The Chillicothe Planning and Zoning Commission conducted a public meeting on Monday, October 2 to discuss a historic preservation ordinance proposed by Main Street Chillicothe that would outline a district overlay in the downtown area. The ordinance would not restrict property owners from making changes to their property - it would only add a step to consider the historic preservation of their property if it did hold historic value. The ordinance would also qualify Chillicothe to get access to federal funding not currently available to property owners for rehabilitating properties of historic significance. The attending crowd had split opinions on the issue so a committee was formed to look into further details.
C-T Photo Jaime Saucedo
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Downtown Chillicothe is decorated for fall with the addition of pumpkins placed at the entrances of businesses around the square. The pumpkins were grown in the gardens at Chillicothe Correctional Center through the Restorative Justice Program. More than 800 pounds of pumpkins have been picked to date. Shelley Staton and Shona Simpson, institutional activities coordinators at CCC, recently placed the pumpkins outside businesses. So far this year, the CCC Restorative Justice gardens have produced around 5,000 pounds of produce for distribution to area pantries and shelters. The program provides many ways for offenders to give back to victims of crime and the most vulnerable citizens in the community. C-T Photo Catherine Stortz Ripley
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The City of Chillicothe is heading into the final stage of its search for a new Chief of Police. City Administrator Darin Chappell said the list of candidates to replace longtime chief Rick Knouse, who recently retired, has begun. Four finalists have been selected to be interviewed. The first two of those finalists was interviewed by the four-member search committee in meetings scheduled for Wednesday evening (October 18) at city hall and Thursday (October 19) at city hall. The other two finalists will be interviewed next week. Knouse spent 41 years with the police department beginning as a reserve officer. He served the past 17 years as head of the department. In April, he began his ninth term as constable. His official retirement date was September 29, 2017. Photo Catherine Stortz Ripley
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 A Norway spruce has been planted in preparation for the 2017 Festival of Lights. The tree, which is 20 feet tall, was planted next to the location of the tree that it replaces at Simpson Park. The spruce is planned to be lighted as a Christmas tree and was brought in after the previous tree died and was cut down. Barb Burton, a spokesperson for the Festival of Lights, said they are currently taking donations to cover the cost of the tree. The tree was purchased from the Tree Patch in Hamilton, Missouri, and works well with the growing conditions in this part of Missouri and for the purpose of the Festival. The opening night for Festival of Lights is Saturday, November 18, at 5:30 p.m. in Simpson Park. C-T Photo / Jaime Saucedo
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