East Palestine News

Brown and police Sgt. Don Johnson said they hope that someone can come forward with information that will help in the investigation to find the person or persons responsible for setting the fire that destroyed the vacant home.

“We are still looking for answers. I am hoping we are able to come up with a suspect,” Johnson said.

They both emphasized that anyone who provides information that can help lead authorities to whomever is responsible will be eligible for a reward up to $5,000 through the Ohio Blue Ribbon Arson Committee.

People are asked to call the fire department at 330-426-4341 or the state at 1-800-589-2728.

Brown did not identify the firefighter who remains off duty for now because of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act.

That firefighter and another firefighter were both injured when they fell into a large hole that gave way as they were attempting to get out of the way of glass from a window that blew out as a result of the fire.

Brown has said the hole appeared to be the result of an eroded culvert. On Tuesday, he said the property owner is responsible for the hole.

The other firefighter who was injured was back on full duty for the fire department shortly after, while the other firefighter remains off duty for now.

“As a volunteer fire department, any loss greatly impacts the entire team,” Brown said of the difference one person can make on a department already struggling with skeleton crew since most people have full-time jobs and aren’t always available.

Although considered volunteer, all of the village’s firefighters and EMTs are part-time paid on-call employees, and as such receive Bureau of Workers’ Compensation benefits.

“It’s always a huge hit when you’re down a person,” Johnson said.

He said the departments have spent a lot of time investigating the case, but additional help is needed from the public.

“I’m hoping we can get some kind of tip to help us find who is responsible,” Johnson said.

Brown also said the department is still investigating a fire that damaged a shed at the Unity Township baseball fields.

Until this month, the department had not had a suspicious fire since the one on East Taggart Street in December of 2014. However, Brown said an investigation determined that to be accidental.

kwhite@mojonews.com

Village Manager Pete Monteleone confirmed on Thursday that Pure OH, LLC won the appeal and will now be moving ahead with plans to construct and operate a facility at the privately owned property on Kemple Road off Bacon Avenue.

It is the only company in the county to receive a cultivation license.

Pure OH is a subsidiary of Pure O&M (Operations and Management) of Denver, Colo., which manages facilities in Puerto Rico, Colorado, New York and Florida.

Pure O&M partner Gregg Holtzman presented the company’s plans to the village a few times over the course of last year while it was seeking the cultivation license through the state.

Monteleone said Holtzman contacted him on Thursday to announce a provisional license has been awarded.

“We are excited to press forward,” Monteleone said.

Ohio Department of Commerce spokeswoman Stephanie Gostomski said Pure OH was not originally awarded a Level II cultivator license because it did not receive the minimum qualifying score on the security question of its application, although it did receive an overall score that would have qualified it for a license had it not been for the security score.

She explained the company scored an 11 and it needed a minimum score of 12 for the security portion of the application.

However, Pure OH requested an administrative hearing, which was held in February, and showed that the application included elements that should have resulted in additional points in the security section.

Gostomski said the hearing showed “abundant proof” that the company did in fact have what was required to meet the minimum score.

The company was able to demonstrate that its plan for the facility contained various security transportation (including certain vehicle lockbox and certain GPS features), vehicle insurance and fencing matters for which it was not awarded points, she explained.

“Our director agreed and they were issued a provisional license (Wednesday),” she said.

Pure OH was one of 65 other applicants that requested an administrative hearing to appeal rejection of licenses, according to a Cleveland Plain Dealer report on Thursday.

With the provisional license awarded, Pure OH now has nine months to get the facility ready for operation.

Gostomski said that once the company has constructed the facility and is ready to grow medical marijuana, it must contact the department of commerce, which will inspect the facility and award a certificate of operation if the facility adheres to what was proposed in the application.

The company can begin cultivating medical marijuana as soon as the certificate is awarded.

Holtzman told the village last year that the plan is to build a 7,500-square-foot office and processing building, with a 3,000-square-foot greenhouse initially, with potential for more greenhouses later.

The facility is estimated to cost $2.5 to $3 million to build.

All growing and processing would be done inside to comply with state law, and nothing made at the facility would be available to East Palestine residents.

Holtzman has said the company plans to use local contractors for the construction, and even hire local for the future jobs at the facility.

kwhite@mojonews.com Originally published July 20, 2018

Village Manager Pete Monteleone gave council an update on Monday.

He said he met with Economic Development Director Tad Herold and is pleased with the help Herold and the department are providing on the proposal, which includes a mapped out area for the potential district.

The proposal will be presented to council for review at a future meeting, Monteleone said.

The village has been discussing a potential JEDD with the township for years, but the project never moved forward because some township residents were reportedly not in favor.

Councilmen DJ Yokley and Doug Simpson told council last month that after meeting with township officials they believe a district is a possibility at this point.

Monteleone also said on Monday that Municipal Attorney Dave Powers has drafted a proposed agreement, should council decide to move forward with the idea.

The agreement would need approval from both the village and the township in order to create the district.

In a JEDD the village would receive a portion of taxes levied without having to annex property, and the township could still collect property taxes and receive municipal water.

It would not involve police protection, however.

Village officials have said the district gives more leeway for utility services as opposed to annexation, which was attempted in recent years but was not successful. They believe that running water and sewer utilities up North Market Street near the township would attract more economic development.

“It’s a great opportunity … I am really excited,” Yokley said during the Monday meeting.

Monteleone also announced that Leslie Run has been repaired by the street crew, and that paving will begin on targeted village streets in early June. Repairs are also planned for North Market and Taggart Street.

“This year we are working at being methodical about our approach,” Monteleone said in his report to council.

He explained that instead of “chasing potholes all over town” the crew will fix potholes on a street by street basis to keep better track of what has been done.

Council members and Mayor Margo Zuch praised the street department for their work.

Monteleone said the crew is also working with the water department to see that a portion of Market Street across from village hall is repaired before the annual Street Fair.

Article published in Morning Journal News kwhite@mojonews.com

A crew of four water and wastewater employees and department superintendent John Jurjavcic worked in frigid temperatures fixing the leak from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. that night.

They were able to keep warm during that time with torpedo heaters provided by the local fire department.

Jurjavcic said the break was the result of normal wear and tear on one of the three valves on the six-inch line and affected roughly 30 people in the Heid Hall and Liberty Street area.

He said the valve was originally installed around 1996 and that the crew was able to replace the valve and put new bolts on the other two valves.

The valve replacement cost around $450, he added.

Affected homes were placed under a boil order while the crew worked to fix the problem.

“It was a very small shutdown area,” he said.

The leak did affect the former Heid Hall Catholic elementary school building, which is now owned by Dean and Karen Christian, who are working to turn it into a community center.

Mayor Margo Zuch said during the Monday council meeting that village residents should show their appreciation for the village’s crews that have to work in the freezing weather.

“They do a darn good job. Tell them thank-you, because they deserve it,” she said.

In other business during the meeting, council approved:

— A motion to appoint Councilman Alan Cohen as mayor pro-tem for 2018.

— Giving a first reading to legislation authorizing Village Manager Pete Monteleone to advertise for bids for the paving of 13 streets. The streets are Oak, Short, Young, Stacy Avenue, Western Avenue, Frank, Valley, Jackson, Orchard Alley, Anna, East High, Leslie Run, and the alley behind the school.

— Department activity reports for 2017. The fire department handled 298 calls for the year, 34 of which were structure fires and 31 vehicle accidents. Of the 298 calls, 186 were for East Palestine while the majority of the remainder were for Middleton and Unity townships.

— The EMS department handled 730 calls for the year, with 537 in East Palestine and the majority of the remainder in Unity Township.

— The park generated a total of $86,686 in revenue and attracted 17,868 swimmers to the pool. The bulk of the revenue was generated through community center rentals and pool activities.

— The village took in $6,015 in building and demolition permit fees and $9,850 in connection and other fees.

— Council also approved an executive session to discuss pending litigation. No action was taken.

kwhite@mojonews.com

On Monday, council gave first reading to legislation designating new rankings for current Sgt. Don Johnson and Cpl. Brian Moore to lieutenant and sergeant.

The legislation requires two more readings before a vote.

Police Chief Jim Brown III said the rankings more accurately reflect their current job responsibilities. He said the change is not affecting their salaries at this point.

If approved by council, the change will leave Moore’s corporal position open for the promotion of a full-time officer sometime in the future.

Brown said that Johnson and Moore both have more than 20 years in law enforcement.

Johnson is also the department’s K-9 handler, in charge of Toney, the 5-year-old Belgian Malinois the department acquired in 2012.

Moore has served as the department’s DARE program instructor and school resource officer in the village over the years. He is currently a member of the district’s board of education.

In other business, council approved:

— Giving a second reading to legislation establishing the 2018 budget. The budget will be discussed during a finance committee meeting schedule for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 11.

— A new one year contract for Dave Powers are municipal attorney, beginning Jan. 1 at a salary of $15,600.

kwhite@mojonews.com

The McKims are licensed beekeepers and wine manufacturers and run the business out of their home on East Main Street.

The couple attended the meeting to explain they needed a Class B2 liquor license to allow for wholesale sales of wine and/or beer.

Ashley McKim said they currently have a Class A license and needed a B2 license to have their wine products sold in stores.

“In the summer months and early fall we do honey harvesting. From that we bottle raw honey … and also use honey to flavor some of our wines that we are manufacturing,” she said.

She went on to say that using raw honey in wine is beneficial for those who cannot consume sugar.

The couple wished to encourage anyone who comes across bee nests to get in contact with them, as they will willingly take them.

“Give us a call because we love to get free bees,” she said.

In other matters, council approved Police Chief Jim Brown’s annual salary of $59,000, which Village Manager Pete Monteleone said is $572 less than retiring chief Kevin Dickey made.

Monteleone said Brown was making more in his position as an investigator with the county prosecutor’s office — a position he has held for the last 14 years and is leaving to take over as chief.

The salary was approved by council unanimously with no discussion during the meeting.

Council also approved:

— A third and final reading allowing Finance Director Traci Thompson to set supplemental appropriations.

— Giving a second reading to legislation declaring two vehicles no longer needed for municipal purposes and authorizing their sale.

— Emergency legislation certifying annual special assessments to the county auditor. Assessments amount to $3,864 for property clean up for 12 different properties and $2,202 for water and sewer for seven homes for this year.

kwhite@mojonews.com 8/29/2017