Southern State Community College President Emeritus Dr. Larry Dukes and his wife, Gale, helped to usher in the 2010 holiday season Saturday, Nov. 27 by serving as this year's grand marshal for the annual Christmas parade.

Debbie Gulley, director of Long Term Care Programs at the Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. (AAA7), was recently recognized at the state level by the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging (o4a) for her significant contributions to Ohio’s Aging Network.

Ohio Governor-elect John Kasich has selected state Sen. Steve Buehrer to be the new administrator of the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. Buehrer has been in the Ohio Senate since 2007. He previously served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1999 to 2006.

Air Force Airman Christopher S. Smith graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

Young hunters across Ohio again enjoyed success during the seventh annual Youth Deer-Gun Season, held Saturday and Sunday, November 20-21, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife. Hunters, aged 17 and under, harvested 9,024 deer during the special two-day season, as compared to 9,331 last year.

Thousands of residents in southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky experienced power outages on Thanksgiving. Several AEP Ohio customers in southern Highland County and northern Adams County were without electricity from 7 p.m. Thanksgiving until after 3 a.m. Friday, Nov. 26. Many of these homes were in the Fairfax and Belfast areas.

Steve Haag (second from right) of Jerry Haag Motors, North High Street in Hillsboro, recently presented a $2,000 donation to the Highland County 4-H Extension Fund.

Strickland:"By making strategic decisions, we have laid the foundation for a reinvigorated middle class and long-term economic progress in Ohio. We made meaningful reforms in our schools, improving teacher training and our students' critical thinking skills, to unleash the transformative power of education. We established and invested in the University System of Ohio to propel the creative power of innovation. And we invested in high-growth industries and established a competitive tax structure to develop a more business-friendly environment. It's clear that Ohio is poised for growth."

The Highland Marshal’s Office is currently investigating the theft of an outside central air conditioning unit from the village community center. This incident occurred approximately two weeks ago. Since then, another theft from the park has been reported to the Highland Marshal’s Office. Sometime within the past week, someone has begun disassembling the metal bleachers located at the ball field and removing the seats.

Exterior repair work is under way this week on the Highland County Courthouse.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has commuted the death sentence of convicted killer Sidney Cornwell. On Monday, Nov. 15, Strickland spared the life of the murderer, who was due to be executed on Tuesday, Nov.16.

"We suggest that the taxes be increased by one cent per month for 25 months – a total of 25 cents over a three-year period," the senators said. “This proposal will fix the transportation program’s major fiscal challenges. It will remove the approaching need for further General Fund transfers to the Highway Trust Fund, will provide additional deficit reduction, will supply essential investment for transportation infrastructure, and will create more than 750,000 jobs.”

A southern Ohio soldier from Scioto County has died while serving in Afghanistan, The Columbus Dispatch reported. According to the Dispatch, Army Cpl. Shawn D. Fannin, 32, of Wheelersburg, died Friday, Nov. 12 in Mazar-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan in a “noncombat related incident.” No further details regarding that incident were available.