Local News Briefs - Friday, July 24th

Ohio Mask Mandate in Effect

OHIO’S STATEWIDE MANDATORY MASK ORDER IS NOW IN EFFECT. EVERYONE

AGE 10 AND OLDER MUST WEAR A MASK WHEN OUT IN PUBLIC OR IN A PLACE

WHERE UNABLE TO FOLLOW SOCIAL DISTANCING RULES. AN EXCEPTION IS FOR

THOSE WHO HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION THAT KEEPS THEM FROM WEARING

A MASK. GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE SAYS THE INCREASED RATE IN POSITIVE

CASES OF COVID-19 HAS SLOWED IN COUNTIES WHERE MASKS WERE ALREADY

REQUIRED

Shelby County Offering Small Business Relief

APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED STARTING MONDAY FOR THE SHELBY

COUNTY SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF PROGRAM, WHICH IS OFFERING $100,000 IN

GRANTS TO SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE COUNTY THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THE

COVID-19 PANDEMIC. ELIGIBLE SMALL BUSINESSES CAN APPLY FOR UP TO

$5,000 IN GRANT FUNDS TO BE USED FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT OF ELIGIBLE

EXPENSES. THE PROGRAM IS BEING FUNDED WITH MONEY SHELBY COUNTY

RECEIVED THROUGH THE CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY

ACT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE CARES ACT.

Miami County Hires Absentee Ballot Committee

THE MIAMI COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS VOTED THIS WEEK TO HIRE A

CLEVELAND-BASED VENDOR TO HANDLE THE COUNTY’S VOTE-BY-MAIL

ABSENTEE BALLOTS FOR THE NOVEMBER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. MIAMI

COUNTY HAS HAD AROUND 10,000 MAIL ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUESTS IN

PREVIOUS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. ELECTIONS DIRECTOR LAURA BRUNS

SAID SHE ANTICIPATES THIS FALL’S REQUESTS COULD REACH UP TO 30,000. THE

QUOTE FOR 30,000 BALLOTS WAS ALMOST $67,000

Troy Converting to Reverse Angle

ON SUNDAY, THE CITY OF TROY STREET DEPARTMENT WILL

CONVERT PARKING ALONG TWO BLOCKS OF EAST MAIN STREET TO REVERSE-

ANGLE PARKING. IT’S PART OF A PILOT STUDY, WHICH BEGAN WITH THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF REVERSE-ANGLE PARKING ON NORTH SHORT

STREET. REVERSE-ANGLE PARKING REQUIRES THE DRIVER TO BACK IN THE

ANGLED PARKING SPACE WITH THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE TOWARD THE

CURB. THIS TYPE OF “ANGLE-IN” PARKING ALLOWS FOR BETTER VISIBILITY FOR

MOTORISTS.

Fatal Crash in Darke County

DARKE COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES WERE CALLED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

TO INVESTIGATE A FATAL CRASH ON STATE ROUTE 571 NEAR UNION CITY. A

CAR COLLIDED HEAD-ON WITH A VAN. THE CAR’S DRIVER, 50-YEAR OLD

RODNEY WEAVER OF UNION CITY WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. THE

OTHER MOTORIST, 35-YEAR OLD ZACHARY VANVICKLE OF GREENVILLE, WAS

TAKEN TO WAYNE HEALTHCARE WITH UNKNOWN INJURIES. THE CRASH

REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

Shelby County Receives DARE Grant

THE SHELBY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS GOING TO RECEIVE A DARE GRANT

FOR THE 2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR. THE GRANT, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE

OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE, IS FOR CLOSE TO $135,500. ACCORDING

TO SHERIFF JOHN LENHART, THE AWARD WILL ALLOW THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE TO

CONTINUE ITS SUPPORT OF LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS, BY PLACING SCHOOL

RESOURCE OFFICERS IN THOSE PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS AND

CONTINUING THE DARE PROGRAM.

Pre-Trial Set for Piqua Man

A PRE-TRIAL HEARING IS SET FOR AUGUST 20 FOR A PIQUA MAN FACING

CHARGES INVOLVING COMPANION ANIMALS. ACCORDING TO REPORTS FROM

THE MIAMI COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 31-YEAR OLD CHET YOUNG WAS

CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH A REPORT OF LOOSE UNLICENSED DOGS ON

NORTH STATE ROUTE 48 ON JUNE 17. WHILE INVESTIGATING, A DOG WAS

FOUND TIED TO A TREE WITH SOME FOOD, BUT NO WATER. YOUNG PLEADED

NOT GUILTY IN MIAMI COUNTY MUNICIPAL COURT.

Greenville Residents Asked to Update Mailboxes

SAFETY CONCERNS HAVE PROMPTED THE U-S POSTAL SERVICE TO REQUEST

RURAL RESIDENTS NORTHWEST OF GREENVILLE TO UPDATE THEIR

MAILBOXES. SOME OF THE BOXES DO NOT MEET THE HEIGHT STANDARD

REQUIRED FOR MOTORIZED MAIL CARRIERS. AS A RESULT, THE MAIL CARRIER

IS FORCED TO REMOVE THEIR SHOULDER SAFETY BELTS TO REACH

MAILBOXES. A MAJORITY OF THE ACCIDENTS INVOLVING MAIL TRUCKS ARE

THOSE BEING REAR-ENDED WHEN PARKED AT A MAILBOX. THE REQUIRED

HEIGHT OF MAILBOXES IS 42 TO 48 INCHES FROM THE ROAD SURFACE TO THE

BOX.