The deadline is to register to vote in the March 15 Presidential Primary Election is Feb. 16.

According to Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, voter registration forms are available at MyOhioVote.com, county board of elections and local libraries. All county boards of elections will be open until 9 p.m. Feb. 16 to accept registration forms.

Voters can start voting on Feb. 17 by in-person and mail-in absentee ballot.

OHIO FIRE DEATHS DOWN – The Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office recently reported that 16 Ohioans died in fires in January, down from 26 in January 2015.

“Our work is not done. Even one fire death is too many,” State Fire Marshal Larry L. Flowers said. “It is imperative that we work together to keep ourselves, our families and our neighbors safe from the hazards of fire.”

ASHLAND CONCERTS SET – The Department of Music at Ashland University presents a low brass instrumental recital and a winter choral concert in the month of February. Both concerts are free and open to the public.

At 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18 in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall, Eileen Navratil, euphonium, and Jaylynn Buchmelter, trombone, present their junior recital accompanied by pianist Susan Gregg.

The winter choral concert featuring three vocal ensembles will be held 4 p.m. Feb. 28 in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel.

CHARLOTTE’S WEB IN MARION – “Charlotte’s Web” will be presented 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19-20 and 2 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Marion Palace Theatre.

Call 740-383-2101 for ticket information.

BLUEBIRD SOCIETY CONFERENCE PLANNED – The Ohio Bluebird Society Annual Conference will be held at 9 a.m. Feb. 20 at the John C. Myers Convocation Center in Ashland University.

Registration forms are available at ohiobluebirdsociety.org.

ASHLAND UNIVERSITY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT SETS SPRING READING SERIES – The Ashland University English Department has scheduled its Spring 2016 Reading Series that will feature a poetry reading by Anna George Meek on Feb. 29, a nonfiction reading by Scott Russell Sanders on April 13 and a fiction reading by Jeffrey Lent on April 20.

The poetry and fiction readings will be held in the Ronk Lecture Hall at the Dwight Schar College of Education. The nonfiction reading will be held in the Hawkins-Conard Student Center Auditorium. All readings will begin at 4 p.m.

2015 LIQUOR SALES EXCEED $1 BILLION – The Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control recently reported that liquor sales set a new record in 2015 with over $1 billion in sales.

“Today’s consumers are seeking quality over quantity and buying more premium priced products than ever before,” said Director Jacqueline T. Williams of the Ohio Department of Commerce. “This practice of ‘trading up’ helped achieve record dollar sales without encouraging increased consumption.”

2015 BREAKS RECORD IN CENTRAL OHIO HOME SALES – Central Ohio saw 29,408 single-family and condominium home sales in 2015, which is a 9.3 percent increase from 2016, which marked the highest year for home sales on record.

“Home prices should continue to rise in 2016 but perhaps at a tempered pace as the market approaches a natural balancing point, said John Royer, 2016 President of Columbus REALTORS. “We anticipate price gains to be more in line with historical norms in 2016.”

UF RANKS HIGH – Nonprofit Colleges Online recently ranked the University of Findlay’s Master of Science in Environmental Safety and Health Management program No. 12 out 35 schools in its “Environmental Science & Sustainability: Students Before Profits Award”

The site indicates that its Students Before Profits Award “was created to promote nonprofit colleges and universities offering online degree programs that put students before profits and education before the bottom line.”

“Though this ranking is primarily concerned with affordability of the programs, many programs here have consistently been ranked among the top of their kind by other national publications and we believe they deserve to be considered among the best online master’s in environmental science programs available,” the site explains.

OHIO STATE ORGANIC FARMING PROGRAM HAS NEW INTERIM DIRECTOR – Doug Doohan, professor in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University, was recently selected interim director of the college’s Organic Food and Farming Education and Research program.

The program conducts studies and outreach on organic farming.

“Doug has an established research and outreach program in weed management and in food safety in fruits and vegetables,” said Dave Benfield, Ohio State’s associate vice president for agricultural administration and director of the college’s Wooster campus, which includes OARDC. “He’s well-qualified to lead our effort in organics.”

Chris Pugh Editor’s Notebook
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2016/02/web1_pughint.jpgChris Pugh Editor’s Notebook

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Pugh is the Group Content Editor for the Galion Inquirer, Bellville Star, Morrow County Sentinel and Knox County Citizen. You can reach him at [email protected] and on Twitter at @pughcivitas.