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Ohio troopers aim to slow youth drinking

The Ohio Highway State Patrol began its annual campaign Thursday at Steubenville High School to combat drinking and driving among youth by placing five billboards in Steubenville with an anti-drinking and driving message. The campaign includes sponsors helping to spread the message in Jefferson and Harrison counties. Those involved were, from left, Trooper Tim Zook, Ohio state patrol; Brad Cain of Cain Realty, sponsor: Gary Cain of Cain Realty; Annette Stewart, Jefferson County Health Department, sponsor; George Pugh, Shorac Funeral Home, sponsor; Jim Lucena, Shorac Funeral Home; Natalie Campana-Lucas, multimedia instructor at Steubenville High School; and Sgt. Robert Bodo, Ohio State patrol. Snyder Tire and Auto Service also is a sponsor.— Mark J. Miller

STEUBENVILLE — The Ohio State Highway Patrol, local school districts and sponsors are teaming up to help reduce youth-related drinking and driving.

The 2016 campaign includes installation of five billboards in Steubenville, including two on Washington Street; one on Fourth Street; one on University Boulevard; and one on state Route 7 near Lincoln Avenue. The patrol also has handed out 200 posters to local businesses and other public places with the anti-drinking message, according to Sgt. Robert Bodo of the state highway patrol.

“This (campaign) began four years ago with just posters in the city,” said Bodo, adding the project has grown since. “It gets the message out about what we see on the road every day.”

Bodo said in 2015 the patrol was involved in 28 investigations involving youthful drinking and crashes in Jefferson and Harrison counties, a number he called “staggering.”

“We’re just trying to do out part our keep the roads safe,” he said, adding each billboard features the name of two sponsors.

The billboards include a picture of students surrounding a wrecked vehicle with the caption, “Don’t Let Alcohol Wreck Your Season.” Students are dressed as football players and cheerleaders, with two students representing each local school district, including Steubenville, Indian Creek, Toronto, Edison Local, Harrison, Buckeye Local and Catholic Central, according to Natalie Campana-Lucas, multimedia instructor at Steubenville High School. She spearheaded the project to design the billboards after patrol officials presented her with the message they wanted to convey.

“This is a great (project) for our students to be involved with the state patrol,” said Campana-Lucas, adding students working on the billboard design brought the message home to them. “The patrol worked on it, and the students took the (initial) design from drafts and brought it to life. When students are involved, it means something to them. It gets them involved in the community. We want our students to be safe.”

Bodo also thanked sponsors for assisting in the campaign. Sponsors include Shorac Funeral Home, the Jefferson County Health Department, Snyder Tire and Auto Service, Lamar Advertising and Cain Realty.

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