2002 Marion County Fair Officially Kicks Off
The 2002 Marion County Fair officially opened on Monday, July 1, at 9 am with patriotic music and a demonstration from members of a 4-H group which works on dog agility training. The members put their dogs through a course much like the ones seen on television.

While many people were just beginning their day, 4-H members were already hard at work, including those who are presenting pigs. Baths and pictures were the order of the morning. At left is Tiffany King with her two pigs.

For a complete schedule, visit the Marion County Fairgrounds website here. Daily admission for the fair is $7 for anyone 36 months old and over and includes rides and most grandstand events. You can also purchase passes for $18. Passes include fair admittance and parking, but does not include rides. A ride stamp will have to be purchased separately.

Weekend Travelers On Rt. 23 Detoured Through Delaware
Travelers headed south on Route 23 were forced to take a detour through Delaware on Saturday, June 29. A water main break caused the unexpected delay.

The congestion was located along a 2-mile stretch of Rt. 23 just north of Delaware as workers tried to repair a broken 16-inch waterline. The break was discovered about 9 pm on Thursday, June 27, in the northbound lanes of Rt. 23, just north of Panhandle Road.

Southbound lanes were closed and traffic rerouted at Hills Miller Road and then back through Delaware to Rt. 23. Northbound traffic was reduced to one lane. Backups of up to a mile in either direction were frequent along Rt. 23.

Ohio State Marion Honors Alumnus For Service
The Ohio State University at Marion honored one of its own in alumnus Larry Cline with the 2002 Ralph Howard Service award at the university's recent academic recognition ceremony.

The Ohio State University at Marion Campus Honors Program accepts nominations for the Ralph Howard Service Award annually. The award is presented to a member of the community or an organization that has contributed to the development of academic programs and the Honors Program, and has made a significant impact on the quality of education at the Marion Campus.

Cline attended Ohio State at Marion from 1966 to 1968 and graduated from Ohio State University in 1970. He was nominated and recognized for his exemplary role in promoting academic excellence at the University. Click here to read more of this story from our sister site Marion Online.

A story in the AP says, Barry Levey, a former Republican senator from Middletown, recalled that the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program had wide support from law-enforcement officials, educators and politicians when he added the money to a tough new drunken driving law.

"You had police going into schools; it was hard to quarrel with it," Levey told The Columbus Dispatch for a story Sunday. "While not perfect, it was about the best thing we had going out there."

DARE has come under fire in recent years after national studies questioned its effectiveness. Levey said a Middletown charity for which he serves as a trustee is questioning whether to keep providing support for local DARE programs. Click here to read more of this story from the AP.

Sending Mail Has Become More Expensive
The price of mailing a First-Class Mail letter increased 3 cents on June 30, from 34 to 37 cents - about 45 cents a month for the average household. New 37-cent First-Class Mail stamps are available now. A new 3-cent "Star" stamp is also available, to add to 34-cent stamps customers may still have on hand.

If you don't want to leave your home or office, you can go online to The Postal Store at usps.com to order stamps. The Postal Store is selling special rate-change combo packs containing both 37-cent and 3-cent stamps and a handy rate card. You can also order stamps by phone by calling 1-800-STAMP24.

Complete rate information is available by clicking here.

Bucyrus Church To Hold Freedom Celebration
On July 6th, the First Alliance Church on Hopley Avenue will be celebrating freedom at 6:30 pm on the church lawn.