Over the years, communication problems made the news.
Telephone problems were ongoing, and in 1949, the state legislature considered a bill forcing telephone companies to correct service inadequacies and have no more than eight parties on one party line.
The Brookville Star reprinted an editorial from the Lewisburg Leader objecting to the phone rate increase.
The newspaper had its share of communication problems that year. On April 21, it published the previous week’s Trotwood news, explaining that the letter giving the news had been delayed in the mail and missed the deadline.
A puzzling headline assured people ‘New Fire Truck Will Be Used For Fire Runs.’ The story explained the new truck would be used outside and inside the village, while the old truck would be used only in the village.
But the paper tried cooperating with the Dayton Journal to offer a joint subscription for $7.60 a year to RFD subscribers where carrier delivery was not available.
The confusion was not always in the paper. In April 1974, the Star noted the Dayton Daily News announced a two-day rock festival in Perry Township, with the promoter saying there was a tentative agreement with Newfields and Newfields executives saying they knew nothing about it. A week later the Star said the rock festival was disapproved.
In 2023, a lack of communication delayed the Main Street waterline project when the contractor encountered a clay storm sewer not on his plans and had to plug the four-inch live waterline that was abandoned just south of the Wolf Creek Bikeway.
The area was actively cleaning up the environment.
In 1934, the annual PTA paper collection of 24,000 pounds was 10,000 pounds more than in 1933, made money even though the price had dropped from $10 to $9 a ton. The mayor set April 23 through 28 as Cleanup Week.
But in 2023, the annual park cleanup day was canceled due to rainy and/or windy weather on the two days specified.
In 1974, the community donated goods to help people in Xenia clean up after that massive tornado.
In 2023, Roger Stephens of Phillipsburg complained that debris blocking a storm sewer caused water to back up in his basement and said village residents who were able needed to clean up such situations because “we’re better than that.”
That same year the Phillipsburg water board learned the EPA had found PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in the water that would eventually need to be cleaned up.
The Preble County EMA director said the county was monitoring the effects of the industrial fire in Richmond, Ind., but the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency had not detected elevated levels of particulates or carbon monoxide.
There were successes noted. Perhaps the most noteworthy was in 1974 when the Spitler House fund was successful.
In 1999, the fire department said it had an increase of 6 percent in its responses in 1998 even though it had fewer personnel.
Nationwide/Wausau Insurance gave Brookville bus drivers a safety award for the 16th year in 1999.
And in 2023, Brookville Police Chief Doug Jerome named Meryl Westerheide and Zach Snell as ‘Officers of the Year’ for saving a Brookhaven Retirement Community employee who suffered a cardiac arrest.
In 1934, Clarence Mudhenk, a postal carrier for 24 years, died.
Perhaps the most intriguing item was a story in 1949 stating that a county judge ruled the stop signs in the county were a courtesy only and could be ignored, but township trustees urged motorists to observe them anyway.
