Cinergy to pay $24,828 OEPA fine

MOSCOW - Cinergy Corp. will pay a $24,828 fine to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for violating solid waste regulations at its Clermont County landfill.

The W.H. Zimmer landfill, at 1781 U.S. 52 in Moscow, is operated by Cinergy to handle waste generated at the Zimmer electric power plant. The waste consists of fly ash and gypsum, which hardens like cement in the landfill.

Cinergy was fined for putting about 127,000 cubic yards of waste in the landfill beyond the permitted limit.

Cinergy must also remove the waste or get a modification to their permit to allow more waste.

More Spanish training requested for deputies

LEBANON - Warren County commissioners will discuss today a sheriff's office request for additional Spanish training.

Commissioners held off earlier this week on approving the $300 request to send two employees to a three-day seminar, questioning whether there is any in-house training in place.

Commissioner Mike Kilburn argued that short seminars were "the wrong way to go."

"If I wanna go to France, I would feel obligated to train myself to know French to go over there. The folks that are coming here, they don't obligate themselves to feel like they should speak English," Kilburn said at Tuesday's meeting. "English is our language. ... I expect people who come to my country to speak my language."

Clermont library grand opening Sunday

NEW RICHMOND - The Clermont County Public Library will hold a grand opening celebration from 2-5 p.m. Sunday at the new home of the Harold F. Flannery New Richmond Branch Library, at 103 River Valley Boulevard. The event will feature student artwork from New Richmond schools, entertainment by local musicians and refreshments.

As part of the celebration, the library will offer a week-long amnesty for fines on all overdue materials. Customers can return late items from March 14-20 to any of the 10 Clermont County Public Library branches and pay no fines. Information: 732-2736.

Mason OK's $3.1M work on water plant

MASON - In a last-minute addition to this week's meeting, city council approved a $3.1 million contract for electrical work to the new water reclamation plant.

The contract was awarded to ESI, which was the lowest bidder. But City Council members asked City Manager Scot Lahrmernot to sign the contract until they have looked over the details.

A couple of council members, mainly Steve Osborne, criticized the fact that they did not get the information about the contract until after 9 p.m., more than two hours into the meeting. Lahrmer said he did not know that ESI would not guarantee their bid for a longer time until just hours before the meeting