Save Ohio Horse Racing
| April 11, 2010 The Warren County Fair Board has decided to replace the Lebanon Raceway horse barn that burned down on Dec. 5 with a smaller barn. Fair board officials hope to take bids for the estimated $80,000 project in the coming weeks and have the barn up in time for the Warren County Fair, July 19-24. Discussions with county commissioners about the barn have been ongoing since the fire that killed two men and more than 40 horses. Officials considered building two smaller barns to replace the approximately 80-by-300-foot barn that burned, said Fair Board President Ron Hurtt, before settling on an 80-by-104-foot structure. "We feel that will fill our needs," said Hurtt. Difficult times have befallen the horse industry in Ohio, which is in limbo until voters decide a video slots machine referendum in November. Of the approximately 700 stalls at Lebanon Raceway, 60-100 are empty on any given day, Hurtt said. The new barn will be multi-purpose and available for a variety of rental opportunities, according to Hurtt, who foresees the Raceway transitioning into a horse-riding training center if video slots are approved and the track operators build a new facility elsewhere. Lebanon Raceway is at the Warren County Fairground, county property, and commissioners have opposed gambling on the site. Warren County has received an insurance payment of $532,421 for the destroyed barn, far more than the estimated cost of the replacement structure. Hurtt said commissioners have committed to using the overage to make improvements to the fairgrounds. The two men who died in December's barn fire were grooms at the Raceway. DNA testing results released this week by the Warren County Coroner's office identified the men as Ronnie Williams and James Edwards. The men died of smoke inhalation, said Russell Uptegrove, Warren County coroner. The investigation into the fire is not complete, according to Shane Cartmill, spokesman for the state fire marshal's office. |
