LATEST NEWS

KEY ACTION: Approved a three-year agreement with the Jackson Classified Personnel Association. DISCUSSION: The agreement, which begins July 1, gives the district's classified union members a 3% raise in each year of the contract. Employees also will pay 14% of their health insurance premium over the life of the contract. Members of the classified union include bus drivers, custodians, maintenance workers and food service employees.

Ross County – Officers were dispatched to 33 N. Bridge St. (Chip’s) reference a possible drug overdose in the drive thru. According to Police on March 29, 2023 they were called by employees and customers who were trying to put the vehicle in park, the driver Jess Neukirchner, was unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a blue 2023.

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WCMH) – A Ross County woman was arrested and charged with aggravated arson after a residential fire on Monday. According to the Ohio Department of Commerce State Fire Marshal’s Office, 52-year-old Candy Taylor of Kingston, allegedly set fire to her home and garage on Second Street, about 11 miles north of Chillicothe. The […]

JACKSON COUNTY, Ohio — The Ohio Highway Patrol’s Jackson Post is currently investigating a non-injury, two-vehicle crash that occurred, yesterday, March 30th, near the entrance ramp for Route 32 from Route 35. According to reports, the accident involved a 2011 Toyota Prius driven by Shirley Boring, 76, of...

The City of Chillicothe is taking a comprehensive approach to slowing traffic and increasing safety on target neighborhood streets. Through a collaborative effort between the Chillicothe Police, Planning, and Service Departments, the City is looking to address recurring, dangerous speeding problems on S. Watt Street, Allen Avenue, Piatt Avenue, and Tritscheller Road in Yoctangee Park.

ROSS COUNTY – A dog attack was so violent that a man tried to use a car to separate the dogs in Ross County, Now Charges will be filed against the dogs. According to the Chillicothe police department on 3/28/23 around 10:30 pm a officer was flagged down at the intersection of Douglas and Jefferson roads in reference to a dog attack.

CHILLICOTHE— Two local retired teachers were recognized by the Chillicothe Board of Education during a recent meeting. The teachers, Bonnie Grove and Retha Jones, were honored through the Educator Emeritus Awards Program which has been recognizing exemplary teachers since 1975. To be selected retired teachers must have spent at...

CHILLICOTHE – Super DIRTcar Series and Atomic Speedway officials have been closely monitoring the weather for this weekend’s Rumble in the Hills and determined that heavy rain on Friday followed by dropping temperatures and high winds in the southern Ohio region will make it impossible for the event to take place as scheduled. With teams and fans traveling long distance from the Northeast, the event will be canceled.

MCARTHUR – Vinton County has been awarded federal funds through the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. Vinton County will receive $10,080 in Phase 40 (State Set-Aside) Emergency Food and Shelter Program funding to help local programs in the area. “The Vinton County EFSP board distributes funds to local non-profits to address hunger and homelessness in our communities,” EFSP Board Chairwoman Terri Fetherolf...

The Fayette Regional Humane Society (FRHS) announced Friday that it has received a $45,000 grant from the Joanie Bernard Foundation to support their Community Cat Initiative in their four-county region, which includes Fayette, Clinton, Highland, and Ross County. The Community Cat Initiative is a program that helps high-risk cats. “This...

MCARTHUR – Longtime firefighter Tim Ward has retired after 43 years of service to Vinton County. "I enjoyed living in Vinton County and serving the friendly people of Vinton County," said Ward who retired as Assistant Chief of the McArthur Volunteer Fire Department in early March. "Now I plan on spending time with the grandkids, watching ball games, camping, traveling and working on projects around the house." Ward, when looking...

CHILLICOTHE— Over the last two months a special committee in Chillicothe City Council has been looking at the possibility of changing the number of representatives on the council. According to the Ohio Revised Code a town of Chillicothe's size, with a population of around 22,000 in 2021, should have a council made up of seven ward councilmen or five at-large councilmen. The current hybrid style that Chillicothe has, with at-large members and ward representatives, has been...

Residents may have seen recent news articles discussing upcoming increases in the utility’s default supply rate (the price-to-compare) for Ohio Edison and AEP Ohio. As in every year, in June the utilities announce their new supply charges, which are set by a series of auctions, for the following year. This year those supply charges are expected to increase significantly due to rising market conditions over the past year. AEP Ohio has said they anticipate an approximately 28% increase in the bills for those on their default supply, and reporting estimates that Ohio Edison’s default supply rate will roughly double in June. Residents have a choice for their electric supply and are not required to receive the default service from their local utility. The Township has electric aggregation programs available that residents can participate in for their supply rate. Energy Harbor is the Township’s program supplier, and they can be reached at 866-636-3749 to learn more about the aggregation programs offerings. The Public Utility Commission of Ohio also has a website, energychoice.ohio.gov , that lists the utility’s current default supply rate as well as offers available from energy suppliers. As residents may wish to shop for the supply option that suits them best, they should carefully consider the terms and conditions of any offers for factors such as early termination fees, fixed monthly charges, or automatic renewal provisions. The Township’s aggregation programs may not provide the best price, but is offered as an option to the residents.

CHILLICOTHE -- Cats & Company and the Ross County Humane Society are launching the Chillicothe Cat Project. The project, which will be managed by the Ross County Humane Society, is a TNR (trap, neuter, release) program with the goal of cutting down on the number of stray and roaming cats in the city of Chillicothe. The project aims to sterilize 500+ roaming and feral cats in the upcoming year. ...

CHILLICOTHE— This March is recognized as Women's History Month. Throughout history, women worldwide have made lasting contributions to their communities, including right here in Ross County. Archivist and historian from the Ross County Historical Society Pat Medert said women can be hard to find when researching history but not...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Bridle trails on Ohio’s state forests and all-purpose vehicle (APV) areas at Pike, Richland Furnace, and Perry state forests that were closed for the winter season, will reopen in April, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry. Bridle trails will reopen for riding on April 1, 2023, and state forest APV areas will reopen on April 7, 2023.

Chillicothe – On March 27th, 2023 the Chillicothe Police SWAT Team served a drug search warrant at 37 Logan Street as part of a drug trafficking investigation by Chillicothe Police Officers and Chillicothe Police Detectives. Seized from this search warrant was possible Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Fentanyl, and Drug Paraphernalia. Arrested:...

Ross County – CHILLICOTHE – S.R. 772 will be closed for 5 days starting April 10 between Bishop Hill Road and Rinehart Road for work to repair a culvert. This is remaining work that was included as part of a larger slide repair project that was substantially completed last fall. The project involved excavation and benching of the hillside above S.R. 772 where it runs along Ralston Run, between Bishop Hill Road and Rinehart Road. But as work progressed, additional movement in the hillside showed that a more extensive repair will be needed.

MCARTHUR – The party’s faithful came out strong to support the “Soup and Sandwich” fundraiser to benefit the Vinton County Republican Party on Saturday at the Community Center. “It was great seeing everyone come and support the GOP. Everyone enjoyed themselves,” Vinton County Auditor Cindy Owings Waugh said. Vinton County Prosecutor Jim Payne added, “Everyone seemed to like the food provided. Also, it’s nice to sit around and have a...

Chillicothe – The City of Chillicothe is looking to bring the Sixth Ward its first park, thanks to several partnerships across the community. The Sixth Ward is the only ward in the city without a park currently. The property, which is currently owned by former Councilwoman Pat Patrick, is...