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Investors are buying Ohioans’ unpaid property tax debts, with 18% interest

Investors from Omaha to Chicago last year bought tens of millions of dollars worth of delinquent property tax debts from Ohio county treasurers, setting new records in several counties. This gives those institutional investors the right to collect on liens, plus up to 18% interest, from Ohioans who are buckling under the weight of post-pandemic leaps on their property tax bills. State lawmakers in 1998 legalized the sale of delinquent tax debt, joining roughly half of U.S. states that do so. Several of Ohio's biggest counties are now selling record levels of certificates, according to ...

Academy Sports + Outdoors Gearing Up For Opening

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Ohio Valley residents will soon have a new destination for sporting goods, outdoor equipment and apparel as Academy Sports + Outdoors prepares to open its newest location at the Ohio Valley Mall. Employees were putting the finishing touches on the 55,000-square-foot store ...

GovPilot rollout nears in Martins Ferry

MARTINS FERRY — The city of Martins Ferry is preparing to modernize the way it delivers municipal services with the implementation of GovPilot, a cloud-based software platform designed to streamline government operations and improve public access to city services. City Safety Director and ...

Ohio businesses expecting another worker’s comp dividend

Ohio businesses could be getting dividend checks from the state’s Workers‘ Compensation fund. The fund provides medical benefit and help with lost wages to businesses across the state. Currently it sits with about $24 billion in assets as what the state’s website calls one of the largest-run insurance systems in the country. In Ohio, rates for businesses have been steadily decreasing in recent years, and the dividend will be the fifth paid to employers since 2019. “Ohio employers are also seeing the lowest rates in over 65 years. Private employers recently benefited from a ...

From challenges to confidence: Juvenile Court celebrates youth achievements

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Juvenile Court will celebrate the successful completion of its summer Concentrated Conduct Adjustment Program and CrossFit for Change program on Aug. 5 at the Belmont County Board of Developmental Disabilities. The event will recognize youth who demonstrated commitment, growth and perseverance throughout the 10-week summer initiative. The summer CCAP program is designed to provide youth with opportunities to strengthen their mental, emotional and social skills through structured programming, positive mentorship and meaningful community ...