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From the 12/14/06 Garfield-Maple Sun: Wal-Mart business brisk after a brief shutdown Thursday, December 14, 2006 By John Kametz Garfield-Maple Sun GARFIELD HEIGHTS The anchor Wal-Mart store at CityView on Transportation Boulevard was reopened and doing a brisk business this week, as store officials and consultants continue taking steps to find and eliminate a source of methane gas. Store officials detected an intermittent presence of methane last week, and this forced the temporary closing of the store on orders from the company headquarters, although no actual methane seepage from the former landfill below was detected later during a sweep of the building by fire department inspectors. "We have worked closely with the Garfield Heights Fire Department, the land developer and other expert consultants to determine that the air quality of our store meets the high standards that we closely follow," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Sharon Weber said in a statement to the Sun News before the store reopened last weekend.... http://www.cleveland.com/sun/garfieldmaplesun/index.ssf?/base/news-0/116611835933820.xml&coll=3

From the 12/17/06 DDN: GRAPHIC: Sugar Camp master plan Tainted sand must be taken from old NCR site By-product of industrial age must be removed before tract can be developed into residential area. By Steve Bennish Staff Writer Sunday, December 17, 2006 OAKWOOD — An estimated 50,000 cubic yards of potentially hazardous industrial foundry sand — a waste product of NCR Corp.'s manufacturing era — must be excavated before residential and commercial developments along Far Hills Avenue can be built. That's one of the larger landscaping jobs that will occur with the build-out of a project being planned by two developers for a 36-acre, "L" shaped stretch of former NCR land bounded by West Schantz and Far Hills avenues. ... http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/12/16/ddn121706oakwood.html

From the 12/14/06 DDN: Sugar Camp keeps look, takes new mission The former NCR training facility in Oakwood will become a medical campus. By Joanne Clodfelter Contributing Writer OAKWOOD | Sugar Camp's proposed conversion from an NCR training facility to a medical campus will preserve its rustic beauty while giving it a new lease on life, developers said. "Day one, I took one look at this and said this would make a perfect medical environment," said Dr. Edward Thomas, who will relocate his Ohio Eye Care Specialists from Wyoming Street to one of the existing buildings at Sugar Camp. ... http://www.daytondailynews.com/community/content/localnews/neighbors/kettering_oakwood/2006/12/14/ddn121406sugarcamp.html

From the 12/8/06 DDN: Oakwood's Sugar Camp may get medical campus By Joanne Clodfelter Contributing Writer Friday, December 08, 2006 OAKWOOD — Dr. Edward Thomas will relocate his medical practice, Ohio Eye Care Specialists, to the Sugar Camp complex on West Schantz Avenue in Oakwood. "When the Sugar Camp opportunity presented itself, I felt it was the perfect time and opportunity for my practice and other medical and wellness entities to form a medical campus," Thomas said. ... http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2006/12/07/ddn120806sugarcamp.html

From ThisWeek Clintonville, 12/28/06: Downtown Columbus Population increase hasn't translated into retail growth Thursday, December 28, 2006 By KEVIN PARKS, ThisWeek Staff Writer It seems a peculiar contradiction: At a time when unprecedented numbers of relatively affluent people are setting up residence in downtown Columbus, retail stores in the central business district are fading and fleeing and folding. Or are long gone. City Center, once the crown jewel of downtown retail, is but a shadow of itself, more meeting space and charter school than merchandising and charge-card shopping. With Macy's down to a single anchor store from three in its heyday, and with an occupancy rate perhaps below 50 percent, many feel the handwriting is on the wall for the urban mall. This is in spite of a tax abatement-fueled spate of loft and condo conversion projects that have created about 4,000 new dwelling units, some of them going for handsome prices, in the past four years. What's up with that? Read more at http://www.thisweeknews.com/index.php?sec=clintonville&story=sites/thisweeknews/122806/Clintonville/News/122806-News-284708.html

From the 12/4/06 Dispatch: Casto looking at City Center ? Don Casto apparently is the latest developer to approach Columbus leaders with a plan to redevelop Columbus City Center. Casto and another developer met last week with Mayor Michael B. Coleman and others involved with the ailing Downtown mall, a Casto spokeswoman confirmed. John Rosenberger, leader of Capitol South Urban Redevelopment Corp., also confirmed that he met with Casto but declined to comment on the proposal. Sources indicated that it involved converting City Center into a mixture of retail, office and residential uses. Retailers have been leaving City Center in droves in the past two years, and the mall currently is about half empty. In the past few months, City Center has lost the Finish Line shoe shop and FYE music store. Just last week, Spencer Gifts indicated it will leave the mall. Mills Corp., which is for sale after an accounting scandal this year, said in late November that its malls were underperforming industry averages. City officials would like to take over the property, but that’s not been in the offing as of yet. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/04/20061204-E6-00.html

From the 12/25/06 Pomeroy Daily Sentinel: Permit process, design delay IGCC project By Brian J. Reed Monday, December 25, 2006 6:01 PM EST POMEROY - A second hearing before the Ohio Power Siting Board on American Electric Power's plans to construct a new power plant in Lebanon Township has been continued into next year. AEP spokesman Jeff Rennie said AEP does not expect a decision on cost recovery for construction of the plant until 2008, and that will delay operation of the integrated gasification combined cycle plant until 2012. An engineering study to have been finished by year's end has not yet been completed, Rennie said, and that will also delay the process of receiving approval of cost recovery for the plant. The Ohio Power Siting Board, which will ultimately determine whether AEP may construct the plant on its Meigs County site, conducted a public hearing on AEP's application earlier this month at Meigs High School. An evidentiary hearing was scheduled for Dec. 14, but was continued to Jan. 30. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.mydailysentinel.com/articles/2006/12/25/news/local_news/news03.txt

From the 12/21/06 Athens News: Opposition mounting against power plants By Nick Claussen Athens NEWS Associate Editor Thursday, December 21st, 2006 While area political, business and community leaders have been rallying around the idea of locating one or more new power plants in Meigs County, opposition is beginning to mount against the proposal. At least two different power plants are proposed for Meigs County, one by American Electric Power and the other by American Municipal Power. Southeast Ohio economic-development officials have praised plans for the power plants, saying that if they locate here, they will bring hundreds of jobs and provide a big boost to economically depressed Meigs County and the region. The Meigs Community Action Network (CAN), though, is concerned about a possible increase in mining and potential problems caused by the power plants and related businesses. "Our group is just now forming," confirmed Elisa Young, a member of Meigs CAN. The group has held two meetings so far and will meet again in early January. FULL ARTICLE: http://athensnews.com/index.php?action=viewarticle&section=news&story_id=26896

From the 12/14/06 Pomeroy Daily Sentinel: Support of AEP proposal overwhelming at OPSB hearing By Brian J. Reed Thursday, December 14, 2006 5:46 PM EST POMEROY - Elected officials, labor leaders and residents testified in support of American Electric Power's plans to build a new clean-coal power plant in Meigs County, at a hearing Tuesday at Meigs High School. The hearing was the first of two to be conducted by the Ohio Power Siting Board on AEP's application to construct an integrated gasification combined cycle power plant on property it owns in Lebanon Township. A second hearing will be held later this month for those who have filed as parties in the application process. All but one of those testifying at last night's hearing reiterated support of the project, among them County Commissioner Mick Davenport, Chamber of Commerce President-elect Hal Kneen, Economic Development Director Perry Varnadoe and several representatives of the building trades. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.mydailysentinel.com/articles/2006/12/14/news/local_news/news00.txt

From the 12/7/06 Pomeroy Daily Sentinel: Large crowd attends first AMP-Ohio meeting By Beth Sergent Thursday, December 7, 2006 5:40 PM EST RACINE - Judging from the size of the crowd at this week's informational meeting for the proposed American Municipal Power Generating Station (AMPGS) power plant in Letart Falls, community interest has definitely been peaked. The informational meeting was held by American Municipal Power-Ohio (AMP-Ohio) in anticipation of the company's upcoming permit filing with the Ohio Power Siting Board which may happen in January. The meeting was a requirement of the permit process and was meant to provide information to the public about the coal-fired power plant. The meeting began with comments from Jolene Thompson, vice president of AMP-Ohio public affairs and Scott Kiesewetter, manager of new plant engineering. Kiesewetter emphasized the AMPGS power plant would be one of the “cleanest” of its kind. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.mydailysentinel.com/articles/2006/12/07/news/local_news/news00.txt

From the 12/8/06 Middletown Journal: Leaders pushing for fuel quality bill By Candice Brooks Higgins Staff Writer Friday, December 08, 2006 HAMILTON — Butler County Auditor Kay Rogers started fuel quality testing a year ago and this week she got her chance tell an Ohio Senate committee why it should become required under state law. Rogers testified before the Ohio Senate Agricultural Committee Wednesday in support of Senate Bill 383, legislation Ohio Sen. Gary Cates, R-West Chester Twp., introduced on Rogers' behalf... Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 or [email protected]. http://www.middletownjournal.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/12/08/mj120806fueltest.html

^ Are you saying the numbers I posted are different, or the numbers you posted are different? You lost me.

Bond issue for Indian Lake schools passes by two votes after recount Lima News, 11/30/06 A new building project for Indian Lake schools will move forward after voters, by a slim two-vote margin, approved a bond issue for the construction of a new elementary building. The victory was confirmed Wednesday after the Auglaize County Board of Elections conducted an automatic recount of the 16 ballots that were cast in the county for the race. Logan County elections officials conducted their recount on Tuesday. With a narrow six-vote lead with unofficial numbers, the two elections boards were forced to conduct automatic recounts and the margin of victory decreased by four votes in Logan County. The issue, a 4.2-mill bond issue for 28 years, passed 2,276 to 2,274. The bond issue was needed to generate about $18.5 million to build the new 92,258-square-foot elementary building at the district complex at the intersection of state Route 234 and state Route 274 in Logan County, McGlothlin said. The new building will consolidate two older facilities — Huntsville Elementary, which was built in 1912, and Lakeview Elementary, which was built in 1929 — which will be closed.

NOVEMBER 2006 NUMBERS From the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Ohio and U.S. Employment Situation (Seasonally Adjusted) Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in November, up from 5.1 percent in October, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment remained relatively unchanged over the month, increasing 300 from 5,452,400 in October to 5,452,700 in November. "While Ohio's unemployment rate increased in November, the number of people working during the month held steady," said ODJFS Director Barbara Riley. "Gains in employment in service-providing industries were offset by losses in manufacturing." The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in November was 321,000, up from 306,000 in October. The number of unemployed has decreased by 20,000 in the past 12 months from 341,000. The November unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 5.8 percent in November 2005. The U.S. unemployment rate for November was 4.5 percent, up slightly from 4.4 percent in October. Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (Seasonally Adjusted) Ohio's nonagricultural wage and salary employment, at 5,452,700 in November, was 300 above the October level, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by ODJFS. Service providers added 3,300 jobs over the month to 4,408,100. Trade, transportation and utilities advanced 2,400. Gains were also noted in educational and health services (+1,700); leisure and hospitality (+1,500); and professional and business services (+800). Employment was down in government (-1,900), information (-700), other services (-400), and financial activities (-100). Goods-producing industries declined 3,000 to 1,044,600. A drop of 3,500 in manufacturing was partially offset by increases in construction (+300) and natural resources and mining (+200). Over the past 12 months, nonfarm wage and salary employment increased by 1,200 jobs. Service-providing industries were up 16,300. Leisure and hospitality rose 10,300, while educational and health services advanced 9,200. Also up were professional and business services (+6,500), financial activities (+1,100), and other services (+200). Trade, transportation and utilities fell 6,600. Smaller decreases were seen in government ( 3,300) and information ( 1,100). Goods-producing industries dropped 15,100 over the year. The decrease was mainly in manufacturing (-15,000) although natural resources and mining fell 800. Construction employment was up 700. Ohio County Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted) Among the state's 88 counties, the November 2006 unemployment rates ranged from a low of 3.3 percent in Delaware County to a high of 9.4 percent in Monroe County. Rates increased in 87 of the counties. The comparable not seasonally adjusted rate for Ohio in November was 5.1 percent. Seven counties had unemployment rates below 4.3 percent in November. The counties with the lowest rates, other than Delaware, were: Holmes and Mercer, 3.8; Geauga, 3.9; and Medina, Shelby and Warren; 4.2 percent. Nine counties had unemployment rates at or above 7.0 percent during November. The counties with the highest rates, other than Monroe, were: Pike, 8.3; Morgan, 8.0; Meigs, 7.9; Vinton, 7.8; Ottawa, 7.4; Jackson, 7.2; and Adams and Huron, 7.0 percent. For more information contact ODJFS Communications, (614) 466-6650. EDITOR'S NOTE: All data cited are produced in cooperation with the U. S. Department of Labor. Data sources include Current Population Survey (U.S. data); Current Employment Statistics Program (nonagricultural wage and salary employment data); and Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program (Ohio unemployment rates). More complete listings of the data appear in the monthly Ohio Labor Market Review. Unemployment rates for all Ohio counties as well as cities with populations of 50,000 or more are presented in the monthly ODJFS Civilian Labor Force Estimates,/i> publication. Updated statewide historical data may be obtained by contacting the Bureau of Labor Market Information at (614) 752-9494. December 2006 unemployment rates and nonagricultural wage and salary data will be released by ODJFS on Tuesday, January 23, 2007. This information and the monthly statistical summaries it is based on are also available athttp://jfs.ohio.gov/releases. http://jfs.ohio.gov/releases/unemp/200612/UnempPressRelease.asp Metro area numbers of civilian labor force and unemployment (in thousands), not seasonally adjusted, for November 2006 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Here are the November 2006 numbers for Northern Kentucky counties, not seasonally-adjusted, from Workforce Kentucky: Boone...3.8 Bracken...5.1 Campbell...4.4 Carroll...5.1 Gallatin...4.0 Grant...4.3 Kenton...4.3 Mason...4.7 Owen...4.8 Pendleton...4.7 Robertson...4.9

OCTOBER 2006 NUMBERS From the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Ohio and U.S. Employment Situation (Seasonally Adjusted) Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in October, down from 5.3 percent in September, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment remained relatively unchanged over the month, decreasing 200 from 5,456,000 in September, to 5,455,800 in October. "While Ohio's unemployment rate dropped in October, there was little change in the number of people working during the month," said ODJFS Director Barbara Riley. "Gains in employment in service-providing industries were offset by losses in construction." The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in October was 306,000, down from 316,000 in September. The number of unemployed has decreased by 38,000 in the past 12 months from 344,000. The October unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 5.8 percent in October 2005. The U.S. unemployment rate for October was 4.4 percent, down from 4.6 percent in September. Total Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment (Seasonally Adjusted) Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment totaled 5,455,800 in October, down 200 from September, according to the latest business establishment survey conducted by ODJFS. Employment among goods producers decreased 2,600 to 1,049,700. Most of the decline occurred in construction (-2,300). Small losses were noted in natural resources and mining ( 200) and manufacturing (-100). Service-providing industries advanced 2,400 in October to 4,406,100. Trade, transportation, and utilities added 2,300 jobs. Other sectors with higher employment were other services (+1,200), professional and business services (+1,100), leisure and hospitality (+400), and information (+200). Employment in government fell 2,300. Educational and health services dropped 400, while financial activities slipped 100. Over the past 12 months, nonfarm payroll employment rose 8,900. The increase occurred in service-providing industries, up 18,400. Gains were concentrated in leisure and hospitality (+9,800) and educational and health services (+9,700). Also up were professional and business services (+6,800), financial activities (+1,300), and other services (+200). Trade, transportation, and utilities declined 7,900. Government was down 1,200 and information dipped 300. Goods-producing industries were down 9,500 over the year. Employment dropped in manufacturing ( 9,000) and natural resources and mining (-1,000). Construction added 500 jobs. Ohio County Unemployment Rates (Not Seasonally Adjusted) Among the state's 88 counties, the October 2006 unemployment rates ranged from a low of 3.1 percent in Delaware County to a high of 8.4 percent in Monroe County. Rates decreased in 79 of the counties. The comparable not seasonally adjusted rate for Ohio in October was 4.7 percent. Nine counties had unemployment rates at or below 3.8 percent in October. The counties with the lowest rates, other than Delaware, were: Mercer, 3.3; Geauga and Holmes, 3.4; Auglaize, 3.7; and Medina, Shelby, Union and Warren; 3.8 percent. Ten counties had unemployment rates at or above 6.0 percent during October. The counties with the highest rates, other than Monroe, were: Meigs and Pike, 7.1; Morgan, 7.0; Jackson, 6.6; Vinton, 6.5; Perry, 6.4; Scioto, 6.3; and Adams and Crawford, 6.0 percent. For more information contact ODJFS Communications, (614) 466-6650. EDITOR'S NOTE: All data cited are produced in cooperation with the U. S. Department of Labor. Data sources include Current Population Survey (U.S. data); Current Employment Statistics Program (nonagricultural wage and salary employment data); and Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program (Ohio unemployment rates). More complete listings of the data appear in the monthly Ohio Labor Market Review. Unemployment rates for all Ohio counties as well as cities with populations of 50,000 or more are presented in the monthly ODJFS Civilian Labor Force Estimates,/i> publication. Updated statewide historical data may be obtained by contacting the Bureau of Labor Market Information at (614) 752-9494. A calendar of 2006 release dates is available at http://lmi.state.oh.us under "Labor Force, Employment & Unemployment - Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)." November unemployment rates and nonagricultural wage and salary data will be released by ODJFS on Friday, December 29, 2006. This information and the monthly statistical summaries it is based on are also available at http://jfs.ohio.gov/releases. http://jfs.ohio.gov/releases/unemp/200611/UnempPressRelease.asp Metro area numbers of civilian labor force and unemployment (in thousands), not seasonally adjusted, for October 2006 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Here are the October 2006 numbers for Northern Kentucky counties, not seasonally-adjusted, from Workforce Kentucky: Boone...3.5 Bracken...4.3 Campbell...4.1 Carroll...4.6 Gallatin...3.8 Grant...3.9 Kenton...3.9 Mason...3.9 Owen...4.3 Pendleton...4.0 Robertson...3.8

From Business First of Columbus, 1/2/06: Columbus commercial realty market seen flat for '07 Business First of Columbus - January 2, 2007 A major commercial real estate brokerage sees a tepid office market for Central Ohio in 2007, even as commercial leasing markets around the nation mount an improvement. Researchers at Grubb & Ellis Co. said Tuesday that Columbus' office market this year likely will be marked by flat vacancy and rental rates with moderate speculative construction. The firm projected asking rates for Class A space in the city's central business district will hover at $20.15 a square foot by the end of the year, down marginally from the last quarter of 2006. The hottest markets for speculative office construction will remain Easton and Polaris, the firm said. Read more at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/01/01/daily5.html?surround=lfn

From Business First of Columbus, 12/21/06: Central Ohio home sales fall 7% in November Business First of Columbus - December 21, 2006 Central Ohio saw a 7 percent drop in the number of houses sold in November, compared with a year ago. The Columbus Board of Realtors said Thursday that 1,763 residences were sold in the region last month, down from 1,899 sold in November 2005. The average sales price slipped 3 percent to $167,371, from $172,586 last year, with houses spending an average of 104 days on the market, compared with 86 days last year. The total number of homes listed for sale in the area was up 15.4 percent from this time last year at 16,501, but the 2,899 new listings added during the month was down 13.9 percent from November 2005. Year-to-date home sales are off 4.2 percent to 24,498, from 25,561 residences sold in 2005. Inventory grew 3.2 percent with 49,119 new listings, from 47,615 houses added in the same period last year. The Columbus Board of Realtors monitors sales in all of Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Madison, Morrow and Union counties, and portions of Licking, Pickaway, Fairfield, Champaign, Clark, Knox, Logan and Marion counties. Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/12/18/daily31.html

From Business First of Columbus, 11/27/06: Housing construction continues slide Business First of Columbus - November 27, 2006 Residential construction contracts dropped 60 percent in the Columbus area in October, while contracts for nonresidential construction fell 10 percent compared with a year earlier, according to a report from McGraw-Hill Construction. Residential contracts last month dropped to $102.5 million, from $251.9 million in October 2005. Nonresidential contracts totaled $153.7 million, compared with $169.9 million a year ago. Nonresidential contracts this year - driven by big gains in the spring - are running 27.2 percent ahead of 2005, while contracts for housing have fallen 20.9 percent. McGraw-Hill's research and analytics unit compiles monthly reports on construction contracts using data from Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Pickaway and Union counties. Nonresidential buildings include those for commercial, manufacturing, educational, religious and hotel uses. Residential buildings include one- and two-family houses and apartments Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/11/27/daily4.html?surround=lfn

From the 11/24/06 Dispatch: Central Ohio a buyer’s market Prices slip as housing inventory rises, experts say Friday, November 24, 2006 Mike Pramik THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH A year ago, the central Ohio real-estate industry was buzzing about record inventories creating a buyer’s market for single-family homes. That buzz was nothing more than a prelude. Residential property listings this year were up 14.6 percent through October compared with the same period a year ago, as the number and price of homes sold have dropped. Home buyers looking for a bargain in October got to choose from 17,746 properties on the Columbus Multiple Listing Service. This year, 22,672 houses have been sold, 3.7 percent fewer than through the first 10 months of 2005. Chris Reese, president of the Columbus Board of Realtors, said inventory levels year over year were running 30 percent higher in the summer. So from that perspective, 14.6 percent doesn’t seem too bad. "We are having a major correction," she said. "We’ve just had year after year of record sales, and just like the stock market after a time, it’s a housing correction. When you compare us to other states and cities, I see us not being as nearly off as they are." Full story at http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/11/24/20061124-G1-03.html

UPDATE East Walnut Hills: New retail NE corner of McMillan and Victory City Council approved the rezoning of 1202 and 1216 E McMillan, as well as 2516 Victory Pw, to CC-M Commercial Community-Mixed. This decision will allow for the redevelopment of these properties, most likely as a strip mall involving a Skyline Chili. A final development plan, which is in the works, should come before the City Planning Commission within the next few months. LAST UPDATE (11/27/06) Round-up: City of Cincinnati EVANSTON 1734 Dexter Ave is currently undergoing a rehab that will basically involve the entire single-family. This was once a very nice house, but it has been neglected by the last few owners. HARTWELL 8089 Woodbine Ave has been renovated and looks so much better. MT AUBURN The Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency is currently seeking bids for the rehab of 2265 Loth St. This is a single-family home built around 1880. Bids are being accepted until January 22, 2007. SEDAMSVILLE The delapidated building at 644 Steiner Ave has been brought up to code and is inhabited. SOUTH FAIRMOUNT 1648 Lionel Ave was demolished. I have no idea why. This home was built in the 1860s. Round-up: Metro CRITTENDEN Public to get look at CMZ expansion Grant County News, 1/3/06 Crittenden-Mount Zion Elementary will host a dedication, ribbon cutting and open house on Jan. 7 to celebrate its recent renovation. Festivities will begin at 2 p.m. with a dedication program in the CMZ cafeteria, followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony in the new entryway. Tours and refreshments will be available until 4 p.m. The public is invited to attend. The CMZ renovation project includes eight additional classrooms, a new cafeteria and kitchen, a new front office suite and expanded seating in the gym. There is also a new entryway with awnings to provide shelter for bus transfer students, as well as separate bus and car parking to allow for expanded staff and visitor parking and safer bus loading. CMZ is located on Crittenden-Mount Zion Road, a half mile off U.S. 25. ERLANGER New high school on agenda Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/1/06 A vote from the Erlanger-Elsmere School Board next month will determine if the first phase of the district's new high school construction project will begin in 2007. The board is expected to vote on whether to submit a project application for funding approval to the Kentucky Department of Education for phase one of the proposed four-phased project that will rebuild Lloyd Memorial High School. The first phase of the project, which is expected to cost about $5.5 million, will go in front of the existing school, which was built in 1954, and connected to the old building so students can access it until the other three phases are completed. Under the current plan, the new area will house the main office, two science labs, five science classrooms and five special education classrooms. "The board already approved the architect for the project and we've been seeking input from Lloyd's staff to come up with more definite plans," said Superintendent Mike Sander. "Once the board approves submitting the application and we receive the state's approval, we can put the project out to bid." If all goes according to plan, Sander estimates the district could break ground on the first phase of the project as early as May. FAIRFIELD Fairfield board delays action on surveys Hamilton JournalNews, 1/6/07 Before the Fairfield Board of Education hired a firm to gather public input on future school facilities decisions, members decided they had better first collect their own thoughts. The Santa Rita Collaborative and the FLAGG group presented proposals to the board on the process they would use to get the community involved. Their services would cost $20,000 to $30,000, and neither group could guarantee public participation. "It is a risky business trying to involve a community of this size," Superintendent Robert Farrell said, cautioning the board to think about how members could best get a representative sample of opinions. Board member Arnold Engel said he wanted the board to think about the end goal of the surveys, and if it was to fund a levy, he said that is against the law. The board agreed, saying there is no levy on the ballot, and they merely want to assess community needs and wishes. FORT THOMAS Fort Thomas wants to beef up museum Fort Thomas Recorder, 1/2/06 Fort Thomas Renaissance Manager Debbie Buckley is looking for volunteers and artifacts for a new museum dedicated to the history of the city. "Most people don't know that there is a museum at the Armory but it's kept under lock and key and not available to the public because of vandalism problems in the past," Buckley said. "I'd like the artifacts inside to be brought out and showcased in a new museum open to the public." Buckley said that a city rich in military history should have its own museum. "Fort Thomas was originally built as a fort to protect this area," she said. "My grandfather also came here to sign up and be trained for WW I" Buckley said she is hoping to find a new location for the museum in the Midway District, as well as artifacts from local residents and museum volunteers. HILLSBORO Future Plans for HHS/HMS Hillsboro Times-Gazette, 1/4/06 The image provided by the Quandel Group Inc. shows an aerial view of where various facilities at the new Hillsboro High School and Hillsboro Middle School will be located. The front of the facility will face the south. Hillsboro School Board President Laura Bagshaw said last month that it would have cost more than $500,000 in additional expense to have the facility face U.S. Route 62. Currently, excavation site preparation work is taking place. Actual construction is expected to begin in April of this year. When complete, the school buildings will contain 211,620 square feet and will have a capacity of 1,319 students. INDEPENDENCE Fire District hopes for new station by fall 2007 Kenton Community Recorder, 1/2/06 The Independence Fire District plans to break ground in early spring to replace the Fire Station #2 building located on Cox Road. The Fire District recently removed the current facility, and has already sent out bids to begin looking at the new one. The new building will be almost identical to Fire Station #3 on Richardson Road, which was opened in April 2006. "It was just a matter of upgrading the facility," explained Chief Richard Messingschlager. "The old building was built in the early 1970s, and it wouldn't have been cost feasible to try to modify or add onto the existing structure. The new building will have the living quarters we need, and we're anxious to get this going." Messingschlager said he hopes to break ground in March, and the facility should be completed by late fall. The blueprints will be the same as Fire Station #3, only reversed, with the fire bays on the left side and the living quarters on the right side. The new facility will be just over 5,000 square feet. The cost for the Fire Station #3 project was approximately $1.1 million, and Messingschlager said he expects this project to cost a similar amount. INDIAN HILL Kurlemann is building a new custom home at 8175 South Clippinger Rd. The asking price is $1.849 million. This is the site of a teardown--a $600,000, 2600+ SF ranch built in 1955. LOVELAND Tax increase expected to pay for new pool Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/7/07 Loveland residents have expected they'll be asked in May to vote for a tax increase to pay for a pool, but officials plan to vote Tuesday on the kind of increase - a 20 percent increase in the city's income tax. The increase, if passed, would raise the income tax rate from 1 percent to 1.2 percent and generate $612,000 more in 2008. The city's 1 percent credit to residents who pay income taxes in other cities where they work also will increase to 1.2 percent. Other options on the table included a property tax increase and reducing the credit, but staff and members of the finance committee recommended the income tax increase to allow non-residents who work in the city to pay some of the extra money and to protect Loveland's sizable number of older residents on fixed incomes, City Manager Tom Carroll said. "When we're looking for additional revenue," he said, "we don't want to keep going back to property taxes." A sampling of city income tax payments found that about 45 percent of Loveland's taxpaying residents get a credit because they pay income taxes to another jurisdiction. Eighty percent of those people already pay more than 1.2 percent to another jurisdiction. That's the case, for example, for any Loveland residents working in Cincinnati, where the income tax is 2.1 percent. Those residents would not see an increase; they pay no income tax to Loveland now. MADEIRA 7330 Iuka Ave has been remodeled and updated. MONTGOMERY Robert Lucke Homes is doing a teardown project at 8200 Margaret Ln. The sale price is $689,000. NEWPORT Campbell County expanding its jail Kentucky Post, 1/2/06 While Kenton County tries to weather a storm of opposition to its planned jail in Independence, Campbell County continues to expand its jail in Newport with little fanfare. Campbell is in the process of expanding the Campbell County Detention Center on Central Avenue from 135 to 256 beds. That portion of the renovation is scheduled for completion by June 1. When the renovation is complete, jail staff will begin using direct supervision to monitor the inmates, which county officials say is more efficient. Under that arrangement, inmates will be housed in one of four, 64-bed dormitories with a deputy overseeing the entire room. In the past, inmates were housed in individual cells that deputies had to individually check on a periodic basis. In the dormitory setting of direct supervision, most meals and medical treatments are brought directly to the dormitory. With teleconferencing capabilities, inmates will not even have to leave the dormitory for visitation, said Campbell County Administrator Robert Horine. NORTH COLLEGE HILL 6832 Bake Ave has been rehabbed for resale. SYCAMORE TWP Refusal could cost Sycamore Twp. taxpayers $1.7 million Northeast Suburban Life, 1/5/06 Very rarely does a zoning change case come before the Sycamore Township Trustees with such a steep price as $1.7 million, but that's the circumstances surrounding the property at 6840 Kugler Mill Road. A public hearing was held Jan. 4 to hear the case for and against changing the zoning at the property on the corner of Kugler Mill and Montgomery roads from single family residential to planned office. The hearing is required by law since it involves a zone change, though no vote was taken during the township trustees' regular hearing later that evening. The zone change itself is part of a settlement from a lawsuit filed by Ohio Valley Sports Medicine in 2004 claiming monetary damages from Sycamore after the township denied Ohio Valley's application to tear down three homes on Kugler Mill in 2002 to build an 18,000-square-foot building. After Sycamore denied the request, Ohio Valley took the township to the Court of Common Pleas for an appeal. SYCAMORE TWP (Kenwood) Township beautifying area near Kenwood Mall Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/7/06 Those aren't sidewalks being paved in the green space at the intersection of Montgomery Road and Interstate 71 beside the Kenwood Mall. Sycamore Township has started a $225,000 "landscape enhancement project" using Tax Increment Financing funds for Montgomery Road, said Sycamore Township Planning and Zoning Administrator Greg Bickford. The project should finish up this spring and includes a winding, stamped concrete paver band, which lays flat on the ground like a sidewalk but will give the illusion of a wall, Bickford said. Trees, shrubs and other greenery will be planted in the next few months. SYMMES TWP East Kemper widening starting soon Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/7/07 Construction should start in a few weeks on a portion of East Kemper Road that will be widened and improved. Hamilton County Commissioners last week approved a nearly $2.6 million contract with CJ & L Construction of Sharonville for the work between Loveland-Madeira and McKinney roads in Symmes Township. The road will be widened from 9-foot-wide lanes to 11 or 12 feet so shoulders can be added and drainage improved. The project is expected to take at least a year.

From the 12/7/06 PD: Scenes from a mall A glimmer of hope at Randall Park Thursday, December 07, 2006 Joanna Connors Plain Dealer Reporter Randall Park Mall may be on the endangered list at the Web site deadmalls.com, but it is not dead. Reports of its demise have not been all that exaggerated, but they're not quite true, either. People talk about Randall Park the way you might talk about minor TV actors of the 1970s. First: "Remember that guy from 'Rockford Files'? You know - that guy. What was his name?" Then: "I heard he died, like, a few years ago." http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living/1165496191300000.xml&coll=2

Housing aimed at Deaf School building Business First of Columbus - by Brian R. Ball Friday, January 5, 2007 A Philadelphia urban housing developer has tentatively won a three-way race to redevelop the former Ohio Deaf School building in downtown Columbus into housing. Campus Apartments Inc., which is redeveloping the former Seneca hotel building at East Broad Street and South Grant Avenue, would pay the city $2.25 million to turn the late-19th century school property at 400 E. Town Street into 71 rental units. Campus Apartments CEO David Adelman expects to spend $13 million on the Deaf School project, which would open in the 2008. The project would mark the next development phase for Campus Apartments in Columbus, where it has the 80-apartment Seneca project under way. Full article: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/01/08/story1.html

From the 12/23/06 PD: Crime foes are repeat victims Burglars plague safety advocates Saturday, December 23, 2006 Diane Suchetka Plain Dealer Reporter The offices of the Partnership for a Safer Cleveland were broken into Thursday night, for the second time in three months. Don't expect that to send the nonprofit organization - dedicated to making Cleveland a safer place - packing. ... To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: [email protected], 216-999-4987 http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1166867440220980.xml&coll=2

From the 12/10/06 PD: Police review panel wants union leader disciplined Sunday, December 10, 2006 Donna J. Miller Plain Dealer Reporter Cleveland's Police Review Board has recommended that the president of the police union be disciplined for angrily confronting and ousting a community activist from a public ceremony. Steve Loomis, leader of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, ousted Art McKoy Sept. 2 from a vigil in honor of slain Detective A.J. Schroeder. At the vigil, Loomis told McKoy, a vocal critic of police officers' use of deadly force, that he did not belong at the solemn gathering. ... http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1165743657319330.xml&coll=2

From the 1/3/06 Enquirer: New subdivision vetoed Commissioners kill 'unchanged' plan BY BRENNA R. KELLY | [email protected] BURLINGTON - Instead of letting a proposed subdivision die a slow death, Boone Fiscal Court killed it Tuesday. For the second time in less than a year, One Eleven engineers watched Fiscal Court shoot down their plan to build homes on 50 acres just west of Burlington. Read more here: http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070103/NEWS0103/701030379 From the 12/26/06 Enquirer: Design students think big for arboretum BY BRENNA R. KELLY | [email protected] What is now the Boone County Arboretum could someday be a regional attraction of more than 230 acres with mountain bike trails, a spa, lakes or an observatory. It would have a new name to reflect the regional appeal. Maybe the Ohio Valley Arboretum, Northern Kentucky Arboretum or Northern Kentucky Heritage Garden. Read more here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061226/NEWS0102/612260323/1058/NEWS01 From the 12/24/06 Enquirer: 60-70 HOMES WILL BE BUILT IN HUNTER'S RIDGE BURLINGTON - Sixty to 70 homes are expected to be built by late 2007 at new subdivision that will eventually include up to 700 homes. The subdivision, to be known as Hunter's Ridge, is being developed and built just off Kentucky 18 by Edgewood-based Arlinghaus Builders. Read more here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061224/BIZ01/612240357/1001/BIZ