A Russells Point police officer suffered serious injuries in a rollover wreck near Lakeview Friday night around 9:30.

Joel Kranenburg, 24, crashed on State Route 235 near Township Road 52.

Troopers from the Marysville Post of the State Highway Patrol report that Kranenburg was responding to assist the Logan County Sheriff’s Office with a foot pursuit in Lakeview with his lights and sirens activated. His northbound 2000 Ford Crown Victoria cruiser went off the left side of 235 and struck a utility pole.

Kranenburg, who suffered head injuries, was trapped in the cruiser.

LifeFlight transported him to St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima, where he was treated and released.

DP&L crews responded to fix the downed power lines.

Indian Lake EMS, the Lakeview Fire Department, and the Logan County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.

The accident remains under investigation.

The Marysville Post of the State Highway Patrol responded to a head-on crash on Route 33 between County Roads 57 and 37 Friday morning around 10:30.

Troopers report that Jerry Luker, 72, of Decatur, Indiana, was driving an ‘06 Pontiac G6 westbound on Route 33 when he crossed the median and collided with an eastbound 2000 GMC van operated by Harold Appleton, 78, of Columbus.

Both drivers were transported to Mary Rutan Hospital.

A passenger in the van, Roberta Appleton, 77, of Columbus, was also taken to Mary Rutan Hospital.

All three were wearing their seat belts. They suffered minor injuries.

Both vehicles were heavily damaged.

It appears that a medical condition may have caused Luker to lose control.

Paramedics from Huntsville, Richland Township, and Bellefontaine assisted at the scene.

The accident remains under investigation.

Employees and friends of Logan County Children Services gathered together Friday night to celebrate the Holiday Season at Ohio Hi-Point.

Friday’s festivities included dinner, entertainment, crafts for the kids, and a visit from Santa Claus.

Additionally, Children Services Director John Holtkamp held an awards presentation recognizing those that have given of their time, energy and resources in the past year.

Bill and Sara Frost were recognized as the Resource Parents of the Year.

Resource parents is the term formerly known as foster parents.

The Frost’s became became resource parents in 2007, they have welcomed four different children into their home since and have recently finalized adoption papers for their new son, Trenton, age two.

Listen as Bill and Sara react to their award and reflect on how they became involved with Children Services.

Lowe’s Heroes was voted Children Services Friend of the Year. Susan Ridge was voted the Educator of the year, Jim Scwind was recognized as the Private Sector Member of the Year, Sheriff Andy Smith is Public Sector Member of the Year and the Children Services Employee of the Year is Stephanie McClain.

Children Services held its final meeting of the year Thursday night and Holtkamp reports that despite a tight budget, Children Services had a, “very good year.”

Holtkamp reports that nearly 70 children are currently in adoption status and only three are currently in foster care; 38 children are in a kinship care situation—under the guardianship of an aunt, uncle, grandparents, etc.

As the new year looms Holtkamp says Children Services will continue its emphasis on permanency, that is, getting children out of a foster care situation and into a permanent home.

“We’re really working hard to get the best outcome for every child in Logan County,” Holtkamp said.

Listen as Holtkamp talks about 2009 while looking ahead to next year’s goals for Children Services.

A local semi driver was involved in a rollover crash near Honda early today.

The Marysville Post of the State Highway Patrol reports that Scott Parmer, 37, of 124 Plumvalley Street, Bellefontaine, crashed on State Route 739 south of Honda Parkway around 4:10 this morning.

Parmer suffered minor cuts, but was not transported to the hospital.

It appears that he crashed after his brakes failed.

Allen Township Fire and EMS assisted at the scene.

Although Parmer’s trailer was empty, crews spent about six hours cleaning debris.

Honda, along with five other companies, were honored Thursday for their commitment to the environment.

First Lady Frances Strickland and Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski presented the Ohio Award for Outstanding Achievement in Environmental Stewardship to two auto companies, a petroleum company office, a hospital, a manufacturer, and a seed corn and swine farm operation.

The companies were recognized for their leadership in protecting Ohio’s environment while making their operation more efficient.

Honda has reduced waste sent for disposal in landfills by 34 percent, reduced electricity use by 62.5 million kilowatt hours or enough to supply more than 5,500 typical households in one year, reduced natural gas usage by more than 417 million cubic feet in one year, and reduced ground water use by 43 million gallons per year. By using two ponds covering seven acres to capture rain, the company avoided using more than 95 million gallons of ground water over two years.

At the East Liberty Plant, a spinning operation was added to remove oil and solvents from used rags. The rags are then remanufactured into auto parts.

At the Anna Engine Plant, the company reused 7.7 million pounds of sand castings in soil and mulch products.

Honda has plants in Marysville, East Liberty, Anna, and Russells Point to produce motor vehicles, engines, and drive train components.

The other award winners included GM Powertrain Toledo Plant, Dull Homestead family farm in Brookville, Huron Hospital in East Cleveland, Marathon Petroleum Company in Findlay, and Masco Retail Cabinet Group in Ashtabula and Geauga counties.

You can see more at http://www.epa.ohio.gov/portals/47/nr/2009/december/EnvStewardshipNR.pdf.

The Bellefontaine Fire Department responded to a small fire at 540 West Chillicothe Avenue Thursday afternoon around 4:40.

Assistant Chief Andy Fissel reports that the fire started in a second floor bathroom.

The suspected electrical fire did about $3,000 worth of damage to the structure and contents.

DP&L shut off the home’s power and the American Red Cross assisted the nine people living in the home.

No one was injured.

Firefighters were on scene for just over an hour.

Bellefontaine High School students and staff are looking forward to the upcoming Christmas break. The Holiday spirit can be felt throughout the school. Many groups at the High School are involved in activities that relate to the holidays.

All the classes at BHS are participating in a Christmas door-decorating contest. Every class decorates their teacher’s door using a holiday theme and then teachers will judge and pick the winning classrooms. Ms. Minnick’s classroom door is pictured.

The Agape club is finishing up on a project where the members bought Christmas gifts for a family in need. Presidents of the club, Brice Henry and Kelly Miller, will be buying groceries and other items to deliver to the family. Agape members met today and wrapped all the gifts that had been brought in.

Every person at Bellefontaine High School has a different perspective on what Christmas means to them. When asked what the holidays meant, many responded with answers such as spending time with family and friends, playing in the snow, and having time off from school. Most also reflected on Christmas memories from years past.

Listen to Junior Katie Stephens talk about what she does for the holidays.

Listen to math teacher Russ Miller talk about why Christmas is special to him.

Listen to Freshman Courtney Chervanak talk about all the things she does during Christmas break.

Listen to Sophomore Mary Langenfeld (pictured) talk about what Christmas means to her.

The Music Department is preparing for their upcoming Holiday Concert on Sunday December, 13th. The Band, Choirs, and Orchestra will be performing various holiday tunes. Honors Choir, Women’s Glee, and the newly formed Men’s Chorus performed some Christmas Songs at the First United Presbyterian Church during school on Wednesday.

Three area men were indicted Thursday for shooting at an Ohio Department of Natural Resources vehicle on October 30th. The bullet narrowly missed the ODNR employees that were inside the vehicle in the area of Ford Road and Woodville Pike in rural Champaign County.

Todd M. Noel, 34, of 3875 Route 36 West, Urbana, was indicted for 12 misdemeanors and a felony, which includes the fourth-degree improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle.

Jesse W. Coffey, 37, of 124 East Plum St., St. Paris, was indicted for nine misdemeanors and four felonies, which include the fourth-degree felonies of improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle, complicity to improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle, failure to comply with order or signal of a police officer and the third-degree felony of failure to comply with order or signal of a police officer.

Jacob E. Shepherd, 18, of 124 East Plum St., St. Paris, was indicted for ten misdemeanors and a felony, also including fourth-degree complicity to improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle.

The three were caught after their vehicle slid off the roadway when ODNR officers were in pursuit.

Investigators from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the State Highway Patrol assisted the Champaign County Prosecutor with presenting offense-related information to the grand jury.

“The thirteen count indictment against Noel and Coffey and the eleven count indictment against Shepherd consist of multiple criminal code violations and hunter-specific code violations. In drafting the indictment, I wanted the grand jury to consider state laws not only applicable to the shooting, but also to the circumstances that led up to the shooting. Evidentiary factors supporting the unlawful hunting violations include hunting out of season, using an unauthorized type of firearm, hunting without the permission of the landowner, causing physical harm to property and persons, and in Noel’s case, not having a hunting license and deer permit,” said Prosecutor Nick Selvaggio.

“However, the criminal code violations that address the actual act of discharging the firearm and fleeing from the scene carry the heaviest sentencing potential,” Selvaggio added.

Arraignments are scheduled for all three men at the Champaign County Common Pleas Court on December 29th.

The Logan County Solid Waste District and Perry Township opened the county’s tenth recycling center Thursday afternoon. Township Trustees and Logan County Commissioners Core, Bayliss and Knight braved the frigid temperatures at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

According to Field Services Coordinator Tom Erwin, the new recycling center cost just under $48,000 and took around a month to construct. It is located on County Road 154 across from Reliant Mechanical.

Township Trustee Jeff Rosebrook said, “I think it’ll help everyone in the community. It’s a good location.”

Before the center was constructed in East Liberty, residents had to travel to either Middleburg or Bellefontaine for their recycling needs.

Logan County Solid Waste District’s Alan Hale said that the site was chosen because it fits in with the pattern that the Solid Waste District is putting together.

Listen to Hale’s comments about the new recycling center, upcoming centers and his recent election as President of the Ohio Solid Waste District Association.

The center is the eighth to be constructed in 2009. One more is set to be constructed at the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center by the end of the year, and six more are planned for 2010.

The Logan County EMA (Emergency Management Agency) received an $8,000 grant toward the purchase of a new public safety siren for the West Liberty Fire Department.

The remaining cost of the siren is being split between the Village of West Liberty, Adriel School, and Green Hills Retirement Community.

Each of them are putting in $4,438 towards the siren, which has a total cost of $21,314.

“So many people have been able to help us when we need assistance so it only seemed appropriate that we help the community when we can,” said Green Hills President/CEO Mike Ray.

The new siren will be installed on the Adriel campus. Mike Mullins, CEO of Adriel, said, “The community of West Liberty has helped support our mission for many years, and we are delighted to be able to give back by helping with the siren.”

The siren should be delivered next month. It will be used for all types of hazard warnings such as severe weather/tornado, chemical spills, and flood warnings.

A passenger was injured in a two-vehicle accident in downtown Tuesday afternoon.

The Bellefontaine Police Department responded to a crash in the 100 block of South Main Street around five o’clock.

Officers report that a northbound ‘98 Dodge Caravan driven by Dallas Smith, 18, of 316 North Elm Street, Bellefontaine, rear-ended a ‘99 Chevy S-10 pickup operated by Jeremy Kuhn, 29, of Wapakoneta.

Smith told police that he was obstructed by a cardboard trash container, which blew across the street.

His vehicle then bumped into the back of Kuhn, who was stopped in traffic.

Laura Wilgus, 50, of 505 North Detroit Street, Bellefontaine, was riding with Kuhn. She suffered minor injuries and was transported to Mary Rutan Hospital by Bellefontaine Fire and EMS.

All of the occupants were wearing their seat belts.

The vehicles sustained minimal damage.

Smith was cited for failure to maintain assured clear distance.

The Logan County Fair Board welcomed a pair of new board members Wednesday night.

Board members voted for Misty Kipker and Daric McClintick to the fill the two vacant at-large positions on the Fair Board.

Board Vice-President Skip Jackson (pictured), filling in for President Keith Watson, announced the results of the vote Wednesday during the Fair Board’s final meeting of 2009.

With the year coming to a close Board Secretary/Treasurer Bev Cotterman announced Wednesday the board currently has an ending balance of $15,959.59. This number is somewhat deceiving because the Fair Board spent over $10,000 covering expenses accrued during 2008.

This means the board's net income for 2009, prior to paying off last year’s expenses was $26,059.59—an impressive figure Cotterman attributes largely to a successful county fair held last summer.

Additionally, Cotterman notes the board has brought in $800 more in storage income than it did a year ago.

Other notable expenses accrued by the Fair Board during 2009 was $9000 paid to Thompson Electric to replace a pole and $4200 paid to the Auditor of State to fund the Fair Board’s recent audit.

The aforementioned audit conducted by the Auditor of State yielded no audit findings, which means the board will be subjected only to minimal audits for 2009/10 and 2011/12; the board will not have a full audit again until 2013.

A minimal audit costs less than one-half the price of a full audit.

The Fair Board also discussed the possibility of installing wireless internet access onto the fairgrounds. According to board members, this upgrade will make the fairgrounds a more appealing place, not only for vendors during the fair, but also for groups and businesses to use fairground facilities during the offseason.

Listen as Jackson discusses the expectations of new Fair Board members and outlines some of the board’s goals for 2010.

Listen as Cotterman discusses the financial state of the Fair Board and what, exactly, made last year’s fair so successful.

The Fair Board will meet again Jan. 13th at 7:30 p.m.

After first being tied and then failing after a recount, the Sidney City Schools 9.9-mill emergency levy has now passed.

A misplaced ballot was reportedly discovered following a recent recount of the November vote and the certification of the vote was amended Wednesday morning at 4,452 in favor and 4,451 in opposition.

During a special meeting held Wednesday, Shelby County Board of Elections officials approved a motion to amend official certification of the November 3rd election.

According to officials at the board office, while attempting to reconcile paperwork from the Nov. 30/Dec. 1 automatic recount, the staff located a missing ballot from the Salem West Precinct.

The absentee ballot was accidentally placed in a folder for a non-Sidney precinct prior to the recount.

On election night, the issue failed by 43 votes (4,335 to 4,378).

Two weeks later, the provisional and absentee ballots forced a tie at 4,451 to 4,451.

The vote tally remained the same after last week’s recount.

With the levy passing, it will spare school officials from cutting 47 positions.

High winds destroyed a building in downtown DeGraff Wednesday afternoon around 12:15.

Kerr Electric at 128 South Main Street collapsed.

The building was already heavily damaged from a large structure fire on September 26th.

Fortunately, no one was injured when the upper portion of the business came tumbling down.

Shirley Sanford, who’s the DeGraff Branch Librarian, drove by moments before it happened.

The collapse forced village officials to close the street for about two-and-a-half hours. 

The DeGraff Fire Department, village employees, and the sheriff’s office cleared the wreckage.

Brice Rayles owns Kerr Electric.

(Pictures courtesy of the Village of DeGraff)

A local driver was injured in a T-Bone crash near Huntsville at the intersection of Route 33 and County Road 37 Wednesday morning around six o’clock.

The Logan County Sheriff’s Office reports that a ‘99 Honda Accord driven by Dawn Burba, 36, of 7106 Baja Drive, Huntsville, was struck by a ‘96 Dodge 300 van operated by Dennis Fry, 60, of Waynesfield.

Huntsville EMS transported Burba to Lima Memorial Hospital.

Fry was not injured.

Both drivers were wearing their seat belts.

Both vehicles suffered heavy damage.

The accident, which tied up eastbound traffic for a short time, remains under investigation.

Five defendants were sentenced and one pled guilty before Logan County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark O’Connor earlier this week.

Raymond Joseph (pictured), 32, of Bellefontaine, was sentenced to twelve months in prison for conspiracy to commit robbery.

Kami Irwin, 28, of Bellefontaine, was sentenced to the West Central Community Based Correctional Facility, five years community control, and ordered to pay attorney fees and court costs for possession of drugs.

Jacob Knisley, 19, of DeGraff, was sentenced to sixty days in the Logan County Jail, five years community control, and ordered to pay attorney fees and court costs for theft.

Randy Fogle, 27, of Dunkirk, was sentenced to five years community control and ordered to pay a $250 fine, attorney fees, and court costs for non-support of dependents.

Shalita Munns, 29, of Bellefontaine, was sentenced to five years community control and ordered to pay a $250 fine, restitution, attorney fees, and court costs for attempted deception to obtain drugs and tampering with records.

Brandon Henry, 23, of Dayton, pled guilty to theft. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing is scheduled for January 11th, 2010.

Belle Center Village Council met in regular session Tuesday night at 7:00.

One resolution and one ordinance were passed on first and final reading during the meeting.

The resolution authorized Fiscal Officer Bill McCormick to apply for Fund for the collection of donations of park equipment, and to keep them on hold until November 2011.

Mayor Teresa Johnston said that if the motion is not passed in time, the donations will be returned.

The ordinance approved temporary budget appropriations until April for fiscal year 2010. The appropriations were made to start out the year to take care of what business needs to be done for the beginning of the year.

Village Council lastly said good-bye to Dione Campbell, who attended her last meeting as a council member after serving 16 years.

Listen to Belle Center Mayor Teresa Johnston talk about the resolution and ordinance, as well as her message to Dione Campbell.

The council also got rid of the position of Sewer Superintendent, which Johnston wished not to comment on.

Belle Center Village Council meets the second Tuesday every month and will meet next on January 12, 2010.

As temperatures outside fell, tempers inside climbed during the Bellefontaine City Council meeting Tuesday night.

The meeting should have been highlighted by the unveiling of the temporary 2010 budget, instead it was the continued discussion regarding dilapidated properties and the city’s apparent inability to enforce codes that dominated headlines on the heels of Tuesday’s meeting.

Near conclusion of the meeting, during the communication from council, Councilwoman Diane Hager inquired to Service/Safety Director Jim Holycross as to whether any progress had been made regarding the now somewhat infamous houses on East Chillicothe.

Holycross reported that he had invested so much time working on next year’s budget, he had not recently given much attention to the issue. Councilman Brian Evans, who also serves as Chairman of the Safety Committee, then expounded upon Hager’s point, adding the houses were only part of a much larger issue regarding rundown properties throughout the city.

After a brief exchange, Holycross ultimately stood up and left the meeting prior to its official adjournment.

That said, the chief concern for council after Tuesday remains the city’s budget shortfalls.

Councilman Mark Fissel, who also chairs the Finance Committee, unveiled the temporary budget for 2010. The budget, which only covers the first four months of next year, was passed on first reading only Tuesday night.

According to Fissel, the Finance Committee wants to wait until the end of this year in an attempt to get a better handle on where, exactly, the city’s general fund stands before moving forward with a permanent budget for next year.

Mayor Adam Brannon acknowledges the city is currently operating with a budget shortfall for next year, though he speculates the deficit is only around $100,000—a significant improvement from the $600,000 shortfall the city faced a few weeks ago.

Despite the cuts from the various departments, Brannon said Tuesday that no layoffs of city employees should be needed in order to balance next year’s budget. 

Additionally, it was announced Tuesday that water rates for city residents will be going up. There will be a mandatory $1.50 increase for all residents, with incremental increases from there, based on the amount of water consumed by customers; these rate increases are due to take effect March 1st.

According to Brannon, water rate increases should have coincided with the previous bumps in the sewer and refuse rates.

This increase will mark the first time water rates have been increased since 2006.

The reasoning for the rate hike is simple, according to Brannon, the water department is a self-sustaining operation and the administration requires more revenue to fund the water department.

Listen as Brannon discusses next year’s budget, the water-rate hike and the possibility of hiring a full-time city employee for the purpose of code enforcement. 

The council should have a firmer grasp on next year’s budget when it holds its last meeting of the year, December 22nd at 7:30 p.m.

Tri-Valley Fire Department responded to a garage fire in rural Bellefontaine at 11:13 Tuesday morning.

The blaze began in the garage at the Harpest residence at 2074 County Road 10.

Tri-Valley Fire Chief Luann Davis says that the fire was started by a running car inside the structure. Everything inside was destroyed and no dollar amount has been reported at this time.

Tri-Valley along with Perry Township and Bellefontaine Fire Departments responded to the blaze and stayed on scene for about four hours.

No injuries were reported.

A local soldier serving in Afghanistan was killed earlier this month.

Sergeant Dennis Hansen, who’s with the Army’s 10th Mountain Division (based in Fort Drum, New York), suffered extensive injuries from an improvised explosive device.

He died after being flown to Germany for treatment.

Hansen graduated from Indian Lake High School in 1996.

Dennis is survived by parents Dwight and Bonnie Hansen, a brother, and three children.

Funeral services have not been finalized for Hansen.

Logan County has lost three soldiers serving in the Middle East.

In July, Marine Gunnery Sergeant David Spicer, 33, of Zanesfield, was killed from an improvised explosive device while supporting combat operations in Afghanistan.

In October 2005, Army Sergeant Jeremy Hodge, 20, of Rushsylvania, was killed from an improvised explosive device near Baghdad.

The Logan County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Bellefontaine man on several sex-related charges Monday afternoon around five o’clock.

Bryan S. Moore (pictured), 24, of 629 East Sandusky Avenue, was charged with two counts of rape and six counts of gross sexual imposition with two boys under the age of 13. Each charge is a first-degree felony.

Authorities began an investigation late last week after receiving a complaint from a mother of one of the victims.

The alleged incidents happened in the rural Zanesfield area over the last several months.

Logan County Children’s Services assisted detectives in their investigation.

Moore was lodged in the Logan County Jail.

According to the sheriff’s office, Moore faces additional charges in Union County for similar crimes.

Ohio hunters took 114,633 white-tailed deer during the state's popular, weeklong deer-gun season, which ran November 30th through December 6th, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. In 2008, hunters killed a preliminary total of 116,798 deer during the same time period.

Counties reporting the highest numbers of deer brought to Ohio check stations last week included Tuscarawas-5,901; Harrison-4,310; Guernsey-4,289; Licking-3,734; Coshocton-3,680; Washington-3,589; Holmes-3,265; Belmont-3,238; Athens-3,049; and Knox-3,046.

A total of 178,397 deer have been harvested so far this season when combining the adult and youth gun seasons, early muzzleloader season, and the first six weeks of the archery season. That compares to a total of 179,194 killed last year during the same time period. Hunters took a total of 252,017 deer during all of last year's hunting seasons.

The statewide deer population was estimated to be 650,000 in late September, prior to the start of the hunting season. Approximately 420,000 hunters were expected to participate in the statewide deer-gun season.

Hunters still have a weekend of deer-gun hunting, December 19th-20th, and nine weeks of archery hunting in Ohio. Archery season remains open until February 7th, 2010. The statewide muzzleloader deer-hunting season will be held January 9th-12th, 2010.

Saturday, December 5th was designated as Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry Day. Although Chief Dave Graham was unable to fill his tag that day, many other hunters did and donated. Totals for deer donated though the FHFH program will be available next week.

Donations of extra deer will be accepted through the entire deer season which ends on February 7th, 2010. Hunters who give their deer to a food bank are not required to pay the processing cost as long as the deer are taken to a participating processor and funding for the effort lasts. Counties being served by this program can be found online at www.fhfh.org.

Hunters who wish to share their success can submit a photo of themselves and the deer they killed this year to www.wildohio.com.

The white-tailed deer is the most popular game animal in Ohio, frequently pursued by generations of hunters. Ohio ranks 8th nationally in annual hunting-related sales and 10th in the number of jobs associated with the hunting-related industry. Each year, hunting has an $859 million economic impact in Ohio through the sale of equipment, fuel, food, lodging, and more.

Ohio's first modern day deer-gun season opened in 1943 in three counties, when hunters harvested 168 deer. In 1956, deer hunting was allowed in all 88 counties and hunters killed 3,911 deer during that one-week season.

A detailed listing of deer-hunting rules is contained in the 2009-2010 Ohio Hunting Regulations, available where licenses are sold. It may also be viewed online at www.wildohio.com.

THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF DEER CHECKED AND TAGGED BY HUNTERS DURING THE 2009 DEER-GUN HUNTING SEASON.  THE NUMBER TAKEN DURING THE 2008 SEASON IS MARKED IN ( ): 2009 (2008)

Adams –1,790 (1,333); Allen –567 (431); Ashland –2,239 (2,168); Ashtabula –2,084 (2,776); Athens –3,049 (3,068); Auglaize –221 (357); Belmont –3,238 (2,407); Brown –1,096 (1,643); Butler –411 (364); Carroll –1,715 (2,174); Champaign –737 (743); Clark –338 (321); Clermont –1,166 (1,211); Clinton –558 (502); Columbiana –2,186 (2,384); Coshocton –3,680 (4,043); Crawford –1,002 (1,013); Cuyahoga –107 (88); Darke –309 (195); Defiance –762 (1,027); Delaware –652 (804); Erie –332 (320); Fairfield –1,964 (1,681); Fayette –221 (165); Franklin –263 (264); Fulton –377 (380); Gallia –1,766 (2,110); Geauga –509 (1,008); Greene –221 (242); Guernsey –4,289 (4,017); Hamilton –377 (331); Hancock –449 (394); Hardin –655 (571); Harrison –4,310 (4,136); Henry –264 (299); Highland –1,695 (1,694); Hocking –2,594 (2,337); Holmes –3,265 (3,138); Huron –1,142 (1,138); Jackson –2,577 (2,159); Jefferson –2,699 (2,840); Knox –3,046 (3,067); Lake –282 (363); Lawrence –1,510 (1,570); Licking –3,734 (3,597); Logan –815 (723); Lorain –808 (685); Lucas –273 (290); Madison –193 (189); Mahoning –694 (723); Marion –308 (315); Medina –639 (712);  Meigs –2,203 (2,465); Mercer –231 (211); Miami –126 (145); Monroe –2,521 (2,807); Montgomery –177 (154); Morgan –1,887 (1,910); Morrow –957 (1,043); Muskingum –2,829 (2,452); Noble –2,561 (2,636); Ottawa –65 (55); Paulding –472 (424); Perry – 2,046(2,108); Pickaway -635 (604); Pike –1,254 (1,212); Portage –544 (658); Preble –229 (237); Putnam –624 (542); Richland –1,438 (2,384); Ross –2,355 (2,340); Sandusky –217 (229); Scioto –1,420 (1,673); Seneca –1,012 (953); Shelby –448 (434); Stark –1,615 (1,718); Summit –381 (435); Trumbull –1,474 (1,738); Tuscarawas –5,901 (5,862); Union –478 (407); Van Wert –245 (251); Vinton –1,829 (1,538); Warren –462 (510); Washington –3,589 (3,753); Wayne –618 (825); Williams –615 (578); Wood –402 (391); Wyandot –595 (606); Total –114,633 (116,798)

Lakeview Village Council met in regular session Monday night at 7:30.

The council heard about improvements at Emil Davis Community Park from Eric Shroyer, who contracts and manages the park. Several improvements have already been made and more should be in effect by Spring 2010.

Shroyer has been making improvements to the park since he took over and hosts several state and national softball tournaments during the summer.

The annual Christmas in Lakeview celebration was held last Friday, with council members praising the community and area businesses who helped with the event.

Mayor Ryan Shoffstall said he hoped the gifts and meals that were purchased at the event would make someone’s Christmas a little bit better.

More than 70 canned goods were sent to United Christian Services and the Salvation Army.

The Awards of Merit were given to village employees just in time for the holidays. Village Administrator Pat Parish received $1,000 and other village employees received $150 to recognize their service to the community.

Board members Malonya Richardson and Traci Snyder were elected to the Fire Dependency Board by council members and Lakeview Fire Department retirees Dennis Oakley, Steve Morris and Ken Carnaham were approved as well.

Listen to Mayor Ryan Shoffstall talk about Christmas in Lakeview, improvements to Emil Davis Community Park, and the Awards of Merit given to employees.

The Russells Point Village Council moved one step closer to increasing fines for traffic violators Monday night when the group met in regular session.

The ordinance was one of two that passed second reading Monday night and, if adopted, would increase the fines of non-moving violations by $10 from previous levels; the cost of a moving violation would increase by $20.

The reason for the price hike is so the village can assist the state in covering the cost of public defenders.

The second ordinance passed by council on second reading was a change to personnel policy regarding the distribution of overtime, or “comp time”, funds to village employees. The Village of Russells Point does not distribute overtime funds to village employees until the end of the year and sometimes those funds will not be distributed until after the new year. This amendment came at the request of the State Auditor’s office so that comp time distribution would no longer carry over into the new year.    

The village recently received the Auditor Assessed Values for 2010 from Logan County Auditor Mike Yoder.

The report is a yearly requirement for all county auditors and serves as an itemized list of what each city and village is worth monetarily for the purpose of determining tax values.

According to the assessment, Russells Point is worth approximately 32.2 million dollars. Two-thirds of the village’s overall worth, about 22 million, is residential. The village has a small agricultural worth, but absolutely no industry, according to the report.

Council also enter into executive session Monday to discuss pay increases for village employees. Council approved the pay raises, though the vote was not anonymous—Robert Reames voted against the pay increases.

Those increases should be revealed during council’s next meeting when it unveils the 2010 budget.

Listen as Russells Point Mayor Greg Iiams talks about the comp time ordinance, Auditor Assessed Values and the 2010 budget.

Additional action taken by council Monday saw the group accept the resignation of Jim Bailey. Bailey had worked previously in the water and street departments for the village, but recently submitted a letter of resignation to the council citing health concerns.

Lastly, Iiams announced during his report the village successfully completed its leaf pickup for village residents. According to Iiams, the village spent approximately $2500 and collected 10 full dumpsters of leaves from village residents. Iiams said Monday that leaf collection will be worked into next year’s budget as well.

Council will meet again Dec. 21.

This Friday, December 11, Mad River Mountain will be opening its lifts to skiers and snowboarders for the first time this season at 1 p.m.

The resort has been making snow since last Thursday and will continue this Wednesday through Friday. There is currently a snow base upwards of eight feet, which will grow as the week goes on.

The Avalanche Tubing Park and Midnight Madness will be offered starting the weekend of December 18.

Members of the Logan County United Way Youth Allocations Committee (pictured) were the featured speakers at Monday’s Bellefontaine Rotary Club meeting.

They were joined by Ilene Heaton, who is the executive director of the United Way of Logan County.

Heaton said, “Because our United Way believes that training youth today is key to having committed volunteers in the future, the Logan County United Way Board of Trustees approved implementation of a Youth Allocations Program in 1996.”

The Youth Allocations Committee is responsible for generating ideas as to what are the critical issues facing our youth today. They are given a budget to work from that allows dollars to be given away in the form of grants to various agencies and groups in Logan County. Grant proposals are submitted and the committee recommends to the United Way Board of Trustees which requests they are recommending for funding. The agencies then report the results of the approved projects to the committee.

Through the sponsoring of a Youth Allocations Program, the United Way of Logan County is endeavoring to accomplish the following goals:

1. Create understanding among youth of the role of United Way in meeting health and human service needs.

2. Provide an opportunity for young people to participate in the United Way decision-making process.

3. Develop an early awareness of the importance of volunteerism and a sense of community responsibility.

4. Increase United Way's capacity to meet the human service needs of our youth.

The committee consists of 20 teens, two juniors and two seniors from each of the following schools:  Bellefontaine, Benjamin Logan, Indian Lake, Riverside and Ohio Hi-Point Career Center. The students meet for two hours each month during the school year. Meetings are held at various agencies and/or businesses and, in addition to regular business, they usually involve a tour of the business and lunch. Students selected agree to serve both their junior and senior year.

This year the group will be given up to $5,800 to award to local agencies and programs. They recently developed this year’s criteria and a request for proposals will be sent out to local agencies, churches, and schools. Much like the adult allocations committee the students will meet with the agencies and develop recommendations to present to the board.  Last year the group received around $17,000 worth of requests with only $5,800 to award.

The committee co-advisors are Kim Collum from Lutheran Community Services and Heidi Reser from the Education Service Center.

This is the 14th year of this program in Logan County. 150 teens have participated and the total number of grants awarded to agencies and programs in Logan County is $78,000.

A 46-year-old Springfield woman was sentenced today to 65 years in prison for beatings, abuse, and mental torture inflicted against her five adopted children. Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray's office joined Union County Prosecuting Attorney David Phillips to prosecute the case.

"We believe this is one of the worst child abuse cases in Ohio history," said Attorney General Cordray. "These children endured years of unthinkable torture. The children's efforts toward mental and emotional recovery continue today. It was a complicated, difficult and lengthy case, but I'm pleased that the cooperative participation and expertise of our Special Prosecutions staff could help ensure this woman, as well as her husband, would be dealt appropriately strong penalties."

Prosecuting Attorney Phillips agrees. "I want to thank Attorney General Cordray for his office's participation in this case. This was a complex prosecution involving five child victims, well over 10,000 pages of documents, and several medical and expert witnesses among the dozens of total witnesses. Assistant Attorney General Chris Wagner was an important member of the prosecution team, and his assistance was vital to the conviction of this child abuser."

Cordray's Special Prosecutions Unit and Prosecuting Attorney Phillips prosecuted the case jointly. Phillips initiated prosecution in Union County but eventually sought indictments in Clark County. Indications of abuse were noted while the Fergusons and their children were living in Union County in 2004, but the family had previously lived in Springfield and it was determined that many of the incidents had taken place in Clark County.

Vonda Ferguson follows her husband to prison. 49-year-old James Ferguson is currently serving a 65-year sentence for his role in the abuse of the same children. James Ferguson's sentence was handed down in April 2008.

"I am pleased that as a result of today's sentencing, Vonda Ferguson and her husband will both likely spend the rest of their lives in prison where they will not be able to abuse any other children," Phillips stated. "Most importantly, the children are safe from further harm and can now begin the long road toward healing their physical and emotional scars."

The victims – three boys and two girls who ranged in age from 9 to 14 when they were removed from the Fergusons' home in 2004 – had been adopted by the Fergusons over the preceeding 11 years. The prosecution of James and Vonda Ferguson proved that while the Fergusons were active in their church and the children were known to be quiet and unfailingly polite, the couple beat the boys and girls to the point of bleeding with belts and hammers, restrained and gagged them with duct tape including during some beatings, forced them to eat excrement, and strangled, choked and burned the children in a pattern of abuse that continued on an often daily basis. Social workers ordered counseling for the family when allegations of abuse first surfaced. Vonda Ferguson had just left a phone message for a counselor in November 2004 when she failed to disconnect and was inadvertently recorded, threatening to stab one of the children. The children were removed from the home that day.

Following a three-week jury trial, Vonda Ferguson was convicted on November 20th of all 32 counts against her, including first-degree felony counts of rape as well as felonious assault, permitting child abuse and endangering children. Ferguson was held in the Clark County Jail pending sentencing, where she was kept on suicide watch after ingesting a handful of over-the-counter sleeping medication as the verdicts were read. Following today's hearing, Ferguson will be turned over to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to begin serving her sentence.

Attorney General Cordray's Special Prosecutions Unit is a division of the Attorney General's Criminal Justice Section. Cordray has increased resources for the Special Prosecutions Unit, which is composed of career prosecutors who, at the request of county prosecutors, prosecute serious felony crimes throughout Ohio. The unit may be appointed by the court to serve as a special prosecutor when the county prosecutor has a conflict of interest or may assist a county prosecutor when he requests additional resources. Areas of focus include homicides, child sex offenses, white-collar crime, and alleged wrongdoing by public officials.

Two local residents suffered minor injuries in a car/tractor accident in Perry Township Friday night around 5:45.

The Marysville Post of the State Highway Patrol responded to a crash on State Route 292 about a mile south of State Route 540 (about seven miles east of Bellefontaine).

Troopers report that a northbound ‘01 Mercury Sable driven by Carolyn Stewart, 63, of 10 North Township Road 129, Zanesfield, rear-ended an International tractor operated by Jeffrey Miller, 45, of 106 North State Route 292, East Liberty.

Perry Township EMS transported Miller to Union County Memorial Hospital in Marysville.

Stewart, who was wearing her seat belt, was transported to Mary Rutan Hospital by Bokescreek EMS.

The Patrol says charges are pending.

Both vehicles were heavily damaged.

Despite the cold weather, several hundred local residents lined Main Street to watch the annual Hometown Christmas Parade in Bellefontaine Saturday afternoon.

The parade went from the Logan County Fairgrounds to the intersection of Main and Columbus.

This year’s theme was “Let Your Spirit Shine”.

There were forty-plus entries in the parade. Many of them were local businesses, service organizations, and churches.

The Bellefontaine, Benjamin Logan, and Riverside Marching Bands performed, too.

The final entry was the most popular – Santa!!!

Local business owner Alan Galvez was the grand marshal.

Buckeye Spirit owner Arlene Feddersen was the parade coordinator. She spoke with Bill Tipple after the parade.

Listen to the complete interview.

98.3 WPKO had live coverage of the parade, which lasted about 45 minutes.

No awards were given out this year.

Clockwise from bottom left: Bellefontaine High School Marching Band, Bellefontaine Fire Department Engine, Benjamin Logan Marching Band, and Riverside Marching Band

 

The holiday season has unique fire risks that the Division of State Fire Marshal is urging Ohio families to pay close attention to.

Since the year 2000, nine deaths and more than $2 million in damages have been reported in Ohio as a result of fires starting on and around Christmas trees or holiday decorations.Three factors pos an especially increased fire threat during the holidays: decorative lighting, live Christmas trees and unattended children.

Decorative Lighting Recommendations:

-Purchase lights that bear the label of a nationally recognized testing laboratory and use the lights according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

-Do not connect too many light sets together and install light sets outside the home only if they are specifically labeled for outside use. Outdoor lights should be fastened with hangars, not staples and should be place don a ground fault interrupter circuit when possible.

-Use the replacement bulbs that have the correct wattage and replace light sets and extension cords that are worn or cracked.

-Decorative candles should be secured and kept away from material that could easily ignite.

Live Christmas Trees Recommendations:

Selecting a tree:

-Make sure the needles are flexible and hard to pull off the branch.

-The trunk should be sticky to the touch.

-If you bounce the tree trunk on the ground and a lot of needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long ago and is probably dried out. This is a fire hazard and should not be brought indoors.

Caring for your tree:

-Cut about an inch off the bottom of the trunk before placing it in a tree stand.

-Keep the tree stand filled with water, and check the water level daily.

-Place your tree away from any heat source, including at heat vent, fireplace or space heater.

-Never place any lighted candles near the tree or anywhere near the area where the tree may fall if knocked over by a pet or child.

Tree decorations:

-Before placing lights on the tree, inspect them for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear.

-Do not overload electrical outlets or connect more than three light strands together.

-Do not leave holiday lights turned on when unattended. Turn them off when you leave your home or go to bed.

-Use only nonflammable decorations.

Disposing of your tree:

-When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly.

-The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up service.

-Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. It can cause a creosote build-up in the chimney, which is a fire hazard.

Unattended Children Recommendations:

Children need to be warned to stay away from matches, candles and decorative lighting. Younger children need to be supervised at all times in rooms where candles are in use.

Additional Recommendations:

-Ensure that every family member is familiar with and has practiced your home escape plan and that each person knows two ways out of every room in the house.

-Make sure that all smoke detectors in your home are operational. Every Ohio household should have a smoke detector on each level of the house and inside every bedroom.

More than 39,000 pints of blood are needed daily in the United States. Logan County will give you a chance to do your part in helping those in need by holding two blood drives this month.

The first will be held Tuesday, December 15 at the First United Methodist Church in Bellefontaine at the corner of Main and Sandusky from noon to 6 p.m.

The second will be Thursday, December 17 at Sunsation Station, 625 Sandusky Ave from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a free movie rental for each blood donor.

Individuals must be 17-years-old, meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on height) and are in generally good health to donate. Please bring your Red Cross blood donor card or another form of positive ID.

Donations of all blood types are needed, but type O is in high demand since it be transfused to people with other blood types.

Call 1-800-GIVE LIFE or visit BloodSavesLives.org, for more information on blood donation and donating blood through the American Red Cross.

Heartland of Bellefontaine will host a free “Medicare Check-Up Day” Monday, December 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A presentation begins at 10 a.m. followed by appointment-only counseling sessions. Reservations can be made by calling (937) 599-5123.

Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) is conducting Medicare Check-up Days in each of the state’s 88 counties to complement Medicare’s annual “coordinated election” period from November 15 to December 31. Coverage secured during this period will begin January 1, 2010.

During the election period, people on Medicare can select a coverage options: Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plan, or determine if their existing coverage already meets their health insurance needs. Financial assistance is available to those with limited income.

At each Check-Up Day event, OSHIIP representatives will discuss changes to Medicare and preventative benefits, how to manage expenses, share information on financial assistance, advise beneficiaries and also run comparison reports on various plans.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a list of their prescription drugs, dosages and preferred pharmacy, as well as any information on pension, VA or other medical care benefits they are receiving.

For a complete listing of available Part D and Medicare Advantage plans visit www.medicare.gov. If you have any questions or need assistance with enrollment call the OSHIIP at 1-800-686-1578 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., or Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24/7.

The weekly agenda for Commissioners Core, Knight and Bayliss, for the week of December 7 through December 11.

Monday:

4:00 p.m. CEBCO Board Meeting-Winter Conference (BAYLISS)

Tuesday:

8:30 a.m. COMMISSION IN SESSION

9:00 a.m. CCAO Winter Conference – Columbus

Wednesday:

7:30 p.m. Fair Board Meeting

Thursday:

8:30 a.m. COMMISSION IN SESSION

9:00 a.m. Logan County Coalition Against Domestic Violence – Metro Housing

1:00 p.m. LUC meeting (BAYLISS)

4:00 p.m. Opening – East Liberty Recycling Center

Friday:

7:30 a.m. CIC Executive Committee (BAYLISS)