ottawa, ohio

 

population: 4,367. the seat of putnam county.

named after the native tribe that was sent to kansas with the treaty of greenville.

 

courthouse

Nice job.

 

Its hard to believe there is a more Catholic county than Mercer county, but I believe Putnam county is (although each area's initial Catholic "settlement" was founded by the same German Precious Blood priest)

Not a bad looking town.

From 3/16/05 Toledo Blade:

 

Deal reached for Philips plant in Ottawa

 

OTTAWA, Ohio - A Virginia investment firm said yesterday it has a tentative deal to buy the 1.2 million-square-foot plant and 60 acres of land vacated by LG Philips Displays, which displaced 1,200 jobs in Putnam County when it closed in late 2002. 

 

Collison "Chip" Royer, a lawyer and spokesman for Pilot Fish LLC in Charlottesville, Va., said the firm entered into a 90-day pact with LG Philips USA Inc. March 2 to explore the possibilities of subdividing the complex for warehouse, industrial, or commercial-park uses.

 

Putnam County, with only about 35,000 residents, was hard hit by the closing of the Philips plant, its largest employer, which made TV picture tubes.

 

MORE: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050316/BUSINESS06/503160338

From the 9/23/05 Toledo Blade:

 

Hit hard by Philips plant loss, Putnam County picks up jobs

By JULIE M. McKINNON

BLADE BUSINESS WRITER

 

Nearly three years after LG Philips Displays shuttered its television picture-tube factory in Ottawa, leaving about 1,200 people without jobs, Putnam County's unemployment rate is among the lowest statewide and the number of employed residents is inching back up.  Some expected the county's unemployment rate, which was 4.5 percent last month, would be in the double digits after Philips closed, one local official said.  The highest the rate has been since the closure was 8.8 percent in January, 2004.

 

But manufacturers such as the Iams Co. factory in Leipsic have added jobs, and L.P. Investment Co. LLC is in the midst of hiring 150 people for an auto parts plant opening this fall in Columbus Grove, said Martin Kuhlman, director of the Putnam County Community Improvement Corp.

 

Philips, meanwhile, is accepting sealed bids until Oct. 5 for its vacant 1.2-million-square-foot factory in Ottawa and is confident a buyer will emerge to rejuvenate the property and jobs, said Pat Canavan, president.  No bids have come in.  Pilot Fish LLC of Charlottesville, Va., had a tentative deal this year to buy the facility and 60 acres and had considered subdividing it for warehouse, industrial, or commercial-park uses.  That company withdrew its consideration in May, a spokesman said.

 

Contact Julie M. McKinnon at:

[email protected] or 419-724-6087.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050923/BUSINESS06/509230346/-1/BUSINESS

Good news!  A buyer!  From the 10/13/05 Toledo Blade:

 

 

Dallas investment group buys LG Philips plant

 

OTTAWA, Ohio - A Dallas investment group is the new owner of the 1.1 million-square-foot LG Philips Display plant, which has been shuttered since late 2002 when the company moved production to Mexico.

 

DBI Partners LLC was the highest bidder for the vacant building and 62 acres and it plans to divide the facility into three or four components rather than try to market it as one big facility.

 

Philips began operating the Ottawa facility in 1981, after buying it from GTE Sylvania.  More than 1,500 jobs were lost at the 700 North Pratt St. site when it closed in 2002.

 

MORE: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051013/BUSINESS06/510130440/-1/BUSINESS

 

From the 10/13/05 Findlay Courier:

 

Factory buyers hope to 'bring back jobs

By MIKE SOBCZYK

Staff Writer

 

OTTAWA -- The sprawling LG. Philips Display plant in Ottawa, now under the control of a Dallas-based investment group, likely will wind up being a multi-tenant property for various uses.  That's the feeling of Virgil Wallis, manager of DBI Partners LLC. DBI Partners on Tuesday closed a deal to purchase the former picture tube manufacturing plant.  "Our intent is to make the necessary improvements, reconfigure the space, and bring back viable jobs for the community and continue to increase the tax base for Putnam County," Wallis said Wednesday.

 

LG. Philips recently decided to put its Ottawa plant up for auction via sealed bids.  While not revealing the purchase price Wednesday, Wallis said it was above the $300,000 minimum bid price.  Before the auction, the asking price for the LG. Philips property was believed to be about $17 million.

 

With the property now under the control of DBI Partners, Wallis said the first order of business will be to "try to improve the existing facility."

 

MORE: http://www.thecourier.com/issues/2005/Oct/101305.asp#story3

 

---

 

From the 10/14/05 Lima News:

 

Philips plant price remains hazy subject

By DAVID TRINKO

10/14/2005

 

OTTAWA — The manager for the new owner of the largest manufacturing facility in Putnam County already heard from the skeptics.  He understands people don’t believe DBI Partners LLC spent a mere $132,000 on Tuesday to purchase the former LG. Philips Display Components factory in Ottawa.  After all, Philips originally put a $17-million price tag on it, and the county auditor values the property at $8.1 million.

 

That’s the price, DBI Partners LLC Manager Virgil Wallis said.  “That’s correct. That’s what we paid for the building and the land,” he said Thursday.  That figure doesn’t include what’s inside, though.  It only covers the “real property” for the facility, which the company intends to turn into a multi-tenant facility.  “There were some minor parts in there, like boilers, compressors, supports, that sort of thing,” Wallis said.  “Those were separate and apart. There were several other things that were separate and apart from the land.”

 

Wallis declined to discuss the total value of the “personal property” in the purchase of the 62.3-acre facility with 1.1 million square feet of space. He said the company “greatly exceeded” the $300,000 minimum total bid sought by Philips officials, but it was less than the $5 million Philips had the property listed at before deciding to switch to a sealed-bid auction.

 

MORE: http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=18553

From the 10/19/05 Putnam County Sentinel:

 

 

L.G. Philips sells land, buildings for $132,000

By Mark Hamilton

Sentinel Correspondent

[email protected]

 

A total of $132,000 in cash was paid for 14 parcels of land that once housed the largest employer in Putnam County.  In 1999, Philips listed the property at $15,950,850. It is appraised by the county auditor’s office for $8,171,940.

 

Philips moved the production of the picture tube plant to Mexico in December 2002 eliminating 1,200 jobs. The plant, which originally opened in 1948 as Sylvania Electric Products, served as the largest employer in the county.

 

Wallis told the Sentinel Tuesday that any information regarding future tenants of the facility will be released through the office of Putnam County Economic Development Director Lee Schroeder.  There has been nothing new to report since last week and Wallis said he has received more inquiry calls from the media than from prospective tenants.

 

MORE: http://www.putnamsentinel.com/topstories.html#Anchor-frontpage2

 

From the 12/23/05 Fremont News Messenger:

 

 

Group buys Erie Industrial Park

2 area men lead the way

By CYNTHIA L. JACOBY

Special to The News-Messenger

 

A group of local investors has purchased the Erie Industrial Park, hoping to revamp the aging site into a regional business powerhouse.

 

Kuehne & Nagel, a European conglomerate and the largest freight shipper in the world, sold 470-plus acres and 2.1 million square feet of building space to the Erie Industrial Park Associates, a local company spearheaded by James McKinney of Oak Harbor and David Fahrbach of Fremont...

 

 

http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051223/NEWS01/512230312/1002/NEWS17

 

Businessmen may buy single Philips building

By DAVID TRINKO

01/04/2006

 

OTTAWA — A Pandora business hopes to open up a distribution business in one of the former LG. Philips Display Components buildings after closing the deal later this month.

 

Dave Roper, president of Pandora Manufacturing LLC, confirmed that he and his partner, Pat Parks, hope to purchase “Building 21,” a separate building with about 200,000 square feet located alongside North Agner Street in Ottawa that has access to a railroad line.  Pending the closing, Pandora Distribution LLC would purchase the property from DBI Partners LLC, a Dallas-based company that purchased the property from Philips in October.

 

The remainder of the 1.1 million-square-foot facility has potential businesses considering its use but is available, Loehrke said.  The Hart Corp., an international industrial real estate company, continues to handle potential leases for the facility.  When DBI Partners LLC purchased the former picture-tube plant, DBI’s Virgil Wallis said the company hoped to renovate the facility and divide it up for use by multiple businesses.

 

MORE: http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=21123

From the 1/6/06 Port Clinton News Herald:

 

 

PHOTO: Left to right, Chris Malfara, Len Gerber, Gary Macko, Bill Horst, Dave Fahrbach and, front right, Jim McKinney stand in building 460 Wednesday at Erie Industrial Park, west of Port Clinton. Horst, Fahrbach and McKinney are partners who recently purchased the Industrial Park on Ohio 2. The new owners are standing with the financial backers at the National Bank of Oak Harbor.  News Herald/POLLY BAUMAN

 

Duo’s vision: Restore park to its industrial grandeur

By DAN DEARTH

Staff writer

 

ERIE TOWNSHIP — At its height of productivity during World War II, the Erie Industrial Park employed about 5,200 people.

 

But that number has dwindled into the hundreds recently. Most of the park’s 66 buildings sit vacant.

 

Enter David Fahrbach and James McKinney, two Port Clinton businessmen who bought the Erie Industrial Park a few weeks ago for about $3.7 million...

 

More info 

People wishing to learn more about acquiring space at the Erie Industrial Park can call 419-732-6732 or 877-732-6732.

 

http://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060106/NEWS01/60106002/1002/NEWS17

 

From the 1/25/06 Lima News:

 

 

Pandora group finishes purchase of Philips’ ‘Building 21’

By DAVID TRINKO

01/25/2006

 

OTTAWA — A Pandora-based business got the building it wanted after all, closing on its purchase of a piece of the former LG.Philips Displays Components factory site Tuesday.  Pandora Warehousing LLC completed its purchase of “Building 21” for $1.1 million and has a $1.19 million mortgage through Sky Bank, according to the real property conveyance fee statement filed in the county auditor’s office Tuesday.

 

Building 21 is a separate 200,000-square foot building along North Agner Street in Ottawa that has access to a railroad line. The company originally had an interest in the building before DBI Partners LLC purchased the entire site last October. Within the deal, DBI Partners maintains ownership of conveyors connecting Building 21 with the remainder of the site.

 

HISTORY OF FORMER LG.PHILIPS DISPLAYS COMPONENTS SITE

 

Tuesday — Pandora Warehousing LLC purchases “Building 21” from DBI Partners LLC 

Oct. 11 — Dallas-based DBI Partners LLC purchases the 62.3-acre Philips site 

May 25 — Pilot Fish LLC withdraws its offer to purchase the Philips factory site

Dec. 20, 2002 — LG.Philips Displays Components closes its Ottawa plant, leaving 1,200 people out of work

Sept. 12, 2002 — Business Creation North America announces it can’t take over tube production at the Philips plant

1981 — Philips purchases facility from GTE Sylvania

1948 — Sylvania purchases production plant in Ottawa

 

http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=21844

 

Geothermal school sparks interest

Toledo Blade, 6/13/06

 

For Ottoville Local Schools, the proof has been in the utility bills.  Three years ago, the Putnam County school district opened a new K-12 building with an innovative geothermal heating and air-conditioning system.  The district did not have access to natural gas for the building and wanted an alternative way to heat and cool it that might be easy on the wallet.

 

"We spend a year in our facility $70,000 to $75,000 for all energy costs," said Superintendent Kenneth Amstutz.  "That is very low. The state basically says you should spend $1.50 to $1.75 per square foot per year for heating costs. We are running between 70 and 75 cents per square foot so we're basically at half of what it should be."

 

Ottoville tomorrow is hosting more than 200 representatives of school districts from across the state and out of state who are interested in learning more about geothermal heating and cooling.  The conference is sponsored by Touchstone Energy, a consortium of local electric cooperatives.

 

From the 5/31/06 Port Clinton News Herald:

 

 

PHOTO: Jim McKinney, right, makes a point during a speech Tuesday at the unveiling of the Lake Erie Business Park, formerly Erie Industrial Park, on Ohio 2. McKinney and Dave Farbach are co-owners of the park. The sign behind McKinney is a smaller version of the new billboard that will soon be placed on Ohio 2, just west of the park entrance.  News Herald/Polly Ann Bauman

 

Industrial park gets new name

State awards $400K grant for public sewer project

By DAN DEARTH

Staff writer

 

ERIE TOWNSHIP -- The lieutenant governor awarded $400,000 to the Ottawa County commissioners during a ceremony Tuesday at the former Erie Industrial Park to help refurbish the property.

 

The park's owners hope the state's financial contribution, coupled with changing the site's name to the Lake Erie Business Park, is the recipe for pulling new businesses and jobs to Ottawa County...

 

 

E-mail Dan Dearth at [email protected].

 

http://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060531/NEWS01/605310301/1002/rss01

 

Van Buren landowners fighting annexation

Lima News, 7/4/06

 

A Findlay-based lawyer told the Putnam County Planning Commission Monday its support of rezoning portions of Van Buren Township to commercial may have violated Ohio Revised Code. 

 

Lisa A. Miller, who represents “numerous” Van Buren home and landowners, said Martin Kuhlman’s presentation to the commission in June was not within the required five-day limit.  Kuhlman, Putnam County Community Improvement Corp. executive director, contends it was within the five business day requirement.

 

The Van Buren Township Zoning Commission rezoned about 3,000 acres from agricultural to commercial May 30, and Miller said a presentation had to be made to the Putnam County Planning Commission a day earlier.

Sewer line project gets under way

Toledo Blade, 8/2/06

 

Ottawa County and Camp Perry yesterday formally embarked on the first stage of a sewer extension for the Ohio National Guard’s training site, a $2.2 million project that could lead to increased development west of Port Clinton.  The sewer line, to be completed in spring, will replace outdated wastewater treatment plants at Camp Perry and the adjacent Lake Erie Business Park.

 

Elected officials and military representatives held a brief groundbreaking ceremony yesterday to mark the start of the project.  Environmentalists hailed the sewer line for protecting public health and nearby beaches.  The Ohio Environmental Council said in a statement that “warning signs may become a thing of the past at Camp Perry Beach” once the “inadequate sewage treatment facilities” are phased out.

 

From the 8/24/06 Lima News:

 

Van Buren residents want special prosecutor for rezone

BY DOMINIC ADAMS - Aug. 24, 2006

 

OTTAWA — Putnam County commissioners may be preparing for a lawsuit on behalf of Van Buren Township residents.  Lisa A. Miller, who represents numerous landowners in Van Buren Township, met with commissioners Wednesday to discuss the rezoning of about 3,000 acres from agricultural to commercial.

 

Miller contested the rezoning after Martin Kuhlman, the Community Improvement Corp. executive director, made statements to the Putnam County Planning Commission in June.  "I wanted to make every effort to avoid litigation in this matter and much expense to the county," Miller told commissioners.

 

Full story at http://www.limanews.com/story.php?IDnum=28798

From the Putnam County Sentinel:

 

Leipsic chosen as site for Summit Ethanol plant

By Nancy Kline, Editor

[email protected]

 

Summit Ethanol has announced they have chosen Leipsic as the site for an ethanol plant.  “On behalf of the Broin Companies and Summit Ethanol, LLC, it is my pleasure to announce our intent to build a 60 million gallon per year ethanol plant in the Iron Highway Industrial Park in Leipsic, Ohio,” stated Bob Berens, the Director of Site Development for Broin Companies.

 

An informational meeting is planned at the Fogle Center, 815 E. Mathias St. in Leipsic on September 6, 2006 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., it will be an open house format with a short presentation at 5:00 p.m.  The purpose of the meeting is to provide information to the public and to learn more about Broin, Summit Ethanol, LLC and the details of the ethanol plant itself. The Broin Companies will develop and construct Summit Ethanol, LLC, a 60 million gallon per year (MGPY) ethanol production facility expandable to 120 MGPY. The $90 million project would utilize 21 million bushels of corn and produce 178,000 tons of premium Dakota Gold Enhanced Nutrition Distilers Productstm.

 

MORE: http://www.putnamsentinel.com/topstories.html#Anchor-frontpage2

 

From the 9/6/06 Lima News:

 

PHOTO: Glen Steingass, of Leipsic, makes a point during a meeting in the Assembly Room of the Putnam County Courthouse in Ottawa about the $100 million ethanol plant project in Leipsic. "I'm for anything that will help people and bring jobs," Steingass said.  (Lima News photo by STEPHANIE J. SMITH)

 

Residents question water availability for ethanol plant in Leipsic

BY DOMINIC ADAMS - Sep. 6, 2006

 

OTTAWA — A public meeting that was supposed to be about grant money for an electrical project in Leipsic turned into a fight over water.  More than 40 people were in the assembly room at the Putnam County Courthouse today for the second required public meeting for the disbursement of Community Development Block Grant money.

 

Several people used the meeting to grill Ken Maag, of Poggemeyer Design Group, about a waterline that would run from the village of Leipsic’s reservoir.  Work on the reservoir, which will hold between 425 million and 450 million gallons of water, began Tuesday and should be completed by March.

 

Putnam County commissioners, as early as today, can approve sending the CDBG grant to the state for approval.  The grant would pay the village $410,000 to construct a power line that runs from a substation at Protech Coating Inc. to a substation located in the village’s Industrial Park out to a 100-acre site in the industrial park.  The electrical project will cost more than $1.3 million.

 

MORE: http://www.limanews.com/story.php?IDnum=29532

From the Putnam County Sentinel:

 

 

Van Buren residents fight land rezoning

By Doug Burliat

Sentinel Correspondent

[email protected]

 

A group of Van Buren Township residents and landowners are contesting the recent rezoning of farmland and are attempting to place a referendum on the ballot to decide if the affected area’s new zoning designation should stand.  Lisa Miller, a practitioner representing the Van Buren Landowners and Homeowners Association, said she is awaiting a decision from the Ohio Secretary of State on whether Van Buren Township voters outside the Leipsic corporation limits may vote on the referendum, or if it would only include voters in the affected rezoned area.

 

Zoning boards in Van Buren and Liberty townships recently approved rezoning a total of approximately 2,300 acres from “agriculture” to “industrial” as a means of attracting industry.  It includes 340 acres in Liberty Township, with the remainder in Van Buren Township.  Most of the rezoned land sets in the triangular area where the CSX, Norfolk & Southern and I&O Railroads come together north and west of Leipsic.

 

Full story at http://www.putnamsentinel.com/topstories.html#Anchor-frontpage3

Continental wins grant to buy recreational land

Toledo Blade, 9/11/06

 

The Putnam County community of Continental has been awarded $50,000 to acquire 25 acres for development of a pool, shelter house, playground, and ball fields.

 

The grant, announced by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, is part of $499,071 that communities in 12 counties will share as a result of a grant from the federal Land & Water Conservation Fund.

 

Continental has long tried to raise money to repair or replace the 1962-era pool that was owned by the school district.  Earlier this summer, the village swimming pool, which was owned and operated by Continental Local Schools, was filled in after school officials determined it was too expensive to try to repair.  It had not been operational for the past few summers.

What an interesting courthouse, and a neat little town.

 

 

From the 9/22/06 Toledo Blade:

 

New education complex opens today in Ottawa

 

OTTAWA, Ohio — A new education complex built following the closure of this Putnam County village’s largest employer opens today.  In 2004, the village and Putnam County learned they would be receiving a $1,725,000 federal grant from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to build the 28,000-square-foot complex to help, in part, with retraining the area’s work force.

 

Full story at http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060922/NEWS21/60922007/-1/NEWS

 

Ottawa aims to tie two state routes at business park

Lima News, 10/4/06

 

Ottawa wants nearly $812,000 in Issue II money to extend Putnam Parkway from state Route 109 to state Route 15.  The project, which will cost more than $1 million, includes 2,005 feet of pavement, storm drains and a waterline for the Putnam Parkway High Tech Business Park.  The YMCA and the Putnam County Educational Service Center Skilled Learning Center are two facilities that have the potential to lure in other business, said Jeff Loehrke, Ottawa’s community development director.

Leipsic celebrates building completion, two special awards

Putnam County Sentinel

 

A building completion celebration was held Sunday afternoon in the new Leipsic School Auditeria.  Local, county and school representatives spoke about the district’s accomplishment in completing their portion of the Ohio School Facilities expedited local partnership program. 

 

The $5.6 million dollar project included a new gym, locker rooms, tiered-floor auditeria, band room, music room and existing space renovated into additional office space.  Funding for the project included a voter-approved 4.97 mills (now lowered to 4.50 mills), levy raising $4.8 million. 

 

The village of Leipsic contributed $46,000 with their sewer line work.

From the 9/28/06 Lima News:

 

Continental dairy, environmental group lawsuit still unsettled

BY DOMINIC ADAMS - Sep. 28, 2006

 

OTTAWA — Two parties involved in a civil lawsuit between a Dutch dairy farmer and an environmental group in Putnam County will have to wait another 30 days.  Putnam County Common Pleas Judge Randall Basinger ordered a second pretrial between Van Ham Dairy and Citizens of Putnam County for Clean Air and Water Wednesday.

 

Basinger said the second pretrial will decide if both sides can reach an agreement.  He also set a potential trial date for October 2007.  Jan and Anja Van Ham, who operate Van Ham Dairy in Continental, sued the environmental group in 2004 for negligence, reckless acts, causing a nuisance and invasion of quiet enjoyment of property.  The Van Hams’ lawsuit said three members of the group came to their house and demanded they return to their native Netherlands.

 

Citizens for Putnam County for Clean Air and Water said the lawsuit was in retaliation to its own lawsuit, which was filed in Putnam County Common Pleas Court in 2003.  The environmental group’s lawsuit said the farm is a nuisance, has been run negligently and has caused emotional distress.  The lawsuit lists five incidents of manure discharge from the dairy since it opened December 1999. 

 

MORE: http://www.limanews.com/story.php?IDnum=30366

 

Ottawa church campaign raises funds for roof, school improvements

Putnam Times, 10/29/06

 

SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Ottawa aims to raise $1.4 million to help repair its school on Locust Street.  The campaign, tabbed “Honoring the Tradition by Building for the Future,” is part of a two-phase campaign that will look at the parish’s long-term needs.  It is the first campaign of this size since 1967.

 

The school at 307 N. Locust Street currently houses pupils in fifth through eighth grades.  It also is used for the parish’s school of religion program and is a meeting place for many ministry groups.

 

“We see that a lot of these systems are operating at their limits,” said Denny Recker, campaign chair.  “We want to get them replaced before they exceed their limits and before we reach any type of crisis situation.”

 

From the 10/27/06 Lima News:

 

Continental dairy farm awarded $15K in civil lawsuit

BY DOMINIC ADAMS - Oct. 27, 2006

 

OTTAWA — Environmental watchdog group Citizens of Putnam County for Clean Air and Water Inc. must pay $15,000 to Dutch dairy farmers.  Jan and Anja Van Ham, who operate Van Ham Dairy in Continental, sued the environmental group in 2004 for negligence, reckless acts, causing a nuisance and invasion of quiet enjoyment of property.  The Van Hams’ lawsuit said three members of the group came to their house and demanded they return to their native Netherlands.

 

Citizens of Putnam County for Clean Air and Water said the lawsuit was in retaliation to its own lawsuit, which was filed in Putnam County Common Pleas Court in 2003.  The environmental group’s lawsuit said the farm was a nuisance, had been run negligently and had caused emotional distress.

 

Since the Van Hams sued back, the environmental group decided to drop its original suit and settle last week in Putnam County Common Pleas Court.  William M. Saks, who represents Citizens of Putnam County for Clean Air and Water Inc., said dragging the case out would have been expensive.  “It probably would have cost over $100,000 in attorney time and expert witness fees to go forward because of the number of depositions our side would have to make,” Saks said.  “They were satisfied that they are saving money and they’re no longer being pursued by the Van Hams.”

 

MORE: http://www.limanews.com/story.php?IDnum=31405

 

Housing would help disabled Ottawa Co. residents

Fremont News-Messenger, 11/4/06

 

Some disabled Ottawa County residents will have a chance to live independently after the Luther Home of Mercy received $1.17 million to build housing offering supportive services in Salem Township.  State Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, is expected to announce the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the grant to the home, which works with developmental disabled and mentally impaired people, at 2:30 p.m. today at the Ottawa County Job and Family Services Building in Salem Township.

 

Luther Home plans to build three homes that would accommodate four people each on Ohio 163 near the Ottawa County Board of MR/DD, an agency that assists mentally impaired people, said the Rev. Donald Wukotich, executive director.  He expects construction to begin in late 2007 and the homes to open in summer 2008.  They will feature wide hallways and other accommodations to allow for wheelchairs and other equipment residents might need for assistance.

 

From the 12/20/06 Lima News:

 

Continental plant doubling in size

BY TIM RAUSCH - Dec. 20, 2006

 

CONTINENTAL — One of Continental’s largest employers will be twice as large and employ 25 more people by the middle of 2007.  Work on a $14.1 million expansion is under way at New Millennium Building Systems.  The company held a groundbreaking ceremony today with company officials and county commissioners turning ceremonial dirt.

 

New machinery and equipment will be purchased and 66,000 square feet of warehousing and manufacturing space will be added to the facility on the west side of the Putnam County village.  Hollman said part of the expansion project will be finished sometime between April and June.

 

More at http://www.limanews.com/story.php?IDnum=33349

Grove board picks 35-acre site for school

Putnam Voice, 3/17/07

 

When voters decide on May 8 about whether to fund a new school, they’ll know they’re deciding on a single-story building on 35 acres of land adjacent to the Columbus Grove school’s athletic fields.  The Columbus Grove School Board picked the site just outside the village limits at a special meeting Friday.  The board picked that plan over a second that would have put a three-story school on a tight space next to the current school.

 

The 35-acre site comes with fewer unknowns that could drive up costs and an expected price tag that’s about $900,000 less than the three-story option, district Superintendent Bob Jennell said.  The district can build a new pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade facility if voters pass a combination 7.72 mill property tax and a 0.25 percent income tax to raise its portion of the $27.4 million project.

 

A press release from ODOD, 2/5/07:

 

FISHER ANNOUNCES GRANTS TO BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES

Projects to Help Spur Local Economies, Create 520 Jobs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 5, 2007

 

Village of Leipsic, located in Putnam County, will receive a $50,000 Business Development Grant (412) for costs associated with off-site infrastructure improvements and a $500,000 Roadwork Development Grant (629) in support of Summit Ethanol LLC's (Summit Ethanol) new ethanol production facility.  Summit Ethanol is a fully owned subsidiary of Broin Companies, the second largest producer of ethanol in the U.S., which designs, constructs and manages its own production facilities.  The company has been in business in five states for 20 years and currently manages 750 million gallons of ethanol production annually.  The company proposes to construct and operate a new ethanol production facility in the Iron Highway Industrial Park.  The 50,000 square-foot building will produce 60 million gallons per year and utilize 21 million bushels of corn annually.  The Village will upgrade its sanitary sewer system, complete rail improvements and roadwork to support Summit Ethanol and open up an additional 2,000 acres of industrial development property.  Ohio is in competition with Indiana and Michigan for this $74.6 million project, which is expected to create 41 new jobs within the first three years of the project's initial operation.

 

The Business Development Account (412) is a grant program to assist companies and communities that are creating or retaining jobs in Ohio. The Roadwork Development Account (629) provides grant assistance to communities for highway and road projects related to job creation and retention. The 629 Program is funded with gas tax dollars and is restricted to public road projects only.

 

http://www.odod.state.oh.us/newsroom/2007PR/releases/1699.asp

 

 

State to manage funds for rail line to industrial site

BY DAVID PATCH

BLADE STAFF WRITER

 

LEIPSIC, Ohio -- The Ohio Rail Development Commission Thursday agreed to manage $800,000 awarded last year to the village of Leipsic for construction of railroad access to an industrial park planned north of the Putnam County community.

 

But whether the money set aside in 2010 by the state's Transportation Review Advisory Council is enough to build all the track Leipsic has in mind remains to be seen, Village Administrator Kevin Lammon said after the rail commission's unanimous vote. "We're still trying to identify" how much environmental studies and project design will cost, Mr. Lammon said. Under a plan developed by the Ohio Department of Transportation before it decided to defer project oversight to the rail commission, he said, those preliminaries would have exhausted most of the TRAC funding.

 

Since 2004, Leipsic has been pursuing plans to build a shortline railroad offering service to local industries and providing connections to three longer-haul railroads that pass through town: Norfolk Southern, CSX Transportation, and Indiana & Ohio Railway.

 

Read more at: http://www.toledoblade.com/State/2011/09/16/State-to-manage-funds-for-rail-line-to-industrial-site.html