(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine made the following appointments on March 7:
Allen W. Behnke of Lima (Allen Co.) has been reappointed to the State Emergency Response Commission for a term beginning March 7, 2025, and ending January 13, 2027.
Kathryn Wolfe Farmer of Bluffton (Allen Co.) has been reappointed to the Ohio AMBER Alert Advisory Committee for a term beginning March 7, 2025, and ending February 6, 2027.
Ohio State Highway Patrol looks to reduce fatal crashes
COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Highway Patrol will continue being highly visible on roadways across the state in an effort to reduce the number of fatal crashes. In addition, troopers are urging motorists to practice safe driving habits, such as using available safety belts, never driving while impaired and always following traffic laws.
March 1 is the start of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. Allen County Board of Development Disabilities has announced:
We will be celebrating all month long. Our theme this year is "Step by Step: From Vision to Reality," which is a continuation of 2024's theme that focused on the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grant, accessibility and inclusion. Look for the billboards, connect on social media or find other ways to learn more about developmental disabilities during March.
On the morning of March 5, 2025, Allen County EMA will be conducting its annual exercise. Due to the exercise, there will be an increased amount of vehicles, to include some first responder vehicles at the Allen County EMA facility. The exercise is expected to last the majority of the morning.
LIMA — The Lima-Allen County Regional Planning Commission (LACRPC) has announced that Rebecca Phillips is its new executive director. The vote was made official in a special board meeting with the organization’s executive committee on Feb. 20. Phillips’ new role became effective immediately following the vote.
LACRPC is also the administrator for the newly designated West Central Ohio Rural Planning Organization (WORPO), which came to fruition in December 2024. “With our service area expanding from Allen County to now include seven additional counties because of WORPO, I want to ensure we continue to meet the needs of all of our stakeholders,” Phillips explained. “We have a lot of projects coming up, so I’m looking forward to sharing and discussing them with the community.”
COLUMBUS, Ohio– The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Forestry is urging Ohioans to follow the state’s outdoor burning regulations and to take precautions if they plan to burn debris this spring. Ohio law dictates that most outdoor burning is prohibited in unincorporated areas from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. March through May.
“Each spring, wildfires ignite in Ohio due to careless trash and debris burning,” said ODNR Division of Forestry Chief Dan Balser. “If Ohioans follow safe burning practices and obey regulations, they can help prevent wildfires.”
