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W E D N E S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 3
VOLUME 130, NUMBER 176
INSIDE: Clemmons inducted into Iowa Hall. Page 8.
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Commission: You can be a hero Retirements, infrastructure improvements round out meeting
“I want to thank the citizens of Piqua for allowing me to serve them, my wife for understanding the demands of my job,” said Grogean, a former underground maintenance worker for the underground utilities department, who proceeded to encourage citizens to actively make a difference within the community. “All we have to do is care about it and care about each other.” Caring was a large part of the agenda, as Mayor Lucy Fess presented two BETHANY J. ROYER proclamations, one challenging citizens Staff Writer participate in a faith-based initiative to broyer@civitasmedia.com running Aug. 24 to Sept. 14. —Feed Ohio PIQUA — Kevin Grogean set the 2013 is seeking food donations across stage at Tuesday’s commission meeting the state’s 88 counties for area food as he reflected on 26 years of service as banks and pantries— while a second a city employee upon his retirement. proclamation encouraged residents to
Caserta sentenced Will serve the next five years on community control sanctions WILL E SANDERS Staff Writer wsanders@civitasmedia.com
TROY — A Piqua restaurant owner will not serve prison time for felony tax evasion over a three-year period, a judge ruled Tuesday at the man’s sentencing hearing. Randall P. Caserta, the owner and the sole shareholder of the Piqua eatery, Charles Caserta Restaurant, 331 S. Roosevelt Ave., faced a maximum sentence of four and a half years in prison but instead will serve the next five years on community control sanctions, ruled Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Gee. Caserta, 52, of Piqua, entered guilty pleas to three counts of felony tax evasion July 22 at a change of plea hearing in an agreement with prosecutors, who agreed to a
jointly recommended probation instead of a prison sentence. Felony tax evasion is a fourth-degree felony that between six carries months to 18 months in prison. Additionally, the plea agreement with the state also stipulated Caserta will not be stripped of his vendor’s license. A conviction of felony tax evasion typically carries that penalty. He faced a $5,000 fine for each count, but was ordered to make full restitution in the case. According to the Miami County Prosecutor’s Office, Caserta failed to remit $13,567.03 in sales tax from Jan. 1, 2009, through Aug. 31, 2011. Should he violate his probation Caserta will be sentenced to prison, the judge warned during the sentencing hearing.
Boehner’s aboard: Obama gains Syria-strike support WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama gained ground Tuesday in his drive for congressional backing of a military strike against Syria, winning critical support from House Speaker John Boehner while key Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed to back a nocombat-troops-on-the-gro und action in retaliation
Index Classified ...............12-13 Opinion ..........................4 Comics ........................11 Entertainment ...............5 Golden Years .................6 Health ............................7 Local ..............................3 Obituaries......................2 Sports.......................8-10 Weather .........................3
for a chemical weapons attack. Officials said the emerging Senate measure would receive a vote Wednesday in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Approval is likely. “You’re probably going to win” Congress’ backing, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a conservative and likely opponent of the measure, conceded in a late-afternoon exchange with Secretary of State John Kerry. The leader of House Republicans, Boehner emerged from a meeting at the White House and said the United States has “enemies around the world that need to understand that we’re not going to tolerate this type of behavior. We also have allies around the world and allies in the region who also need to know that America will be there and stand
take simple steps of preparation against man-made and/or natural disaster. The latter in recognition of National Preparedness Month in the city of Piqua and part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “You can be a hero,” read Fess, before attending to the two resolutions recognizing Grogean’s aforementioned retirement along with Wil Benson who dedicated 19 years of service as a police officer for the city of Piqua. Commission proceeded to the night’s agenda with adoption of several resolutions that will see to continued infrastructure improvements. First a resolution entering into an agreement with ARCADIS U.S. Inc. for their engi-
neering services related to improvements to the Miami River interceptor siphon line located north of the city’s wastewater treatment plant on Bridge Street was adopted. And a second resolution to enter into an agreement with Finfrock Construction Co. Inc., for improvements to specified areas of known pipe deficiencies in the city’s water distribution network was likewise adopted. Adoption of two special assessment ordinances in regards to nuisance abatements and demolitions rounded out the first meeting of September. Commission meetings are held every first and third Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the commission chamber on the second floor of the Government Municipal Complex.
Festival a success WILL E SANDERS Staff Writer wsanders@civitasmedia.com PIQUA — Old-timey flair, perfect weather and a Troy musical festival helped bolster attendance figures at this year’s Piqua Heritage Festival over Labor Day weekend, the festival’s chairperson said this week. Cindy Lillicrap, the 2013 Piqua Heritage Festival chairperson, said the festival hit record numbers on Sunday and Monday based on money taken in and hit average numbers on Saturday, though official attendance numbers have yet to be calculated. “Everything was fantastic,” Lillicrap said. “The weather was great and we could not have had better weather.” She said the weather was dry and perhaps a little warmer than ideal, but she said the cool nights were a welcome relief to festival-goers this year. “Everyone who came to the festival really seemed to like it, it’s just such a good family atmosphere,” Lillicrap said. “There are so many things to do. There are things for little kids to do all the way up to the older people. … It’s just a very unique festival.” Initially, Lillicrap said festival planners were apprehensive about the Gentleman of the Road concert that was taking place over the weekend on Friday and Saturday in Troy, but said the concert’s website, along with other organizations like the Miami County Visitor’s Bureau, promoted the festival through printed materials and advertisements that were given to area hotels and motels. “I really think that helped us because there were a lot of people in town from other places,” she said. “I don’t think it hurt us one bit.” Lillicrap, who has served as the festival’s secretary for the past seven
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Makenzy Jolliff, 9, of Piqua, gets a colorful face painting on Monday afternoon at the Piqua Heritage Festival. years, said helping to organize the festival was a lot of hard work that was worth it, thanked the volunteers who made it possible and said things went according to plan. “After the opening ceremony was over it just kind of ran itself,” she said of the festival and the volunteers who helped make it possible. Lillicrap said she enjoyed the experience so much that she will be the 2014 Piqua Heritage Festival chairperson, too. And speaking of the 2014 Piqua Heritage Festival, Lillicrap said planning for next year’s festival was
already underway out at the festival grounds Monday. “It’s just such a rewarding thing,” she said of the experience. “It helps make a lot of money, it helps the community and it makes a lot of money for (organizations like) the Boy Scouts, Young Life, the Lockington Volunteer Fire Department and several churches.” She added: “The money goes back to help so many people that you do feel like you are doing a fantastic thing. So many people get to come out and enjoy everything we do out there.”
MIKE ULLERY/STAFF PHOTO
See Obama/Page 2 A shuttle wagon was added to bring visitors from the parking lot to the Piqua Heritage Festival site.
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