Ritter's Run Apartments developer seeks additional $140,000 in federal funds:

https://www.richlandsource.com/news/ritters-run-apartments-developer-seeks-additional-140-000-in-federal-funds/article_32590f22-0028-11ec-a629-df6db1926099.html

Open Source: Where did the fountain on Mulberry and Springmill come from?:

https://www.richlandsource.com/open_source/open-source-where-did-the-fountain-on-mulberry-and-springmill-come-from/article_826cafe6-2f3b-11eb-98b8-57461c0bda61.html

Lexington Blueberry Festival starts Thursday:

https://www.richlandsource.com/life_and_culture/lexington-blueberry-festival-starts-thursday/article_cae5a6d8-ff6a-11eb-8c58-fbf08f9a788c.html

Knox Public Health to offer 3rd dose of COVID-19 vaccine:

https://www.knoxpages.com/news/knox-public-health-to-offer-3rd-dose-of-covid-19-vaccine/article_662cd376-002b-11ec-aa3a-f7c2ccff8db3.html

Anna May Crosby:

https://www.richlandsource.com/obituaries/anna-may-crosby/article_7c60e262-0054-11ec-a436-f72b0dce044f.html

You're listening to Source Daily. Join us Monday through Friday to stay up to date with what's happening in North Central Ohio. We’ll be sharing a closer look at one of our top stories, along with other news, local history, memorials, answers to your questions, and more. 

Today - The Ritter's Run Apartments is a project to provide affordable housing for 55-and-older residents. And they hope to receive an additional $140,000 in federal money.

On Tuesday, the Mansfield City Council heard a request for the funds from the city's pool of Home Investment Partnership dollars. The funding is available through the U.S. Housing and Urban Development agency.

The project is being built by a partnership led by the Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging.

So what’s the timeline? There was a "virtual" groundbreaking for the project in March, but actual construction has not yet begun.

Duana Patton, Agency CEO, said the property will have 12 units, consisting of six one-bedroom and six two-bedroom units.

The apartments will be handicapped-accessible and pet-friendly. And each unit will also have a covered front porch.

The Richland County Land Bank, City of Mansfield, Mechanics Bank and PRAXIA-Partners are also working on the project. 

And Joe Recchie, founder of Praxia Partners, told City Council that the "scope" of the project has expanded to include an adjoining house that was damaged in a fire and needs to be demolished.

He explained that they plan to change the grade of the hill, thus improving the drainage, and accommodating the storm-water detention that’s required. 

In addition, Recchie noted that construction costs have increased because of shortages. And that’s also led the group to expand its loan from Mechanics, raising the total price tag of the expanded project by a total of $300,000.  

This is the first project in the Area Agency on Aging’s nine-county service area where the owner is also the developer.

Patton has said the agency has had a vision for many years to build homes and create a place where individuals can have programs and support.

City Council is expected to vote on the request on Sept. 21. And if it's approved, it would be sent to HUD for review.

To learn more about this story, and find out what else you may have missed at this week’s City Council meeting visit us at richlandsource.com

Before we continue… I’d like to take a moment to highlight The Source Member Program. Memberships support daily reporting and research-driven solutions stories. Real world impact happens regularly in the form of community discussions and events. 

We believe you deserve to be confident in your community’s news. So Visit SourceMembers.com to join.

Now, some local history…

Did you know that the Richland County Museum had a former life? In 1850, it first started as a schoolhouse, and then fifty years later became Grange Hall. In 1965, it became the Richland County Museum, and walking through the exhibits there is like traveling through time to visit the different eras of local history since the old schoolhouse was built.

The museum, at 51 West Church Street in Lexington is dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the history of Richland County. Check out their website at richlandcountymuseum.org for hours and times you can visit.

Next, we’re answering a question from our readers and listeners like you...

Today’s question was wondering about how the new waterfall across the street from Friendly House came to be. 

On the corner of Mulberry and Springmill Streets sits a miniature waterfall and a grassy patch that would be a perfect spot for a picnic.

According to Friendly House Assistant Director, Greg Mead, The charming water feature is part of a beautification process that has been in the works for years and began with the installation of a new, 42-spot parking lot.

The funds for the project came from an anonymous donor. While Mead could not be sure about the exact cost of the project, he estimated that it was in the “hundreds of thousands” of dollars.

The Friendly House was established in 1913 and has operated at its present site since 1949. The non-profit organization provides affordable afterschool and summer programs, summer camps, a tutoring program, preschool and daycare and a youth basketball league.

Is there something you’ve always wondered about Richland County that you’d like us to investigate? Check out richlandsource.com and click “Talk to Us”. Here, you can ask us anything and we’ll go out and find the answers. 

Now, we’d like to take a moment to highlight a few events this weekend:

In addition to the Blueberry festival in Lexington we mentioned yesterday, there’s a free kids carnival at Black Fork Commons in Shelby starting at 11am on Saturday.  There will be games, ice cream, crafts, food, and much more.

Also on Saturday, the Mansfield Motorcycle Club is hosting their annual Poker Run and Corn Roast. Held at 3593 Cookton Grange Road in Mansfield, Gates open at 3:30pm and proceeds will go to benefit the Richland County Humane Society. Have fun and be safe!

Next, From Knox Pages…

In accordance with guidelines from the CDC and the Ohio Department of Health, Knox Public Health is already beginning to schedule appointments for a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

A third dose of vaccine is now available for people who meet certain medical criteria and have already received two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. And this third dose must be from the same manufacturer as the first and second doses.

Right now, Knox Public Health only has Pfizer vaccine on hand. To schedule an appointment for the third dose, call 740-399-8008. KPH expects to have the Moderna vaccine available late next week.

So who’s eligible? 

Individuals undergoing active treatment for cancer. 

Those who have received a solid-organ transplant and are taking immunosuppressive therapy.

People with moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency.

Individuals with advanced or untreated HIV infection. 

You can get the full list of eligibility requirements by reading our story on knoxpages.com. If you do know you’re eligible you can schedule an appointment by calling 740-399-8008. They also expect to have the Moderna vaccine available late next week.

Finally, we’d like to take a moment to remember Anna May Crosby of Galion.

Anna was born in Springfield in 1932 and attended North Central Technical College graduating with an associates degree in engineering. Anna was employed at the United Telephone Company for thirty two years. After retirement, Anna worked for Meijer and H & R Block. She was a people person and never met a stranger. Anna loved music, enjoyed square dancing, loved to skate and judged competitions. You could often find Anna curled up with a good book and loved the challenge of puzzle books.

Anna leaves behind her 5 children, twenty three grandchildren, thirty three great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren.

Thank you for taking a moment with us today to remember and celebrate Anna’s life. 

Thanks for listening, join us again tomorrow!

Also, make sure to head over to richlandsource.com and click be a member button to help support independent local journalism that informs and inspires. 

Every contribution goes to helping us make Richland County a better place and to help keep our journalism free. 

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