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CALCUTTA -- The Kmart store on state Route 170 will be open throughout the holidays but will officially close in January, according to St. Clair Township officials.
During this week's township trustees meeting, Trustee Jim Sabatini reported he had spoken to the store's owner and was told the store will be open for Christmas shopping, but its last day of business will be Jan. 22.
"It will officially be out at the end of January," Sabatini said of the store.
The owner plans on using half of it for his use and renting out the other half, according to Sabatini.
Also during the meeting, residents were cautioned by both fire and police officials to be safety-minded this winter.
Fire Chief Dave McCoy urged residents to change the batteries in their smoke detectors if they haven't already done so this year and, with winter heating under way, to make cleaning the flu pipes and chimneys a priority to prevent fires.
McCoy also encouraged residents to keep their driveways cleared of snow and ice, if possible, so emergency vehicles such as fire trucks or ambulances can reach their homes.
He said the driveways should be cleared by those who are physically able to do so.
The Calcutta fire station has responded to nearly 200 calls this year to date, according to McCoy.
He also reported on a recent fund raiser for one of his firefighters battling cancer, commending not only those who supported the breakfast but the Friends of Beaver Creek State Park, Vernon Dell Tractor and Liverpool Township Fire Department, all of which stepped up and provided equipment and assistance for the event.
"They were a blessing," McCoy said.
Police Chief Brian McKenzie also had a word of caution for residents during the holiday season, urging them to be more aware of their surroundings when shopping, particularly.
He said not to leave purses in shopping carts and walk away, saying purses should be secured to the carts with the straps provided in the baby seats. Packages should be placed in the trunk, out of sight, and neighbors should keep an eye out for each others' deliveries being dropped off on porches.
McKenzie said residents should talk to their neighbors about picking up packages for each other when they see them delivered, rather than leave them unguarded on a porch.
The police department received a $120 donation from Laran Hyder, daughter of the late Larry Hyder, a former township police officer, which will be applied to the drug education fund.
McKenzie reported the FOP 210 applied for and received a $1,000 grant from Walmart which will be used to purchase a SUSTEN system. This system, he said, will allow officers to "dump" or download information from cell phones involved in investigations.
Currently, the department usually sends phones in serious cases to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Columbus, with McKenzie saying Detective Darin Morgan of the East Liverpool Police Department also often has helped his officers with "dumping" phones.
It will cost the department no additional money for the system, with McKenzie telling trustees he will be eliminating an existing system involving connecting to pawn shops which has not been used. He commended Matt Simcox of Walmart for making the grant a reality.
A Fill-A-Cruiser event held in Calcutta by the police department netted not only food but $2,348 in cash for the local F.I.S.H. organization, which McKenzie said will be turned into close to $15,000 worth of food for underprivileged residents, and he commended the community and his officers for the effort.
A toy drive will be held by the department from noon-4 p.m. Sunday at the Calcutta Walmart and, on that same day, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Dollar General on state Route 267 and from 2-4 p.m. at the Dollar General in Calcutta.
In addition, new toys can be dropped off at the police station from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day.
Administrative assistant Eldeana Gearhart reported that property on Dome Street that has been a problem has been sold, and the new owner plans to clean it up once the paperwork for the sale has been completed.
She also reported a formal letter is being prepared to alert residents that the township plans to enforce a new ordinance regarding the storage of junked vehicles.
Chairman Jim Hall said the townships steering committee discussed the issue at its recent meeting, during which it was mentioned farmers in some townships are exempt from restrictions regarding junked vehicles "because they have a lot of stuff lying around."
They said that issue needs to be investigated, with Gearhart saying perhaps that is the case since farm equipment does not have to be licensed.
Trustees voted unanimously to contract with MJP Services of Glenmoor for snow removal and salting for the township administration building's parking lot and sidewalks at a total cost of $180.
jgilbert@mojonews.com