Air Quality Alert issued July 17 at 12:43AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has issued a statewide Air Quality Advisory for the entire state of Ohio as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to adversely impact air quality.
Pollutants across the state are expected to range from the 'Unhealthy For Sensitive Groups' category in the southwest part of the state to the 'Unhealthy' category in the rest of the state. Hourly concentrations at times may reach the 'Very Unhealthy' to 'Hazardous' categories.
It is recommended, when possible, to avoid strenuous outdoor activities, especially those with heart disease and respiratory conditions like asthma. Watch for symptoms including wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, dizziness, or burning in the nose, throat, and eyes.
For additional information, please visit the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's website at epa.ohio.gov.
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Saturday, February 14th, 2009
Photo by Shelley Grieshop/The Daily Standard

Mercer County sales taxes in December were up almost 1 percent compared with statewide figures that dropped almost 10 percent. The news is good, although officials aren't sure it will last due to recent employee lay-offs and other fiscal setbacks of local companies.

Related online story:
The holiday shopping season was slightly more profitable locally than in 2007, despite the tanking U.S. economy.
Sales taxes collected in December [More]
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