Full-Width Paving Smooths the Morning Commute East

Kalida, OH · September 3, 2026

Pack an extra bottle of water if you are heading out to the sports fields tonight. Afternoon temperatures will climb into the nineties before kickoff.

The Lead

A major state highway improvement project is officially reshaping travel between Kalida and Ottawa this month. The Ohio Department of Transportation is executing a $3.58 million resurfacing initiative along State Route 694 and U.S. 224, utilizing an advanced full-width paving method designed to eliminate center seams. By deploying two paving machines side by side across both lanes simultaneously, crews compact the hot asphalt seam in a single sweep, dramatically reducing water penetration and long-term surface cracking.

For Putnam County drivers, the operation brings rolling single-lane closures and flagger-controlled traffic zones throughout the corridor. Paving crews are maintaining local property access while pushing to finish the seamless asphalt laydown ahead of autumn frost. Give yourself a five-minute cushion when commuting eastward toward Ottawa during peak morning hours.

Local Pulse

Schools Switch to Digital Athletic Passes Kalida Local Schools transitioned all season sports passes to HomeTown Ticketing for easier gate entry this fall.
Riverbend Landing Canoe Launch Takes Shape Construction crews are preparing the new Ottawa River access near Water Street ahead of its planned public opening.

Today's Outlook

High 94°F · Low 74°F — Partly cloudy
- Stay hydrated and seek shade during the humid afternoon heat.

What's On Around Town

Continental: Morning Storytime Continental Library (301 S 6th St), 10:00–11:00 AM Interactive stories and dramatic play stations for toddlers and preschoolers.
Junior High Volleyball vs. Wayne Trace Kalida High School Gym, 5:00 PM Support the young Wildcats in an exciting cross-county conference showdown.
Ottawa: Perpetual Flora Ribbon Cutting Perpetual Flora (133 S Hickory St), 5:00–7:00 PM Celebrate a new downtown business with refreshments and fresh floral arrangements.
Fort Jennings: Boys Varsity Soccer Fort Jennings High School, 5:00 PM Watch the Wildcats take on their longtime league rival on the pitch.

Spotlight & Story

Emerson Burkhart
- Long before painting bustling cityscapes in Columbus, Emerson Burkhart grew up sketching on a Union Township farm. The celebrated American realist painter graduated from Kalida High School in 1924, launching a four-decade career that produced over two thousand paintings.

Kalida Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.

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