Staff report

CANFIELD

Meeting in Canfield before the opening of the 168th Canfield Fair, the Mahoning County commissioners Thursday awarded a $56,104 culvert-replacement job on Gibson Road to Shook Bros. Inc. of Berlin Center.

Sixty-nine percent of the project cost is being paid by the Ohio Public Works Commission through State Issue 1, and the remainder by county gasoline tax and license plate fee revenues.

They also advertised for bids for the state-funded repaving of Middletown Road from state Route 170 in New Middletown to State Line Road, improving the Calla and State Line Road intersection, and widening and resurfacing a portion of State Line Road.

The roads are adjacent to the NiSource natural-gas processing plant at Middletown and State Line roads in Springfield Township.

They also authorized spending $1,000 in county hotel bed tax money to support the OH WOW! The Roger & Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science and Technology’s Youngstown Regional Science and Technology Festival, Seven Days of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), Sept. 15-21.

The festival will feature events for children, teens and adults, said Linda Macala, county convention and visitors’ bureau director.

The commissioners also hired two 911 emergency dispatchers.

The commissioners met at the Ohio State University Extension Office before Thursday’s opening ceremony at the Canfield Fair.

The extension office provides free advice to county residents concerning agriculture, gardening, nutrition and home economics and coordinates 4H programs.