Here are some of the stories that appeared in the news in the Southeast area in 2007:
January
•A referendum petition drive was begun to oppose Pickerington entering into an economic development agreement with Violet Township.
•Residents in Groveport’s Newport subdivision opposed a proposed warehouse development at Rohr and Pontius roads.
•The Franklin County Common Pleas Court ruled in favor of the village of Canal Winchester regarding a lawsuit brought against the village by a resident alleging he was deprived of his right to pursue referendum action.
February
•The civic organization Go Groveport began operations at 607 Main St.
•Canal Winchester Joint Recreation District continued to grow with 2,500 kids participating.
•A proposed charter amendment arose in Pickerington designed to preserve the city’s annexation rights and its right to conform township lines to municipal limits.
March
•Gary York, a 20 year veteran of the force, was named Groveport chief of police
•Dr. Karen Mantia was selected as Pickerington Local Schools new superintendent.
•Jeff Childers resigned as Canal Winchester Local Schools superintendent.
April
•Chris Strayer was named the village of Canal Winchester’s new economic development director.
•Canal Winchester schools first announce planned cuts if new operating monies are not obtained.
•Mike George is named Groveport Madison High School’s new athletic director and pledges to restore success back to Cruiser athletics and renew the community’s involvement with the program.
May
•Pickerington took steps to repeal its economic development agreement with Violet Township.
•Pickerington Local Schools’ 5 mill operating levy fails by 51-49 percent
•The Pickerington charter amendment designed to preserve the city’s annexation rights and its right to conform township lines to municipal limits fails by 51-49 percent.
June
•Patti Froehlich resigns from the Groveport Madison Board of Education and is replaced by Duane Dailey, who later loses in November when he tries to be elected to his own four year term.
•Groveport’s big water project to replace water lines on Lesleh Avenue, Lambert Avenue, Canal Street, and Cherry Street begins.
•Residents spoke out en masse in opposition to the Spring Creek development at Milnor and Refugee roads in Violet Township.
July
•Canal Winchester courted the Columbus Crew soccer team by throwing its hat in the ring to be the home of the team’s new training complex.
•Kimberley Miller-Smith is named Canal Winchester schools superintendent.
•Two different moviemakers sought out Groveport to be the filming site for their movies – one film is a thriller/mystery; the other a zombie flick.
August
•The owner of Huntwerk Gardens filed a lawsuit against the city of Pickerington regarding noise coming from the skate park in Sycamore Park.
•Work began to restore the historic fountain in the courtyard of Groveport Elementary. The work was funded by the Groveport Heritage and Preservation Society.
•A new logo for Canal Winchester brought out vehement opposition as well as strong support in a spirited debate.
September
•Steve Donahue is disqualified by the Franklin County Board of Elections in his race for Canal Winchester mayor when the board determined there were errors in his petitions.
•More than 100 vintage aircraft came to Rickenbacker Airport for the "Gathering of Mustangs and Legends" airshow.
•Canal Winchester schools outline cuts.
October
•52-year-old Samane Phimmasay was found murdered in his home in Elmont Place in Groveport.
•A bomb threat closed Pickerington High School.
•A shooting was foiled at the Groveport Madison High School bus garage as employees disarmed an assailant who was then captured by Groveport Police Officer Chris Gyke.
November
•The Groveport Madison Cruisers and the Canal Winchester Indians made the state football playoffs for the first time since 1988. The Pickerington Central Tigers made the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
•The Canal Winchester school levy failed while the Pickerington levy passed.
•Write-in candidate Mike Ebert defeated incumbent Canal Winchester Mayor Jeff Miller.
•Groveport Mayor Lance Westcamp is re-elected in a landslide over challenger Dan Knode.
•Mitch O’Brien wins the Pickerington mayor’s race over Heidi Riggs.
December
•Judy Gilleland resigned as Pickerington city manager.
•A dispute arose among Groveport Madison school board members on whether board member-elect Steven Slyh could take his seat on the board early since he was fulfilling the unexpired term of Froehlich. A compromise was later reached to cancel the December board meeting and Slyh would take his seat in January.
•Groveport made plans to buy land for a proposed bicycle path that would connect the village to Three Creeks Metro Park.
•It was announced a first of its kind emergency health center would be coming to the Hill/Diley interchange at U.S. 33.
•The village of Groveport presented a $419,794 income tax revenue sharing check to Groveport Madison Local Schools. Since 1999 the village has presented more than $3.6 million in such checks to the schools.
