The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) today authorized AEP-Ohio to begin collection of fuel costs incurred from 2009-2011.

Highland County Women’s Hall of Fame committee members Sue Smith, Debbie Rhude and Cathy Jones met with Commissioners Jeremy Shaffer, Shane Wilkin and Tom Horst Wednesday and announced that 2012 inductees are: Jeannie Snapp, Kathy Levo, Margaret Victoria Moomaw-Cooper-Dieringer (dec.) and Sue Ludwick Smith.

U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), lead Republican on the Senate Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, has filed an amendment to S. 3414, the Cybersecurity bill, that orders the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to comply with the bipartisan oversight request sent by Portman and Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) in February concerning spending on public relations and advertising.

On July 31 at approximately 3:30 p.m., the Hillsboro Police Department received a call to respond to Fifth Third Bank in reference to a woman being robbed.

The Festival of the Bells Committee would like to thank the following buyers of items sold at the annual auction held on Saturday evening of the festival.

New Life Church and Ministries will continue the fight against hunger at Liberty Park on Aug. 25 at 4:30 p.m.

Adena Health System is pleased to welcome Dana Esham, M.D. to Adena ENT and Allergy. Dr. Esham is providing a wide range of allergy and immunology treatments and services to patients of all ages.

The following is the Hillsboro Police Report for July 26-29.

The Budget Control Act (BCA), enacted in August of 2011, requires across-the-board spending reductions of $984 billion to be distributed evenly over nine years, or $109.3 billion per year, due to the failure of the Supercommittee process. Under sequestration, each year $54.7 billion in reductions will be necessary to both defense and non-defense categories. The defense sequester cuts are in addition to $487 billion in defense cuts over 10 years that were put in place last year after the BCA took effect.

Michael P. Pell of West Union has been appointed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich to the Southern State Community College Board of Trustees for a term beginning July 27, 2012, and ending May 11, 2018.

Portman, R-Terrace Park, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, running a campaign that focused on common-sense conservative ideas to help create jobs and get the deficit under control. He won 82 of Ohio's 88 counties, including more than 72 percent of the vote in Highland County.

The following is the Hillsboro Police Report for July 25-26.

Brown County resident Paul Hall has been re-appointed to the Southern State Community College Board of Trustees by Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

There is nothing you need to do unless you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, or are elderly.

After months of debate but little real negotiation, Hillsboro City Council voted 4-2 to reject the plan to join the Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District during a special meeting Wednesday evening at the Highland County Justice Center.