News Briefs

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Farmers Market,
Sauerkraut event
Downtown Fremont Inc. will host the Croghan Colonial Bank Farmers Market and Moke America Ohio Sauerkraut Social Event Oct. 7 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
The event, which offers the chance enjoy some of everyone’s favorite aspects of the Sauerkraut Festival from the 1980s, will feature polka music from Northcoast Mix from Parma, Ohio, pony rides, sauerkraut specials featured downtown restaurants, a pageant contest, games and more.
To learn more, visit downtownfremontohio.org/sauerkraut-social.

Voter deadlines
The Ottawa County Board of Elections reminds voters that the closing date for new voter registrations and changes of address and names for the 2023 November General Election is Tuesday, Oct. 10. The office will be closed Monday, Oct. 9 in observance of Columbus Day.
Regular hours at the board office, located at 8444 W. SR 163, Oak Harbor, are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, however, the office will be open until 9 p.m. on Oct. 10.
New registrations and change of address and name may also be made at any public library, any Bureau of Motor Vehicles office, the Ottawa County Health Department and at the Ottawa County Courthouse at the Clerk of Courts Title Department or the Treasurer’s office.
Change of address may be completed online at VoteOhio.gov. Absentee in-person voting begins Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 8 a.m. and ends Sunday Nov. 5 at 5 p.m. at the board of elections office.
Early voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 10. During weeks one, two, and three of voting (Oct. 10-27), hours will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays (Monday-Friday). On week four, hours will be:
• Oct. 30: 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 31: 7:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. (also the deadline to submit an absentee ballot application).
• Wednesday-Friday, Nov. 1-3: 7:30 a.m.-to 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 4: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 5: 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

Wood Co. Court
Settlement Week
The Wood County Court of Common Pleas recently held its first Settlement Week in Domestic Relations Court.
Magistrates Jill Varnes-Richardson and Michelle Christie initiated the idea of bringing this opportunity to Wood
County.
In a court, Settlement Week gives people the opportunity to settle their disputes with the assistance of a professional mediator rather than going through a trial. According to Court Administrator Brandy Hartman, “The magistrates knew this would be advantageous to the community, and staff in Domestic Relations worked hard to make it happen.”
The court had 24 cases scheduled for mediation throughout the week of Sept. 25-29. Of those, 16 cases reached a full resolution, three cases reached a partial resolution, four cases scheduled another mediation session to continue to resolve their disputes, and one case settled prior to the scheduled mediation.
Attorneys Colleen Dooley, Fred Matthews, Martha Riewaldt and Kristin Wacha served as mediators. Judges Mary “Molly” Mack, Matthew Reger and Joel Kuhlman supported the initiative.
“This is a wonderful service for litigants navigating disputes in Domestic Relations Court,” Judge Reger said. “I thank the magistrates for making this idea come to fruition.”
As resources allow, the court hopes to offer Settlement Week at least annually.

LMH issues statement
following shooting
Joaquin Citron Vega, president and CEO of Lucas Metropolitan Housing, issued a statement regarding a shooting involving four people – including a child – on Oct. 1 at Weiler Homes Apartments in East Toledo.
“We were all saddened to learn of events this past weekend at our Weiler Homes Apartments community. Lucas Metropolitan Housing staff have been on site and support is being offered as necessary to help the families, their loved ones and neighbors during this time of grief.
“LMH is committed to ensuring our residents can live in safe neighborhoods where they are free from fear — where they can thrive and reach their full potential. We appreciate and support the efforts of the Toledo Police Department in contributing to safer communities. Since this is an ongoing police investigation, we have no further comment on the matter.”
For more information about LMH, visit lucasmha.org/.

Middle school tribute
set in Oak Harbor
Benton-Carroll-Salem Schools invites the community to pay tribute to Oak Harbor Middle School Sunday, Oct. 15, during the Oak Harbor Apple Festival. The landmark building – built in 1911 – is located at 315 Church St.
Tours will begin at noon. A ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. The celebration will also include Rocket fellowship with community members and alumni.
Everyone is invited, whether they attended OHMS, have children currently enrolled or simply appreciate the vital role the building has played in shaping the future of so many of Oak Harbor’s youth.
Construction of the new Oak Harbor Intermediate School, which will house grades 4-6, is on schedule for completion in November.

“Stories of Toledo-
Szeged Couples”
In celebration of the 33rd anniversary of the Toledo-Szeged Sister City Relationship, a program titled, “Stories of Toledo-Szeged Couples,” will be held Sunday, Oct. 15 from 3:30-6 p.m. at the Hungarian Club of Toledo, 224 Paine Ave., Toledo.
The program will feature stories of couples Gabor Balazs and Gabriella Baki, Brett Keskes and Zsanett Kormanyos and Tivadar Kiss and Molly Bartlett. It will also include discussions about Hungarian wedding traditions, the Szeged Christmas Project and Toledo-Szeged University Connections.
Special guest will be Zsanett Fugg, professional fellow alumna from Szeged, Hungary, supported by the Dave Beckwith Memorial Strategic Partnership Program & World Affairs Council of NW Ohio.
A selection of Hungarian appetizers will be served. Admission is free. A cash bar will be available and Hungarian items will be on sale. Reservations are required by Oct. 12. Contact Carol LaBounty at clabounty@bex.net or 419-874-1060 or text Elizabeth Balint at 419-973-8007.
The program is being presented by the Toledo-Szeged Committee, in collaboration with GLCAP/Great Lakes Consortium for International Training and Development and the Hungarian Club of Toledo.
To make tax-deductible donations to the 2023 Toledo-Szeged Committee for the 2023 Christmas Project, send checks, payable and addressed to the committee, to P.O. Box 404, Perrysburg, OH 43552.

Hayes to host author
For decades, when kids put their imagination to paper with colorful crayons, it was very likely the crayons they used were made in Sandusky, Ohio.
Just after the Civil War, three families took their innovative ideas for chalk used in schools from experiments on their kitchen stove to what became the American Crayon Company, once a flagship Sandusky manufacturer.
At one time, the American Crayon Company made more crayons and paints than any other plant in the world. The booming business gave Sandusky the moniker, “Color Capital of the World,” until production waned, and the plant changed hands and ultimately closed in 2002.
Sandusky native John Kropf, a descendant of the company’s founders, tells the company’s story in his book, “Color Capital of the World: Growing up with the Legacy of a Crayon Company,” and traces American Crayon’s cycle of build, boom and bust while sharing the human story behind it.
Kropf will discuss American Crayon Company’s story and sign copies of his book at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, located at Spiegel Grove at the corner of Hayes and Buckland avenues, Fremont. He will have copies of his book available for purchase. The book also can be purchased online at https://blogs.uakron.edu/uapress/product/color-capital-of-the-world/. Admission is free.
Kropf completed some of his research with materials in Hayes Presidential’s Charles E. Frohman Collection.
For information, call 419-332-2081 or visit rbhayes.org.

Singles dance planned
A Halloween Singles Dance will be held Saturday, Oct. 14 from 6:30-10 p.m. at The Ballroom Company, 2558 Parkway Plaza, Maumee (in the Parkway Plaza).
A free dance lesson will precede the dance at 6 p.m. The event will also include a costume contest.
Attendees may bring their own beverages to pass. For more information, visit GlassCityDanceParty.com, call 419-270-3502 or follow ToledoDJ Tom on Facebook.

WCCOA planning
honors for veterans
The Wood County Committee on Aging, Inc. (WCCOA) is planning to honor Wood County veterans 50 years of age and older with a special delivery to their homes in November.
The first 75 veterans registered will receive a velvet poppy pin, yard sign, and a slice of pie delivered on Monday, Nov. 6 between 1 and 4 p.m.
If you are a veteran or know a veteran in Wood County age 50 years and older, register by calling the WCCOA Programs Department at 419-353-5661 or 800-367-4935 or emailing programs@wccoa.net.
Registration will require the veteran’s name, address, branch of service, phone number, and confirmation that he/she will be home to receive the acknowledgement. Registration will be accepted until Oct. 28 or until all 75 slots are full.

Funding to be
restored for
safety classes

The U.S. Senate has passed Senator Sherrod Brown’s bipartisan bill that would require the Department of Education to overturn its decision to prohibit federal funds from going to hunter safety classes.
The bill will now go to President Biden to be signed into law.
“School hunting and archery programs are an important part of many Ohioans’ education and teach students how to be responsible hunters, gun owners, and archers,” said Brown. “These are exactly the types of programs we should be supporting – and the administration should never have cut off this funding. This bipartisan bill fixes that.”
Brown’s bill requires the education department to restore schools’ ability to use federal funds for archery, gun safety, and hunting education programs.

Grant awarded
for First Solar
The Ohio Department of Development is releasing more than $1 million for an allotment of projects that include infrastructure development and business growth.
During its Monday meeting, the Ohio Controlling Board approved more than $900,000 through its roadwork and cleanup grants, and $100,000 as part of the Regional 166 Direct Loan Program.
The Wood County Port Authority will receive a $681,000 Roadwork Development Grant in support of the First Solar, Inc., project in the City of Perrysburg. The Roadwork Development Grant, also known as the 629 program, assists with eligible public roadwork improvements, and aids employers in creating or preserving employment opportunities.
As part of the Station Cleanup, the community of Bidwell in Gallia County is receiving $250,000 for assessment and cleanup activities.
A $100,000 release was approved for Farnsworth & Crance Holdings, LLC, to assist in financing the purchase of a 9,980-square-foot building in Youngstown that will facilitate business growth and employment as part of the Regional 166 Direct Loan Program.
The Regional 166 Direct Loan Program provides low-interest loans to businesses with limited access to capital from private sources of funding.

Felony drug
charges filed

Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers have filed felony drug charges against two Michigan men following a traffic stop in Wood County in August.
During the traffic stop, troopers seized 332 grams of heroin, 51 grams of fentanyl, six Oxycodone pills and 120 grams of marijuana. In total, the drugs had a combined value of $46,975.
On Aug. 18, at 4:12 p.m., troopers stopped a Chevrolet Tahoe with Kentucky registration for expired registration on Interstate 75. Troopers detected the odor of raw marijuana coming from inside the vehicle, and a baggie of suspected marijuana was observed. Drugs were located on the driver and passenger during consensual pat-downs.
While performing a probable cause search of the vehicle, troopers located additional drugs. The driver, 35-year-old Victor J. Byrd, and the passenger, 31-year-old Antonio L. Jones Sr., both of Detroit, were incarcerated in the Wood County Justice Center on charges of possession of heroin, a first degree felony.
Both have since been indicted in the Wood County Court of Common Pleas. Byrd was indicted for trafficking and possession of heroin, and trafficking and possession of a fentanyl-related compound, all of which are first-degree felonies.
Jones was indicted for trafficking and possession of heroin and a fentanyl-related compound, both first-degree felonies. He is also facing charges of trafficking and possession of a fentanyl-related compound, both first-degree felonies, and aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony.
If convicted, Byrd could face up to 44 years in prison and up to an $80,000 fine. Jones could face up to 45 years in prison and up to an $82,500 fine.