wtowner@newsandsentinel.com
BELPRE A new officer has joined the Belpre Police Department and was presented to Belpre City Council on Monday evening.
Council held its regular meeting Monday evening. Due to COVID-19 cases, the Belpre City Building has been closed since Nov. 18, with all business conducted by mail, phone and electronically or by appointment. Monday’s meeting was held by Zoom, with most council members meeting in-person in the Belpre Council Chamber and the public attending virtually.
Mayor Mike Lorentz introduced council to the Belpre Police Department’s newest officer, John Bailey Welch. Lorentz said Welch is a Little Hocking native now living in Cutler who completed his police training earlier this year. The Belpre position will be his first as a law enforcement officer.
jpatterson@mariettatimes.com
Photo by Janelle Patterson
Washington County Commissioner Jamie Booth explains at a township trustee association meeting held in the Washington County Engineer’s garage the county elected officials’ request of support for funding to the Ohio EPA with a proposed letter campaign from the county’s township trustees.
As elected officials move forward on the court-ordered sewering of Devola, a request has been made of township trustees from each corner of Washington County.
Washington County Engineer Roger Wright and Washington County Commissioner Jamie Booth recently made the pitch before representatives of a majority of the townships, asking for written support to appeal to the Ohio EPA for funding aid of the Devola project.
Jail Contract – Ohio University
Delinquent Sewer Accounts
DATES TO REMEMBER Finance Committee Meeting, 10 a.m. Tuesday April 20, at Courthouse
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One of the items added was from the building department for the Village of Newport. The other was for COVID-19 task force request number nine. All items of new business were approved. The items of unfinished business were all removed from the agenda. Commissioner Ritter says they may take them up again in the future as items of new business.
There were a number of issues concerning the Devola sewer system that were addressed. We will cover these in an upcoming story.
mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com
Photo by Michele Newbanks
Jared Love, WSP Ohio office lead, and Rich Wischmann, WSP lead engineer, plan which houses to visit Thursday morning in Devola. They were in town speaking to Devola residents about questions they had regarding the Devola sewer project.
Two members of the engineering firm for the Devola sewer project visited the area this week to discuss questions or concerns residents had.
Rich Wischmann, WSP Inc. lead engineer, and Jared Love, WSP Ohio office lead, went door-to-door in order to speak to each homeowner.
History
¯ The project has been in various stages of planning for at least seven years. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency ordered the project done in 2012 due to high levels of nitrates in well water. The Washington County Commissioners at the time voted not to follow the order, which led to the Ohio EPA suing the county. The original court order required the county to provide sewerage connections to homes on Lawton
¯ Regular business meeting of the board of commissioners, 9 a.m. Thursday, 1115 Gilman Ave.
Source: Washington County Commission Clerk.
A special prosecutor may soon be appointed to handle misdemeanor animal cruelty and neglect cases.
Washington County Sheriff’s Sgt. Kelly McGilton and board members of the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley met with Washington County Commissioners after their regular business meeting Thursday morning.
McGilton said there has been conversations about possibly appointing Jeff Holland of Medina County as the special prosecutor to help push cases forward.
“They are specialized and there’s a lot that goes into them,” she explained. “We always would appreciate someone who is an expert in the field.”