Sewer rates may be going up in Rocky Fork area

Residents of the Rocky Fork Lake area may be experiencing a raise in sewer rates in the near future, after the sewer system operating fund decreased as the result of a large number of people who have fallen behind in payments.

The Highland County Board of Commissioners was told during the board's regular meeting Wednesday that 23 percent of residents in the area have left their sewer bills unpaid for an extensive amount of time. This has lead to the only alternative that can be found, raising the rate.

To read this full article by Katie Wright, click HERE.

Commissioners open bids for new project

Three sealed bids for the construction of a new sewer pump station on the north shore of Rocky Fork Lake were opened by the Highland County Board of Commissioners during the board's regular meeting Wednesday.

Bids for the project were received from Downing Construction of Baltimore, Ohio at $166,313.60, Cooper's Excavating of Winchester at $131,750, and Unger Construction of West Union at $122,512.

To read this full article by KATIE WRIGHT, Click Here.

State hearings seek fix to septic systems

On Nov. 14, the state of Ohio will begin a series of legislative study commission hearings on household sewage treatment systems. These hearings are designed to fix the septic system rules created by the Ohio Department of Health almost two years ago.

To read the full letter to the editor, click HERE.

Activity in Ohio's housing market continued to progress at traditional levels during the third quarter. Sales have reached the fifth best ever for the period, according to statistics provided by Ohio's Multiple Listing Services. Statewide sales of new and existing homes during the first nine months of the year are right at 6.9 percent behind sales posted during the period a year ago. The housing market is continuing to progress in Ohio, and will hopefully continue to increase.


To read the full article, click HERE.

Skyrocketing cropland prices shackle some farmers

Average cropland values in the U.S. rose by 13 percent to $2,700 per acre this year, up from $2,390 last year, according to the Department of Agriculture. In Ohio, the price jumped 10.7 percent, to $3,920 an acre.

The increasing value of cropland is being fueled by higher prices for commodities such as soybeans, wheat and corn, which is getting an extra bump by the popularity of the corn-based fuel additive ethanol.

To read this full article, click HERE.

Administration tells Congress it is dealing with rising mortgage foreclosures

The Bush administration assured Congress on Friday that it is aggressively working to deal with a rising tide of mortgage foreclosures in the country. Officials, however, said homeowners threatened with the loss of their homes must do their part by actively seeking help to avert foreclosures.

Many Democrats have been highly critical of the administration’s efforts. They have been contending that they are too dependent on the industry and offer too little in terms of government assistance to stem what could be an estimated 2 million home foreclosures in the coming two years.

For full article, click HERE.

Fed slices key interest rate by a quarter point

The Federal Reserve sliced an important interest rate this past Wednesday, its second reduction in the last six weeks. This was done to help the economy survive the strains of a deepening housing slump that is likely to crimp growth in the coming months.

All but one of the Fed colleagues agreed to lower the federal funds rate by one-quarter percentage point to 4.50 percent at the end of a two-day meeting. The funds rate affects many other interest rates charged to millions of individuals and businesses and is the Fed's most potent tool for influencing economic activity.

To read the full article, click HERE.

Water emergency in Hillsboro continues

There is a phase two water emergency that was declared on Oct. 3 by the city's safety and service director that is still in effect. At this point, any non-essential uses of water is considered unlawful and conservation of water is urged. Noone is allowed to use any excess water consumption such as watering lawns, washing cars, washing sidewalks, etc.

A drilling project was approved by city officials in early October to find additional water that would help lift the emergency situation in the city.

To see the full article, click HERE.