Justice Center to be closed day of eclipse

SENECA COUNTY – The Seneca County Justice Center has announced that it will be closed April 8 due to the eclipse. Judges of the Seneca County Common Pleas Court and the Tiffin-Fostoria Municipal Court with consultation and approval from both Seneca County Clerk of Courts Stephanie Hicks and Seneca County Sheriff Fred Stevens agreed to close the justice center for the eclipse. A press release from the Justice Center provided the following reasons for the closure. Seneca County will be within the 124-mile area in Ohio experiencing the April 8 total solar eclipse. The county will be in the eclipse's path of totality, the moon blocking the sun for about 4 minutes. A partial eclipse will begin at 1:57 p.m. and end at 4:29 p.m. The total solar eclipse will last from 3:11 – 3:15 p.m. The next solar eclipse in Ohio will be in 2099. During the time of the total eclipse, there will be a significant impact on county school districts, offices, businesses and transportation systems. The impact is due to the project number of people traveling to the county to view the total eclipse, especially after the end of the eclipse when people will be leaving the county. The estimated increase in population will mean increased travel time for residents and visitors April 8. The Seneca County Sheriff's Office and Seneca County EMA strongly encouraged the justice center, its courts and offices to close April 8 due to the difficulty of traveling through the county and possible delays in emergency service response times. Also, law enforcement personnel who are assigned to and provide security for the justice center and transportation officers can be utilized by the sheriff's office for road patrols April 8. The Seneca County Commissioners have closed all non-essential county offices April 8 based on recommendations from Seneca County EMA and Sheriff's Office. The Seneca County Justice Center will be closed to the public April 8 and will reopen at 8:30 a.m. April 9. The release noted that all filings due on April 8 will be considered timely if received by the Seneca County Clerk of Courts no later than April 9. Each court within the justice center will also place appropriate contingency plans for necessary emergency hearings or necessary court orders.