-Malott Road and State Route 32 (the Appalachian Highway) in Mt. Orab.
President/Chief Executive Officer Gayle Heintzelman
The petitions were certified to contain the required amount of signatures of registered voters on Friday, Dec. 18, by the Brown County Board of Elections. Seth Meranda, one of the driving forces behind the petition drive, was pleased by news of the certification, saying "It's great we get to vote on it. Now it's up to the voters". Should voters decide to approve the sales tax increase in May, Brown County will collect approximately 300 thousand additional dollars in 2010, with the
Members of the U.S. Armed Forces now have the option of displaying a symbol representing this on their driver license (DL) or state identification card (ID) through the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). There is no additional cost to have the symbol added, other than the normal fees associated with applying for or renewing a DL or ID. The Armed Forces symbol can be added to the DL or ID at any Deputy Registrar. The applicant must submit a copy of his/her DD-214 displaying their military service or honorable discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces.
Classifieds...Page 17 Death Notices ...Page 7 Education..Pages 9 & 10 Opinion ..........Page 4 Social ...........Page 10 Sports Pages ...13-15 Court News....Page 8
Where to find us www.browncountypress.com Phone (937) 444-3441 Fax (937) 444-2652 219 South High St. Mt. Orab, OH 45154 bcpress@frognet.net
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the new Mt. Orab facility, CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
new tax rate of seven percent beginning July 1. The Brown County Commissioners voted to increase the county sales tax from 6.75 percent to 7 percent on October 28. The increase was due to take effect Jan. 1, but was put on hold when the petition drive to force a public vote began. The commissioners are facing a budget shortfall of approximately 600 thousand dollars compared to 2009 as they prepare the 2010 budget.
Grand jury indicts man for attempted rape, 3 GSI counts
B R O A D S H E E T O D D
Ten other individuals also indicted on 27 felony, misdemeanor counts The Brown County Press/WAYNE GATES
Index
with Mercy Hospital Clermont in Batavia as saying
Sales tax vote to appear on May ballot
BMV now offers armed forces symbols
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Department of Human Services caseworker Angie Rutherford delivers a box of food to client Clendon Neal in Hamersville.
‘Neighbors Helping Neighbors’ a huge success for 22 area families BY Wayne Gates The Brown County Press What began as an idea six weeks ago became a reality on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Twenty two turkeys and hundreds of canned goods stacked on a table at the Brown County Department of Human Services ready for delivery to 22 needy families. The “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” food drive was in the final phase. Director Mitch Sharp, along with caseworkers Courtney Meder, Nicole
Williams, Jessica Roush, Angie Rutherford and Kristin Ogden, sorted the food into boxes. As they talked, the group reflected on some of the families that were soon to be on the receiving end of Brown County generosity. Ogden tried to hold back tears as she told of a mother who told her she was trying to save 12 dollars to buy a turkey for Christmas dinner and was worried she wasn’t going to make it. Ogden said when she told the woman a turkey was on
the way, her client broke down in tears and hugged her. Sharp said that woman is not alone. The food stamp caseload in Brown County is up forty percent in 2009 as the economy continues to struggle...and the residents along with it. All of the caseworkers expressed how nice it was to be able to bring food and relief to families during the Christmas season. Finally the packing was done and it was time to hit the road. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
this past Oct. 1 and Nov. 12 purposely engaged in contact that, if successful, would have A Brown County grand constituted or resulted in a jury earlier this month indict- violation of Ohio Revised ed a Williamsburg man on one Code prohibitions against count of attempted rape and rape. three counts of gross sexual He also allegedly twice imposition in connection with between this past Oct. 1 and criminal sexual offenses he Nov. 12 and once between this allegedly committed against past Nov. 9 to 12 had sexual another person this past fall in contact with an individual, Brown County. identified only by initials and The grand jury also indicted as not being his spouse, or 10 other individuals on 27 caused that individual to have felony and misdemeanor sexual contact with him with counts altogether in connec- that individual being younger tion with criminal offenses than 13 at the time. allegedly committed in Brown • Kailen Madden, 18, County. whose address was listed as • David Riley, 27, of “unknown”, was indicted on Williamsburg, was indicted on four counts of unlawful sexual one count of attempted rape, a conduct with a minor, a second-degree felony, and fourth-degree felony. Madden allegedly between three counts of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree this past Oct. 21 and Nov. 17 engaged in sexual conduct felony. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 Riley allegedly between BY Wayne Boblitt The Brown County Press
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