WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY CELEBRATED ITS 45TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2012. NEARLY 98,000 HAVE EARNED DEGREES FROM WRIGHT STATE OVER THOSE YEARS. WHEN THE FIRST STUDENTS BEGAN CLASSES ON SEPTEMBER 8, 1964, THE SCHOOL WAS KNOWN AS THE DAYTON CAMPUS OF MIAMI AND THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY. THREE YEARS LATER, WRIGHT STATE WAS DESIGNATED OHIO’S 12TH PUBLIC UNIVERSITY WITH 5,000 STUDENTS. TODAY, WRIGHT STATE HAS 17,930 STUDENTS BETWEEN ITS FAIRBORN AND LAKE CAMPUSES, AND EMPLOYS ABOUT 2,400 FACULTY AND STAFF. ACCORDING TO THE REPORT IN THE NEWS SUN, ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THEIR STUDENTS ARE OVER THE AGE OF 25. WRIGHT STATE IS ALSO CONSIDERED AMONG THE NATION’S TOP DISABILITY-FRIENDLY SCHOOLS.
BETWEEN THE SPRINGFIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE’S THREE UNITS, ABOUT 1,000 PEOPLE WORK AT THE BASE WITH THE 178TH FIGHTER WING EMPLOYING ABOUT 800. THE GREATER SPRINGFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ESTIMATES THAT THE BASE HAS AN ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF $95.2 MILLION. OHIO 794 THAT GOES BY THE SPRINGFIELD BASE WILL BE RELOCATED FOR SECURITY REASONS. CLARK COUNTY ENGINEER JONATHAN BURR SAID EVEN DURING THE BULK OF CONSTRUCTION, OHIO 794 WILL REMAIN OPEN. THE ROAD IS CURRENTLY A STATE HIGHWAY BUT WILL BECOME A COUNTY ROAD AND THE OLD SECTION OF THE ROADWAY WILL BECOME AN INTERNAL BASE THOROUGHFARE. THE CURRENT ROUTE 794 IS TOO CLOSE TO THE BASE TO SATISFY POST-9/11 MILITARY SECURITY STANDARDS. THE PROJECT IS NOW GOING OUT TO BID, AND CLARK COUNTY COMMISSIONERS EXPECT TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF ABOUT 1.4 MILES OF NEW ROAD BETWEEN U.S. 68 AND OHIO 72 AS EARLY AS MARCH.
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS RECENTLY APPROVED A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THAT WILL ALLOW TWO EMPLOYEES FROM THE CHAMPAIGN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF JOB AND FAMILY SERVICES TO SPLIT THEIR DUTIES BETWEEN CHAMPAIGN COUNTY AND LOGAN COUNTY. BOTH COUNTIES WILL SPLIT THE COST OF THEIR SALARIES AND BENEFITS. SUE BAILEY-EVANS IS CURRENTLY SERVING AS DIRECTOR FOR BOTH THE CHAMPAIGN AND LOGAN COUNTY DEPARTMENTS OF JOB AND FAMILY SERVICES. THE EMPLOYEES ARE ERIC WELTY, A WORKFORCE SUPERVISOR AND DALLAS DOBYNS WHO HANDLES INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
COMMUNITY MERCY HEALTH PARTNERS, THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN CLARK COUNTY, CURRENTLY HAS NO PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. MARK WIENER, WHO HAD BEEN IN THAT POSITION SINCE 2008, SUBMITTED HIS RESIGNATION ON NOVEMBER 27TH BUT OFFICIALLY COMPLETED HIS LAST DAY ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 31ST. THE ORGANIZATION HAS DECIDED TO NOT APPOINT AN INTERIM LEADER BUT TO HAVE A LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH SUPPORT FROM DIVISIONAL LEADERSHIP. SEARCH EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY FOR A NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO.
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE OLD TV’S, LAPTOPS, CELL PHONES, ETC? GREGG BJORK WITH MATERIALS PROCESSING CORPORATION SAYS LAPTOPS, TELEVISIONS AND CELL PHONES SHOULD NEVER BE DUMPED IN THE GARBAGE BECAUSE OF TOXINS THAT CAN LEACH INTO SOIL AND WATER. HE SAYS ANOTHER CONCERN IS DATA. MPC IS AMONG THE RECYCLERS IN ABOUT 30 STATES SO FAR THAT ARE “E-STEWARD” CERTIFIED, MEANING THAT PEOPLE CAN BE SURE THEIR OLD ELECTRONICS ARE RECYCLED SAFELY.
TWO OHIO PROJECTS HAVE LANDED ON A LIST OF THE 50 BEST AND WORST TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS IN THE COUNTRY. THE SIERRA CLUB’S NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTED THE EASTERN CORRIDOR HIGHWAY NEAR CINCINNATI AS ONE OF THE WORST TRANSPORTATION PLANS, PUTTING A NEW FOUR-LANE ROADWAY THROUGH IMPORTANT HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES, RUNNING ALONGSIDE THE NATIONAL AND STATE SCENIC LITTLE MIAMI RIVER. CHRIS CURRAN SAYS IT WOULD INCREASE TRUCK TRAFFIC IN AREAS NEAR PARKS, FIELDS AND SCHOOLS. MEANWHILE, THE CINCINNATI STREETCAR PROJECT MADE THE BEST LIST FOR IT’S ABILITY TO REDUCE POLLUTION AND VEHICLE EMISSIONS, DRIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OFFER MORE TRANSPORTATION ACCESSIBILITY AND MOBILITY. PROJECTS WERE EVALUATED ON OIL USE, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, HEALTH EFFECTS, ECONOMICS AND LAND USE.
HAVE THE GLOVES, COATS AND HATS READY…AND WEAR YOUR BOOTS TOO, BECAUSE IT WILL BE COLD AGAIN TONIGHT! ACTUALLY IT WILL BE COLD EACH NIGHT THIS WEEK! LOWS TONIGHT WILL DROP TO 11 DEGREES UNDER PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. CLOUDS WILL INCREASE ON THURSDAY AND HIGHS WILL GET UP TO 28 DEGREES WITH WEST WINDS 8-15 MPH, MAKING FOR WIND CHILL VALUES AS LOW AS -1. WE HAVE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SOME SNOW THURSDAY EVENING WITH LOWS DIPPING TO 13 AND WIND CHILL VALUES AROUND ZERO. SUNSHINE COMES BACK IN THE FORECAST FOR FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. HIGHS ON FRIDAY WILL PEAK AT 26, GOING UP TO 33 ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS FRIDAY NIGHT WILL BE AT 12 COLD DEGREES, BUT INCREASE TO ABOUT 18 DEGREES OVERNIGHT THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
