Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

Fertilizer plant plans progressing

Company that will use manure from the lake watershed secures state tax credit

By Nancy Allen
CARTHAGENA - Plans are moving forward for a company that wants to set up an $11 million business to make organic fertilizer from local manure.
AG Conversions Ohio, LLC, is among 12 pro-jects approved by the state this week for a tax credit. Amiran Technologies of Oak Creek, Wis., is building the plant and officials expect funding to wrap up soon.
"By Friday or next week, we should have all the funding lined up, based on some other private equity money coming in," spokesperson Paul Chadwick said this week. "Then we will begin (officially) accepting applications."
The company has received a handful of resumes, Chadwick said.
He expects the company to hire 60 employees in management, supervising, chemistry, research and development, quality assurance, accounting, IT, logistics and driving with an average salary of $57,000. The annual payroll is expected to be $3.4 million.
Another 180 indirect jobs, mostly in transportation and warehousing, are expected to follow. Two local spinoff businesses - Ag Trans LLC and Innovative Ag Nutrients LLC - already have formed.
Ag Trans will pick up manure from farms and deliver it to the plant, while Innovative Ag Nutrients will sell and distribute the fertilizer. Ag Trans would handle any payment to farmers for their manure.
"Another impact we didn't factor in is there could be more restaurants, supply stores and other businesses," Chadwick said. "A whole cascading effect that could touch many areas of the community."
The facility, which will be built on 10 acres along U.S. 127 north of state Route 119, would use manure to make custom-blended, organic dry and liquid fertilizer. The conversion process would kill natural pathogens and E. coli; there would be no leftover wastewater.
AG Conversions received a 45 percent, six-year Job Creation Tax Credit through the Ohio Tax Credit Authority. The 12 projects approved this week for tax credits are expected to create 1,580 new jobs and retain 1,936 jobs, a news release from Gov. John Kasich said. The projects are estimated to result in $76.1 million in new payroll and more than $328 million in new capital investment.
Amiran and local officials tout the plant as a way to rid the area of excess animal waste and help restore Grand Lake. The 13,500-acre lake has been plagued by phosphorous-fed toxic blue-green algae blooms the last three summers and lost millions in tourism revenue.
Local officials have been working with Amiran since July. The company demonstrated its technology locally at two separate events.
Amiran officials in the future want to build a plant that turns sediment dredged from Grand Lake into potting soil. Amiran Technologies is headed by Mohsen Amiran, a scientist who has spent 20 years developing the technology.
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Coldwater schools
COLDWATER -   A report on the Race to the Top teacher inservice held recently at Coldwater schools highlighted Tuesday's brief board of education meeting.
COLDWATER - Lately, everything has been just "ducky" for a co-op, home-schooled group in Coldwater.
Six students in the group earned top honors in
MINSTER - A brother-sister team has opened an agency to provide home-care services to senior citizens.
John Paul and Maggie Slonkosky of Minster have a staff of 12 caregivers for their business, Visiting Angels, based at 96 W. Fourth St.
COLDWATER - From the feathered bangs and hippie styles of the 1970s to the casual silhouettes of today, Jean Homan and Rene Klosterman have witnessed a steady progression of hair fashions.
CELINA - The Celina Bulldogs used two big innings to improve to 2-0 on the season after posting a 13-3 win over Marion Local in five innings on Tuesday at Montgomery Field.
Local Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
  
Taylor Walls put Parkway into the lead with a fifth-inning home run as the Panthers improve to 2-0 on the season f
Minster made history last June by winning its first-ever state championship in baseball.
The Wildcats rebounded from a 6-7 start to the season and
CELINA - Drew Braun is hoping that a strong work ethic and a versatile roster will be enough to offset a young and inexperienced team as the Celina baseball team begins the 2012 season.
CELINA - Only a 15-inning loss to Lima Shawnee a year ago prevented Celina's softball team from winning the Western Buckeye League championship.
Wi
COLDWATER - Brian Harlamert admitted that last year wasn't what is typically expected from a Coldwater baseball season as the Cavaliers finished 15-11, the first time since 2003 that the program had suffered double-digit losses in a single season.
COLDWATER - While the record stood at 11-13 at the end of last season, Coldwater's Ken Fisher was happy with how his softball team improved throughout the season as the Cavaliers won a sectional title before bowing out of the postseason at the district level.
FORT RECOVERY - It appears that baseball is getting some revival in Fort Recovery.
After two seasons of small numbers and just a varsity schedule, the Indians have bolstered their numbers enough to field both varsity and junior varsity teams this year.
FORT RECOVERY - Following a 12-14 campaign a year ago, Fort Recovery's softball coach Marie Osterholt will look to get her team back above .500 this season while also trying to retool her squad after the graduation of a talented senior class.
MARIA STEIN - The Marion Local Flyers finished a respectable 13-9 overall and 4-5 in the Midwest Athletic Conference a year ago, and third-year coach Bryan Gray is hoping that improved depth will lead to an even better season this year.
MARIA STEIN - In his fifth year at the helm of the Marion Local Flyers' softball team, Russ Puthoff will be counting on a crop of underclassmen to contribute in a major way.
MINSTER - In the past 10 seasons, Minster's head baseball coach Mike Wiss has hit for the cycle as far as team accomplishments are concerned.
His
MINSTER - With a year of experience under his belt, Minster's head softball coach Scott Robinson is prepared to kick off his sophomore campaign with high expectations as he looks to guide the Wildcats toward contention in the Midwest Athletic Conference.
NEW BREMEN - When trying to describe the 2012 New Bremen baseball team, it might be tempting to use the "R" word, as in rebuilding, but fifth-year Cardinals' coach Greg Cox would rather use another word that begins with the letter R, as in retooling.
NEW BREMEN - After a quick glance at New Bremen's softball roster, it might appear that Cardinals' veteran coach Craig Griesdorn has a veteran team a
ROCKFORD - Veteran Parkway baseball coach Mike Schumm is excited to have nine returning letterwinners back from a team that finished 13-8 a year ago.
ROCKFORD - While Mark Esselstein has experience returning on his Parkway softball team after a 19-3 season a year ago, two key voids will need to be filled.
ST. HENRY - John Dorner's St. Henry baseball team won't be lacking experience as the Redskins welcome back 10 players from a team that reached the regional level of the postseason while finishing with a record of 19-12.
ST. HENRY - Although experience will certainly be an asset this season for St. Henry's softball coach Melissa Starkey, the Redskins must develop a pitcher in the early going in order to improve upon last year's 10-10 record.
ST. MARYS - Dave Huber is hoping that a veteran roster will help St. Marys' baseball team reach the top half of the Western Buckeye League standings for the first time since 2009.
ST. MARYS - It may sound like a cliche, but the focus for St. Marys' softball team will be one pitch, one out, one inning and one game at a time.
CELINA - Dan Otten's Celina track teams are perennially viewed as Western Buckeye League championship contenders, and this year will be no different for the Bulldogs.
COLDWATER - Depth will not be a concern for the Coldwater track teams this season.
Cavaliers' head coach Pete Lisi has experience in all of the events and the distance athletes for both the boys and girls are likely to lead the way this spring.
FORT RECOVERY - The biggest concern for the Fort Recovery track teams this spring is a lack of numbers as the Indians will have a total of just 23 athletes (13 boys, 10 girls).
MARIA STEIN - The Marion Local track squads have been taking advantage of the balmy weather to get prepared for the upcoming season.
"Even with the
MINSTER - As Minster's boys' track coach Larry Topp dissects this spring's roster, he can't help but grin.
That is not good news for the rest of the Midwest Athletic Conference or those expecting to contend for the Division III state championship in June.
NEW BREMEN - Veteran New Bremen girls' track coach Sue Ritter-Burnell is working with a small and young roster this spring.
In addition to the loss
ROCKFORD - Michelle Agler's Lady Panthers will be a young group this season as 13 freshmen and five sophomores dot the roster.
"We have a couple o
ST. HENRY - Veteran St. Henry track coach Mike Eyink is welcoming back a talented group of athletes for both the boys' and girls' teams.
"Our boys
ST. MARYS - Kathy Sites is optimistic that her St. Marys' track teams have enough depth to finish with the top-tier teams in the Western Buckeye League this season.
CELINA - Experience may be lacking a bit, but the potential is evident according to Celina's boys' tennis coach Jan Morrison as she is optimistic that the Bulldogs can once again contend in the Western Buckeye League.
ST. MARYS - A senior-laden team helped lead the St. Marys' boys tennis team to a runner-up finish in the Western Buckeye League a year ago, and first-year head coach Bill Ruane is hoping to be reloading this season.