State rep. takes turnpike job

State Rep. George Distel, whose district includes northern townships in Trumbull County, is leaving the Ohio House on March 31 to run the Ohio Turnpike Commission.

The commission’s board voted Monday to hire Distel of Conneaut, D-99th, as its new executive director.

Distel has served in the Ohio House for nine years and because of the state’s term-limit law, he couldn’t run this year for re-election.

His district includes all of Bloomfield, Greene, Gustavus, Kinsman and a portion of Mesopotamia townships in northern Trumbull County. The district also includes all Ashtabula County.

The Ohio House Democratic Caucus will appoint Ashtabula County Commissioner Deborah Newcomb of Conneaut effective April 1. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for the seat.

She faces Republican Tom Nizen of Jefferson, a car dealer, in the November general election. Nizen ran unopposed in his party’s primary earlier this month for the House seat.