Ironton and Coal Grove voters just said "yes."

Ironton's replacement half-mil recreation levy was approved by a slim margin. The final tally was 1,779 votes (58 percent) in favor of the levy, and 1,274 votes (41 percent) against it. That levy will continue funding the city's parks and recreation programs.

"I think it speaks well for Ironton," Ironton Recreation Director Darrell

Fry said. "I'm proud of the city for wanting to continue recreation programs on the basis it's been run."

Fry said he understood that many people who did not have children or did not use the parks and recreation programs may question the importance of the levy.

"Some people may look at such issues these days and ask 'is it necessary?'" Fry said. "I'm glad they decided to keep something positive in the city."

Ironton City Council President Jesse Roberts said he wasn't surprised by the margin.

"It's about what it usually is for the levy," Roberts said. "It's always a hard-fought battle."

In Coal Grove, a replacement street light levy also got the nod from voters.

The one-mill levy is for 5 years, and the final tally was 357 votes for the levy and 182 against it.

Like their counterparts throughout the state, Lawrence County voters overwhelmingly turned their thumbs down on State Issue One, the proposed constitutional amendment that would have changed the way drug offenders are handled within the court system.

Nearly 74 percent of Lawrence County voters rejected the amendment. That amounted to 9,854 votes. Only 3,489 area voters approved of the idea.