Marysville National Guard unit ships out for duty. How many bald eagles are in Union County?
Give us a few moments and we'll serve up what matters on Monday, July 7, 2025
In this edition, sponsored by Weeks Plumbing:
Local guard unit ships out for overseas assignment
How many bald eagles are in Union County?
MEVSD’s treasurer continues to watch budget vetoes with caution
How much water are we consuming in Marysville?
And gas is cheaper anywhere but here…..again.
But first, a word from our sponsor
Celebrating 30 years of serving Marysville and Union County!
Scott and Loretta Weeks started Weeks Plumbing on Labor Day weekend in 1994.
They are celebrating our 30 years of serving Marysville and the Union County area this year!
Over the years, the company has grown, and what started as a residential new construction plumbing company has branched into a diverse group handling:
Residential new construction, remodel, and service
Commercial new construction, remodel, and service.
Got leaks? Call Weeks!!
937-642-7723
Reminder: US 42 resurfacing starts this week
The Ohio Department of Transportation will begin a resurfacing project of US 42 in Union County this week.
The project is slated to start on Tuesday. The game plan is to resurface the road from SR 745 to US 33.
Northbound traffic on US 42 will remain open throughout the project.
Southbound traffic will be detoured from SR 257 to US 36 to US 33.
The project is expected to be completed by this fall.
Local National Guard unit ships out
Above: Local guard units rolls out of town for deployment on Sunday
Family and local residents paid tribute to a local National Guard unit on Sunday.
The local soldiers gathered at the Performing Arts Hall at Marysville High School and then boarded a bus to depart for their assignment.
Roughly 40 soldiers assigned to Battery C of the 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment of the Ohio National Guard were officially activated and deployed to the U.S CentCom (Central Command) area of responsibility.
The unit will be supporting Operation Inherent Resolve to contain ISIS forces that remain in Iraq and Syria. 🫡
According to Military.com:
“The unit deploys the Avenger Weapon System, a short-range mobile air defense system. Mounted on a high-mobility, multipurpose wheeled vehicle, the Avenger can operate in extreme weather conditions. Its infrared system, computer, communications equipment, and laser range finder locate targets in daylight and at night.”
Volunteers step up to help shelter pets chill during fireworks
Above: Volunteers keep shelter pets chill during fireworks Saturday (Source: Humane Society Facebook page)
53 volunteers showed up Saturday night at the Union County Humane Society to help keep shelter pets calm during the Marysville fireworks.
The strategy was to read to the shelter pets and keep their focus off the noise from the fireworks at the nearby Union County Fairgrounds.
“There was one point where I walked through the kennel full of readers and dogs and into the lobby - it was louder with people having quiet conversations in the lobby than it was in the kennel,” wrote Audra Davis-Matson, the media director for the shelter.
”Man, did it work!”
How many bald eagles are in Union County?
Sticking with the patriotic theme, bald eagles continue to make a strong comeback in the state of Ohio, including in Union County.
20 years ago, the national mascot was virtually extinct, with the Ohio Division of Wildlife taking measures to help the species not only survive but thrive.
Man, did it work! ☝️
The Division of Wildlife recently reported that there are 964 confirmed eagle nests in the state.
Ottawa County, by far, has more bald eagle nests than any other county, with 112 eagle nests reported.
Here in Union County, we have at least 15 bald eagle nests, including at least one along the Jim Simmons Trail, where two eagles have been viewed nesting.
Above: Bald eagle nest along the Jim Simmons trail earlier this spring (Source: Katie G. on MPITK)
In neighboring counties, Delaware and Marion have 15 nests each. Logan County has 12. Madison and Franklin each have 6 nests. And Champaign County has 3.
The eagle population is stronger north of I-70. For instance, Gallia County, along the Ohio River, has only 1 eagle nest. Meigs County has zero nests.
School district treasurer wary of veto override votes
Governor Mike DeWine recently announced laser-focused line-item vetoes on the new $90.4 million state budget that spared the Marysville Exempted Village School District from financial pain.
“We aren't out of the woods yet.” - MEVSD Treasurer Todd Johnson
One of the line items would have revised calculations for the 20-mill floor. That’s the minimum state-required millage for Ohio school districts. As written into the bill, it would have created a financial hit on the MEVSD financial books, roughly to the tune of the emergency levy funds approved by voters in the May election.
Advocates for the change pushed for it in the name of property tax reform.
But DeWine disagreed, instead calling for a task force to address property tax reform:
“The DeWine-Tressel Administration recognizes the great need for property tax reform in Ohio and will convene a working group that will include legislators, agency officials, school officials, community members, and property tax experts to ensure this critical topic is given the attention it deserves. Therefore, a veto of this item is in the public interest.”
It was one of 67 line-item vetoes the Governor issued in signing the budget into law late on June 30.
Marysville school district treasurer Todd Johnson says, despite the veto from the Governor, he and other treasurers around the state know the battle isn’t over yet.
“The vetoes are great news for the district and public education in general, however, we aren't out of the woods yet as there has already been discussion of attempting to override the vetoes and there are other pending bills out there that could have a negative effect,” Mr. Johnson wrote in an email.
“We will be keeping a close eye on these issues, but a major relief that the governor stepped up for schools.”
The budget passed with 59 votes in support in the Ohio House. 60 votes would be needed to override a line-item veto. 20 votes are required in the Ohio Senate.
So, it comes down to whether or not State House Republicans can find ONE VOTE in the Ohio House to override the 20-mill calculation provision between now and the end of the year.
City water use in May
City residents consumed 10.68 million gallons of water in the month of May. That’s about 345,000 gallons of water a day for all consumers, residential and commercial.
At the height of our recent heat wave in June, City Service director Jeremy Hoyt had reported that peak flows were just under 5 million gallons a day, which is 40% higher than average usage.
A few years ago, that might have created a problem. But with the new city water treatment plant online, the capacity is well within the limits of the new plant on Raymond Road.
The City logged a record 13,378 water customers in May.
Gas prices coming down, but still cheaper elsewhere
Gas prices began coming down as the 4th of July holiday weekend ended Sunday afternoon.
Walmart was selling regular gas for $2.87. The Marathon on Allenby Drive was at $2.94. And Hall’s Filling Station was at $2.99.
Everywhere else in town was still above $3 per gallon.
The state 7-day average was down to $2.84 according to Gasbuddy.com.
The cheapest gas in the state was being sold for $2.29 at several stations in the Toledo area.
It was selling for $2.39 at a Sheetz on West Broad Street in Columbus.
Thanks for reading Marysville Matters!
We hope you had a fantastic holiday weekend.
Our household enjoyed the 4th of July parade on Friday, the municipal pool on Saturday, and the overall downtime that accompanies the holiday. That includes porch time, sunshine, and fireworks.
If you had told me last summer that I would be publishing a daily newsletter with 4,000 subscribers and thousands more viewing the content every day, I’d call you crazy. Over the weekend, I ran into several who expressed their appreciation for the work. The encouraging words are always appreciated.
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Have a great Monday!
-Joe C.
In a story about Statehouse matters, it would be beneficial to include what our representative and senator say or voted.