Ohio

How do you clean up three acres of trash? One Ohio community’s about to find out

Published

2 years ago

July 2, 2024

How do you clean up three acres of trash? One Ohio community’s about to find out

A southwest Ohio resident’s backyard has been an illegal dumping ground for nearly a decade.

Back in 2016, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency ordered Donald Combs to remove the more than 500,000 cubic yards of scrap waste on his property. But, the Clermont County resident didn’t comply. His case went into lengthy litigation that resulted in prison time and a fine of $1.4 million dollars.

In May, Combs filed for bankruptcy. Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel said that has cleared the way for the state agency and community partners to begin the work of clearing the debris from the Goshen Township dump site.

“We have great regulations and programs in Ohio to make sure that waste is disposed of properly,” Vogel said. “And this is not how it’s done.”

More than an eyesore

Goshen Township, Clermont County Commissioners, the county prosecutor’s office and health department have all spent years attempting to rid the community of the illegal dump site.

Vogel said it’s more than just an eyesore to the community. It could potentially endanger the other residents of Goshen Township.

Ohio Attorney General Office

Trash at Donald Comb’s residence in Goshen Township was piled nearly 20 feet high.

“When you have [trash] just being dumped in the backyard, it attracts rodents. It could leach into the soil and the groundwater if there’s any fuel or something of that nature. It attracts mosquitoes which can become dangerous to the community,” Vogel said.

Especially since the site doesn’t abide by the safety regulations of the EPA. Vogel said there isn’t hazardous material on the property, but the sheer size of the dump site made this case a high priority for the Ohio EPA.

“This is not a backyard where you’re throwing your household waste out. This is about three acres of demolition debris,” Vogel said.

A statewide issue

Clermont County is far from the only place in Ohio that has to deal with illegal dumpers.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recently cleaned up a dump site full of scrap tires in northeast Ohio. And the Ohio Attorney General’s office recently fined a landscape business owner for illegally dumping near the Little Miami River. Vogel said it’s unfortunately a problem that Ohio needs to work to improve.

“Believe it or not, people dump scrap tires into rivers, for some reason, into our most precious natural resource,” Vogel said.

Last year, the Ohio Attorney General launched a campaign called “Shine a Light on Illegal Dumpers” to crack down on these instances. And Vogel said the Ohio EPA has recently launched its own educational campaign to cut down on waste and end illegal dumping.

“For example, an auto repair shop or a tire shop where people might be turning in their scrap tires, teaching those folks how to properly dispose of them so that we don’t create these streams of waste,” Vogel said. “We need to get in front of it because it is a problem in Ohio.”

Vogel said the cleanup of Clermont County’s dump site is a big win for the state – and one that will make a difference for a community long plagued by the trash pile.

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Ohio

Ohio State educators honored for service in classroom and beyond

Published

3 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Press Room

Ohio State educators honored for service in classroom and beyond

The work that educators do every day in teaching and furthering research and innovation is the foundation of The Ohio State University’s land-grant mission, President Ravi V. Bellamkonda said at the university’s annual Faculty Awards Celebration. The event was held May 6 at Vitria on the Square on Ohio State’s Columbus campus.

“The question is, what should we be doing together and what’s the goal for us as we move forward? I’d like to suggest that I would like for all of us to give ourselves the gift of reasonably high expectations of what we can achieve together, and you exemplify this,” Bellamkonda told the honorees.

“I’m optimistic about our future because of what you do in the classroom and the scholarship and the mentoring and the teaching and the community that you have created.”

The celebration shines a light on faculty’s contributions to Ohio State and the citizens that the university serves, Interim Provost Trevor Brown said.

“I want to acknowledge how special all of our faculty are in the work that they do in generating knowledge and sharing that with students and the broader community,” he said. “That is important and essential work.

The Distinguished University Professor appointment, Ohio State’s highest faculty honor, was awarded to: Gail E. Besner, College of Medicine; Shan-Lu Liu, College of Veterinary Medicine; Alan Luo, College of Engineering; Giorgio Rizzoni, College of Engineering; Brent Sohngen, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES); and Claudia Turro, College of Arts and Sciences.

“The title of distinguished university professor is a permanent honorific that includes automatic membership in the president’s and provost’s advisory committee,” said Patrick Louchouarn, senior vice provost for leadership and external engagement.

Three professors were recognized with the President and Provost’s Award for Distinguished Faculty Service: Caroline T. Clark, College of Education and Human Ecology (EHE); Susan E. Cole, College of Arts and Sciences; and John E. Davidson, College of Arts and Sciences.

Ohio State Interim Provost Trevor Brown said faculty’s teaching and research are essential. The Distinguished Scholar Award was presented to six faculty members: Christopher R. Browning, College of Arts and Sciences; David L. Hoffman, College of Arts and Sciences; Christopher Jaroniec, College of Arts and Sciences; Christopher A. Jones, College of Arts and Sciences; Matthew D. Ringel, College of Medicine; and Han-Wei Shen, College of Engineering.

Also recognized were recipients of the Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer and the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching

These honorees “are inducted into the Academy of Teaching and are honored with the academy’s medallion,” said Helen Malone, vice provost for faculty affairs. “Academy of Teaching members wear these distinctive medallions as part of their academic regalia.”

The Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer honorees are:

Christiane Buuck, College of Arts and Sciences.

Alexia Leonard, College of Engineering.

David Matthews, College of Pharmacy.

Calvin Olsen, College of Arts and Sciences.

U.S. Navy Lt. Michael L. Terranova, Naval ROTC.

Jennifer Walters, College of Arts and Sciences.

The Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching honorees are:

Jasmine Abukar, EHE.

Yigit Akin, College of Arts and Sciences.

Dawn Allain, College of Medicine.

Rebecca R. Andridge, College of Public Health.

Amanda Bird, College of Arts and Sciences.

Ellen Klinger, CFAES.

Danielle Schoon, College of Arts and Sciences.

Guramrit Singh, College of Arts and Sciences.

Margaret Sumner, College of Arts and Sciences.

Ryan J. Yoder, College of Arts and Sciences.

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Ohio

Manufacturing history unfolds at North Central Ohio Industrial Museum

Published

15 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Press Room

Manufacturing history unfolds at North Central Ohio Industrial Museum

MANSFIELD ― If you’re interested in manufacturing, you can come and see hundreds of products made in North Central Ohio — including appliances, tires, pumps, Klondike bars, cigars and pieces made for streetcars.

The North Central Ohio Industrial Museum inside the lower east diagonal wing of the historic Ohio State Reformatory showcases the history of manufacturing in Mansfield and surrounding areas.

Location

The Ohio State Reformatory, 100 Reformatory Road, Mansfield.

Why it matters

The museum traces the history of manufacturing in North Central Ohio since the first steam locomotive came through town in 1846. Exhibits highlight the accomplishments of local residents and industry in peace and war, according to NCOIM President Jerry Miller.

What to see

The NCOIM has several themed sections of exhibits, beginning with “Every town had a mill,” then the Cast Iron Age, City of Stoves, Wires & Electric Exhibits, Cigar & Beer, Wheels, AG Industry and Mickey Rupp, which then begins an exhibit on what is currently manufactured in Richland County.

Miller said the late Bob Glasener started the museum and was responsible for saving many local industrial artifacts over the years. Miller said Glasener’s daughter has in her possession the 1939 World’s Fair Westinghouse (gold-plated) roaster, which she donated to the museum.

The museum is full of surprising finds.

Elektro the Westinghouse robot should be on display this summer at the North Central Ohio Industrial Museum after being restored.

A manhole and stormwater grate from 1935 made by the Tappan Stove Co. are among the treasures Miller helped to preserve. He also has the Tappan marquee and a Westinghouse marquee.

Plan your visit

Hours/admission: The museum will be open the same hours as OSR and will be free to tour with the purchase of a ticket to the prison-turned-museum.

Getting there: OSR is on the north side of Mansfield, just off U.S. 30.

Learn more: mrps.org (OSR is operated by the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society).

Contact Lou Whitmire at 419-5-21-7223. She can be reached at X at @lwhitmir.

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