Local News Briefs - Thursday, July 16th

DeWine Holds Press Conference

OHIO GOVERNOR MIKE DEWINE IN A SPEECH WEDNESDAY EVENING ASKED

THE PUBLIC TO WEAR FACE MASKS CONSISTENTLY AND TO INCREASE

AWARENESS OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. HOWEVER,

GOVERNOR DEWINE DID NOT ORDER ANY NEW ACTIONS.

Shelby County Small Business Grants

SHELBY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PLAN TO OFFER $100,000 IN GRANTS TO

SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE COUNTY THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THE COVID-19

PANDEMIC. THE SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF PROGRAM WILL BE FUNDED WITH

MONEY THE COUNTY RECEIVED THROUGH THE CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND

ECONOMIC SECURITY ACT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE CARES ACT. THE

COMMISSIONERS SAY THEY WANT TO MAKE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO SMALL

BUSINESSES TO HELP KEEP THEM IN OPERATION, WHICH IN TURN WILL

PRODUCE SALES TAX AND INCOME TAX REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY.

Food Pantry Re-Opens

THE GREENE STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FOOD PANTRY IN PIQUA

HAS REOPENED IN A NEW LOCATION AFTER AN EXTENDED CLOSURE DUE TO

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE NEW LOCATION IS AT THE WESTMINSTER

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, AT 325 W. ASH ST. THE PANTRY IS OPEN EVERY

MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY FROM 10 TO 11 A.M. AS OF NOW, CURBSIDE

SERVICE WILL BE UTILIZED AS A PRECAUTION AGAINST THE SPREAD OF THE

CORONA VIRUS.

Local Horse Boarder Accused of Animal Cruelty

A MIAMI COUNTY HORSE BOARDER ACCUSED OF ANIMAL CRUELTY CHANGES

HER PLEA. 27-YEAR OLD DAYNA COCCA OF BETHEL TOWNSHIP PLEADED NO

CONTEST TO TWO COUNTS OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS AFTER FOUR OTHER

COUNTS HAD BEEN DISMISSED. AFTER RECEIVING A COMPLAINT, SHERIFF’S

DEPUTIES FOUND A NUMBER OF MALNOURISHED HORSES AT THE BORN TO FLY

STABLES ON SINGER ROAD. A SENTENCING HEARING FOR COCCA HAS NOT YET

BEEN SCHEDULED.

Miami County Police Seeking Bodycams

MIAMI COUNTY SHERIFF DAVE DUCHAK WANTS TO PURCHASE 65 BODY

CAMERAS FOR HIS DEPUTIES. SHERIFF DUCHAK SPOKE WITH THE MIAMI COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ON TUESDAY ABOUT SUBMITTING GRANT REQUESTS

FOR ASSISTANCE IN FUNDING THE CAMERAS. THE ESTIMATED COST FOR THE

THE CAMERAS AND A MAINTENANCE CONTRACT IS $131,000, WITH AN

ADDITIONAL COST OF APPROXIMATELY $15,000 FOR A SERVER AND STORAGE

SPACE.

Troy Refreshment Area

TROY CITY COUNCIL HAS DISCUSSED A PROPOSED DESIGNATED OUTDOOR

REFRESHMENT AREA IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA WHERE PATRONS OVER 21 CAN

PURCHASE ADULT BEVERAGES FROM AN ESTABLISHMENT AND CARRY THEM

WITHIN DOWNTOWN TROY. COUNCIL WILL REVIEW THE FIRST OF THREE

READINGS OF THE PROPOSAL ON JULY 20. IF ALL APPLICATION PROCEDURES

ARE ON TIME AND APPROVED, THE DORA APPLICATION COULD BE SUBMITTED

TO THE STATE BY MID-SEPTEMBER.

Earthquakes Registered in Shelby County

ACCORDING TO THE U-S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY EARTHQUAKE CENTER, TWO SMALL EARTHQUAKES WERE RECORDED TUESDAY NIGHT. A MAGNITUDE 1.8 EARTHQUAKE WAS CENTERED NORTHWEST OF JACKSON CENTER AND THE OTHER, A MAGNITUDE OF 2.4, WAS RECORDED ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES LATER NORTHEAST OF ANNA. NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED FROM EITHER EVENT.

SWAT Involved in Sidney

SWAT WAS CALLED OUT IN SIDNEY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. IT ALL STARTED

OVER A DISPUTE BETWEEN TWO NEIGHBORS OVER A PARKING VIOLATION ON

SOUTH WALNUT AVENUE. POLICE WERE CALLED AFTER ONE OF THE TWO

WOMEN INVOLVED ALLEGEDLY MADE THREATS OF HARM TO THE OTHER. THE

ALLEGED SUSPECT FINALLY GAVE UP AFTER OVER TWO HOURS OF

NEGOTIATIONS, BUT WAS NOT TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. IN A SEPARATE

INCIDENT, ANOTHER WOMAN ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND STRUCK A POLICE

OFFICER IN THE HEAD. SHE WAS ARRESTED AND WILL BE CHARGED WITH

ASSAULT ON A POLICE OFFICER.