Fayette County • October 2, 2025
Good morning, Fayette County. Move over, Charlie Brown—Central Ohio has officially claimed pumpkin royalty! Lehner's Pumpkin Farm, just 45 minutes from Columbus, has been crowned America's best pumpkin patch by USA Today's readers. With 15+ acres of pick-your-own pumpkins and attractions from pumpkin bowling to a historic Pumpkinville play village, it's a fall destination that's putting our region on the map.
Meanwhile, Washington Court House is stepping up its tech game with new Verkada traffic cameras installed at five key intersections, providing 24/7 monitoring capabilities to enhance public safety. And in neighboring Highland County, commissioners have voted to dissolve the Family and Children First Council effective October 2025, with officials promising that inter-agency collaboration will continue while eliminating what they describe as administrative redundancy.
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🎃 Central Ohio's Lehner's Pumpkin Farm crowned best pumpkin patch in America. USA Today's 10Best Readers Choice awards recognized the farm, located 45 minutes from Columbus, for its impressive 15+ acres of pick-your-own pumpkins. Visitors can enjoy numerous family activities including pumpkin bowling, barrel rides, a corn maze, and a historic Pumpkinville play village. The farm features farm animals, a climbing wall, and tractor races amid beautiful fall foliage. Another Central Ohio location, Sam's Pumpkin Patch, made the initial list of 20 finalists but didn't crack the final top 10.
🎥 Washington Court House beefs up surveillance with new traffic cameras. The police department has installed Verkada cameras at five busy intersections throughout the city, providing 24/7 real-time monitoring capabilities. Officials emphasize the technology will enhance public safety and aid in traffic and criminal investigations, not track citizens arbitrarily. Additionally, police are testing a mobile LVT camera system on a trailer that can be rapidly deployed for community events or high-crime areas. The scalable program may expand with more cameras depending on its success.
🏛️ Highland County commissioners vote to dissolve Family and Children First Council. The decision, effective October 1, 2025, follows a new state budget bill giving commissioners authority to opt out of establishing an FCFC. JFS Director Jeremy Ratcliff cited the program as "historically underfunded" and argued that other county services can help families without the administrative burden. The Board of Developmental Disabilities supported the move, with Superintendent Larry Gray assuring that inter-agency collaboration would continue even without the formal council. Commissioners praised the effort to save county money while improving services, though the official resolution finalizing the dissolution has not yet been provided.
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