First Street to reopen Monday; Campbell Avenue will close again

IRONTON — First Street in downtown Ironton is scheduled to reopen next week after its closure as part of the Ironton-Russell Bridge replacement project.

Contractors for the Ohio Department of Transportation have scheduled closures of First Street and Campbell Avenue in downtown Ironton in order to erect girders for the Ohio approach. The crews are toggling the closures as they move from site to site.

Currently, First Street is set to reopen Monday and Campbell Avenue will be closed. This closure is anticipated to be in effect for two weeks; however, progression of this phase of the project is contingent upon the weather. While either street is closed, motorists will be detoured locally in downtown.

Brayman Construction Corporation of Saxonburg, Pa., was awarded a contract for approximately $81.3 million to build a new Ohio River crossing between Ironton and Russell, Ky.

 

Leadership Tri-State announces honorees

SOUTH POINT — Leadership Tri-State will have its annual Community Service Award luncheon at noon Thursday, March 27, in the Riffe Center Mains Rotunda at Ohio University Southern.

Tickets are $125 for individuals with tables of eight available for $1,000. Sponsorship opportunities are also available starting at $2,000. Proceeds from the luncheon benefit future Leadership Tri-State programs.

Tickets can be purchased by contacting Sharon Walker, executive director, at 740-523-0443.

This year’s honorees will be Bob and Billie Smith. Bob served as the director of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce for four years, during which the chamber doubled its membership and presented several successful fundraising events.

Bob also led the bicentennial fundraising campaign for Ohio University Southern, which raised nearly $5 million. He is the past president and current vicepresident of the Chesapeake-Proctorville-Rome Lions Club.

Billie is the co-founder of Operation Tidy-up Lawrence County (TLC), a litter awareness program in eastern Lawrence County, which cleans up 8 to 12 miles of roadway three times a year. Operation TLC also provides landscaping, signage and seasonal decorations in Chesapeake and Proctorville.

The Community Service Award was first awarded in 1997 by Leadership Tri-State to recognize men and women in the Tri-State region who demonstrate the qualities of leadership in community service. Past honorees include John and Donna Hall, Bill Dingus, Mike Perry, Marshall Reynolds, Dr. Charles Rhodes, Guy Spriggs, Drs. Joseph and Omayma Touma, Ralph Kline, Jim and Vicki Cantrell and Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Kopp.

Created in 1989, Leadership Tri-State is a non-profit, community educational program to develop the talents, tap the energies and harness the resources of our region’s future leaders. Participants are selected from a pool of nominees from Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. Leadership Tri-State is a fund of the Foundation for the Tri-State Community.