“We just want to let people know that the facility is open and you can start coming in, and those programs all kick back in — mainly your food assistance, your rent, utilities, those things like that, which are greatly needed in the community — those are back out and open, and we’re ready to help out with that,” said Operations Manager Paul Downing.
Lima City Schools will accept a grant to assist with the purchase of 4 electric school buses. The district was selected to receive a $1.4 million EPA Clean School Bus Grant to cover the little over $1.7 million total price tag. In addition to the 4 new electric school buses, the purchase will come with the needed electrical infrastructure and charging stations. District administrators say this is a step toward going greener while also being economically savvy.
Many community members voiced strong concerns Monday night about a major proposed rate increase to their natural gas bills. The strong oppositions were voiced against Enbridge Gas Ohio, formerly Dominion Energy, and their plans to increase natural gas rates. According to the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, "Enbridge Gas Ohio is asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for a 30% hike in what it charges consumers for natural gas distribution service." Inside Lima Senior, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio held a formal public hearing where several community members shared their concerns.
Daylight savings ends Sunday at 2 a.m. so we get another extra hour of sleep. But along with turning our clocks back an hour, the Ohio State Fire Marshal wants us to take a minute to test and check our smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. When you check your devices, look for the manufacturing date. Any alarms that were made in 2012 or earlier should be replaced to keep up with the 10 year timeline and double-check the batteries too. The fire marshal's office says that having smoke alarms working and up to date cuts the risk of dying in a house fire in half.
Allen County Sheriff Matt Treglia talked about how recent inflation has impacted his force as well as the county jail, pointing to struggles in making sure there is enough food for inmates, as well as gas for police cruisers that travel all around the county.
Lima Rotarians heard from Cenovus' chief sustainability officer and senior vice president today. Rhona DelFrari says the Lima refinery is a critical component of the Canadian-based company. The Lima facility produces gas, diesel, and jet fuel and supplies 25% of the gas used in Ohio. They are also a part of the United States defense supply chain. DelFrari acknowledges less oil being used in the future with the battery-powered vehicle trend growing, but the need for oil-based products isn't going anywhere.
Senator Rob Portman says the COVID stimulus package created so much demand when supply was down, creating the situation that we are facing right now. Inflation is currently at 9.1% and has affected just about every economic sector. Portman says when he talks to Ohioans, the first thing that they are concerned about is the rising cost of daily living. To correct this, he says the United States needs to stop stimulus spending and do better in opening up supplies, including energy.
We're all looking for ways to save on gas money right now, and the Allen County Regional Transit Authority is encouraging area drivers to dump…
