Latest news with #Chillicothe
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The Dickey Foundation Donates $10,000 to Chillicothe Fire Department for Forcible Entry Training Door
Foundation leaders, local Dickey's owner, and community members came together to celebrate first responders on July 22, 2025 The Dickey Foundation Donates $10,000 to Chillicothe Fire Department for Forcible Entry Training Door Chillicothe, OH, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Dickey Foundation, the charitable arm of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, visited the Chillicothe Fire Department on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, to present a $10,000 grant for a new Forcible Entry Door at the department's training facility. The grant presentation, held at 54 E Water St, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601, was followed by a barbecue lunch provided by local Dickey's Barbecue Pit owner/operator Shawn Bower. 'Supporting first responders is at the heart of our mission,' said Maurine Dickey, Executive Director of The Dickey Foundation. 'The Chillicothe Fire Department's dedication to safety and training truly inspires us, and we were honored to provide the tools they need to better protect their community.' The Forcible Entry Door will give firefighters a safe, controlled way to practice critical emergency response skills. Christine Reddy and Ranee Champion, who represented The Dickey Foundation during the presentation, spoke with department leaders about how this training equipment will improve readiness for real-world scenarios. 'Our first responders work tirelessly to keep our communities safe,' shared Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. 'Through The Dickey Foundation, we are committed to giving back to those who risk their lives every day. This grant is just one way we can help them stay equipped and prepared.' Roland Dickey, Jr., CEO of Dickey's Capital Group, added: 'Training saves lives. By investing in equipment like this forcible entry door, we're not just providing resources—we're ensuring these brave men and women can respond faster and more effectively when every second counts.' About The Dickey FoundationThe Dickey Foundation, formerly known as Barbecue, Boots & Badges, is the charitable arm of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. Dedicated to supporting first responders across the United States, the Foundation provides essential safety equipment, protective armor, rescue gear, and financial support to enhance the safety and well-being of those who risk their lives to protect their communities. By partnering with local franchisees and communities nationwide, The Dickey Foundation works tirelessly to ensure first responders have the tools and resources they need to keep us all safe. For more information or to get involved, visit About Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, in 1941 by The Dickey Family, Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. is the world's largest barbecue concept and continues as a third-generation family-run business. For over 80 years, Dickey's Barbecue Pit has served millions with its signature Legit. Texas. Barbecue.™ Slow-smoked over hickory wood-burning pits, Dickey's barbecued meats are paired with a variety of southern sides. Committed to authentic barbecue, Dickey's never takes shortcuts—because real barbecue can't be rushed. With over 866 restaurants across eight concepts in the U.S. and several countries, Dickey's Barbecue Franchise and Dickey's Restaurant Brands continues to grow under the leadership of Roland Dickey, Jr., CEO of Dickey's Capital Group, and Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Inc. Dickey's has been recognized on Newsweek's 2022 "America's Favorite Restaurant Chains" list, Nation's Restaurant News 2024 top fast-casual brands for value, and USA Today's 2021 Readers' Choice Awards. The brand has also ranked in the Top 20 of Fast Casual's 'Top 100 Movers and Shakers' for four of the past five years. Additional accolades include Entrepreneur's Top 500 Franchise and Hospitality Technology's Industry Heroes list. The brand has been featured by Fox News, Forbes, Franchise Times, The Wall Street Journal, and People Magazine. For more information, visit For information about becoming a franchise partner, visit Attachment The Dickey Foundation Donates $10,000 to Chillicothe Fire Department for Forcible Entry Training Door CONTACT: Louisa Garrett Dickey's Barbecue Pit lgarrett@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Worst-case scenario:' Without paper mill, toxic underground plume could rise and spread in Chillicothe
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (WCMH) — In 2022, the Ohio EPA described Chillicothe's Pixelle paper mill closing as 'worst-case scenario' in the fight to contain a toxic underground plume. Now, that fear is coming true. The Pixelle paper plant announced its closure in April, and its roughly 800 employees will be laid off when it closes next month. The paper plant has been a physical and economic pillar in Chillicothe since the 19th century, but Ohio EPA documents show it also plays an important role in keeping an underground plume of carcinogens from spreading. Without the plant, Chillicothe and Ohio need to find another solution to keep residents safe. 'We've got a serious problem that's going to have to get addressed one way or another,' said Chillicothe resident Jason Salley, who has independently investigated the effects of the plume and local manufacturing plants for years. 'We can't sweep it under the rug like the community has done, officials, for the last 30 years. Now we've got a crisis on our hands.' Olentangy coach resigns amid investigation into inappropriate text messages The plume was first documented in 1980s. It is part of leftover contamination from cookware manufacturer WearEver Aluminum, which closed in the 1990s and was located near the mill. According to Ohio EPA documents, the WearEver plant left behind dangerous chemicals, including a large toxic plume that lives in Chillicothe's groundwater. Since the 1990s, Ohio EPA documents have shown one crucial protection keeps the plume at bay: the paper mill. According to the Ohio EPA, these toxins include TCE, short for trichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride. The National Institute of Health says both TCE and vinyl chloride can cause cancer and other serious health conditions. As of March, well samples near the plume measured as much as 15 times the recommended maximum contaminant level for TCE and 100 times the maximum level for vinyl chloride. The Ohio EPA has already observed concerns. The paper plant paused its well use for maintenance in the 2000s and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each time the pauses correlated with a spike in TCE concentrations. 'People think the Chillicothe paper plant is immortal, and nobody could ever grasp the fact or the idea that it could go away,' Salley said. Ohio House overrides one budget veto Linda Weavers, an Ohio State University professor and the codirector of the Ohio Water Resources Center, explained the paper mill helps keep the plume in place through a series of wells. According to the Ohio EPA, key paper mill wells used more than 1 billion gallons of water each year. Weavers explained that these wells were constantly pulling down the groundwater levels, keeping the plume from rising to the surface or spreading. 'Essentially, what the Pixelle wells are doing is sort of flushing the contaminated water out of the system,' Weavers said. 'When you stop, the contaminants that are stuck on the soil have more time to interact with the water and release more of the contamination, or what seems like a higher concentration, because it has more time to kind of get to an equilibrium point.' Weavers said groundwater moves slowly, but the plume will migrate without the paper mill containing it. Ohio EPA documents show losing the paper mill even shifts the direction of groundwater flow toward local farms and the Scioto River. If the TCE and other contaminants migrate, they could seep into Chillicothe's soil, get into the air or complicate the city's water systems. Chillicothe's water treatment plant is nearly above the plume's current position. Salley said he's concerned about the issue, which is why he's spent the last five years investigating it and explaining his findings on his site, Ohio Atomic Press. For Salley, it's personal; he said his uncle worked at the WearEver plant and he believes his death is linked to chemical exposure from the site. 'He couldn't go any further than his oxygen tank would let him go,' Salley said. 'So, I watched my hero just fade away. And then afterwards, I started looking through his medical records, seeing a lot of talk of benzene, a lot of different chemicals.' Shot during a robbery, former Ohio State wrestler now facing Pennsylvania gun, drug charges Salley said he's reached out to Chillicothe elected officials multiple times over the past two years about his concerns with the plume, but received no response. NBC4 Investigates also reached out to Chillicothe's water departments, as well as the WearEver plant site's current owners, but also did not hear back. Chillicothe Mayor Luke Feeney did speak with NBC4 Investigates. He said people may be surprised how frequently the city is in contact with the Ohio EPA. He stressed the water is still safe to drink, and residents would be among the first to know if anything changed. 'Nobody has ever tried to find those answers, and it's time we do that,' Salley said. 'The community deserves it. My family deserves it. That's why this fight means so much to me, and why it should mean a lot to the rest of the citizens and residents.' The Ohio EPA, in partnership with the company that owns the former WearEver plant, conducts regular assessments of the plume to make sure it does not migrate somewhere more dangerous. The Ohio EPA has given the WearEver plant owners until Aug. 6 to respond to a request to install new wells. JobsOhio and Pixelle have also entered into an agreement that holds Pixelle responsible for some environmental remediation on the site. Weavers said it's encouraging that the Ohio EPA is looking into it, but warned these situations are hard to fix. 'It should be a lesson that we keep learning as humans, right? You just don't contaminate in the first place, because it's crazy expensive and it never goes away,' Weavers said. The Pixelle plant is scheduled to close by Aug. 10. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Little boy found abandoned at courthouse after desperate parents pleaded with cops to 'take him away'
A Missouri couple has been arrested after they allegedly abandoned their young son at a courthouse alone and pleaded with cops to 'take him away.' Jeremy Lamp, 36, and Jessica Lamp, 31, are accused of leaving their infant son behind at the Livingston County Courthouse in Chillicothe. They allegedly left the young boy with no food, clothes or plan for his care - with police saying they did so 'without remorse and without ensuring proper care.' They've both been charged with child neglect and are expected to appear in court Monday for a bond hearing. Cops say the couple showed up to the courthouse the day before for a routine drug screening with a Missouri Department of Social Services investigator, which was part of an ongoing child welfare case. Jeremy reportedly tested clean but Jessica's mouth swab came back positive for methamphetamine. This led to a social worker recommending a 'safety plan' to protect the child. But instead of cooperating, Jeremy allegedly refused all options - including having Jessica stay away from the home, having him and the baby leave the house or even allowing the child to stay with a relative. 'The investigator explained that due to the drug test coming back positive, she couldn't leave the baby with them,' the Chillicothe Police Department stated in the couple's probable cause affidavits. Officers say the Lamps returned to the courthouse the next day and left their child behind 'without remorse and without ensuring proper care.' 'Jeremy and Jessica then left the courthouse without the child,' police wrote, adding that the boy had been left with no clothes, food or other infant care. The couple was later found at a nearby medical center, where they were arrested. Jeremy allegedly admitted to abandoning the child, saying: 'The way I looked at it was that they were gonna take him anyway.' He also told officers that 'none of the options' the court presented were acceptable, according to his statement. 'Jeremy said that none of the options were viable. He said that Children's Division told him that they would take the child so he left Victim 1 with them,' the probable cause statements read. 'When I questioned him about this he said 'the way I looked at it was that, they were gonna take him anyway.' Both Jeremy and Jessica have prior criminal convictions, including assault and DWI charges for him and child endangerment for her. Authorities say the child is now in the custody of Missouri Children's Division.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
From cleanups to kindness rocks, Serve Day lifts local communities
Over 130 volunteers from Centerpoint Church stepped out of their comfort zones and into their neighborhoods on June 28, spreading kindness and practical help across five Ohio cities. More: $1,500 donation powers science fun for Waverly's Tiny Tigers According to an announcement, Serve Day mobilized 137 volunteers who completed 13 service projects in Chillicothe, Circleville, Washington Court House, Jackson and Waverly. The projects were designed to meet local needs and remind communities that they matter and that Jesus loves them. In Chillicothe's east end, volunteers hosted a block party at Crossway Community Center, a refuge for local kids and families. Under the leadership of Amy Jane Simmons and Debbie Geno, the center provides meals, basic supplies, recovery groups, Bible studies and VBS programs. The block party gave neighbors a reason to stop by, enjoy games and temporary tattoos, share a meal and connect with caring adults. A team of 23 volunteers, ages 2 to 65, made their mark at Yoctangee Park with the 'Kindness Rocks' project. They placed over 100 hand-painted rocks with encouraging words in both hidden and visible spots throughout the park. Colorful sidewalk chalk art and free balloons and bubbles brought smiles to families, according to the announcement. Another team carried out Laundry Love at the Brite and Clean laundromat on Douglas Avenue. Volunteers provided quarters, detergent, softener sheets and goodie bags containing uplifting church flyers. They also helped carry, load and fold clothes for residents of the local homeless shelter who arrived with baskets of laundry. Behind Centerpoint Church, located in Shawnee Square, a dozen volunteers partnered with Joe Letsche and his Clean the Streams organization to clean a homeless camp from trash and debris, which will help the environment and those who temporarily reside at the camps. Other projects included downtown cleanups, care packages for first responders and a Friday evening chalk walk to brighten sidewalks. According to the announcement, each project reflected Centerpoint Church's mission: 'to transform forgotten cities with the love of Jesus.' Leaders praised the volunteers' passion and unity. 'Serve Day isn't about numbers — it's about real connections,' said a church representative. 'We want every city to know they're not forgotten and every person to know they're loved.' This story was created by Jane Imbody, jimbody@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: From laundry to kindness rocks, Serve Day brings joy to Ohio towns
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chillicothe to handle all commercial building reviews and permits
The City of Chillicothe will take over commercial building applications starting July 7. According to an announcement from Chief Building Official Brandon Gill, the City's Building Department will manage all new commercial building services, which include enforcing codes, reviewing plans, inspecting sites, and issuing occupancy permits. Previously, the Ross County Building Department conducted these inspections for a fee. The transition follows City resolution 08-25, passed by the Chillicothe City Council on May 28, which authorized an application to the Ohio Board of Building Standards to create a non-residential building department. This application has been approved. All commercial projects currently under review or inspection by the Ross County Building Department will continue until completion. For further inquiries, contact the Building Department at 740-773-8980 or via email at buildingdept@ This story was created by Jane Imbody, jimbody@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: City of Chillicothe to manage commercial building permits, not county
