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Volume 55, No. 20
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CHESTERLAND NEWS Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Your Community Newspaper Since 1967 CHESTER TOWNSHIP
Shaw to Hand Off Fire Chief Role in 2025 Nagy Tapped for Succession By Brian Doering brian@karlovecmedia.com When William Shaw took over as Chester Township Fire Department chief in February 2022, he knew it would not be a longterm role. A previous Nagy fire chief in Willoughby and Solon, Shaw brought over 36 years of experience to the township when he was brought on as interim fire chief in 2021. In an interview Feb. 8, Shaw said the decision to groom a new chief was made when he was hired. “I was very clear in the interview See Nagy • Page 4
Russell Trustees Ban Adult Use Cannabis Operators By Allison Wilson editor@karlovecmedia.com Following discussion at two prior meetings, Russell Township Trustees officially voted to ban adult use cannabis operators at their Feb. 15 meeting. Trustees Kristina Port and Matt Rambo attended informative sessions about the ongoing changes to legislation around marijuana while at the Ohio Township Association meeting in Columbus. Port described one session as “contradictory.” “What I learned is, nobody has any idea how this is gonna work,” Rambo said. Port said while they can pass a resolution now, changes to legislation may cause complications down the line. “We can do a resolution today. However, it may be subject to change depending on whatever the law changes to,” she said. Rambo also noted township resolutions do not override state laws. “When the state does issue licenses, they don’t care what your lo-
cal resolutions say,” he said. “If they issue a license and you’ve already told them that you can’t have an operation here, it doesn’t matter. Their license trumps our resolution.” The vague wording of the resolution also came into question. “That’s another problem I have with this resolution, is that it says ‘adult use cannabis operators,’” Rambo said. “That’s a fake term. It doesn’t say sales, it doesn’t say manufacturing, it doesn’t say processing … it just says ‘operators.’ Operators is not a defined term.” Despite the discontent, the resolution passed unanimously. Fiscal Officer Karen Walder also noted some upcoming technology upgrades to the current administrative building, the community building and the recycling center. These include the admin building getting security camera replacements; the recycling center getting both cameras and license plate readers; and camera placements for the community building, as well as data drops and wireless access ports. Walder described two phases
to the project. “The first phase is really getting the cameras in the current admin building converted over and getting the new cameras’ server that will support all of the cameras for the admin building, for the new building and for the recycling,” she said. “So, our phase two would be the security cameras for inside and outside the new building, and the new security cameras and license plate readers for the recycling area.” The cameras will be in color and will have zoom capabilities. As the new cameras have an extended range, replacement of the old cameras may not be one to one, she said. Cost estimates are still up in the air, but Walder hopes to have firm numbers by the March 7 trustees meeting. Walder added they have been looking at electronic access control for the new building and admin center, which could be used to limit access to a building when somebody has it rented, or tell which employee accessed a facility at what time.
West Geauga Wrestling Takes 1st Place
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West Geauga Wrestling took 1st place Feb. 24 at their D2 Sectional tournament hosted by Akron’s St. Vincent St. Mary High School. There were 11 West Geauga wrestlers who qualified for districts: Nick Kreischer 113lb 3rd; Caden Kaleal 120lb 3rd; Zander Joltin 126lb 2nd; Danny Sizler 138lb 4th; Austin Wheatley 144lb 3rd; Ethan Bartlett 150lb 2nd; Brian Denamen 157lb 1st; Quinten Artino 165lb 2nd; Gradi Zerokata 175lb 4th; Blake Welker 215lb 2nd; Maveric Milnar 285lb 3rd.
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