News Briefs

Donations accepted
Oregon-Jerusalem Historical Society is accepting gently used or new household items for its annual Rummage Sale.
Drop off donations Mondays from 10 a.m.-noon throughout the month of February at the OJHS Learning & Community Center, 1121 Grasser St., Oregon (behind the church building).
Brandville School Museum continues to be open for group and private tours. Call 419-902-5149 to schedule a tour.

Alumnus of the Year
nominations sought
Northwood High School is seeking nominations for its annual Alumnus of the Year award.
Nominees must have graduated from NHS in or before the spring of 2023. The award recipient will be recognized at the Academic Awards Banquet in May.
Letters of nomination should include the nominee’s name, current address, year of graduation and a description of his/her accomplishments since graduation. These can include, but are not limited to, post-high school education, honors or awards received, employment history and any other relevant information to support the nomination.
Nominations must include the name and address of the person making the nomination and should be sent to Tracey Petteys, Principal, Northwood High School, 600 Lemoyne Rd., Northwood, OH 43619 or to TPetteys@northwoodschools.
The deadline for applications is Friday, March 8.

‘Tuna Does Vegas’
Tim Bolton, of Fremont, and Michael PJ Foos, of Gibsonburg, are reprising their roles from Fremont Community Theatre’s “Greater Tuna” series in “Tuna Does Vegas,” which will be presented Feb. 2-4 and 9-11 at the theater, 1551 Dickinson St., Fremont.
Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets may be reserved online at showtix4u.com, keyword “Fremont.” Tickets are also available at the door.
Bolton and Foos play all 20 loveable and eccentric characters from Tuna, the third-smallest town in Texas. The hilarity begins when oddball-conservative radio host Arles Struvie announces on air that he and his wife, Bertha Bumiller, are heading to Vegas to renew their wedding vows, but everyone in Tuna goes along for the ride.
“Tuna Does Vegas” is written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard. Delilah Foos Lessing is directing the production, assisted by Macy Merrill.

B-C-S plans to
demolish building
The administration of the Benton-Carroll-Salem School District will pursue a grant for the demolition of the Oak Harbor Middle School building.
Superintendent Cathy Bergman informed residents last week of the decision.
“I am writing to inform you of an important decision that has been made regarding Oak Harbor Middle School. After careful consideration and evaluation of various options, it has been determined that pursuing a grant for the demolition of the school is the most viable course of action,” she wrote in a post on the district website. “The decision to demolish the Oak Harbor Middle School stems from concerns regarding the age and condition of the building. Despite efforts to maintain and renovate the facility, it has become apparent that the structural integrity and functionality of the school are compromised. Demolishing the current structure will allow us to address these issues and pave the way for future developments that better serve the needs of our students and community.”
She wrote that safety was a prime factor in the decision.
“We understand that this decision may raise questions and concerns among community members, and we are committed to providing transparency throughout this process. We believe that pursuing a grant for the demolition aligns with our goal of ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community members,” the post says. “In the coming weeks, we will be working diligently to secure funding through grant opportunities. Your support and collaboration are invaluable as we navigate this important endeavor.”
The district recently opened a new intermediate school for grades four through six.
The middle school building, constructed in 1911, is located on Church Street in Oak Harbor.

GOP Lincoln
dinner Feb. 22
The 2024 Lincoln Day Dinner of the Wood County Republican Party will be held Thursday, Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Nazareth Hall in Grand Rapids.
Tickets are $60. The keynote speaker is Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. Tickets are also available for the 5:30 p.m. VIP reception with the lieutenant governor, which includes dinner for $125 each.
Both tickets are available at woodcountyohiogop.org under the “Get Involved” tab.

Injury accident
on Rt. 795
A Walbridge man was injured in a Feb. 2 accident on SR 795 in Perrysburg Township.
Frank Gardull, 68, was driving a 2017 Ford Escape westbound on Route 795 when his vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway where it struck a ditch and two trees.
Gardull was transported from the scene by EMS personnel with life-threatening injuries.
He was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash and impairment is not believed to be a factor, according to the Highway Patrol.
The crash remains under investigation.

Corps issues update on remedial projects

Updates on progress being made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District on Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program projects in the region are highlighted in USACE's recently released annual report.
One of the projects listed in the report is the remediation of the site near the Village of Luckey. In 2023, approximately 37,286 cubic yards of waste were shipped off-site for disposal and about 4 million gallons of wastewater were treated or transported.
The U.S. Department of Energy determined in 1992 the site was eligible for being cleaned up through the FUSRAP after finding it had residual radioactivity, beryllium and lead contamination.
The site was used to process beryllium in the early 1950s and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission sent about 1,000 tons of radioactive scrap metal there for processing magnesium. Although it was never used, the scrap was stored on site. Records also indicate that beryllium scrap – some radioactive - from other AEC operations was sent to Luckey for reprocessing.
Other projects listed in the district’s annual report include:
-Completing the remedial investigation for the Niagara Falls Storage Site Vicinity Property H-Prime in Lewiston, N.Y.
-Signing the record of decision for the Guterl Specialty Steel Site in Lockport, N.Y.
-Completing the acquisition process for the engineered capping contract on the landfill cap for the Seaway Site in Tonawanda, N.Y.
For further information about sites under remediation by the Buffalo District, visit: https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/Mission/Programs/Article/3649839/formerly..., email fusrap@usace.army.mil, or call 800- 833-6390 (option 4).
Information in the FUSRAP Update for Fiscal Year 2023 provides updates for each of the contaminated sites in the United States resulting from work on the nation's early atomic energy program.
The allocation of $400 million for FUSRAP in FY23 was the highest amount received in the history of the program. It was used to fully fund ongoing remedial activities at 13 sites, conduct ongoing investigations at six sites, conduct site closeout activities at one site, and provide government oversight at one site.