Rally against wells

Rally against wells

BROOKFIELD

Frackfree America National Coalition, based in Youngstown, is helping to organize a rally at 1:15 p.m. Thursday at the village green in Brookfield Center to protest two injection wells being proposed in the township.

The event is free.

The wells are proposed by Highland Field Services for land near the intersection of state Route 7 and Merwin Chase Road.

People can sign a petition at the rally.

Highland announced recently the Ohio Department of Natural Resources will accept public comments about the proposed wells through March 28 at this address: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management, 2045 Morse Road, Building F-2, Columbus 43229-6693.

Checkbook program

COLUMBUS

Mill Creek MetroParks is now part of the Ohio’s Open Checkbook program, state Treasurer Josh Mandel announced Tuesday.

The checkbook program, established in 2014, makes spending information for public entities available at OhioCheckbook.com.

“Mill Creek MetroParks is committed to both operational transparency and efficient fiscal management and our recent joining of OhioCheckbook.com is a direct reflection of that commitment,” Mill Creek MetroParks Executive Director Aaron Young said in a news release.

Ceremony planned

BOARDMAN

The township will have a groundbreaking ceremony for the new main fire station at 4 p.m. March 30.

The site of the planned station is at the corner of Market Street and Stadium Drive.

The station will replace the main fire station on U.S. Route 224. The event will take place rain or shine.

VAST event

NEWTON FALLS

The Valley Alliance for Science and Technology will meet from noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Quality Switch Manufacturing Facility and Lab, 715 Arlington Blvd.

The event will feature Jeremy Sewell, Quality Switch vice president. There will be lunch at Roby Lee’s Restaurant followed by a tour of the Quality Switch Manufacturing facility and test lab and a demonstration to show a high voltage lightning simulation.

VAST members can attend for free. Nonmembers must pay $25.

For information or to RSVP contact Rose Shaffer Saborse at rose@tbeic.org or 330-207-2635.

Park roads to reopen

YOUNGSTOWN

Effective Friday, these roads in Mill Creek Park that were closed for winter will reopen: High Drive between the Kirkmere Spur and West Cohasset Drive, and Calvary Run Drive between Belle Vista Avenue and Milton Avenue.

Due to maintenance work on West Gorge Trail, Chestnut Hill Drive between Canfield Road and the Kirkmere Spur will remain closed until further notice.

Bill proposal

COLUMBUS

A Republican state lawmaker has proposed upping vehicle registration fees as a better means of covering the costs of maintaining Ohio roadways.

And Sen. Bill Coley, R-West Chester, said the additional upfront cost for motorists would be offset by gas tax breaks afterward — in other words, motorists would pay their share of Ohio’s motor fuel tax up front annually and then not have to pay those taxes again when filling their gas tanks.

His proposal won’t be part of the two-year spending plan for the Ohio Department of Transportation and a handful of other state agencies, however; Coley instead introduced the changes as separate legislation, SB 113.