GALLIPOLIS — The year 2009 was one of highs and lows, triumph and tragedy for Gallia County.

The story that probably drew the most attention in 2009 actually started on Nov. 8, 2005, when voters in the Gallia County Local and Gallipolis City school districts passed levies that would provide funding for brand new school buildings. Fast forward to Aug. 15-16 of this year when officials from both districts unveiled new River Valley, South Gallia and Gallia Academy high school buildings, beginning what most local residents hope will be a new era of success for local education.

The new RVHS is now located just off Ohio 160 in the Bidwell-Porter area, while the new SGHS moved just up the road from the former location in Mercerville. The new GAHS is located in Centenary just off Ohio 141.

All three buildings sport the latest in educational technology as well as basic amenities like air conditioning, something that would have been a luxury in any of the old buildings.

“We have demonstrated that we value education,” Patrick Stout, director of curriculum for the Gallia County Local School District, said during the dedication of South Gallia on Saturday, Aug. 15. He spoke on behalf of superintendent Charla Evans, who was hospitalized that weekend.

Ryan Smith, a member of the Gallipolis City School District Board of Education, called the dedication of the new Gallia Academy a “defining moment” for the city school district and the entire county.

A minor seismic event was the talk of the county for a few days in April following an earthquake on Friday, April 24, 2009. The 3.3 magnitude rumbler struck at 9:42 a.m. and shook the county for a few seconds. It was also felt in surrounding counties in Ohio as well as parts of West Virginia and Kentucky.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the quake’s epicenter was located in the Centenary area near the site of Green Elementary School and the new Gallia Academy High School. No damage and no injuries were reported in the quake’s wake. A 3.0 magnitude earthquake was reported in the same area on Feb. 16, 1975.

Within days of the earthquake, the county was rocked again by the double slaying of local business people Carolyn Merry and John Paul Holley on April 28 at the couple’s stone yard in Rodney. Wellston resident Walter Stewart was acquitted of the murders in November after jurors found him not guilty by means of self-defense.

In other 2009 law enforcement news, two Gallia men pled guilty for the January slaying of Gallipolis resident Ralph Sands, who was tied up, robbed and left face down on his couch. Autopsy results eventually showed that Sands, who had chronic obstructive lung disease, died from asphyxiation due to the position in which he was left.

Most recently, Greenfield Township resident Dustin Lennex was allegedly shot to death by his neighbor, 18-year-old Robert Comer, following an argument and physical altercation on Dec. 1 that was said to have started over a female.

November 2009 proved to be a busy time for local police with eight armed robberies occurring at local businesses in a span of two-and-a-half weeks. Three suspects are currently facing charges in connection with as many hold-ups.

The recession made its way to Gallia County leading to a spike in the local unemployment rate, which steadily crept toward the 10 percent mark as the year drew to a close.

Several service agencies experienced lay-offs due to state budget cuts, most notably Gallia County Children’s Services and the Gallia County Department of Job and Family Services, which cut 21 of 51 of its staff members, effective in August.

The French 500 Free Clinic officially opened its doors in August 2009 to serve uninsured Gallia County residents in order to provide them with quality health care services once a month.

In business news from 2009, officials from Holzer Consolidated Health Systems (HCHS) and Holzer Clinic (HC) announced plans to merge the two healthcare providers in August. The merger announcement followed a change in leadership earlier in the summer at HCHS, when president and CEO Thomas E. Tope stepped down and was succeeded by Brent A. Saunders.

Saunders initially announced the merger during a Gallipolis Rotary Club meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 18. HCHS then issued a formal press release on Aug. 20 announcing that it had entered into a services management agreement with Holzer Clinic. Under terms of the agreement, HC is providing “administrative and managerial services support” to HCHS for one year while the merger process continues.

The two Holzers released a statement in December that provided a brief description of activities related to the merger. No timeline has been suggested for completion of the deal.

The Gallipolis City Commission began taking steps toward the construction of a new municipal building, to be located across the street from the current building on Second Avenue. The project has come under much debate with city residents and officials alike over the last several months.

The Gallia County Commission made headway on several sewer projects, most notably the Kanauga/Addison and Mercerville projects, on which construction should begin in 2010.

Gallia County said final farewells to several community leaders in 2009, including entrepreneur Robert H. “Bob” Eastman, active volunteer and businessman Jay Moore, innovative 911 director Stephen L. Wilson, tireless education and social advocate Estivaun Matthews and longtime furniture store owner David Rice.