BLANCHESTER — From Village of Blanchester Mayor John Carman:

“To the residents of the Village of Blanchester, as you are aware there have been recent directives from President Trump and our Governor Mike DeWine who declared a State of Emergency in response to the worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus known as COVID-19 for the State of Ohio.

The governor has taken, and is continuing to take, actions to reduce the spread of this disease. We take the safety of our residents and our staff seriously.

Effective immediately, the following measures will be taken by the village: The Village of Blanchester Municipal Building front office, 318 E. Main St. will not be open to the public. The village staff can be reached by calling 937-783-4702 or by email at [email protected].

Our regularly scheduled village council and committee meetings will be canceled for the remainder of March.

All Parks facilities will be closed for all practices and/or games until further notice (Parks questions should be directed to Tom Lee, [email protected]).

These measures are necessary to protect not only the general public, but the health of our village staff who will need to continue to provide public services during these difficult times.

As mayor, I urge all residents to follow the directions of our federal, state and local health officials in procedures to reduce the spread of this dangerous virus.

As warranted, additional measures may be taken until the threat from this virus has subsided.

Please continue to visit our Village of Blanchester Facebook page and/or Village website — www.blanvillage.com — for updates. For the latest information on the corona virus, visit www.coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Please note our police department and street department will remain open to provide essential safety and services to our community.”

From the BPA

From the BPA Board of Trustees and staff:

“We take the safety of our customers and our staff seriously. With the recent directives from the president of the United States and the governor of Ohio to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus, effective immediately the BPA office in the municipal building will be temporarily closed to the public.

Rest assured, our field offices and staff, electric, water and sewer plants will be fully operational to provide the necessary utilities needed and will respond to critical issues and emergencies, should they arise.

Payments can be made using the drop-off box located outside the municipal building; over the phone by calling 1-855-967-0320; or by utilizing our new online bill pay service at www.invoicecloud.com/blanchesteroh .

This is a fluid situation, and we are in this together. We will work with our customers on any billing issues that might arise, due to this event.”