🏙️ Licking County ends yearlong planning director search with experienced hire. Carson Combs, a planning manager from Hilliard with over 20 years of experience, will take on the role starting April 7 with a $150,000 salary. The 52-year-old professional has previously worked for Dublin and holds master's degrees in landscape architecture and city/regional planning from Ohio State University. Combs has shaped zoning ordinances and guided development projects throughout his career, and also worked with Planning NEXT, which helped develop Licking County's Framework planning document for Intel developments. County Commissioner Tim Bubb expressed excitement about the hire, noting upcoming goals include extending Framework planning countywide and accelerating approval processes.
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🏆 Two local women honored for remarkable community service achievements. Women United recognized Lorei Kraft as the 2025 Woman of Achievement for her dedication to healthcare innovation and community initiatives at Licking Memorial Health Systems. High school senior Madelyn Light earned the Junior Woman of Achievement award for creating a nonprofit that provides holiday gifts to children with incarcerated parents. The annual dinner, held March 6 at DoubleTree Hotel, also announced project awards totaling $5,600 to three local organizations. Women United continues to raise awareness of issues facing women and families in Licking County through advocacy and fundraising.
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🎵 Newark High School band gets new turf field honoring Randy Lamb. The longtime band director led "The Pride of Newark" from 1980 to 2008, guiding the program to 34 superior ratings at state competitions. Construction on the state-of-the-art rehearsal space will begin in the coming months and finish this summer. The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation and Lou Reese are major donors for the project, which recognizes Lamb's significant impact on generations of Newark students. "It is indeed a great honor to have this field bear my name," Lamb said of the tribute.
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