The 18 rides at the Greene County Fair are expected to open today following what officials called thorough inspections of the machines.
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Rides are getting increased scrutiny at county fairs following the deadly incident last week when a passenger gondola on the Fire Ball ride broke off at the Ohio State Fair, killing an 18-year-old and injuring seven.
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The rides at the Greene County Fair will be inspected and reinspected by a representative of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. If all goes well, the plan is to open the rides to the public at 4 p.m.
"[The inspector is] looking at everything from nuts and bolts, r keys, cotter pins, even into the chains that hold the gates," said Jeff Bullen, Greene County Agricultural Society director who is overseeing the fair.
The fair began Sunday, but the ride operators came from Butler County’s fair, which ended Saturday.
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In light of the July 26 tragic incident at the Ohio State Fair, Bullen said he followed the inspector on his rounds "just so I can see what he's doing so if anybody has any questions, I can say 'yes,' that was done."
Despite the ongoing investigation into the deadly incident in Columbus, attendance was up 10 percent on the opening day at the Greene County Fair, according to Bullen.
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