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From the 6/15/07 Sandusky Register: One train down, one to go Friday June 15 2007, 4:01pm SANDUSKY Cedar Point's Magnum XL-200 is almost fully loaded. The roller coaster was shut down and two trains removed last month after a train loaded with people bumped into the back of another train sitting on the tracks outside the loading station. Three people were slightly injured from the incident. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/06/15/front/312301.txt

From the 6/12/07 Sandusky Register: CoasterMania revisits Cedar Point By JANET NGUYEN | Tuesday June 12 2007, 6:43am SANDUSKY Some people knit. Others play golf. The groups traveling to Cedar Point on Friday make roller coasters their life-long hobbies. More than 1,200 coaster enthusiasts across the United States will participate in the park's 19th annual CoasterMania event, where certain rides will open exclusively for them. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/06/12/local_news/308819.txt

From the 6/1/07 Blade: Coaster fans bullish on Cedar Point's Maverick High-speed twists and turns make one weightless, wild ride By ERIKA RAY BLADE STAFF WRITER SANDUSKY - While standing in line to board Maverick at Cedar Point, the best place to be is at the front of the line to hop on the very back of a train. This decisive conclusion was based on more than an hour of important, hands-on research that I conducted at the amusement park early - and I mean early - yesterday morning. http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070601/NEWS17/706010341/-1/RSS08

From the 5/30/07 Sandusky Register: CP not sure when Magnum will get all three trains back on track By JANET NGUYEN | Wednesday May 30 2007, 8:38am SANDUSKY Cedar Point officials are not sure when Magnum XL 200 will get a full load again. "We're going to operate with one train while the other two are inspected," said park spokesman Tony Clark. "Once our inspections are complete, they will return to service." The roller coaster was shut down Saturday after a train loaded with people bumped into the back of another train sitting on the tracks outside the loading station. Two people were treated in the park's first aid station and later released. Another person was sent to Firelands Regional Medical Center for asthma-related problems and later released. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/05/30/front/295363.txt

From the 5/28/07 Sandusky Register: Rain blamed for Magnum malfunction By CHAUNCEY ALCORN | Monday May 28 2007, 6:08am SANDUSKY Cedar Point personnel reopened the Magnum XL 200 just after 11 a.m. Sunday morning, nearly 24 hours after it was closed due to malfunction. One of the coaster's trains collided with another Saturday morning, causing minor damage to both trains and minor injuries to at least three passengers. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/05/28/front/293269.txt

From the 5/27/07 Sandusky Register: Magnum to stay shut down, for now By JACOB LAMMERS | Saturday May 26 2007, 1:35pm SANDUSKY Cedar Point's Magnum XL-200 is closed, pending further investigation of an accident Saturday that left three riders in need of minor medical attention, said park spokesman Robin Innes. Magnum was shut down around 11 a.m. Saturday after a train loaded with people bumped into another train full of people. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/05/27/front/292611.txt

From the 5/27/07 Sandusky Register: PHOTO: Maverick riders scream and cheer as they are shot around a turn while riding the coaster for the first time Saturday morning. Cedar Point opened the ride to the public, prompting hundreds of coaster enthusiasts to stand in the rain for up to 2 1/2 hours to be among the first to ride. Register photo/LUKE WARK Maverick thrills on debut day By JACOB LAMMERS | Saturday May 26 2007, 1:35pm SANDUSKY The Maverick galloped down the track for its inaugural ride Saturday. Roller coaster enthusiasts were not far behind as they showed up in the thousands to ride Cedar Point's newest attraction. Brian Steinriede, 18, of Cincinnati, showed up early to be one of the first to ride the $21 million coaster. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/05/27/front/292613.txt

From the 5/25/07 Sandusky Register: Giddy up! Maverick will debut Saturday Friday May 25 2007, 1:17pm SANDUSKY Cedar Point's newest roller coaster will make its debut Saturday. The first 3,000 riders will receive a free Maverick T-shirt. The much-anticipated ride was originally scheduled to open May 12 -- the day the park opened for the season -- but was delayed after tests revealed the ride's trains received an excessive amount of stress on three sections of the track. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/05/25/front/290068.txt

Both from the 5/23/07 Sandusky Register: Parts arrive for Cedar Point's Maverick By JANET NGUYEN | Wednesday May 23 2007, 8:52am SANDUSKY Cedar Point's newest coaster is on track to open in June, but only guests 52 inches or taller will be able to ride. After recent tests IntaRide, the coaster's manufacturer, upeed the height requirement from 48 inches. The ride's planned May 12 debut was delayed after tests revealed the ride's trains received an excessive amount of stress on three sections of the track. Replacement tracks were delivered to Cedar Point early Tuesday morning and installation began soon after. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/05/23/front/288306.txt No more beach-only passes at point By JANET NGUYEN | Wednesday May 23 2007, 7:54am SANDUSKY Cedar Point has eliminated its season parking pass car decals, allowing only season ticket holders to purchase season parking passes. Cedar Point season pass holders who purchase season parking passes get the letter "p" imprinted on their passes. Guests who purchase the all-Ohio season parking passes, which include Cedar Point, Geauga Lake and Kings Island, will get the letters "op" imprinted on their passes. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/articles/2007/05/23/local_news/288348.txt

From the 6/25/07 Tiffin Advertiser-Tribune: Commissioners’ courthouse ideas coming By Zachary Petit, [email protected] Today could be the day the sun either rises or sets further on the fate of the Seneca County Courthouse. Continuing with their efforts to address the vacant building and a projected lack of government operating space in the future, the Seneca County commissioners are slated to reveal the rest of their individual ideas for what they believe should happen to the structure — be it razing or saving — at their 10 a.m. meeting today. http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/articles.asp?articleID=8894

From the 6/25/07 Dayton Business Journal: Rare $38M project planned for Miami County Dayton Business Journal - June 22, 2007 by Yvonne Teems DBJ Staff Reporter A landowner is rolling out plans for a $38 million housing development, the first new home project to emerge in rural Miami County in a decade. John Updike is working on rezoning 106 acres of land in Concord Township, three miles south of Troy, to residential housing. Updike, a computer programmer by trade, is unsure whether he will sell the land or develop it himself. He is planning for 108 homes ranging in size from 2,000 square feet to 2,500 square feet and priced from $300,000 and $400,000. Construction could start as early as next year. The plans come at a contentious time for residential housing in Miami County. On one side of the issue are Troy citizens, who oppose some developments because they say there is enough housing stock in the area. On the other side are developers and industry experts, who say the housing stock is not overflowing and is lacking in variety. MORE: http://dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2007/06/25/story5.html

Rezoning allows Clifton Heights rehab to proceed Building Cincinnati, 6/22/07 315 Warner St City Council unanimously passed an ordinance allowing Kerry Ryan to rehab a three-family building at the corner of Warner and Victor streets. The ordinance changed the zoning on the site from SF-2 Single Family to RMX Residential Mix. Because the building had been vacant since the property was rezoned in 2004, it could not be rehabilitated and used as a multi-family. Some neighbors objected to the rezoning due to a lack of adequate parking and an abundance of multi-family housing in the area. The CUF Neighborhood Association also expressed concerns over the "spot" zoning, how the practice could have negative future effects on the neighborhood, and how they felt shut out of the process. The building has been vacant for four years and would likely have been torn down if the rezoning did not occur. Ryan took his argument for the rehab directly to the Economic Development Committee (EDC). In a letter dated April 7, 2007, he wrote: If these properties remain “SF-2” single family zoning, we fear they will be abandoned again because no one will want to rent or purchase a single family building of this size and configuration. Now that the zoning has been changed, Ryan has entered the permitting process. The top two units had already been rehabbed without a permit, and they have been approved for reoccupancy. First floor permits have not yet been received. NOTE: The Cincinnati Beacon published an article that includes a couple of photos of the interior: The Cincinnati Beacon: The Matrix of Cincinnati Zoning Codes: Kerry Ryan’s Renovated House Meets Resistance from CHIA http://buildingcincinnati.blogspot.com/2007/06/rezoning-allows-clifton-heights-rehab.html Walnut Hills Preservation seeks tax credits for senior housing Building Cincinnati, 6/22/07 Walnut Hills Redevelopment (WHR) has applied for federal tax credits to rehabilitate the Walnut Hills Apartments. The federal tax credits, which are distributed in Ohio through the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA), are awarded each year for 10 years. The housing credit can be deducted from the owner's (in this case OTRCH) federal taxable income. WHR plans to use the funds to rehab 197 low-income units at the complex at 849 Beecher Street. The total project cost is $3.8 million. On June 6, City Council passed a resolution supporting the application. The OHFA is scheduled to announce the accepted applicants on August 1. WINDOWS LIVE BIRD'S EYE VIEW (looking south) GOOGLE AERIAL MAP http://buildingcincinnati.blogspot.com/2007/06/walnut-hills-preservation-seeks-tax.html Retirement home gets OK to build driveway Cincinnati Enquirer, 6/25/07 The Twin Lakes of Montgomery retirement community has won the right to build a driveway from Montgomery Road back to its planned development of six duplex houses and a single-family home. Some Montgomery residents opposed locating the driveway across the street from Forestglen Avenue. They said creating a four-way intersection there would create traffic safety problems. But City Council recently approved an easement for the construction of the driveway. Mayor Gerri Harbison said traffic studies indicate the four-way intersection will pose no dangers to traffic. "Based on the information given to us by the professionals, that location is the safest access in and out of the development," she said. Susan Crittendon, an opponent of the driveway, said she was disappointed by the council's decision.

From the 6/25/07 Blade: PHOTO: Carmen Ramirez says Central Catholic's efforts to buy homes in her neighborhood have driven down property values. ( THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON ) GRAPHIC: High school expansion Central Catholic's expansion plan upsets property owners Firm trying to buy up land for athletic fields By TOM TROY BLADE STAFF WRITER Central Catholic High School's effort to expand its campus with two new practice fields is generating friction with the property owners who are being asked to move out. Carmen Ramirez, 72, of 129 East Delaware Ave. and George Blevins, 44, of 132 Palmer St. say the school's effort to acquire homes in their neighborhood has driven down their property values. The company in charge of land acquisition for the school sees the complaints as a negotiating tactic. Mr. Blevins says he is furious about Central's encroachment into the neighborhood and its designs on the house he has owned since 1995. He says he puts up with noise, construction, and litter from the football stadium that went up across his street in 1998. Now he looks at the rear of large new spectator stands that back up to Walnut Street and are the newest addition to the high school's athletic complex. More at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070625/NEWS16/706250332/-1/RSS10

From Business First of Columbus, 6/25/07: PHOTO: Huntington Park’s luxury suites will not be air conditioned, so patrons will have to get used to the weather. Courtesy 360 Architecture Backers go 'green' with park design Business First of Columbus - June 22, 2007 by Jeff Bell Business First A suit and tie may not be the right apparel for business people planning to wine and dine clients at Columbus' new minor league baseball park. A golf shirt and Bermuda shorts will be the cooler way to go considering the 32 suites at Huntington Park won't be air conditioned. They instead will have ceiling fans and overhead doors that can be rolled up to allow breezes to flow through them. It's part of a plan to create a ballpark that will be environmentally friendly to build and operate, planners said June 18 when they revealed the design for Huntington Park. One of the project's leaders, Nationwide Realty Investors President Brian Ellis, thinks fans as well as corporate execs will buy into the design. "We want it to be an open, casual and informal place to be," he said. "It will be summertime in Columbus, and people want to be outside." Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/06/25/story5.html

From the 6/25/07 DDN: Struggling districts on fast track for state construction funding By Scott Elliott and Christopher Magan Staff Writers Monday, June 25, 2007 JEFFERSON TWP., Montgomery County — A plan to fast track school construction funding through the Ohio School Facilities Commission could bring a great opportunity for the financially struggling Jefferson Twp. Local School District. Plagued by declining enrollment and aging buildings, the district has spent three years trying to climb out of a "fiscal watch" designation from the state. "We haven't built a new building since 1962," said Treasurer David Robinson. "It would afford us better academic facilities to serve our students better." http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/06/25/ddn062507skulbuildinside.html

From the 6/25/07 Newark Advocate: Pataskala decides to seek other partnership after vote Non-unanimous vote by Etna trustees could cost township ProLogis tax revenue By CHAD KLIMACK Advocate Reporter ETNA TOWNSHIP -- Etna Township might lose millions of dollars in tax revenues after a recent vote. The township trustees voted 2-1 during a special meeting Tuesday to informally express support for the efforts of ProLogis, which is seeking separate 15-year, 100 percent tax abatements for proposed developments on U.S. 40 in the township and near Mink Road in Pataskala. Etna Township Trustee Gary Burkholder cast the dissenting vote against the motion, which centered on the township site. http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070625/NEWS01/706250304/1002/rss01

From Business First of Columbus, 6/25/07: Modular housing builder steps into Lithopolis with big development Business First of Columbus - June 22, 2007 by Kevin Kemper Business First One of the region's first modular home developments is under construction in Lithopolis, and the builder has already attracted a franchisee six weeks after breaking ground in the village. Domus Veram LLC, which builds houses designed and manufactured in a factory, in mid-May started the Grottos of Lithopolis, a 75-acre subdivision off Lithopolis Winchester Road southeast of Columbus. The 39 houses planned for the project will range in size from 3,000 to 7,000 square feet, on lot sizes from 1.7 to 3 acres. They will cost $500,000 to $825,000. Full story at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/06/25/story10.html

From the 6/25/07 Enquirer: Council revives Safe, Clean Fund BY JANE PRENDERGAST | [email protected] A fund once popular with Cincinnati neighborhood activists is back. The city's first Safe and Clean Fund, conceived by then-Councilman David Pepper, began in 2003 with $1 million. It paid for things such as surveillance cameras on street corners identified by residents as havens for drugs and crime. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070625/NEWS01/706250325/

Arts events rally to keep YP's BY PAMELA FISHER | [email protected] This weekend it was the Contemporary Arts Center. Next month it will be the Cincinnati Opera. A group of 70 twenty and thirtysomethings - all members of Greater Cincinnati's coveted "creative class" - gathered for brunch and a tour of the Contemporary Arts Center as part of Arts Allies, a program launched by the mayor's office to help keep young professionals in town by connecting them to the culture scene. Mayor Mark Mallory says engaging the creative class is crucial to the city's economic development. "There's a need to highlight the arts and their power to transform neighborhoods and economies," Mallory has said.Several of those networking at Saturday's event agree. "A strong urban core is essential to the success of our region," said economic development specialist Candace Klein, 26. She is president of the mayor's Kitchen Cabinet, a group of 100 young professionals advising the mayor on YP retention. Read full article here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070625/NEWS01/706250324/

From the 6/25/07 Enquirer: PHOTO: Bill and Patti Skvarla in their new wine cave. MICHAEL E. KEATING / THE ENQUIRER PHOTO: Bill and Patti Skvarla grow 3½ acres of grape vines and more than 60 acres of blueberries, beans and peach trees at Harmony Hill in Bethel, Clermont County. The wine cave, made from arches used in highway underpasses, is one of four of its kind in the United States. MICHAEL E. KEATING / THE ENQUIRER A vintage cave Harmony Hill Vineyards brings Southern Ohio into the age of the wine cave BY JIM KNIPPENBERG | [email protected] Here's the beauty of Harmony Hill Vineyards: It makes reality go away. Sitting on a patio on a ridge just high enough for a breeze, surrounded by 3½ acres of grape vines and 60-some acres of blueberries, beans and peach trees while sipping an award-winning wine, it's easy to think you're far, far away. But you're in Bethel, Clermont County, 35 miles east of Cincinnati. The husband and wife Skvarla team - Bill, a 54-year-old ER nurse, and Patti, a 53-year-old nurse anesthetist - operate Harmony Hill, site of a wine cave that opened Memorial Day weekend. It's one of four of its kind in the U.S. and the only one east of Oregon and west of Virginia. ... More at: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070625/LIFE/706250305/

Link contains a photo. From UT News, 6/25/07: Board approves budget, recognizes outgoing members By Matt Lockwood Jun 25, 2007, 06:06 The University of Toledo Board of Trustees approved a growth budget for the 2007-08 academic year on June 18 that has no increase in tuition for the first time in eight years, and allows the institution to begin implementation of its new strategic plan. The budget, presented by Dan Morissette, senior vice president for finance and strategy, projects $731 million in revenue and $723 million in expenses. The vast majority of UT’s revenue is expected to come from tuition and state funding, accounting for $345 million of income, and patient care, which is expected to generate $240 million. Salaries and benefits totaling $385 million are expected to account for more than half of the institution’s expenses. More at http://utnews.utoledo.edu/publish/article_3726.shtml

Here are the May 2007 numbers for Northern Kentucky counties, not seasonally-adjusted, from Workforce Kentucky: Boone...4.3 Bracken...5.0 Campbell...4.7 Carroll...5.1 Gallatin...4.6 Grant...5.2 Kenton...4.6 Mason...4.4 Owen...4.9 Pendleton...5.2 Robertson...5.0

From the 6/25/07 Dispatch: Foreclosure-prevention advice Homeowners at wit's end turn to hot line Monday, June 25, 2007 3:23 AM By Barbara Carmen THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Many Ohioans who face losing their homes have a problem far more basic than having fallen behind on a few -- or a dozen -- mortgage payments. They're baffled and bewildered. Of 7,000 Ohio homeowners who dialed a foreclosure-prevention hot line in its first year, 44 percent had a fixed-rate loan and 40 percent reported having an adjustable-rate loan. ... More at: http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/06/25/SAVEHOME.ART_ART_06-25-07_A1_4C73ULB.html?type=rss&cat=21

From the 6/25/07 Dayton Business Journal: Delphi to keep one local plant Dayton Business Journal - 12:12 PM EDT Monday, June 25, 2007 The Needmore Road Delphi Corp. plant will remain open, according to Delphi contract documents posted online by a Delphi worker. The plant would be operated by General Motors Corp. or a third party, according to the documents. Delphi (OTC: DPHIQ) officials, as well as Joe Buckley, president of United Auto Workers Local 696, could not be immediately reached for comment. Local 696 represents about 800 workers at the Needmore Road plant. The local is holding three meetings Monday and will vote on the contract Thursday, a union staff member said. ... E-mail [email protected]. Call 528-4400. http://dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2007/06/25/daily2.html?surround=lfn

From the 6/25/07 Wapakoneta Daily News: Lima ethanol plant ready for fall harvest By ANNIE LINDER Staff Writer Auglaize County corn producers could have an alternative location to market their crop in time for the next harvest, a business manager says. Construction on the ethanol plant, located on Hanthorne Road in Lima, is expected to be completed by September, with production testing projected to be finished by November, said Mike Newland, business development manager for Greater Ohio Ethanol in Lima. http://www.wapakdailynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7046&Itemid=27