Fire expansion begins

The Northwestern Joint Fire District held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new $4 million station expansion at Leesburg Station 292 on April 10. The expansion, which is part of a collaborative effort between Leesburg, York, Taylor and Liberty townships, is funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Loan. Pictured above, from left are Jeff Robinson, Kevin Dotson, Matt Niemeyer, Charles Tassell, Chris Widner, Allison Hamilton, Amy Beeney, Jerry Mclary, Logan Rife, Malcolm Mansville, Beth Marshall, Chief John Cooke and Bill Lowe. Below are the architectural plans for the expansion alongside the USDA check on display at the fire department. (Gazette photos by Kyle Meddles)