Champion

WHAT: Township trustees meeting Tuesday

PRESENT: Doug Emerine, Rex Fee and Rick York

Trustees:

• Set cemetery cleanup for May 5 to 9 with residents needing to remove items they want to keep by May 5. Items can be returned to graves May 10.

• Approved purchasing 1,200 tons of road salt from county engineer’s office.

• Appointed Fee to the Trumbull County water department advisory board.

• Approved the purchase of 3,000 gallons of CTS-2 at a cost not to exceed $8,900 ($2.30 per gallon) from the county engineer’s office for the roads and approved the purchase of 180 tons of limestone at a cost not to exceed $5,850 ($32.50 per ton) from Arms Trucking.

• Were informed the township will receive $2,889 from the national opioid settlement.

• Approved vendors who are registered and have a permit costing $150 to be allowed to go door to door form 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. There is no permit needed for non-profits such as scouting and school groups. Officials said those residents who do not want someone coming to their door need to post signs “No Soliciting” or “No Trespassing.”

• Renewed for one year an agreement with Brightspeed at $259 per month for phones in various township offices.

• Set community garage sale weekend May 22 to 25 with permits waived but registration still required. More information can be found on the township website.

• Approved the Champion high school boys soccer program to use the big and small fields for soccer practice.

— Bob Coupland

Southington

WHAT: Township trustees meeting April 9

PRESENT: Charles Hagman, Cindy Speaker and Dan Tietz

Trustees:

• Reported the township received a Geauga-Trumbull Soil and Water Conservation District drop-off improvement grant with township cleanup day set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 3 by the township garage.

• Reported that construction is set to begin at the township hall in mid-May with various improvements set for the building, including painting.

• Discussed the 2025 summer paving, which includes sections of Anderson Anthony, Geauga Portage Easterly, Doty East, Anna Avenue, Janice Drive, Williams, Willanna and Stroop Hickcox roads.

• Approved purchasing 850 tons of limestone at $34.10 per ton from Soltis and Sons Enterprise, 150 tons of slag at $32.50 per ton from Kuntz Trucking, 21,000 gallons of emulsion at $2.30 per gallon from the county engineer’s office and 450 tons of blacktop at $80.50 per ton from Kuntz Trucking.

• Entered into an agreement with Nationwide First Responder at $2,500, to assist the township with getting grants for a new fire tanker truck.

• Heard from resident Rich Chambers, who asked trustees to consider decorative lighting and wreaths for poles at the township center. He suggested seven poles at the center be used for seasonal greetings and solar lighting. Trustees are reviewing the request.

— Bob Coupland

LaBrae

WHAT: Board of Education meeting Monday

PRESENT: Tim Gibson, Karen Ancell, Bradley Gamlin and Julia Shutt

ABSENT: Russell Sewell

The board:

• Approved Brock Builders at $288,168 for the band shell project. Superintendent Anthony Calderone said the district would have liked to have the band shelter done before the start of the new school year, but tariffs on steel and aluminum products will create a delay.

• Approved the volunteer transfer of teacher Sophia D’Alesio from special education interventionist to first-grade teacher at Bascom Elementary School.

• Approved the Braceville Community Foundation to use the complex auditorium 4 to 8 p.m. May 3 for a documentary reflecting African American community members from the past.

— Bob Coupland

Southington

WHAT: Board of education meeting April 10

PRESENT: Terry Kelly, Megan Gibbs, Steve Gilanyi, Cory Freeman and Betsy Dunn

The board:

• Approved a three-year contract for Troy Beall, high school principal, from Aug. 1, 2024, to July 31, 2027, with a pay increase from $78,850 to $80,825.

• Approved a five-year contract for Paul Pestello, treasurer, from Aug. 1, 2025, to July 31, 2030, with a pay increase from $83,000 to $84,000.

• Set graduation for Class of 2025 for 7 p.m. May 22 in the high school gymnasium.

• Approved a three-year contract with Steve Rudge, a technology coordinator employed with the Trumbull County Educational Service Center, who will split time between Southington and Mathews schools, working 216 days from July 2025 to June 2028.

• Accepted the resignations of Kimberly Spracale, intervention specialist, and Susan Homan, science teacher, at the end of the school year.

• Adopted a new policy recommended by Gov. Mike DeWine that effective for the 2025-26 school year, students will not have access or use of cellphones during the school day. Officials said they now allow the use of cellphones in classrooms for lessons.

— Bob Coupland