Kenworth Layoff Will Hurt Ohio Residents

1996 Kenworth built in Chillicothe 

 Ross County will take a hit with Kenworth laying off 10% of the workforce in its Chillicothe plant.  Business was trucking along in 2011 thanks to tax incentives which pushed up sales that allowed the company to hire in excess of 1,000 workers last year.

With over 2,000 estimated to be on the payroll in the local plant, that means about 200 will be out of a job after this week.

I’ll be blogging every day of the week (except Sundays) during the month of April for the A-Z Blogging Challenge. Each post will be on a topic that corresponds with the letter of the alphabet scheduled for that day.

Dog Days

With two of my own and two more that visit often, how could I not write about dogs on D-day?

Molly & Jethro are dog-tired

As a freelance writer, I publish a good amount of material about pets in general and more specifically, dogs.  Many of my articles are at Yahoo! Voices and Shine, and one of them even made the front page of Yahoo! in January, where it was viewed by more than a million and a half readers.  I've also started writing more local dog-related pieces for Examiner.

I'm always looking for local topics to write about, so if you have a dog-related business - veterinarian, grooming, dog-walking, anything about canines - let me hear from you.  I love to feature dog rescue organizations, so if you have a fundraiser, adoption, or any other similar event planned that involves dogs, send a shout out to OhioDogExaminer@gmail.com.  I can publish anything about Ross County up to Columbus and surrounding areas, and enjoy supporting my local community and small businesses.

I’ll be blogging every day of the week (except Sundays) during the month of April for the A-Z Blogging Challenge. Each post will be on a topic that corresponds with the letter of the alphabet scheduled for that day.

Credit Union vs Bank

If you’d like to keep more money in your wallet, you should consider doing business with a credit union instead of a bank.  Banks are in business to make money for themselves, whereas credit unions are run by the membership.  Not only are interest rates on mortgages, car and personal loans generally lower at a credit union, the interest rate you can earn on funds you deposit into a checking or savings account  is usually higher than what you’d earn at a traditional banking institution.

Most credit unions offer the same services that banks do – savings accounts, checking accounts, online banking, debit cards, credit cards, overdraft protection, etc.  Membership requirements will vary by establishment, but most credit unions open membership to a large demographic and even if you don’t qualify yourself, you can often qualify through a family member.

There are three credit unions located in the Chillicothe and Ross County area:

Atomic Employees Credit Union’s main branch is located in Waverly, with other branches scattered throughout southern Ohio.  The Chillicothe branch is located on N. Bridge St., next to Chipotle Mexican Grill.  Membership is open to anyone who resides, works, or worships in one of 14 counties, as well as their families residing elsewhere.

Chivaho Federal Credit Union is located on the grounds of the VA Medical Center on State Route 104 in Chillicothe.  Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, attends worship or school in Ross County.

Homeland Credit Union has two offices in Chillicothe, as well as offices in Circleville, Greenfield, and Waverly.  Membership is open to anyone who lives or works in one of nine southern Ohio counties.

With the number of credit union locations available in south/central Ohio, there’s no reason to give your money to a faceless national bank.  Keep your money in Ross County and support your local community.

I’ll be blogging every day of the week (except Sundays) during the month of April for the A-Z Blogging Challenge. Each post will be on a topic that corresponds with the letter of the alphabet scheduled for that day.

Beds 'n' Stuff

I recently decided to buy a futon for my spare bedroom/craft room and wanted something decent, but didn't want to spend a lot of money since it would be rarely used.  I stopped by several places in Chillicothe to compare quality and prices, and was told that Beds 'n' Stuff on Bridge St (formerly the waterbed place, recently moved next door to Kroger) had a good selection.

(c) Marie Anne St. Jean

They did have quite a few futons to choose from, but the prices were higher than what I was willing to pay.  Even if I did have money to spare, however, it would not have been spent in Beds 'n' Stuff.

Animal Care Clinic of Chillicothe

I have two dogs, two cats, plus a stray that's made my yard her home, so I need to make every penny count while still providing them the love and care they need.  When the stray mama cat decided to bring me two consecutive litters of her kittens to take care of, I knew I had to somehow catch her and get her spayed before things got even more out of hand.  She wasn't really my cat, but if I didn't help with a solution, I guess I was part of the problem with cat overpopulation.  Dr. Pelfrey and her staff at the Animal Care Clinic to the rescue!

Jethro investigating what kittens are all about

I needed to spay mama cat as well as get shots and neuter one of the male kittens I'd kept from the first litter, so I called around to check on prices.  I didn't qualify for the reduced spay/neuter fee through the local Humane Society, so after letting my fingers do the walking, I found that not only was the Animal Care Clinic on Western Ave. close by, they also had the best prices of the veterinarians in my area.

Mama cat got spayed, little Redneck got neutered, and I brought Boo (male kitten from second litter) to get fixed when he was old enough too.  All surgeries went without incident with no further treatment required.

With four critters that need flea meds, Dr. Pelfrey has been able to save me a significant amount of that monthly fee each month as well.  The prices at Animal Care Clinic beat even the advertised specials you find on TV and online.  She mixes her own doses of Revolution for cats, saving me even more.

If you're looking for a reputable veterinarian in Chillicothe or Ross County, Dr. Pelfry and the staff at Animal Care Clinic are worth a look.

I’ll be blogging every day of the week (except Sundays) during the month of April for the A-Z Blogging Challenge.  Each post will be on a topic that corresponds with the letter of the alphabet scheduled for that day.

Tangles Hair Salon - Get Untangled in Chillicothe

I haven't had a 'regular' hairdresser in years, usually just pop in somewhere while I'm out running errands.  I'm sometimes disappointed when I pop back out but eh, it's only hair and mine grows fast so I don't usually stress too much about it.

I was badly in need of a haircut a month or so ago and my travels brought me down Western Ave. in Chillicothe, so I turned in to Central Center to give Tangles a try.

Arrow Construction, Chillicothe, OH

When I purchased my home more than two years ago, I also bought into major structural problems, more than your run of the mill fixer-upper.  After months of dealing with my real estate agent and the mortgage company, I was told I was on my own.  I needed to find a contractor and being new in the area, I had no one to ask for recommendations.

With only the phone book and internet to guide me, I stumbled onto Arrow Construction.  After checking Better Business Bureau ratings (all good), I called to schedule a consultation and was more than pleased with Ed Detty’s presentation of his estimate of the work needed and how his team would tackle the job.

Trading Post Antiques in Bainbridge

I had hoped to stop in at several places during my visit to Bainbridge last week, and at the top of my list was The Trading Post Antiques on S. Maple St.  I've been wanting to explore local antique shops and a quick search online brought me to the website that boasted of over 24,000 sf of space filled with antiques, so how could I pass that up?

The advertised hours are 12:00 - 5:00 Tuesday through Sunday (closed Monday), so I headed out around noon and stopped for lunch at Bainbridge Timbers before landing at The Trading Post to do some shopping.

Bainbridge Timbers Restaurant, Bainbridge, Ohio

I treated myself to a short drive to Bainbridge this afternoon, and started off with lunch at Bainbridge Timbers located on Hwy 50.

Bainbridge Timbers is a small Mom & Pop-type restaurant with a typical bill of fare that you'd expect in most diners that size.  The menu choices include breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I was also offered one of several daily specials (although the waitress used another word, which escapes me at the moment).  One special was a chicken salad croissant with chips, another was a combo chicken salad  plate with cottage cheese and fresh fruit at a cost of $5.50.

Ohioans Save .10 Gallon at Walmart in Chillicothe

From now until September 30, 2011, selected Walmart and Murphy USA gas stations are offering a .10 per gallon savings if you pay with a Walmart gift card, Money Card or credit card at the pump.  I usually purchase my gas with a gift card at the Chillicothe Walmart and save .03 per gallon all year, but the current rollback promotion of a .10 savings is an even sweeter deal.

Photo courtesy of Garrison Photo

This promotion is available at participating locations only and is not available in Minnesota and Oklahoma.  A quick glance at the list assured me that the savings was available in many Walmart and Murphy USA gas stations throughout Ohio.

Don't forget to bring the gas cans for your lawn mowers!

Chillicothe Optometrist, Dr James Schaefer

Trying to save money, I had previously gone to an eye doctor at a Chillicothe super center, but was displeased with the service I received on both occasions I stopped in.  I desperately needed new contact lenses, so I grabbed the phone book to call other local optometrists to compare prices.

One call was answered by a receptionist who had no idea what the price was for an examination and she put me on hold to check;  when she didn’t come back after 3-4 minutes, I terminated the call.  Two others quoted prices that seemed high to me, which I assumed was going to be the norm (I don’t have insurance so have to pay out of pocket).  The last call I made was to Dr Schaefer’s office, whose price was considerably less than the other two and just a few dollars higher than the optometrist’s office where I received lousy service.

Walgreens on Western Ave, Chillicothe

I don’t normally shop at Walgreens but was recently turned on to how you can make some great deals if you watch the weekly sales and match them up with coupons.  After buying the newspaper on Sunday, June 5, I ventured out to Walgreens on Western Ave in Chillicothe to see what kind of bargains I could snatch up.

The store had only been open a short time when I got there and I don’t think there were any other customers in the store.  One of the clerks was still putting out the sale price stickers on some of the shelves and when she saw me looking for an item on my list, she was most helpful in helping me locate it.

As I was comparing the various Garner Fructis shampoos that were on sale, the young lady at the counter in the middle of the store asked if I wanted a coupon for the shampoo, saying she had plenty that she’d never be able to use.  I already had coupons for my purchase but I thought that was very nice of her to offer.   She offered to ring up my purchase when I finished shopping and was patient with me as we went through the process of matching coupons and explained more about how the RR (register rewards) program worked and how to get the best deal.

Overall, my trip to Walgreens on Western Ave in Chillicothe was a very pleasant experience.  Both employees that I had contact with were helpful and courteous.  They’ll get more of my business.

Location:  1070 Western Ave, Chillicothe OH 45601
Telephone:  740.770.1637
Hours:  8:00 am – 10:00 pm daily
Pharmacy: Mon-Fri 8:00 am – 10:00 pm, Sat 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Sun 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Watt St Feed & Supply, Chillicothe

Watt St Feed & Supply is your go-to place in Chillicothe for livestock feed and supplies.  Store owner Cathy Cobb provides service with a smile at her store located across from Greenlawn Cemetery.

(Photo by  Watt St Feed & Supply)

Cathy has owned Watt St Feed & Supply for six years and maintains the business herself, with a friend or family helping out occasionally.   Several brands of horse and chicken feed, as well as dog and cat food in several varieties are stacked within.  Watt St Feed & Supply has dog biscuits by the pound and products to control fleas and ticks on your pets.

If Cathy doesn't have what you need on hand, she's happy to order it for you.  With convenient drive-through service, your vehicle will be loaded for you so no need for any heavy lifting.

Convenient drive-through service
(photo by RCR)

Cathy provides the muscle ...

... with a smile

Cathy's knowledge of lawn and pasture care ranges from seeding through fertilizing, and her expertise is relied upon by the Chillicothe school system in the maintenance of their grounds.  In addition to grass seed and lawn supplies, she carries bush, pole and lima beans, cucumber, radish, zucchini, cauliflower and seed potatoes, to name just a few.

In need of a mouser?  Watt St Feed & Supply can fill that order too as there are usually a few extra cats hanging around in need of good homes.  No vermin on their watch!

(Photo by  Watt St Feed & Supply)

Part of the home-town charm at Watt St Feed & Supply is that Cathy provides personal service and knows her customers well.  When you walk through her door, she's likely to remember the type of feed you came to pick up - even if you don't!

Store hours are Mon-Fri 8:00 - 5:00 and Sat 8:00 - noon.  Call Watt St Feed and Supply at 740.774.1145 or stop by their page on Facebook.

I’ll be featuring 26 local Ohio businesses and attractions during May, starting with the letter Z on May 2 and working back to the letter A on May 30, while participating in the Z to A in May blogging challenge.

Zane Plaza Barber Shop, Chillicothe, Ohio

Zane Plaza Barber  Shop

Zane Plaza Barber Shop, located at 1080 N. Bridge St.,  has been serving Chillicothe for over 46 years.  Owner Donald Deal first sharpened his shears in 1965 at the small shop located at the rear of what is now the PNC Bank building in Zane Plaza.

Owner Donald Deal

Donald employs six other barbers in his shop of six chairs; Doug DuBois has been wielding the scissors with a smile behind one of them since 1977.

Barber Doug DuBois

Mr. Deal considers himself to be "just an old fashioned barber" and offers men's haircuts for $12, with children under 12 at $10.  When I asked how he maintained customer loyalty for so many years, Deal replied "by taking the time to do the best job I can at a reasonable price."

Barber Jason Conley

Zane Plaza Barber Shop is open from 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday, and is closed on Sunday.  You can reach the shop by phone at 740.772.1921 but service is walk-in only, no appointments.

I’ll be featuring 26 local Ohio businesses and attractions during May, starting with the letter Z on May 2 and working back to the letter A on May 30, while participating in the Z to A in May blogging challenge.

Ready to Kick Off Z to A in May

I will be posting about local business and events in south/central Ohio Monday through Saturday during the month of May, starting with the Letter Z on Monday, May 2 and working my way up to the Letter A on May 31st.

If you would like your business or local event featured, please leave your contact information in a comment or email RossCountyRoundup@gmail.com.

Subscribe to and/or follow this blog so you don't miss out on future giveaways as my readership increases.  I'm thinking of some great prizes for local readers.

I’m sponsoring Z to A in May, a blogging challenge where participants will make a blog post every day in May (except Sunday) for each letter of the alphabet, starting with Z and ending with A on the last day of the month. Feel free to join us or show your support!