Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued March 22 at 5:43PM EDT until March 23 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 73 IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
IN INDIANA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 8 COUNTIES
IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA
FAYETTE UNION WAYNE
IN SOUTHEAST INDIANA
DEARBORN FRANKLIN OHIO RIPLEY SWITZERLAND
IN KENTUCKY THIS WATCH INCLUDES 3 COUNTIES
IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY
BOONE CAMPBELL KENTON
IN OHIO THIS WATCH INCLUDES 32 COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL OHIO
DELAWARE FAIRFIELD FAYETTE FRANKLIN HOCKING LICKING MADISON PICKAWAY UNION
IN SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO
ADAMS HIGHLAND PIKE ROSS SCIOTO
IN SOUTHWEST OHIO
BROWN BUTLER CLERMONT CLINTON HAMILTON WARREN
IN WEST CENTRAL OHIO
AUGLAIZE CHAMPAIGN CLARK DARKE GREENE HARDIN LOGAN MERCER MIAMI MONTGOMERY PREBLE SHELBY
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ABERDEEN, ADA, ALEXANDRIA, AURORA, BATESVILLE, BEAVERCREEK, BELLEFONTAINE, BELLEVUE, BLANCHESTER, BRIGHT, BROOKVILLE, BURLINGTON, CAMDEN, CELINA, CHILLICOTHE, CIRCLEVILLE, COLDWATER, CONNERSVILLE, COVINGTON, DAY HEIGHTS, DAYTON, DELAWARE, DILLSBORO, DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI, DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, DOWNTOWN DAYTON, EATON, ERLANGER, FAIRBORN, FAIRFIELD, FLORENCE, FORT THOMAS, FRANKLIN, GEORGETOWN, GREENDALE, GREENFIELD, GREENVILLE, HAMILTON, HIDDEN VALLEY, HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, HILLSBORO, INDEPENDENCE, KENTON, KETTERING, LANCASTER, LANDEN, LAWRENCEBURG, LEBANON, LIBERTY, LOGAN, LONDON, MANCHESTER, MARYSVILLE, MASON, MIDDLETOWN, MILAN, MILFORD, MINSTER, MOUNT CARMEL, MOUNT ORAB, MOUNT REPOSE, MULBERRY, NEW BREMEN, NEWARK, NEWPORT, OAKBROOK, OSGOOD, OXFORD, PEEBLES, PICKERINGTON, PIKE LAKE, PIKETON, PIQUA, PLAIN CITY, PORTSMOUTH, RICHMOND, RIPLEY, RISING SUN, SEAMAN, SIDNEY, SPRINGBORO, SPRINGFIELD, ST. MARYS, SUMMERSIDE, TIPP CITY, TROY, URBANA, VERSAILLES, VEVAY, WAPAKONETA, WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, WAVERLY, WEST COLLEGE CORNER, WEST JEFFERSON, WEST UNION, WHEELERSBURG, WILMINGTON, WINCHESTER, WITHAMSVILLE, AND XENIA.

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

EQIP funds up this year

By Nancy Allen

Eighteen applicants from Mercer County were approved for a total of $329,000 from the USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for fiscal year 2008, about $100,000 more than last year.

The nationwide voluntary program, reauthorized in the 2002 Farm Bill, has been around since 1997. It offers financial and technical assistance to install or implement structural and management practices on farmland that protect the environment from pollution.

As usual, the county received more applications than were able to be funded, said district conservationist Jim Will, who handles Mercer County requests for EQIP funds.

"We could have used about $500,000 more for all the project requests we had," Will said. "We had a total of 34 applications that totaled $823,000."

Will said the county received more funding this year because it got EQIP money other counties did not use. Any unused EQIP funds are spread around to counties who need them, he said. Last year Mercer County was allocated $193,000 in EQIP funds that funded 12 applications. A total of 34 applications were received.

Applicant funding this year ranges from a low of $250 to pay for a dairy grazing management plan to a high of $170,000 to one farmer for three projects - roofing on a dairy feedlot, an above ground manure storage structure with a roof and an in-ground storage structure to capture milkhouse wastewater and feedlot runoff.

As usual, manure storage structures accounted for the largest amount of EQIP dollars approved, only because they are so expensive, Will said, ranging between $40,000 to $180,000 each.

The largest number of applications were for Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs) for confined animal feeding operations, because they all were automatically funded this year, Will said.

Producers will not receive the EQIP funds until the practice is completed. They must have the project started within 12 months of being approved for funds, he said.

Will said he is confident there will be funding for EQIP in the next Farm Bill, a final version of which is being hammered out in conference committee between the House and the Senate, Will said. However, there is no way to tell how much, he said.

The EQIP program offers contracts with a minimum term of one year after implementation to a maximum term of 10 years. Contracts provide incentive payments to eligible applicants to install conservation practices.

Archive of January 15th, 2008

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Additional online story on this date

Petitioners: Semis block Coldwater street accessibility

COLDWATER - Residents living in the 300 and 400 blocks of East Vine Street have signed a petition requesting village officials correct a traffic nightmare involving semitrailers arriving and leaving the abutting Basic Grain Company. [More]

Subscriber and paid stories on this date

Fort Recovery schools to spend over $100,000 on computers, technology

FORT RECOVERY - The board of education again has earmarked $100,000 for the school district's technology department, an investment Superintendent David Riel believes is an integral part of Fort Recovery's curriculum.

Schools have no verified acts of bullying to report

MARIA STEIN - Marion Local Schools took the first step Monday night toward satisfying an anti-bullying policy by formally submitting the first semi-annual written report.

Coldwater looking good financially

COLDWATER - The village of Coldwater is chugging along in the black, a very good black, a pleased Mayor Vern Stammen told councilors Monday evening in his state of the village report.

Resident criticized city over collection method

ST. MARYS - A resident has declared the city's method of collection of past due utility charges "ludicrous."

At Monday night's council meeting, Ric

Two empty council seats filled

ST. HENRY - Village council members appointed a former council member and a newcomer on Monday evening, as two seats were open at the first meeting of the year.

State names elementary a school of distinction

Jeff Monnin elected president of board

MINSTER - Minster Elementary School has been named one of 96 schools of distinction by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE).

Minster Local Schools Superintendent Gayl Ray made the announcement during the Monday night board of education meeting.

Bulldogs hammered on the road

Compiled by Ryan Hines

Celina's nearly two-hour trip started out well, but it finished horribly wrong.

The Bulldogs traveled to Hilliard Darby High School on Monday night for a makeup game and led early on, but the Panthers dominated play in the middle two quarters for a 64-31 victory.

Former local stars are shining at collegiate level

Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry

A number of area basketball players battled it out on Saturday as Capital came to Ada to face Ohio Northern in Ohio Athletic Conference play at the ONU Sports Center.