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It's official: The Bluffton Hospital multi-million dollar ER/OR renovation and expansion is underway.

With a ceremonial tossing of dirt by Isabelle, James S. and John West, on April 8, the project began. Following the West family, Ropp Triplett tossed a shovel of dirt at Bill Watkins, Bluffton Hospital chief administrative officer. Ropp and Mary Emma Triplett served as campaign co-chairs.

The project will create new, much needed space for Bluffton Hospital's emergency and surgery departments, as well as add professional/medical office space.

Bluffton police report the recent conviction of Andrew Reese stemming from a 2008 indictment. Police investigated a series of bad check complaints at several Bluffton businesses. The investigation revealed that someone was fabricating the checks and the presenting them as payroll checks, according to Rick Skilliter, Bluffton police chief.

A March 19, 2008, traffic stop by local police led them to closely investigate Reese's involvement in the check writing scheme. Police originally sought an indictment in 2008, but Reese left the state before the indictment could be served.