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POMEROY — There are many happy homecomings when local soldiers return from overseas but for one little family from Meigs County last week’s arrival of a unit stationed in Afghanistan for the past six months was especially nice.

On June 10 the gymnasium at Joint Base Lewis-McChord buzzed with excitement as the soldiers filed in. For all of them returning home was a very special time, but it was extra special for Sgt. Stefan Stamper. There stood his wife, Carrie, holding their 12-week-old twins, Ellah and Evelyn, not before seen by their father. Stefan missed the birth of his daughters.

It seems that the couple had tried for several years to have children without success so they found a surrogate to bring their daughters into the world.

The twins surprised everyone by coming seven weeks early, and their father missed the emergency C-section and the three weeks his daughters spent in the intensive care unit.

A news release from the military on the celebration of the return home of the deployed soldiers tells the story of Sgt. Stamper’s reaction when he spotted his family.

“He walked up to his wife holding their two baby girls, and embraced them all. He was totally speechless.”

Both parents grew up in Meigs County and graduated from Meigs High School. Stefan is the son of Jeff Stamper of Lenoir City, Tenn. and Sara Eades of Rutland, and Carrie is the daughter of Denise Weekley of Middleport and the late Mark Michael.

Carrie and Michael have been married for 7 ½ years and he has been in the army for 7 years. He attended basic training and AIT in Fort Knox, Ky. They were stationed in South Korea for one year, Fort Stewart in Georgia for a time, and are currently stationed at JBLM in Washington State. He was deployed to Iraq from December 2009 to December 2010, and Afghanistan from November 2012 to June 2013. He is a MGS Commander/armorman.

POMEROY — The Meigs County Commissioners approved a resolution for a critical infrastructure grant program.

The resolution, approved by a unanimous vote, will submit an application to the program on behalf of the Village of Syracuse. The program is for a maximum of $300,000.

The Village of Syracuse would use $279,900 for a project which would include rehabbing and increasing the size of the village water well. The project will also include replacement of electrical components on the well, replacing two hydrants and replacing the water line to them with a larger line.

Fred Hoffman, village grants administrator, thanked the commissioners for their support on behalf of the village.

Public hearings for the grant project were held on May 30 and June 13 during the commissioner’s meetings. Representatives from the Syracuse water board were present at the first meeting, with Hoffman present at the second.

According to discussions at the meeting on Thursday, the Village of Pomeroy had also been interested in the funding for slip repair.

The commissioners could submit only one project for consideration.

A decision on the funding is expected later in the year.

The Meigs County fair housing resolution was also approved during the meeting. The resolution states,

discrimination in the sale, rental, leasing, financing of housing or land to be used for construction of housing, or in the provision of brokerage services because of race, color, religion, ancestry, military status, sex, national origin, handicap, of disability is prohibited by Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and the Ohio Civil Rights commission. It is the policy of the Meigs County Commissioners to implement programs to ensure equal opportunity in housing for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, ancestry, military status, sex, national origin, handicap or disability, of familial status.

Bills were approved in the amount of $309,754.09, with $27,789.80 from county general. Minutes from the previous meeting were also approved.

The commissioners meet each Thursday at 11 a.m.

Horton E. Thomas, 83, passed away on June 8, 2013. He was born August 19, 1929, to Everett and Clara Thomas in Pomeroy, Ohio.

He moved to Brunswick, Ohio, to raise his family with his wife, Geraldine. Horton and Geraldine moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, when their nest was empty for warmer weather and a longer golf season. He retired from IBM after 35 years. In recent years, they moved back to Columbus to be nearer to children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Mr. Thomas will be dearly missed by his six children. He is survived by his children: Kenneth (Susan) Thomas of Gahanna, Ohio, Robert (Marilyn) Thomas of Centerburg, Ohio, William (Cheryl) Thomas of Columbus, Ohio, Mark (Rhonda) Thomas of Chillicothe, Ohio, Edith (Ron) Stollar of Medina, Ohio, and Kathleen (Jim) Ozment of Poquoson, Va. ; loving grandchildren, Amanda, Dana, Evan, Jeffrey, Laurie, Bryan, Jeremy, Paul, Jacob, Sarah, Mary, John, David, Jordan; and eight great-grandchildren; sister, Fay (Gene) DeWees; and sister-in-law, Carolyn Thomas.

He was greeted in Heaven by his wife Geraldine, his parents, and his brothers, Eugene and Donald.

A celebration of life service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, at Woodlands Assisted Living Facility at 2469 Kimberly Parkway East, Columbus, Ohio, 43232.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Gideons.