Upper Township trustees Randy Wise, Craig Thomas and Mike McDaniels are now a bit more equipped to handle the needs of residents with the purchase of a newer backhoe and a tractor.

“Weeds are hard to keep up with, that’s one of the reasons we purchased the new tractor,” said Wise.

The previous tractor was from the 90s and, after an electrical fire, was no longer usable. Weeds and tree limbs were making it difficult for vehicles and buses to reach schools without damage, and the trustees plan to put the new equipment to work before the start of the school year, Wise said.

Upper Township is “better now than it was four years ago,” McDaniels said. They have a new infrared drone program, “so we can find people in the woods. It’s been very successful.”

Also coming up for Upper Township is a fire levy. McDaniels said of the levy, “It’s a renewal, not a new one. It’s an important levy. It can help with fire hydrants, fire hoses, it all goes to the fire department. We have three pumper trucks, a four wheeler and skids. We try to replace them when we can.”

The trustees requested that residents who see an issue with unruly weeds or downed limbs contact them so they can fix the issue. Wise can be reached at 740-646-4920, Thomas at 740-533-3170, and McDaniels at 740-533-1513. The equipment operator is Tony Sites, who can also be reached at 740-532-0076.