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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Thursday, December 12th, 2013
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard

Evidence from a closed heroin case is displayed at the Mercer County Sheriff's Department recently. The number of drug-related crimes is increasing throughout the area, according to law enforcement officials.

Related online story:
Editor's note: This is the first story of a three-part series about the heroin problem in the area, its impact on the community and steps being taken to deal with the problem. Names of those dealing with heroin addiction have been changed for the story to protect the person's identity. [More]
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