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.
The Grand Lake area remained paralyzed this morning by Tuesday's blizzard that dumped up to a foot of snow and sent winds whipping and temperatures plunging overnight.
Many area businesses and government offices remained closed this morning, along with all area schools. Most county roads and city side streets remain impassable, and Mercer County remains under a Level 2 snow emergency. [More]
Hospitals, nursing homes and rescue squads faced a challenge as blizzard-like conditions slowed travel to a snail's pace in Mercer and Auglaize counties on Tuesday.
And hotels and motels throughout the area kept their doors open for people who chose not to brave treacherous roadways. [More]
The Lakefield Airport Authority and Mercer County commissioners are hoping to work together on separate expansion projects as a way to save money on both.
