Winter Storm Heads To Ohio

Presented By Scioto Valley Dumpsters, LTD

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for most of Ohio, running between 12am Thursday through 7am Friday.

Total snow accumulations for south central Ohio are projected at 1-3 inches and ice accumulations of up to 3 tenths of an inch possible. This impacts portions of Central, South Central and Southwest Ohio.

Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice. Travel could be nearly impossible. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commutes Thursday and the morning commute Friday.

Areas north of this line could see snowfall amounts of several or more inches, including up to a foot of snow in northwest Ohio.

Friday and Saturday low temps will be in the single digits, which will allow whatever falls in our area Thursday night through Friday morning to stick around for a few days.

Here’s the updated NWS forecast for south central Ohio as of 3pm 2/2/22:
Thursday: Freezing rain and sleet before 4pm, then sleet between 4pm and 5pm, then snow and sleet after 5pm. The snow could be heavy at times. Temperature falling to around 25 by 5pm. North northeast wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New ice accumulation of 0.1 to 0.2 of an inch possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Thursday Night: Snow and patchy blowing snow before midnight, then snow likely and patchy blowing snow between midnight and 1am, then a chance of snow after 1am. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 15. North northeast wind between 15 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Friday: A 40 percent chance of snow before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 22. North northwest wind between 8 and 13 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around -1.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 24.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 11.

The Ohio Department of Transportation says their crews will be out in full force. “During winter storms, ODOT strives to keep roads passable to help ensure that emergency services and essential workers can safely reach their destinations,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks. “But even with our crews out in full force, roads will likely be snow and ice-covered, and it will take much longer to travel. Once the storm moves out, our crews will be able to make progress toward getting traffic moving at regular speed.”

“ODOT’s goal is to have the average traffic speed on primary routes back to within 10 mph of the posted speed limit within 2 hours and secondary routes within 4 hours of the end of a storm. ODOT forces hit that goal 95% of the time last winter.”

Keep checking this article for updates through Thursday.

OHSAA State Basketball Ticket Sales

Presented By Rathkamp Financial

COLUMBUS, Ohio – All-session tickets for the upcoming Ohio High School Athletic Association girls and boys basketball state tournaments at the University of Dayton Arena go on sale Monday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. at www.ohsaa.org/tickets. All tickets are digital and must be purchased online in advance. 

Blocks of tickets are held for the fans of the 16 participating teams that advance to the state tournament, but the OHSAA anticipates the return of a large number of all-session ticket holders who annually attend every game of the state tournament.

“For the first time since 2019, we are able to welcome back a full house for the basketball state tournaments,” said Doug Ute, OHSAA Executive Director. “The University of Dayton does such a great job hosting basketball tournaments and we know that fans are excited to check out UD Arena. It is a tremendous basketball arena and we are so excited that our student-athletes will get to play for a state championship in front of a packed arena.” 

The divisional rotation for the state tournaments this season is Division III, II, IV and I.

Girls basketball all-session tickets are $96 plus credit card fee. Premium all-session tickets are $136 plus credit card fee. Single-session tickets for the girls basketball state tournament go on sale Monday, March 7, which are doubleheader sessions for the semifinals March 10 and 11. The championship games are each single sessions on March 12. The semifinal sessions begin at noon and 6 p.m., while the championship games are at 10:45 a.m., 2 p.m., 5:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Single-session general admission tickets are $16 for adults and $12 for students, plus credit card fee. Single-session premium tickets are $20 plus credit card fee.

The boys basketball state tournament will feature the return of the Center Court Club, which includes a seat close to the arena floor and access to a hospitality room so fans can stay in the arena between games. Center Court Club all-session tickets are $475 plus credit card fee.

Boys basketball all-session tickets are $168 plus credit card fee, while premium all-session tickets are $216 plus credit card fee. Single-session tickets for the boys basketball state tournament go on sale Monday, March 14. Each game is its own session for the boys state tournament, which is March 18-20 (Friday through Sunday). Game times are at 10:45 a.m., 2 p.m., 5:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. all three days. Single-session adult tickets are $16 for adults and $12 for students, plus credit card fee. Single-session premium tickets are $20 plus credit card fee.

Parking fees are included in the ticket cost and fans are encouraged to carpool.

Disability seating is available and can be selected from the seat map when purchasing tickets.

A limited number of suites are available. Those interested a suite should contact the UD Arena Ticket Office at 937-229-4433 or via email FlyerTickets@udayton.edu.

RCCVB Releases Annual Report

Presented By HometownMotors, Inc.

(Chillicothe) – The Ross-Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Bureau is proud to release its 2021 Annual Report. This report summarizes the activities and endeavors that the Bureau undertook to successfully execute and achieve recovery for local tourism following the economic downturn of the pandemic.

The Bureau targeted specific audiences to encourage the return of leisure travel to Ross County. These efforts generated a higher than anticipated recovery of this sector of visitors. Many of the area attractions reported an increase in attendance to their locations when compared to 2019. This sector of tourism successfully recovered to within 5% of pre- pandemic levels. Additionally, lodging options expanded in Ross County with the launch of several new Airbnb properties. Demand of sleeping rooms soared with the return of leisure travel which generated an increase of 19% in lodging tax revenue over 2020. This fell just 3% short of revenue of 2019, the highest recorded lodging tax receipts for Ross County.

The Annual Report also features upcoming projects that the Bureau is working on in 2022 to build upon the effort already established. These projects include launching an official Visit Chillicothe Ohio mobile app, a new issue of the Ross County Visitors Guide, and begin addressing wayfinding needs throughout the county to better serve visitors navigating to attractions.

“We are very excited to share the Annual Report with our partners and community.” Stated the Bureau’s Executive Director, Melody Young. “2021 started with some uncertainty but Ross County’s beauty, fun, and entertainment brought leisure travelers back and reassured us that tourism was alive and well. We are very proud of the Bureau’s achievements.”

The Ross-Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Bureau’s 2021 Annual Report can be found on its website under the “Resources” tab.

State Controlling Board Sending $3.5 Million To Area Wastewater Plant Improvement

Presented By Accurate Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

(Columbus)- The Deer Creek State Park Wastewater Improvements Plant located in Mount Sterling will be receiving $3.5 million in state funding.

State Representative Mark Johnson (R-Chillicothe) made the announcement on Tuesday. The announcement follows Monday’s approval by the State Controlling Board for a contract with Hull & Associates, LLC, an Ohio based firm, to provide design and construction administration for improvements to both the water collection system and treatment and distribution system. The work done will help to ensure water quality standards such as phosphorous nutrient removal, iron and manganese removal and e-coli compliance.

“Deer Creek State Park is a beautiful space where so many residents go to enjoy being outside,” said Johnson. “Thank you to the Department of Natural Resources for their work on this request, and for support of the State Controlling Board to keep the park and its equipment running effectively and efficiently.”

Deer Creek State Park, operated by Ohio Department of Natural Resources, is comprised of 2,337-acre park offering water sports, marina, beach, camping, cabins and golf course along with a large resort lodge with a conference center.

The park’s current wastewater collection and treatment system is nearly 50-years-old and will soon not be able to maintain standard requirements 

Ohio State Parks Photo Contest

Presented By Classic Brands

(Columbus)- It’s that time of year for “shutterbugs” to enter the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Ohio State Parks Photo Contest.

Submit your photos by March 28th from your adventures in our #OhioStateParks and get the chance to win some awesome prizes.

Anyone who is at least 18 years old can enter. Enter up to 5 photos in any of the following categories: Wildlife in Action, Recreation in the Parks, Wondrous Water, Novice Naturalist, and Explore Trails.

Extraordinary prizes, including a portable Oru Kayak will be awarded to the winner.

Entries will be accepted now through March 28th, 2022 at 11:59pm EST. 

Judges will review photos and select winners for first, second, and third prize from April 1, 2022 to May 5, 2022.

Anyone can vote for the People’s Choice Award between now through May 5th, 2022 at 5pm EST. 

To enter the contest, CLICK HERE:

“We Mean Business” Virtual Conference To Include Southern Ohio Entities

Presented By Atomic Speedway

The Minority Business Assistance Center and the African American Chamber of Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky present 2022 We Mean Business Virtual Conference. The conference will take place Tuesday, February 15th through Thursday, February 17th on the HopIn Virtual Conference platform. 

The planning of this conference is brought to the 21 Appalachian counties with combined efforts from the following agencies:  The Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce, Vinton County Development, University of Rio Grande, Ohio Department of Transportation, Small Business Administration, and other development agencies. 

Presenting YouTube influencers, The Gentlemen of Crypto:  Cryptocurrency Experts and keynote speakers: Dale Gibbons, Business Breakthrough Advisors; William Kraus, Attorney with Butzel Long, and Donna Gambrel, President of Appalachian Community Capital. 

Day 1—Finding Opportunities:  Attendees will learn how to find opportunities and leverage them to build their respective business. We will examine the Infrastructure Bill and the countless opportunities that exist for business owners who are capable and willing to pivot. 

Day 2—Transformation:  Focus will be on the need to digitally transform business to remain relevant and to strategically make decisions about how business processes are arranged and integrated into functioning business models. Blockchain and Cryptocurrency are two of the central technologies of this transformation. 

Day 3—Rural Business Focus:  The focus will be on The Buyer’s Initiative, building banking relationships, and accessing capital.  

Attendees with limited broadband access are welcome to use the following locations to view the sessions (Day 3 only):   

  • Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce, 45 E. Main St., Chillicothe, OH 
  • Ohio State University South Center, Endeavor Center, 1862 Shyville Rd., Piketon, OH 
  • Vinton County Development Department, 205 S. Market St., McArthur, OH 
  • Ohio Means Jobs, Scioto County, 433 Third St., Portsmouth OH 

Please bring your laptop as individual computers will not be available at some locations. Lunch will be provided. 

The conference also offers networking opportunities, discussion panels, and virtual exhibitor booths. 

The conference is free and open for registration by visiting the We Mean Business registration page. 

Portsmouth Notre Dame Girls Basketball Wins 100th Straight SOC Contest

Presented By Chillicothe VAMC

The Lady Titans of Portsmouth Notre Dame hit a century mark milestone Monday night, winning their 100th consecutive Southern Ohio Conference 1 basketball contest.

(Image Courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics Twitter)

The final score was 59-22 over Green.

Notre Dame has been a juggernaut on the hardwood in SOC 1 play that last several years, plowing through conference opponents. An even scarier fact for SOC opponents is that the Lady Titans have no seniors on the team.

This year’s squad is led by 6’1 junior Annie Dettwiller, who averages 12.3 points and 6 rebounds per game. 5’10 sophomore Gracie Ashley is averaging 8.3 points and almost 7 rebounds per game. Sophomore Ella Kirby is averaging 8.1 points per contest.

Portsmouth Notre Dame is now (10-0) in the SOC 1 and (13-3) overall, with a bright road ahead in the Division 4 tournaments.

T-Shirt Design Contest Could Net A $1,000 Scholarship For A Ross County Student

Presented By McDonald’s

(Chillicothe)- A Ross County student can win a $1,000 Scholarship or a MacBook Air. All you have to do is design a T-shirt that reflects Chillicothe, Ohio.

“Hometown Apparel is excited to announce that for the first time in company history we will be giving away a $1,000 Scholarship (or a MacBook Air) to one talented student in Ross Country. All students wishing to participate have to design a T-shirt reflective of the theme: Chillicothe, OH/Small town. Not only will the winner receive the scholarship, but the shirt they design will be printed and sold at Hometown Threads, in downtown Chillicothe.”

The application is now open, and will be closed on March 30, 2022. The winner will be announced on April 4, 2022.

If you would like to apply for the More than Shirts Scholarship, visit threadsoh.com or swing by Hometown Threads (67 North Mulberry Street in Chillicothe, OH 45601) to fill out the application. Once you have designed your shirt, email a picture or PDF of your artwork to threadsoh@gmail.com.

If you have any questions please contact Lydia: threadsoh@gmail.com or call (740)-851-6103.

Ross County Humane Society Sponsors Valentine Day E-Card Fundraiser

Presented By Classic Brands

Send your Valentine an ecard and help the Ross County Humane Society in the meantime. The Society will be doing a Valentine’s Day e-card fundraiser now through February 10th.

(Ross County Humane Society)

For $20 each, the Society will design beautiful e-cards with photos of shelter dogs to send out to your special someone via email on Valentine’s Day letting them know that someone made a donation in their honor. That might be your partner, friend, coworker or anyone who loves dogs.

You must pay via Paypal using the link Paypal.me/rosscohumanesociety. Be sure to include the name and email address of your recipient.

To learn more about their Capital Campaign, CLICK HERE: