From the 4/5/07 Jackson County Times-Journal:

 

Governor visits Westview Elementary

Thursday, April 5, 2007

LISA TACKETT

Times-Journal Writer

 

Westview Elementary students had a very special guest this week when the Governor of the state paid them a visit.  Governor Ted Strickland visited various classrooms talking with the children, shook hands with them as they exited the building to catch their buses, and concluded his visit with an overview of his education initiatives.  Strickland made his presentation to the Jackson Board of Education members, Jackson City School Superintendent Steve Anderson, Jackson City Schools Treasurer Ernie Strawser, numerous teachers and other guests.

 

Strickland appeared to be very impressed with the building itself, calling it a “gorgeous facility,” and said that the staff and school should make the students feel safe, secure, nurtured and cared for.  “That is the basic thing to expect from a school,” he indicated.

 

Principal Debbie Biggs explained to Strickland that even though Jackson is improving, the district still lacks many of the necessary resources, such as books for the library, to which Strickland replied, “That is the problem with the inequity of the funds as they are based on property taxes.”  “We need to adequately fund and reform our schools,” he stated.  According to his proposed budget, the Jackson area schools would see a funding increase over the next couple of years.

 

MORE: http://www.timesjournal.com/local.asp?Story=1

 

I thought I had another thread on this started but can't find it.

 

Courthouse repair project bidder chosen

By Kathy Sexton, Jackson County Times-Journal, January 9, 2008

 

JACKSON—Panich and Noel representative Nicholas Bittner visited the commissioners on Monday to make recommendations on the Jackson County Courthouse porch renovation project. Bids were opened on December 13 at 10 a.m. with five bids being received and opened. With a project estimate of $225,000, none of those submitted bids came in with a total below the estimate. Panich and Noel’s recommendation is to go with the best overall bid which includes the base bid and Alternate G-1 (Abrasive grit) and Alternate G-3 (vestibule).

 

While the commissioners were pleased that the bids came in where they did, they felt that the best overall bid came from Seifert Construction, Inc. from the Lancaster area. Seifert’s bid included the base general contract at $195,710 and the additional alternates of abrasive grit at $1,400 and the vestibule at $29,500 for a total bid of $226,610. The closest competitor came in at a total of $232,050.

 

Ha. I was in Jackson about five hours ago looking at the Courthouse and noted the porch's deterioration! What a coincidence.