THE OHIO Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil & Gas Resources is a veritable gold mine of information concerning the oil and gas industry.

ODNR figures as of March 31 indicate drilling activity is heating up in Eastern Ohio.

Carroll County dwarfs its neighbors in both the number of wells and those producing. Jefferson County, meanwhile, is at the other end of the spectrum.

Carroll County lays claim to 161 producing wells while another 120 have been drilled. In addition. permits for 50 wells have been issued.

Such totals are a far cry from those in Jefferson County, where just 12 wells are producing with 14 more drilled and nine permits issued.

Belmont County, meanwhile, finds itself positioned between Carroll and Jefferson, unfortunately closer in its totals to the latter.

Belmont County has 15 wells actively producing while 18 more have been drilled. Permits for 49 other wells have been granted. It is only a matter of time that the Belmont figures will see a major spike.

Harrison County is better off than Belmont with 100 wells, 52 which are producing. Permits for 79 others have been issued, so oil and gas are poised to boom in the near future for Harrison County.

Monroe County is the local bottom feeder at this point with just 13 wells producing and 10 others drilled. Permits for 25 more have been issued. A county as expansive as Monroe should be more productive which would a big boon to the Switzerland of Ohio School District.

Noble County closes the book on Eastern Ohio counties with 30 producing wells, 29 others drilled and 12 permits issued.

The numbers in all counties will only escalate, some in rapid fashion. With that drilling expansion comes more jobs and more wealth for political entities.

TAX INCREASE

MARTINS FERRY City Council officially passed the .25 percent tax hike during Thursday night’s meeting. The tax is being elevated to one percent and will kick in this August. It will likely yield $100,000 the balance of the year.

The additional revenue will go into the general fund which is used to pay the police department, street department and along with other things needed for the city. The additional funds will help the city avert layoffs and will allow the police department to keep its dispatchers.

As one who is impacted by the tax, I have no issue with the increase. A hike of just .25 percent is easy to digest and provides many positive dividends, foremost being keeping the police force intact and avoiding city layoffs.

BUBBA’S BITS

THE THIRD fundraiser for the operations at the Martins Ferry pool will be held on Sunday, April 27 at the recreation center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can dine in or carryout. Adult dinners cost $7, children 6-12 $4, 5 and under free. Menu consists of spaghetti with meatballs, salad, rolls, beverage and dessert. All proceeds go toward the pool opening this summer.

I ENJOYED watching Kentucky taste defeat in Monday’s national men’s basketball title game. I am not big on the Wildcats’ one-and-done approach to recruiting. It is a program of basketball mercenaries. UConn, meanwhile, is one of the biggest Cinderella stories ever to grace March Madness. The Huskies’ coach Kevin Ollie handled his upstart crew in remarkable fashion.

THE ANNUAL spring meeting of the Ohio Valley Farmers’ Market will be held Monday at 7 p.m. at the Rock Hill Presbyterian Church on County Road 214, Bellaire. The meeting is open to active and past members as will as anyone interested in learning more about becoming a vendor at the market. For more information, contact Susan West at 740-676-8187.

THE MARTINS Ferry of Hall of Honor committee deserves kudos for the first-class induction ceremony it hosts annually. This past Sunday was the first time I have attended the affair. I came away quite impressed. This year’s event attracted an overflow crowd as well as a host of gift-toting politicians. The Hall of Honor spotlights Martins Ferry’s rich history.

THE BELLAIRE Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon/meeting will be Thursday at noon in the Community Room of Bellaire Public Library. The cost of the luncheon is $7 while there is no charge to attend the meeting. The menu consists of roasted chicken, pasta salad, and brownies from Frizzi Market. Guest speakers will be Tony Scott, superintendent of Bellaire Schools, and Stephen Andres, new Bellaire High football coach. All local business owners and their employees are welcome to attend. Reservation are due by Tuesday, by contacting the chamber office 740-676-9421 or bellairechamber@yahoo.com.

I WANT to personally thank all those who either walked or contributed in Rich “Hoot” Gibson’s memory at the 14th annual Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk held Thursday at Wheeling Jesuit University. The outpouring of support for our former Times Leader associate was monstrous. A special thanks goes out to OVAC Hall of Fame coach Lefty Hall who spent the entire evening with our Reality Check team.

Kapral may be reached at bkapral@timesleaderonline.com