Struthers pays businesswoman over damaged welcome sign

STRUTHERS -- A Struthers businesswoman will be compensated for a civic goodwill gesture that literally got dumped on.
Struthers City Council approved a $475 payment to Melanie Rauschenbach to help replace a damaged "Welcome to Struthers" sign that she put up downtown about two years ago.
The sign, which was in a grassy area near Bridge and State streets, was destroyed last October when a tractor-trailer carrying a load of metal pipes down Bridge Street spilled its cargo, sending the pipes down the hill and over the sign.
The sign was part of an effort Struthers business owners are participating in through a state program to revitalize small downtown areas, said Rauschenbach, who owns a children's store in Struthers.
"I've owned business here for almost 15 years and a lot people have told me they didn't know that Struthers had a downtown," Rauschenbach said.
"We wanted to do something for the city that was from the business community."
A sidewalk that the city had constructed to encourage pedestrian traffic in the area also was damaged by the pipes, Rauschenbach said.
"Accidents happen, I guess," said Rauschenbach, adding that the private company that owned the truck also will compensate her through its insurance company.
"I'm glad that I'll be able to put the sign back up now," she said.