Editor’s note: Following is a month-by-month look back at the top local news stories from 2022 as reported by The Times-Gazette. We wish our readers a Happy New Year.

April

6 – Dennis Overstake, veteran McClain girls basketball coach, was inducted into the District 14 Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. Overstake, a graduate of Whiteoak High School, started coaching the varsity team at McClain in 1991, continuing for 32 years and tallying more than 500 wins with a record of 501-210.

8 – Residents of Hillsboro and the surrounding area reported a “cacophonous, reverberating noisewas been variously described as “terrifying,” “loud” and “alarming.” A spokesperson from the Highland County Sheriff’s Office said it was “assumed” to be to have been a sonic boom from the associated night flying expedition of the 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio National Guard from the Toledo Air National Guard Base in Toledo.

12 – The film series “Grace” was scheduled to be filmed in the Leesburg area in a section of buildings built by Howard Michael Davidson made to look like an old west town. Davidson said that at the time, there were seven buildings in what he called Red Oak Old West Town. He said he decided to build the town after he had heart surgery in 2019 and wanted to do it “before I kick the bucket.”

18 – The first musical in the new Hillsboro High School auditorium was scheduled to be “Willy Wonka” by the HHS Performing Arts. The songs being performed by the group included “The Candy Man”, “Pure Imagination”, “I Want it Now!”, “Oompa Loompa” and “Think Positive.” The musical had a 75-person cast and crew, which included 17 elementary students.

29 – The Area 5 Soil and Water Conservation District had its annual Envirothon at Tar Hollow State Park in Laurelville, with the event designed to “stimulate, reinforce and enhance interest in the environment and natural resources among high school students.” At the event, the Lynchburg-Clay Gold Team placed first and the McClain FFA team placed fourth, meaning both were eligible to move on to the state competition later in June at Lake Erie College.

May

4 – Rumble in the Hills was announced to be returning to Rocky Fork State Park alongside a two-day car show, the Sassafras Music Festival, other attractions and a fireworks show on July 30 and 31. The return of the weekend of events came after a two-year break due to the pandemic, with the move to the final weekend of July due to wanting to get away from scheduling conflicts with the Greene Countrie Towne Festival in Greenfield.

5 – Southern State Community College (SSCC) Theatre announced its performance schedule for its 17th season. The two performances of the year were announced to be “Steel Magnolias” from Nov. 4-6 and “Moonlight and Magnolias” from April 14-16, 2023. Both of the productions were scheduled to be held in the Edward K. Daniels Auditorium at SSCC in Hillsboro.

10 – The State Controlling Board announced the approval for the release of $2.3 million to the city of Hillsboro for “roadwork improvements” that would be in support of the new Marshalls store project, according to state Rep. Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro). The news release said the roadwork would be the extension of Roberts Lane to connect Fenner Avenue, S.R. 73, Te Mar Way and Fairground Road.

12 – The Highland County Board of Commissioners announced the approval of nine American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) projects the county would be moving forward on. Those projects included administration costs, mobile hot spots at the library, Rocky Fork Lake Sewer parts, Rolling Acres wastewater treatment plant and a Rainsboro sewer line extension.

27 – Highland District Hospital announced that Eddy Maillot was named the new vice president of operations as well as the chief operating officer for the hospital. The submitted news release said that Maillot had more than 20 years of “hands-on, rural health care experience.” He started working as a physical therapist, managing the therapy center of Whitman Hospital and Medical Center in Colfax, Washington, and then moved to Appalachian Regional Healthcare System in Boone, North Carolina, as the senior director of clinical service lines.

June

2 – Horizon announced that it planned to expand the company’s “regional state-of-the-art fiber-optic network” to residents and businesses in Hillsboro. The program to bring fiber optic to the area, called Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH), was announced to be bringing almost 42 miles of new fiber to the area, which would give 2,840 homes and businesses access to the technology.

16 – Gas prices continued to jump, this time going up 15 cents nationally compared to the week prior, which brought the national average to $5.01 per gallon, the highest national average since AAA started recording that data in 2000. Ohio’s average price per gallon was $5.045 at the time, with Hillsboro’s lowest price per gallon at $4.89.

16 – The Highland County Board of Commissioners announced that the bid for a new dog pound on North Shore Drive was awarded to Wilson Buildings for $1,289,547. Jeff Duncan, president of the board of commissioners, said the original bids came in “somewhat higher” than the board anticipated, but the architects said that was because of the cost of materials.

18 – The Highland Area Rural Transportation System (HARTS) announced at a meeting that it planned to expand its services. FRS Transportation Director Damon Lucas said that the organization’s application for the year, which usually would include Adams and Highland counties, had Brown County included as well.

29 – The Hillsboro Burger King was evacuated following emergency responders detecting “a smell of gas and high carbon monoxide levels.” Lt. Branden Jackman, public information officer for Paint Creek, said the district was dispatched to the location at 8:05 p.m. because of a possible gas leak and that, when they arrived, the firefighters found a smell of gas, most likely natural gas, inside as well as high carbon monoxide levels.

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.