Overflow crowd packs Kinsman hall on flooding assistance

KINSMAN — An overflow crowd attended a meeting at the township hall tonight, getting an explanation from Trumbull County Engineer Randy Smith that the life on Kinsman Lake will not return to the way it was right away, but at least the roadway to the neighborhood should be restored fairly soon.

The lake itself will not be restored in the foreseeable future because of legal opinions indicating that government money cannot be used to benefit the private homeowners.

The exact timeline for getting the roadway and earthen structure under it repaired is not exact because unforeseen issues can crop up, but the funding picture is nearly complete, said state Sen. Sean O'Brien of Bazetta, D-32nd. Smith has a check from the Ohio Department of Transportation "in hand" for about $500,000, O'Brien said.

There is a commitment from ODOT to provide another $500,000, so funding to fix the road is not a major obstacle, he said.

About 25 homes on the east side of the lake had to be rescued from their homes July 20 when a part of the roadway and earthen embankment were washed away in a major rain event. They were taken out through another route. Most have since returned to their homes and have been able to get their vehicles out, O'Brien said.

For the complete story, read Friday's Vindicator and Vindy.com