LISBON — New Waterford Mayor Shane Patrone said land the village is trying to annex on Hatcher Road currently houses the village water tower, but there’s room for a possible small industrial park.

Columbiana County commissioners last week accepted the filing of the proposed 8.238-acre annexation of land from Unity Township into the village, with a decision on the annexation still pending.

The land is already owned by the village and is contiguous to New Waterford.

“This gives us expansion possibilities,” Patrone said, such as a location for light industry.

He said people have been contacting the village with interest in any space available. He explained that essentially they’re going to make a spot available. Plans are to work with the Columbiana County Port Authority and the county’s Economic Development office.

In other business, the commissioners listened to a Cleveland economist and his wife who talked about the threats to America from the Chinese Communist Party. Both Tianlun Jian, executive director of the Ohio Falun Dafa Association, and his wife, Jingchun Guo, are U.S. citizens who came from their native land of China and settled in Cleveland many years ago.

According to a website about the Ohio Falun Dafa Association, the group “has been promoting an East-West culture exchange and facilitating the understanding between different communities for a better Ohio. Falun Dafa is based on the principles of Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance.”

Falun Gong, which the couple follows, is described as a peaceful meditation practice that combines meditation and exercise and follows the principles of truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance.

Jian explained that they’re trying to spread the word about the threat from the Chinese Community Party, traveling county to county to talk with commissioners. He’s retired and as a U.S. citizen, he said he feels responsible and obliged to provide the information.

He talked about how the communist party controls the majority of the media in China. He talked about persecution in China and how there’s illegal organ harvesting going on.

Commissioner Roy Paparodis asked what they want commissioners to do and what commissioners can do for them.

“Know the facts,” Jian said, adding to be careful.

When asked by Commissioner Mike Halleck what inspired him to do what he’s doing, he said he’s a U.S. citizen and he’s been threatened. He and his wife said they love the United States and “we don’t want you guys to suffer what we have.”

Halleck thanked them for sharing their story and Jian said he tries to do what he can.

Commissioner Tim Ginter, who previously served as a state representative, said he’s familiar with the fact that the Chinese government is watching and shared his own experience. He met with Taiwanese representatives about a potential facility here when he was in the legislature and he was contacted by the FBI about the Chinese government watching their website.

Nick Bundren, an Ohio field representative from the Land & Liberty Coalition, also spoke briefly with commissioners, saying the group’s mission is to look for support for renewable energy. He said the group based out of Columbus would like to be a resource.

“We’re pretty much a non-solar county,” Halleck said.

The commissioners prohibited large solar and wind facilities in every township of the county and went on record against a large solar panel facility that had been planned but then withdrew its application with the state.

The next meeting of county commissioners will be 9 a.m. Wednesday at the downtown courthouse.