Chair thanks volunteers after flood forces quick museum evacuation and repairs

The chair of the meeting recounted a recent flood that sent about four to five inches of water into the local museum and urged continued community help to restore exhibits and repair the wooden floor. The chair said the flood came from an unexpected direction after debris blocked a bridge and that professionals needed to dry the building quickly to prevent permanent damage. "We had people packing ... By 02:15, we were done," the chair said, and asked the audience to "give these people a hand because they deserve it."

The chair described immediate steps taken to protect collections: volunteers moved items into the community center, crews brought heaters and fans, and organizers cleared furniture from the Old Western Building so museum items could be rehung. He said the museum's wooden floor was at risk and that some items would require careful reinstallation. Financial and logistics details related to remediation were not specified in the discussion.

The chair also publicly recognized township trustees, township workers and community members who assisted in the recovery and asked for additional volunteer workdays for tasks including rehanging items and finishing repairs. The meeting's announcements later noted there will be no open house at the museum today but organizers expect to be ready by election day and plan an open house then.