Chillicothe wood carver Steve Holt puts finishing touches on a mountain lion that he carved into the trunk of a swamp white oak tree at Simpson Park recently. He planned to cover the 7-foot carving in early August with a marine-grade spar varnish to soften the tones, provide UV protection, and preserve its color. Holt began tree carving in Simpson Park in 2014, with his first being a bear, which was later named "Livingston." Other carvings in the park include a lion, bear cubs, an eagle, and a totem pole. Holt has already started working on the next carving which will be that of a raccoon family.
C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz Ripley
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On August 3, MC Power held a dedication ceremony for their 23 acre solar farm facility on the south east corner of town on 3rd Street. The new facility has 9,720 solar panels and produces 3.25 megawatts of d.c. power. It has four inverters, a transformer, and uses an estimated 31 miles of wiring to bring the power to the distribution system that will power an average of 350-400 homes in Chillicothe per year. Financed by Gardner capital, MC Power Company will own, operate, and maintain the facility that holds solar panels that cover 16 acres. Tom Hardwick, VP of Business Development for MC Power, praised Livingston County and city officials for working together to make building the facility possible.
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Work continues on a water line replacement project in south Chillicothe. Tests on the new line, which extends along Washington Street, north from Business 36 to near Waples Street, revealed several leaks. The contractor, MS Contracting of Brookfield, is now digging up the areas that experienced leaks and fixing the leaks. Once the line passes inspection, it will be sanitized and put into service. This line replaces an older line that has been causing issues and experiencing breaks throughout the last several years. MS Contracting was chosen for the project with a bid price of approximately $387,000. The project began about six weeks ago, and it is hoped that it will be completed by the end of August.
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 After working without a City Administrator since the April departure of Ike Holland, the City of Chillicothe's search for a replacement ended on Monday, July 31. The City Council, after final discussion in executive session, emerged from that session to vote unanimously in open session to hire Darin Chappell to be the next administrator for the city. Holland vacated the position after six years in Chillicothe for a city administrator role in Willmar, MN, when he departed for that job. Chappell will leave Bolivar, Missouri, after also spending six years as their city administrator.
Photo Courtesy of the Bolivar Herald-Free Press
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