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Local News

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Rural flood info sought
Reineke Family Dealerships - Upper Sandusky
By JOY BROWN

STAFF WRITER

Consultants hired by the Army Corps of Engineers are seeking information on rural areas that flood, potential ecosystem restoration projects, and ideas anyone may have to lessen flooding in the outlying areas of the Blanchard River watershed.

Jay Mosley, project technical manager for URS Corp., told Hancock County's township trustees Wednesday that he has been meeting with village officials and others, but would also like input from the trustees and the agricultural community in the six counties the watershed spans, including Hancock, Putnam, Allen, Hardin, Wyandot and Seneca.

Mosley said his firm will be gathering data and ideas over the next three weeks.

"If you have flood-prone areas, let us know. Any data you have on historic damages" from flooding will also be appreciated, Mosley said.

"We don't have a lot of agricultural data yet. That's something FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) doesn't really have a handle on either. Ag land is not included in the (federal) flood plain program, and some people just don't file claims" for damage, Mosley said.

The more damage that can be documented, Mosley said, the more it will tip the scales for the better in terms of the Army Corps' benefit/cost ratio, which determines whether it makes financial sense to undertake flood control projects.

Residents are also being asked to come up with ideas for flood control and ecosystem restoration.

The Army Corps "wants these to be multipurpose projects," said Mosley. "They're trying to be a new Corps and have a new image. They've been asked to look at a holistic approach to the watershed" rather than concentrating solely on physical structures to improve the flooding problem, he said.

"This is your chance to participate in the process... to throw your ideas on the table. It may be that you don't have anything you want to contribute, and that's OK. But if you have ideas, we can look at them as conceptual alternatives," Mosley told trustees.

He said URS would like such information within three weeks.

"Can you chit chat and ride in a combine?" quipped Hancock County Trustees Association President Dick Fenstermaker.

"Our goal as agriculture is to incorporate what you're doing, and for you to help us also," Fenstermaker summarized. "I'd rather be on the inside looking out than on the outside looking in. We don't want to have to come back two years from now saying, 'Gee whiz, I wish...'"

Maps were handed out for trustees to indicate areas that typically flood and to offer ideas for solutions.

A $1 million study of the outlying areas of the watershed will take about two years to produce results, Mosley said. With it, Army Corps officials will come up with project alternatives and cost/benefit analyses, just like the studies now under way for Findlay and Ottawa.

Concentrating on the "headwaters" of the watershed, the Army Corps will identify three to five project alternatives for various regions of the watershed, Mosley said.

Project ideas may include "hard engineering" concepts that would physically move parts of the flood plain; less elaborate concepts like two-feet-high flood walls around certain properties; and efforts to enlarge and preserve the ecosystem.

Half of the study will be paid with federal money, and 25 percent is expected to be paid through in-kind work using local professionals.

Hancock County sales tax revenue, and a portion of a $3 million flood control grant the Northwest Ohio Flood Mitigation Partnership secured from the state will pay for the remaining 25 percent, according to Partnership President Tony Iriti.

Two more public meetings will be held to get the word out that information is sought. One, for the agricultural community, will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at the Hancock County Agricultural Service Center on County 140. The other, for Hardin County trustees, will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Hardin County Courthouse veterans' hall in Kenton.

Mosley can be contacted at 216-622-2350 and by e-mail at

Also working on the Blanchard River watershed study is Tom Denbow, URS project manager, who can be reached at 216-622-2334, or by e-mail at

The Partnership is serving as a liaison between residents and URS. Partnership headquarters is in the Glass Building at 101 W. Sandusky St., Suite 200, Findlay. Iriti or his assistant, Leigh Esper, can be reached at 567-251-3802.

Brown: 419-427-8496,

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Benton Ridge Shooting

This video, released by the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office, shows the shooting of a Lima man who led authorities on a three-county chase ending Aug.24 in Benton Ridge. Be cautioned, the video contains graphic content.
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News Briefs Firefighters discover 20 marijuana plants in house
After fighting a house fire early Monday at 815 Howard St., firefighters found 20 marijuana plants in the residence.

"They ran across it and called us," said police Sgt. Justin Hendren with the Hancock County METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit.

Police seized all 20 plants, and Hendren said charges are pending.

High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

Investigators said an electrical short started the fire before 3 a.m. Monday.

The blaze caused an estimated $12,000 in damage to the residence, owned by Amanda Crawford. No one was injured, according to the Findlay Fire Department.

Carey announces holiday closing
CAREY -- Carey offices, including administrative, income tax and utilities, electric, wastewater treatment plant, and public works, will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day.

The curbside recycling program will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 7-9.

Findlay trooper named sergeant
Trooper Jacob L. Fletcher, assigned to the Findlay post of the State Highway Patrol, was promoted to sergeant Wednesday by Patrol Superintendent Col. David Dicken.

With the promotion, Fletcher will stay at the Findlay post and serve as an assistant post commander, according to the patrol.

Fletcher began his patrol career in 2002 after graduating from the 139th Academy class and has been assigned to the Findlay post since.

Owens announces holiday schedule
The Toledo and Findlay campuses of Owens Community College will be closed Saturday through Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

There will be no classes and the college offices will be closed.

Classes will resume and offices will open again on Tuesday.

Holiday changes ad deadlines
The Courier won't be published on Monday, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

Because of the holiday, some advertising deadlines have been moved up this week:

Black and white display advertising for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by noon Friday. Display advertising for Wednesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Color display advertising for the Thursday, Sept. 9 newspaper must be placed by Friday.

Classified advertising and City and Country advertising for Saturday's newspaper must be placed by 2 p.m. Friday. Classified ads for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Courier business and advertising offices will close at 3 p.m. Friday for the holiday.