by Canaan Araujo — Public officials and residents gathered in Ashland Monday morning to mark the groundbreaking of the wastewater treatment facility expansion is set to increase its treatment capacity from 600,000 gallons per day to 1.6 million gallons according to a press release by city officials City Administrator Kyle Michel emphasized the importance of the facility to the community "Every customer here has wastewater services at their home This planned expansion has allowed it to continue to be the case..." said Michel "If we can't provide water and sewer service so this is kind of a foundational block of the basics of what we do here in the city of Ashland." Ashland's Mayor Dorise Slinker delivered the opening speech at the ceremony highlighting the long-term benefits of the expansion So this will meet its needs in the future for 20 years plus," said Slinker which will serve Ashland's population of over 5,000 people is expected to be completed in 12 to 18 months A Chemung County man was indicted on 23 counts — including 19 felonies — following accusations he sexually assaulted several minor females over a period of years the Chemung County Sheriff's Office charged Warren F and said additional charges were anticipated A female juvenile advised a school resource officer from the sheriff's office civil/community services division that she and other females were being sexually assaulted by Morrison and had been over a number of years Morrison was arrested following an investigation by the sheriff's office criminal investigation division in conjunction with Chemung County Child Protective Services and the Chemung County Child Advocacy Center a Chemung County grand jury indicted Morrison on one count of predatory sexual assault one count of first-degree criminal sex act and one count of second-degree criminal sex act Public safety 2 women charged with felonies following police raid on residence in Village of Horseheads He was also indicted on three counts of forcible touching and one count of second-degree sexual abuse The indictments allege Morrison engaged in sexual contact with several individuals younger than age 17 Morrison remains incarcerated at the Chemung County Jail pending further court action Follow Jeff Murray on X (Twitter) @SGJeffMurray To get unlimited access to the latest news please subscribe or activate your digital account today Members of various tribes gathered in Ashland on Sunday to acknowledge and remember murdered and missing indigenous women and relatives This was the 2nd year they held this event Attendees of the event say it allows them to come together and pray for the missing and murdered as well as their families One of the participants pointed out that indigenous women are murdered and go missing 10 times more than any other race and that tribal jurisdiction and legalities increase the difficulties of bringing them home a Marginalized communities advocate of the New Day advocacy center spoke on why they want the community to acknowledge those who are missing or were murdered “We really want our government and those people to know that the database is way behind There are so many of our people that are missing and they’re not in the database,” Linda said “They’re like they’re forgotten And we want to bring awareness about that and move forward.” Other participants say an easy way someone can show their support and spread awareness is by hanging a red dress on their porch or in their yard. More info on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives can be found on U.S. Department of Interior website or Native Hope Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public file should contact Vicki Kaping at vkaping@wdio.com or (218) 727-6864 Explore the scenic oasis of Morgan Falls/St This area represents a large block of unfragmented forest a 70 foot waterfall and a breathtaking overlook at the top of St Peter’s Dome (known locally as Old Baldy) which has an excellent view of Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands 5000 acres) of uninterrupted forest is rich in geological and botanical diversity The site contains several plant communities including northern hardwood sedge meadow and wet- and dry-mesic conifer forests Peters Dome/Morgan Falls is an excellent site for viewing ferns including the rare Braun’s hollyfern (Polystichum braunii) and fragrant woodfern (Dryopteris fragrans) and the beautiful northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) There are also large patches of hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and Canada yew (Taxus canadensis) regeneration This area is wonderful for viewing of spring wildflowers including large-flowered trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) violets and Dutchman’s-breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) Other common plants include trout lily (Erythronium americanum) blue-bead lily (Clintonia borealis) and baneberry (Actaea sp.) Viewing Information: The trail to Morgan Falls (1.2 miles round trip) was reconstructed in 2002 to make it accessible for people with disabilities The trail is gravel and the slopes are fairly flat Care should be taken to stay on the trail and off the cliffs and vegetation in and on the way to the falls Peter’s Dome (3.6 miles round trip) is fairly rugged with quite a bit of exposed rocks in the trail and steep climb Signs of past human enterprises can be seen along the way: the old CCC Camp at the trail’s onset and remnants of an old stone quarry further up the trail The trek to the dome’s crest is well worth the effort The panoramic view of the Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior Cap off your Waterfall Adventure with fantastic dining, unique shopping and great places to stay in Ashland. Click here to plan your stay in Ashland. Click here for a brochure on waterfalls within 60 miles of Ashland. man was seriously injured in Mohican Township when the Freightliner truck and trailer he was driving rolled over and struck a culvert and road signs Sunday evening The man was extricated from the vehicle and transported to Ashland Samaritan Hospital and later taken to Ohio Health Medical Center according to a news release from the Ashland Post of the State Highway Patrol when the truck traveled off of the north side of the eastbound travel lanes which notes the truck came to rest in the westbound travel lanes of Route 30 and the center median Route 30 westbound travel lanes between state Route 89 and Township Road 405 were closed for about 4 1/2 hours The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted on-scene by the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office Ashland County Emergency Management Agency Aber’s Towing & Crane Service of Ashland and Hook-N-Haul Recovery Repair Towing & Transport of Litchfield held at 8am at the facility site located at 850 Richardson Drive signaled the start of construction on a project that will more than double the facility’s treatment capacity—from 600k gallons per day to 1.6 million gallons per day The expansion is designed to alleviate current capacity constraints and ensure the city’s wastewater system remains reliable and compliant with state permitting requirements constructed between 2017 and 2019 and formally opened in 2020 the system routinely treats more than 575k gallons of wastewater daily and frequently exceeds 600k gallons during heavy rainfall events With continued residential and commercial growth city officials determined that prompt action was necessary the City pursued financing through the Missouri Department of Conservation’s State Revolving Fund (SRF) which offers subsidized interest rates and grants to offset project costs and reduce the burden on local ratepayers a bond referendum required for SRF financing was rejected by voters in February 2024 Ashland pivoted to a design-build contract with engineering firm Bartlett & West and moved forward with an alternative funding strategy the Board of Aldermen approved a guaranteed maximum price of $22.75 million for the project Construction is expected to continue through mid-2026 with full project closeout projected by May 2027 Ashland has enlisted municipal advisor PFM to evaluate and adjust utility rates and are expected to increase annually as needed Visit the city’s website for periodic project updates Ohio – Commencement speeches aren’t always memorable but Matt Miller ’99 delivered one on Saturday to this year’s Ashland University graduates that they will likely take something from for years to come Addressing the nearly 1,200 graduates—574 bachelor’s degrees 237 master’s degrees and nine doctorate degrees were conferred—Miller recalled that he really “didn’t remember much … or who the speaker was” from his own AU graduation a quarter century ago in his eighth year as the mayor of the city of Ashland took Saturday’s opportunity inside the Niss Athletic Center where attendees stayed dry from the steady rain as an honor to offer some memorable and practical advice He first referenced the book “The Magic of Thinking Big” and noted that “if you’re ever given the chance to speak make sure you say something that matters.” Miller accomplished that goal by introducing and detailing “Mayor Matt’s Principles for Better Living:” it was AU President Jon Parrish Peede who struck a thankful tone the families and other supporters in attendance who first came to Ashland to be “challenged intellectually supported spiritually … and found excellence in (themselves).” offered his congratulations and shared some reflections from his successful career “People who do (something) really well love what they do and they love the people they’re doing it with on a daily basis,” he said after recently retiring from a 45-year career working with a variety of clients as a CPA they are in the constant pursuit of excellence … Thirdly in a manner that they would want to be treated Speaking on behalf of the AU Class of 2025 was Madalynn Aumend a middle grades education major from Ashland She noted that everyone’s AU experience was uniquely different “based on the trajectory of our lives,” and similarly she added that “our journeys after college will be unique to each of us as well.” While that makes it challenging to offer broad-based advice she came up with one very astute observation “Don’t get so caught up in the progress of others that you forget the successes you have made along the road having just completed an entire degree … remember the pride you feel in this moment and carry it with you,” said Aumend “Remember that success isn’t always immediate just as gratification isn’t always instant Live your life like you want to and stop comparing yourself and your progress to others.” As co-valedictorian of the Fall 2024 graduates Aumend was one of six students recognized individually were co-valedictorians of the Spring 2025 graduates was the other valedictorian from Fall 2024 an exercise science major from Circleville were the salutatorians from Spring 2025 and Fall 2024 As AU graduates look to apply Miller’s principles for better living they can do so knowing they have the support of a loyal group of alumni that is now more than 55,000 strong A private university located in the heart of Ohio Ashland University values and encourages student individuality We provide a personalized educational experience that is as unique as you are An Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Institution Kentucky State Police are investigating after a man was fatally shot by police during a standoff in Boyd County (WCHS) — Kentucky State Police are investigating after a man was fatally shot by police during a standoff in Boyd County Tuesday following a standoff on Blackburn Avenue in Ashland with a man who police sought in a trespassing and burglary investigation according to a news release from Kentucky State Police Ashland police said they spotted the man armed with a shotgun near a church Despite efforts to get the man to surrender police said the situation escalated and resulted in the man being fatally shot The Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team was requested by the Ashland Police Department to investigate the shooting Vote now for the candidates in the Ashland Times-Gazette Athlete of the Week poll The performances in the poll are from April 28-May 3 Below are some of the top performances from this past week: More: Vote now for the Ashland County Athlete of the Week for April 21-26 In Black River's 5-2 road win vs versus Columbia on Monday Dean earned the win as the starting pitcher as he pitched all seven innings three hits and walked five on 123 total pitches At the Josh Olin Night Invitational on Friday Pauley won both the shot put (39-02) and discus (112-00) events Smith was a double winner at the Josh Olin Night Invitational on Friday Smith won both the 100-meter hurdles (16.25) and 300-meter hurdles (47.42) while also finishing third in the 200 meters (27.50) In Northwestern's 20-7 home win against Chippewa on Wednesday McLaughlin had a game-high four RBIs on one hit while also placing third in the 800 meters (2:03.25) at the Josh Olin Night Invitational on Friday (LEX 18) — The Kentucky State Police say that one person is dead following an officer-involved shooting involving the Ashland Police Department and an armed man that occurred on Tuesday night on Blackburn Avenue in Boyd County a man who was armed with a shotgun was "fatally wounded" after a standoff and efforts to negotiate a peaceful surrender near a church on Blackburn Avenue The release says that the Ashland police Special Response Team was activated during the incident It began when the Ashland Police Department was dispatched to a trespassing and burglary complaint at a home involving a man who reportedly had a gun The man fled the scene before police arrived but while escorting the person who reported the incident to safety KSP says that no officers were injured during the incident Report a typo Ashland took a star turn in late April as the Independent Film Festival returned in full force lighting up the Varsity Theatre with indie gems from around the globe The crown jewel? The Oregon premiere of I Know Catherine, The Log Lady Coulson — the legendary Twin Peaks enigma and longtime Oregon Shakespeare Festival icon — whose spirit seemed to flicker from every frame and corner of the theater during its showings “It was one of the hits of the festival,” said Gary Kout ultimately selling out all four showings.” “Being able to screen the film and giving Chris Lucas the Lee Fuchsmann Local Filmmaker Award was an emotional highlight of the festival,” Kout said “Chris is a beloved member of the AIFF community He’s also an integral part of the nationally recognized Digital Cinema program at SOU [Southern Oregon University].” Nicole Gullixson presented the award to Lucas “It was a beautiful full-circle moment that no one will forget,” Kout said Gullixson says one of the most powerful takeaways from this year’s festival was the mounting anticipation as the festival neared “We originally had planned to host just three filmmakers,” she said “our award winners and the creator of our opening night film That ripple effect sparked a beautiful momentum She credits advance news coverage with helping to spark excitement for AIFF’s return to a spring festival “We’re incredibly grateful to the local and regional press who helped us share the spirit of this year’s festival,” Gullixson said “especially in a moment when the arts feel more vital than ever and our generous underwriting partnership with JPR Kout says attendance expectations were exceeded The board sensed that there might still be some hesitation in the community about whether the festival could achieve pre-pandemic attendance levels “We’re doing it with a small team and a limited budget,” he said we have a lot of work to do until we are at pre-pandemic levels but we’re feeling good about getting there.” expressing thanks for the community’s support and we truly hope it felt that way to everyone who was a part of it,” she said AIFF co-director of programming Aura Johnson felt a palpable sense of community connection at the festival “It was incredibly affirming to me that so many patrons expressed that they were not just moved by our films but that they also learned new things and felt inspired and motivated by them,” she said “I’m thrilled to see our audiences coming back together.” Kout says the community’s response confirms to him that AIFF is on the right track There was an upbeat vibe at last year’s festival as well but this spring’s iteration was the first big in-person festival since 2019 “Our long-time attendees were delighted to once again be in packed theaters,” Kout said “And our first-time attendees were excited to find a new space for discovery and community.” but that a lot of younger people were attending a trend the board hopes to build upon without losing its strong base “and we have more work to do on that point.” Board member Carina Kolodny agrees with Kout’s analysis “Seeing so many first-time festival goers walk through the doors was so satisfying,” she said “It’s always a joy to welcome back our longtime attendees many of whom treated this like a homecoming But what moved me most was the number of new faces.” Kout attributes some of those new faces in part to an influx of new residents moving to Ashland and the Rogue Valley since the pandemic For some of the films exhibited at the festival Kout believes several of them will go on to make a big impact beyond AIFF will make big impacts wherever they go,” Kout said should have successful festival runs and delight audiences everywhere.”  Audiences engaged film talkbacks enthusiastically we can make them feel intimate and personal,” Kout said “It was definitely a great use for the space.”  The AIFF team is optimistic about the festival’s future and has already begun planning for next year’s 25th anniversary But this year felt like a true turning point it’s the first time it feels like we’ve cracked a few codes.” She’s especially buoyed by the growth of AIFF’s “Friends of the Fest” program “It’s already bringing in new energy and fresh audiences Those who wish to support the festival with tax-deductible donations or underwriting can do so by visiting the AIFF website, ashlandfilm.org “We encourage businesses to reach out to us early about sponsorship opportunities,” Kout said “We’re also talking about bringing back memberships.” With a legacy built on bold storytelling and a future aimed at innovation AIFF’s 25th anniversary won’t be just a celebration — it will be a springboard into a new era of independent film for the Ashland festival This story was first published by ashland.news on Friday Freelance writer Jim Flint is a retired Washington state newspaper editor and publisher now living in Southern Oregon Email *Your email address will not be published Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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If you prefer to make a comment privately, fill out our feedback form Also this week: the 1960 B-movie "College Confidential" on Blu-ray The Portland artist and author will be at Powell’s Books on May 10 followed by visits to Cloud and Leaf in Manzanita Also this month: Amanda Knox tells her story with Stillman in attendance for a post-film discussion and Q&A The METRICH Enforcement Unit is touting the success of its Prescription Drug Take Back event April 26 law enforcement agencies in the 10-county task force region collected over 1,402 pounds of unused or expired prescription medication the Mansfield Police Department collected 16 pounds the Richland County Sheriff’s Office gathered 25 pounds the Shelby Police Department collected 18 pounds the Lexington Police Department gathered 42 pounds and the Plymouth Police Department collected 4 pounds Ashland County saw significant participation with the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office collecting 180 pounds the Bucyrus Police Department collected 35 pounds the Galion Police Department gathered 51 pounds and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office collected 63 pounds Marion County reported a total of 209 pounds collected by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Marion Police Department The event was part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Take Back Initiative Various law enforcement agencies collaborated to ensure community participation The METRICH region's success highlights the importance of proper medication disposal to prevent misuse and promote public health This story was created by Jane Imbody, jimbody@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/ Ranken Technical College is a well known trade school in the St. Louis area, but not so much in Central Missouri. Name and educational opportunity recognition is growing through, with both public and private partners and thanks to a workforce development campus in Ashland Ranken recently celebrated its first year in Ashland through a retrospective with the Tribune the former chief operations officer for Columbia Public Schools Gooch was about 10 days into the job when speaking with the Tribune on April 23 including carpentry and building construction mechanical automation and information technology About 20 students came from area high schools Having this more central location also led to business partnerships with Danuser Hitachi Energy and University of Missouri MU Research Reactor Growing Ranken's name recognition and what it offers has included going to Build my Future events meeting with local homebuilders associations having a booth at Anchor Fest in Centralia another piece of what Ranken does is getting our name out with employers as well," she said adding this includes provided specialized training to people who already are in a career Ranken provides a basis of technical education who had attended classes at the Columbia Area Career Center in high school 'Well there are times when it's review and it builds upon a foundation but also then I found there are some holes of the industry that were not covered.' He said 'I really value that.' It's good to have that confidence and foundation "It's no indictment on the career center at all They have a limited amount of time in those programs and they do a great job you can spend larger chunks of time and go that much deeper." Most of the students at Ranken already were hired in positions are are in the middle of internships so activity on the Ashland campus is light at the moment relating a story of a site visit by Ranken President Don Pohl "(He wondered) where are all the students," she said The reason Ranken decided to open a Central Missouri location in Ashland was down to a community request and need "Employers were begging for more technical education closer to them and the same thing happened in Ashland," she said Employers shared skills gaps employees had This included through those entering the workforce or those already in the workforce For those who come to Ranken asking the college to establish a new location "They prove to us there is a skills-gap need they need us to come in and fill but also some type of assistance to get us out there at first to get established especially for locations that don't know much about Ranken," Bruegemann said adding Ranken graduates tend to stick close to a home-base campus by having campus locations in other locales it means those graduates are available for hire by industry and employers near those other campuses is mobile and is visiting the Ranken campuses outside of St is about three days a week here in Ashland and then the remainder divided up between those two other campuses," he said adding he has toured the main campus in St Louis as well and hopes to get back soon to learn even more A big part of Gooch's responsibilities are making connections with employers and schools we want to build that enrollment and a big piece of that here in Ashland The quality of technical education that has legs directly connected to business and industry," he said Ranken is working toward dual-enrollment agreements with school districts That is likely to start with Southern Boone School District in Ashland and then expand from there Ranken also hosts a variety of events throughout the year Shadow-a-Tech for prospective students and others More: After years of planning, Ranken Technical College opens Workforce Development Center Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD-CDT on Bluesky. Subscribe to support vital local journalism John Brown covers the neighborhoods of West Omaha and Gretna He cares about showing the great things happening in our community while working to address issues (KMTV) — Ashland neighbor Dan Johnson has been playing golf for years Quarry Oaks Golf Club is one of his favorite courses it's known as one of the best public courses in the region but it's just that much better now," he said General Manager Joe Sutter said every single tee box as well as a new irrigation system put into place "There's a lot of golf courses in the state this is just a little bit different than the others," said Sutter The clubhouse upgrades include a bar and lounge area as Ashland sees a boom of new restaurants and businesses he says 80% of tee-times are sold out until the end of the year "It really doesn't feel like you're in Nebraska because there's really not a flat piece of ground out here It's kind of an un-Nebraska like piece of property That's what people love about it so much," he said he'll be here a lot more as the weather continues to warm up "Ashland is blessed with four great courses but this is the creme da la creme of all of those four," he said Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage. 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