Monthly Archives: July 2021

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Chillicothe/Ross Chamber Celebrates Return To Business

Presented By Hometown-Motors, Inc.

The Chillicothe/Ross Chamber of Commerce celebrated the community’s and local businesses’ resilience to not only survive, but also grow in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chamber highlighted these success stories during Tuesday’s annual meeting held at “Bell Manor” off of Musgrove Road.

Tara Gillum, owner of Steiner’s Speakeasy and ALPHA Femme Boutique took home the top honor as “Entrepreneur of the Year Award”.

(Watch our interview ABOVE with Tara Gillum concerning her secret to success and plans for business growth)

The “Young Professional of the Year” is Mary Montgomery, food services director for Chillicothe City Schools. Mary led the effort to feed children during the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing the feeding of 170,000 children from “Babe- The Big Blue Bus”

Chillicothe/Ross Chamber of Commerce “Young Professional of the Year”

The “Corporate Citizen of the Year” went to Herlihy Moving & Storage, accepted by company owner Joe Herlihy.

Joe Herlihy- Chillicothe/Ross Chamber of Commerce “Corporate Citizen Award”

Petland Corporation owner Ed Kunzelman was presented with a “Special Recognition Award”, for his years working to develop Chillicothe’s downtown. He promised the crowd that within the next year-and-a-half, the city’s downtown will have several more new businesses added to the successful boom already being seen.

Chillicothe/Ross Chamber of Commerce “Special Recognition for work to develop downtown Chillicothe

Tomlinson Insurance was presented with the “Legacy Award”, for their work in taking existing properties and improving their appearance with renovation, which has led to new business and a museum coming to the downtown.

Chillicothe/Ross Chamber of Commerce “Legacy Award” goes to Andy Tomlinson

Mike Thorne, CEO of the Chillicothe/Ross Chamber of Commerce, gave the State of the Chamber Address, highlighting great strides the business community made, despite the emergency of a worldwide pandemic.

In 2020, the chamber saw an increase with 78 new members, saw 13 new business openings, saved local business over $259,000 in Workers Compensation costs, posted 615 jobs that had more than 175,000 website views, held seven events for Greater Chillicothe Women in Business with 244 attendees and conducted 55 events- including 12 virtual events with 1,253 attendees.

Watch our interview ABOVE with Mike Throne, as he reviews his State of the Chamber Address and talks about how he’s seen the city change in his 24 years here…

Chillicothe/Ross Chamber of Commerce 2021 Annual Dinner

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Fulton Street Ramp Opens In Columbus

Presented By McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

(COLUMBUS) — Governor Mike DeWine announced the opening of the new Fulton Street ramp to I-70 eastbound during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday in Columbus. The new ramp was constructed as part of the Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Downtown Ramp Up project, an ongoing project to reconstruct Interstates 70/71 in downtown Columbus and alleviate the biggest safety and congestion problems along the corridor. 

“This major construction milestone couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Governor DeWine. “With so many Ohioans returning to their offices each day, efficiency and access are both more important than ever. The increase in Ohio’s motor fuel user fee allowed us to complete this ramp and keep moving forward on many improvements downtown.” 

The opening of the new ramp comes two years after Governor DeWine kicked off the $82 million phase of construction and less than two years after the ramp from Third St. to I-70 eastbound closed in November of 2019. 

“For many years, a lot of what drivers were seeing was closures. Lanes were closing, ramps were closing, and they had to take detours to get around,” said ODOT District 6 Deputy Director Lori Niese-Duguid. “This ramp opening shows those commuters what their return on investment truly is. Now, they’ll start to see more openings, easier access to the interstate, fewer detours – all in the name of safety and efficiency.”

When finished, the construction project will eliminate over 90% of lane changes on I-70/71. It will result in new urban avenues with complete streets, enhanced freeway crossings with bicyclist accommodations, and the removal of unsafe ramps. It will also reconnect neighborhoods by replacing bridges with wider, pedestrian-friendly structures with parking and landscape design. 

“We can’t change the past, but we can certainly reshape the future,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks. “These seemingly small steps are actually big strides toward reconnecting neighborhoods with downtown Columbus.”

The current phases of construction through downtown Columbus are expected to continue through 2026. 

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Highway “Incident” Snarls Traffic In Pike County

Presented By Classic Brands

Pike 32 104 Signal Down

Following an incident late Monday evening, the signals at the intersection of S.R. 104 and S.R. 32 are currently down (Tuesday).

Traffic on S.R. 32 is being maintained, but S.R. 104 remains closed in both directions on either side of S.R. 32, with no access to or from S.R. 104.

Pike County ODOT crews are continuing work to clear the intersection of debris.

Plans for a short-term traffic pattern change at the intersection are currently being developed until the signals can be repaired. More information about this short-term pattern change will be forthcoming as plans are finalized.

ODOT District 9 will continue to communicate changes to the situation regularly to keep the public apprised of new developments.

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Tyson Foods Recalls Ready-To-Eat Chicken Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination

Presented By Atomic Speedway

(WASHINGTON) – The amount of chicken products being recalled by Tyson Foods Inc. is now at approximately 8.9 million pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced.

The release is being updated to alert consumers that the recalled ready to eat products were used in additional products produced by other establishments and retailers. Some products bear a different establishment number on the label due to further processing and some products may have been served from the deli counter in retail stores. Labels for the products made with the recalled chicken are available here. We encourage consumers to check the FSIS website frequently while we continue to update the press release and/or the labels if we become aware of additional products that used the recalled chicken. 

Details of this recall were updated to reflect additional date codes and an increase in product poundage from approximately 8,492,832 pounds to approximately 8,955,296 pounds.  The recalled product names and product codes remain the same. While the product was distributed to schools, it resulted from a commercial sale and was not part of food provided by the USDA for the National School Lunch Program.

The frozen, fully cooked chicken products were produced between December 26, 2020 and April 13, 2021. The products that are subject to recall are listed here. View the labels here.       

The products subject to recall bear establishment number “EST. P-7089” on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped nationwide to retailers and institutions, including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools and Department of Defense locations.                             

On June 9, 2021, FSIS was notified of two persons ill with listeriosis. Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners, FSIS determined there is evidence linking the Listeria monocytogenes illnesses to precooked chicken produced at Tyson Foods Inc. The epidemiologic investigation identified three listeriosis illnesses, including one death, between April 6, 2021 and June 5, 2021. During routine sample collection, FSIS collected two precooked chicken samples from two establishments that are closely related genetically to Listeria monocytogenes from ill people. One of the samples was collected at Tyson Foods Inc. FSIS is continuing to work with federal and state public health partners to determine if there are additional illnesses linked to these products.

Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. An invasive infection spreads beyond the gastrointestinal tract. In pregnant women, the infection can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn. In addition, serious and sometimes fatal infections in older adults and persons with weakened immune systems. Listeriosis is treated with antibiotics. Persons in the higher-risk categories who experience flu-like symptoms within two months after eating contaminated food should seek medical care and tell the health care provider about eating the contaminated food.

Consumers with food safety questions can call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or live chat via Ask USDA from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Consumers can also browse food safety messages at Ask USDA or send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov.

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Ross Commissioners Receive Update On Scenic River Designation

Presented By Atomic Speedway

Photo Courtesy of the Ohio Wild & Scenic Rivers Program

The Ross County Commissioners have received updates from officials with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources on a proposal to designate Paint Creek and its tributaries as a scenic river.

The designation emphasizes the creek running up to Paint Creek Dam, along with the 30+ mile long North Fork Creek. A recent addition would include Rocky Fork along with Rattlesnake Fork and Paint Creek to the Fayette County line.

Officials said they want to address concerns some creekside property owners have, including the designation to make sure it doesn’t infringe upon their property rights. They claim it restricts government actions within the one thousand foot corridor on the streams, such as bridge and road work.

Another concern from landowners has been that ODNR can not directly control the drinking, litter and bad behavior from increased boat traffic.

Roarke For more information or to address concerns about the designation, contact Aaron Roarke at (614) 230-8534 or email to aaron.roarke@dnr.ohio.gov.

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Ross County “Stuff The Bus” Scheduled For August 7th

Presented By Rathkamp Financial

United Way of Ross County will be conduct their annual “Stuff The Bus” outside of Chillicothe Walmart, Saturday August 7th between 10am-2pm.

They will be collecting school supplies in partnership with Project School Tools, Salvation Army, EPIC, Ross County Community Action, Alvis House and many other organizations working together to ensure the students of Ross County have the supplies needed.

For a complete list of needed supplies, see the poster below: 

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Pickaway Commissioners OK Funds To Purchase Body Cameras For Sheriff

Presented By Hometown-Motors, Inc.

Pickaway County Sheriff Matthew O. Hafey has taken to Facebook to announce that his office will soon be utilizing body cameras.  

Hafey says this has been one of his “missions” since taking office in January.  

“We are very thankful to our Pickaway County Commissioners for passing the resolution to purchase these necessary tools for our Deputies at their most recent meeting. These tools will not only aid in the investigation of crimes, but to show transparency of our Office to the public.  We are fortunate to have this equipment to help bring the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office into the 21st century of law enforcement.”  

Sheriff Hafey says it will take approximately 4-6 weeks for the cameras to arrive and be deployed to the field.  The Deputies will also go through training on how to properly and fully utilize the camera systems.  

In addition to the body cameras, the Deputies will also be issued new Tasers to replace their current aging equipment.  This equipment is unique in that they work together so that the cameras will automatically activate once a Taser is turned on, thus reducing the chance of a use of force incident not being recorded.  

“The current Tasers, of which some are still viable, will be re-purposed in our Jail so that the Corrections Officers will have another tool in which to ensure safety and security in the facility”, according to Sheriff Hafey.

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City Seeks Re-Bids For Chillicothe Armory Restoration Project

Presented By McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

The City of Chillicothe, is seeking sealed proposals on a re-bid for the Ohio Armory Restoration Project. Bids will be received by the Mayor of the City of Chillicothe at the office of the Parks and Recreation Department located on the 1st floor at 35 South Paint Street, Chillicothe, OH 45601 until 2:00 p.m. on August 3, 2021 at said office and then immediately opened and read aloud in the 1st Floor Conference Room of the same building.

Plans, Specifications, and bid forms may be secured at the Parks Department. A deposit of $10.00 will be required for each set of plans and specifications check made payable to the City of Chillicothe. The $10.00 deposit is nonrefundable. Contact the Parks Department (740-772-5626) for digital copies at no charge.

Each bid must be accompanied by a Bid Bond in an amount of 10% of the bid amount with a surety satisfactory to the Director of Public Service, City of Chillicothe, Ohio or by certified check or cashier’s check in the amount of not less than 10% of the bid amount in favor of the Director of Public Service, City of Chillicothe, Ohio. Bid Bonds shall be accompanied by Proof of Authority of the official or agent signing the bond.

Bids shall be sealed and marked as Bid for The City of Chillicothe, Ohio Armory Restoration Project and mailed or delivered to: Parks/Recreation Department, 35 South Paint Street, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601 clearly marked with “Bid for The City of Chillicothe, Armory Restoration Project”.

Attention of bidders is called to all of the requirements contained in this bid packet, particularly to the State of Ohio Labor Standards Provisions including Prevailing Wage Rates, various insurance requirements, various equal employment opportunity provisions, and the requirement for a payment bond and performance bond for 100% of the contract price.

No bidder may withdraw his bid within sixty (60) days after the actual date of the opening thereof. The City of Chillicothe, Ohio reserves the right to waive any informality, change quantities, or to reject any or all bids.

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Historian To “Chat” About Second Daughter Of Thomas Worthington

Presented By Classic Brands

Local historian Mary Anne Brown will be talking about the life of one of the Worthington daughters, during a presentation called: “Sarah Worthington-King-Peter: The Story of Her Life”

Sarah Worthington- King-Peter was the second daughter of Thomas and Eleanor Worthington, born May 10, 1800 at Valley Mills (Chillicothe) in Ross County, Northwest Territory.

Local historian Mary Anne Brown will talk about Sarah and learn about how she was most like her father in social energy and service than any of the other Worthington children.

You will also be able to see Sarah’s chairs that are on exhibit from the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor in Cincinnati.

The event will be hosted by Adena Mansion and Gardens Historic Site Visitor Center, located at 847 Adena Road in Chillicothe, on July 18th at 2:00pm

There is no charge to attend the event. Face masks are required if you are unvaccinated.

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Jack Pine: A Summer Glass Show

Presented By Atomic Speedway

Local favorite and world-renowned glass artist Jack Pine has again chosen Circleville for a new exhibit and sale.

The exhibition spotlights several glass art forms and other unique pieces from the Jack Pine Studios.

This limited show runs each Friday-Sunday until Sunday, August 1st at the ArtsaRound Gallery, located at 135 West Main Street in Circleville. 

Special show items will be sold on a first-come, first-served base, and sold pieces will be held on display until the show’s end. Patrons will be able to pick up their purchases starting August 6th during our regular gallery hours.

Jack Pine Studios will be hosting their Jack Pine Glass Pumpkin Patch event again this year on his studio’s property in Laurelville, Ohio, one weekend from September 24th thru 26th.

You can see JackPineStudio.com for times, tickets and information.