Friday, the Marion Area Chamber of Commerce held their annual meeting at the Harding Center. Over 200 members attended the luncheon where Chamber President Matt Carbary laid out their 2020 initiatives. This year the Marion Chamber will focus on Marion – a Small Reinvention City, Removal of Blighted Properties and delinquent property taxes, innovation in Marion County and exploration of enhanced community collaboration. Read about all the initiatives o their web site www.MarionAreaChamber.org. Also, at the meeting it was announced Morral Companies former president and CEO, Daryl Gates is this year’s recipient of the Pam Hall Betterment of Marion Award.
Also Friday evening, about 150 guests with special needs and their families experienced pure love and laughter as The Marion Naz hosted The Night to Shine event. Everyone in attendance celebrated with a prom-style event sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation.
Last week, The Marion Fire Department was dispatched to a home for a report of a possible overdose. Upon arrival, authorities found a generator running INSIDE the house. Two unresponsive females were immediately removed from the home. Crews went back inside with a meter and detected a lethal level of carbon monoxide. The victims were sent to Marion General Hospital, then later transferred to a Columbus facility for treatment. The Marion Fire Department can’t stress enough, that if you’re using a generator for anything home related, place the unit OUTSIDE the home, not in a garage. Generators are gas engines and emit a massive amount of carbon monoxide from the exhaust, similar to a car when running.