www.browncountypress.com
Serving Brown County, Ohio since 1973
Vol. 37 No. 19
BC Press to be closed for holidays The Brown County Press Office at 219 S. High St., Mt. Orab, will be closed this Thursday and Friday, Dec. 24 and 25, for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and Friday, Jan. 1, 2010, for New Year’s Day. The newspaper office will reopen for regular business at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 27, following the Dec. 25 closure and 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 20, 2009
Health Board votes to drop lawsuit against County Budget Commission BY Wayne Boblitt The Brown County Press Brown County Board of Health members voted at their regular meeting Dec. 15 to drop a civil lawsuit they had filed earlier this year in Brown County Common Pleas Court against the Brown County Budget Commission. The lawsuit was filed over
a disagreement the Health Board had with the Budget Commission regarding the amount of 2010 funds the commission allocated to the board from Brown County’s townships and villages. The lawsuit had listed as defendants the Budget Commission and its three members – Brown County Auditor Doug Green, Brown County Treasurer Connie
Patrick and Brown County Prosecuting Attorney Jessica Little. It also had named Green as a separate defendant as well. Last Tuesday’s action to dismiss the civil lawsuit followed a report the Brown County Solid Waste Authority was offering the Brown County Health Department $100,000 in a contract agreement to monitor the Rumpke
just outside landfill Georgetown for any possible health hazards or violations. Health Board members then decided in separate votes to accept that contract and to dismiss the lawsuit. Contract Information Given BCSWA President Margery Paeltz, who also is Brown County Board of Commissioners president,
The Brown County Fair and State Fair steer tag in and noseprinting is Dec. 19 8 9:30 a.m. Any exhibitor planning on showing at the 2010 Brown Co. and Ohio State Fair must attend tag in. Animals being entered in the Brown County Born and Raised Show must also be entered on Dec. 19. For information contact the Extension Office at (937) 378-6716.
BY Wayne Gates The Brown County Press
Municipal court announces Christmas and New Year’s hours Brown County The Municipal Court will be closed from 12 p.m. on Dec. 23, through Dec. 27, and from 12 p.m. on Dec. 31, through Jan. 3, 2010.
Rumpke Christmas and New Year’s collection hours Rumpke waste removal and recycling services will not run on Christmas Day (Friday, Dec. 25) or New Year’s Day (Friday, Jan. 1, 2010). Collection will be delayed one day during the weeks of the holidays. Rumpke will provide service as scheduled on Thursday, Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, but there will be no collection on Friday, Dec. 25 or Jan. 1. Customers with regularly scheduled Friday pickup should place their trash at the curb for Saturday pickup. Collection schedules will return to normal the week of Jan. 4, 2010.
The Brown County Press/WAYNE GATES
The Houston family stands in front of their burned out home in Macon. From left, Cade, Jimmy, Logan, Brett Highfield and Tammy.
Sheriff’s payroll clerk charged with theft BY Wayne Gates The Brown County Press A former payroll clerk for the Brown County Sheriff’s Office has been indicted on tampering with evidence and theft charges. 49 year old Angela Joy Yazell
was employed by the sheriff’s office for 11 years. In a press release, Sheriff Dwayne Wenninger reported that an internal audit in Sept. 2009 discovered discrepancies in overtime and payroll records regarding Yazell.
Index Classifieds....Page 19-20 Death Notices......Page 7 Education..........Pages 8-9 Opinion ................Page 4 Social ...................Page 9 Sports Pages .........13-15 Court News........Page 17
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and Health Board President Dr. Todd Williams had signed that contract agreement on Dec. 10. The agreement states how Ohio law permits BCSWA to provide financial assistance to the Brown County Health Board to inspect, monitor, and report on Brown County Solid Waste District Rumpke Inc. to BCSWA and the Ohio CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
Macon family escapes house fire
Brown County Fair and State Fair Steer Tag In
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THE BROWN COUNTY PRESS
The Brown County Press/WAYNE BOBLITT
New bridge put into place Construction workers on the Apple Street West extension project in Mt. Orab put the first components of the new bridge over Sterling Run creek into place on Dec. 17.
When the discrepancies were brought to Yazell’s attention, she resigned and retained legal council. At that point, Sheriff Wenninger requested that an outside agency investigate the records. Lieutenant Stephen Leahy of the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation and recommended that criminal charges be filed. Brown County Prosecuting Attorney Jessica Little said the alleged tampering and theft began sometime in 2008. Yazell is not in custody. She is due to appear in Brown County Common Pleas Court on Jan. 6 to face the charges. Yazell is charged with five counts of tampering with records and one count of theft in office. The exact dollar amount was not mentioned in the press release, but due to the nature of the indictment, the amount ranges from 500 dollars to 2500 dollars. Wenninger called the incident “unfortunate” and added that he will not tolerate such actions within the Brown County Sheriff’s Office.
Jimmy Houston thinks it was the circuit breaker popping that woke him up just after midnight in his Macon home Dec. 11. The 38 year old father of three went to the breaker box to reset the circuit and looked outside. He saw light flickering and investigated further, looking at the attic air vent. The house was on fire. Houston ran inside to warn his wife. “Tammy! Wake up! There’s a fire!” 36 year old Tammy bolted out of bed to wake the children. Screaming urgently for them to get up, she roused 8 year old Logan, 11 year old Cade and 15 year old Brett Highfield. She got them outside in the 19 degree weather. Logan had run out so quickly he had forgotten his shoes. While Tammy was counting noses, Jimmy was busy gathering valuables from the house. The fire was still contained in the attic, but smoke was starting to filter down. Jimmy returned four or five times for clothing, pets and other valuables. CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
B R O A D S H E E T O D D
2010 bioengineered corn and soybean seeds ready BY Wayne Gates The Brown County Press A local company is rolling out new genetically engineered seeds that they say will save Brown County farmers time and money. Bio Gene Seeds of Sardinia, along with representatives of
the Monsanto company, briefed the media and the public on the new corn and soybean seeds at company headquarters on Dec. 16. Drew Lawwill is Director of Operations for Bio Gene Seeds. He said the bottom line for CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
The Brown County Press/WAYNE GATES
Bins of treated soybean seeds wait for sale at Bio Gene Seeds in Sardinia. Each bin weighs 2500 pounds and will plant approximately 40 acres of soybeans. They are dyed red to indicate they’ve been treated.
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