Crime numbers went down in 2024 in the city of Lima, and the police chief sat down with us to talk about keeping the trend going. Lima Police Chief Jim Baker says that his department is looking at a 24% decrease in overall crime numbers in 2024. There is some data that needs to be added for December, but Chief Baker says he is glad to continue the downward trend in crime that the department had in 2023. And he attributes the lower numbers to several different areas. Technology has been a big benefit, especially with the FLOCK camera systems; they have recovered more stolen vehicles and issued warrants. The PACE team has been working hard in the community, and they are also seeing benefits to the West Central Ohio Crime Task Force, which some Lima Police Officers are part of.

August 4, 2024, Press Release from the Ohio State Fair: COLUMBUS –Enthusiasm for Ohio youth and agriculture during the 2024 Ohio State Fair Sale of Champions livestock auction. Caps were met and exceeded at the Sale on Sunday in the WCOL Celeste Center, with a grand total in sales of $260,500. More than $134,000 will fund the Virgil L. Strickler Youth Reserve Program to continue supporting Ohio youth in agriculture and beyond.

The Putnam County Fair publicly unveiled its new event center at Monday's opening ceremonies. Thanks to funding awarded by the Putnam County Commissioners from the American Rescue Plan Act, the fairgrounds have been able to rebuild and combine their former junior fair and merchants buildings into one new event center. The new structure, which was completed in just ten months, brings major quality-of-life improvements for fairgoers, exhibitors, and vendors, and it creates a new way to bring even more money into the fairgrounds.