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THE BROWN COUNTY PRESS Serving Brown County, Ohio since 1973
Vol. 38 No. 10
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Abandoned dogs rescued from deplorable conditions BY Martha Jacob The Brown County Press A report of animal cruelty has led to the discovery of dozens of malnourished dogs...and of the bodies of dozens more being stored in an old freezer. The house did not have electricity and the freezer was not working. At least 39 dogs were taken from a home on Tri-County Highway between Sardinia and Mt. Orab, Oct. 11, and their owner is facing animal cruelty and neglect charges. Teri Lea Hamilton of Sardinia faces four criminal complaints, filed by the Brown County Humane Society including: * Prohibition against failure to register dog or dog kennel which carries up to a $100 fine * Cruelty to companion animal (failure to obtain veterinarian care) a first degree misdemeanor which carries up to six months and/or $1,000 fine
* Tags to be worn, a minor misdemeanor which caries up to a $150 fine * Cruelty to companion animal (insufficient quantities of good wholesome food and water and living in poor conditions) a second degree misdemeanor which carries 90 days and/or a $750 fine A multitude of neighbors complained that the dogs had been abandoned, leading the Brown County Humane Society to obtain a search warrant on Friday, Oct. 9. With coordinated efforts of Adams County Dog Warden, Paul Hughes, members of C.A.R.T. (Tri-state, County Animal Response Team), the Brown County Humane Society in Georgetown, and the Brown County Sheriff's Department, all the dogs were taken directly to a veterinarian for check-up of their condition then on to a temporary facility. Hamilton was not at home and unavailable for comment CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
The Brown County Press/MARTHA JACOB
Animal rescue workers prepare to enter the home to remove the dogs.
Commissioners set 2011 county budget appropriations BY Wayne Gates The Brown County Press The Brown County Commissioners have a temporary budget for 2011. It looks a lot like the budget for 2010. The grand total of the county general fund in the temporary 2011 budget is $8,048,166 dollars compared to $7,997,891 in the 2010 budget. Appropriations levels were generally held at 2010 levels for all county departments, with the only cut being made to the Miscellaneous fund from $119,000 in 2010 to $100,000 in 2011. Slight increases were also appropriated in the General Fund for the County Commissioners fund, the County Recorder and the Board of Elections. The County Commissioner
fund increased from $802,068 in 2010 to $813, 568 in 2011. The Board of Elections is getting $275,021 dollars in the 2011 budget as opposed to $234,581 in 2010. That extra $41,000 is to defray the additional costs of the upcoming Nov. 2 election. All other appropriations were flat or received additions of less than five percent. County Commission President Margary Paeltz said all appropriations are temporary until the final budget is approved in April of 2011. The other major differences in the 2011 temporary budget from 2010 were an increase in the County Capital Improvement Fund and the addition of a Budget Stabilization Fund. The capital improvement fund rose from $150,000 to $392,000 and the Budget
Stabilization Fund is $400,000 dollars. “That money is what is going to help see us through to March”, said Paeltz. March is when the first property tax payments for 2011 are received by the county from the February payments. The county is expected to gain an additional $500,000 or so per year due to the 1/4 cent increase in the county sales tax that went into effect October 1. Payments are disbursed by the state monthly and the county is expecting a payment of approximately $50,000 in December. Paeltz said that payment and the rest of the additional money is expected to go into the Budget Stabilization Fund. The county Reserve Balance Account remains at CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
The Brown County Press/WAYNE GATES
Brown County Commissioners Ralph Jennings (left) Margary Paeltz and Bill Geschwind have completed the 2011 temporary budget for the county.
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2010 a calmer year as flu shots Buy-out of BCGH draws closer available at Health Department BY Martha Jacob The Brown County Press
The Brown County Health Department has been quietly giving flu shots in Georgetown for about a month now. The H1NI scare and accompanying media frenzy of last year are gone, but they’re still keeping pretty busy, giving flu shots to walkins every Tuesday. “We were busier last week and a little slow so far this week”, said Public Health Nurse Kathy Wright. “We’ve done about 1200
vaccinations since we started on Sept. 16.” Susan Wall of Georgetown was one of the walk-in patients that day. “I wanted to get my flu shot because I work with the public and I don’t want to spread it around”, she said. In another change from last year, this years flu shot actually fights three different viruses, including H1N1. Flu shots cost twenty dollars this year at the health department, and pneumonia
shots are available for sixty dollars. Wright said the vaccinations are free of charge to Medicare and Medicaid patients. The walk-in hours for flu shots at the Brown County Health Department are 8 a.m. to noon and 1p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays. The health department is located at 825 Mt. Orab Pike in Georgetown and the telephone number is (937) 3786892.
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Index Classifieds ..Pages 19, 20 Court News......Page 16 Death Notices ...Pages 6, 7 Education .........Pages 8, 9 Opinion ........Pages 4, 5 Social..................Page 8 Sports ........Pages 13-15
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The Brown County Press/WAYNE GATES
Public Health Nurse Kathy Wright administers a flu shot to Susan Wall of Georgetown.
Following an hour and forty minute executive session, members of the Brown County General Hospital Board of Trustees and two Brown County Commissioners, took no actions nor vote on the
Investors is going to be good for everyone involved, especially the people of Brown County." Falcon Investors, along with Transition Healthcare Company, LLC, have released to the public, plans to add two additional floors to the hospiCONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Absentee voting going smoothly “Both parties as well as comes early absentee voters. other third party groups are “We’re encouraging people gearing up and sending appli- to vote absentee. It shortens While Election Day 2010 is cations for voters to fill out the lines on Election Day and still over two weeks away, vot- and turn in”, Lewis said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 ing is well underway in Brown She added that she welCounty. Brown County Board of Elections Director Kathy Jones said over 1200 absentee ballots have already been requested from her office since early voting began in Ohio on Sept. 28. Jones said Brown County has approximately 29,000 registered voters. Two of those ballots belong to Kenneth and Geraldine Lewis of Bethel. Kenneth Lewis said he wanted to vote early because “I’ve got a lot of work to do and I don’t know if I’ll be available” on Election Day. Jones said interest in absentee voting is higher than she has seen in the past. The Brown County Press/WAYNE GATES She said one reason for that Kenneth and Geraldine Lewis of Bethel pick up absentee could be the efforts of both ballot applications from Barbara Gardner at the Board of major political parties.
BY Wayne Gates The Brown County Press
Elections in Georgetown.
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BY Wayne Gates The Brown County Press
decision to sell the hospital. According to Mike Patterson, Brown County Regional HealthCARE CEO, negotiations are progressing well and a vote is in the near future. "We have had three proposals on the table," Patterson said, " and we believe this agreement with Falcon