By Ryan Berry

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — The Daily Advocate/The Early Bird is going home. The newspaper staff was displaced on January 19 when a pipe burst in the upper floor of their office bringing down a flood of water and destroying much of the inside of the office. Nearly six months after the damage occurred, the staff will be heading back to 100 Washington Ave., Greenville on Monday, July 1.

The process of cleaning the facility began within a couple hours of discovering the leak. Bill Hawkey and Assoc. Were there immediately and began removing the water and debris. By the end of the day, a large dumpster was sitting outside the office.

The Daily Advocate/The Early Bird has high praise for building owner Andrew Riffle and his father, Daryl. Their quick response limited the damage to one side of the building. Matsunoki Martial Arts & Fitness Center experienced minor damage and was able to reopen soon after the leak occurred.

A connector on the waterline for the fire suppression system was the culprit that caused thousands of dollars in damage. In addition to the thousands of dollars in damage to the building, The Daily Advocate/The Early Bird lost thousands of dollars in computers, monitors and other electronics, and office furniture and supplies.

The newspapers are grateful for the Darke County United Way and its board of directors. After learning the Daily Advocate/The Early Bird was looking for temporary office space, the board of directors gave approval for the company to move into the vacant part of their office.

As of Friday, June 28, the newspaper will no longer staff the temporary office on Fourth Street (United Way Building). All customers should come to the address at 100 Washington Ave., Greenville. The office is located across from Annie Oakley Park (Annie Oakley statue) at the corner of Washington, Martin and South Broadway streets.

The office is generally open from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday. However, due to limited staffing, it is best to call ahead to make sure the office is open. Customer service can be reached at 937-569-4301. The following is a list of additional contacts at the newspaper – Advertising Manager, Christine Randall, [email protected], 937-569-4303; Editor, Ryan Berry, [email protected], 937-569-4312; Circulation and Subscriptions, Lori Denniston, [email protected], 937-569-4340; Sports Editor, Drew Terhall, [email protected], 937-569-0122;

To contact Daily Advocate Editor Ryan Berry, email [email protected].