News Briefs: Week of 7/8/19

Road work to start
Benton Township has contracted for work on Lindsey-Limestone Road, which will be closed during construction.
Work is set to begin July 8 and is expected to continue through Aug. 2. Hours will be 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting.
Through traffic will be prohibited. Buses, emergency vehicles and local traffic will be permitted.
For more information contact the Ottawa County engineer’s office.

Zoning board to meet
The Walbridge Board of Zoning Appeals will meet July 18 at 5:30 p.m. to consider a request for a conditional use permit from Hillabrand Holdings, LLC.
The company seeks the permit to excavate a borrow pit on agricultural land at 30200 E. Broadway St.
A contractor plans to remove about 100,000 cubic yards of soil from the parcel.
The zoning board will meet at the village council chambers, 705 N. Main St., Walbridge.

Flooded fields discussed
Senator Sherrod Brown visited a farm in Oak Harbor last week to hear from northwest Ohio farmers who’ve been facing record rainfall and flooding.
Delayed planting or the prospect of not planting at all confronts farmers who met with Sen. Brown at the home of Ron Laubacher.
“This planting season is the worst I’ve ever seen. On top of bad weather, interest rates are up and crop insurance isn’t going to cover our losses. It’s critical that USDA approve the disaster declaration to get farmers the help we need to stay afloat and take care of our families,” said Laubacher.
In June, Brown and Sen. Rob Portman urged U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to declare an U.S. Department of Agriculture disaster designation to help Ohio farmers suffering because of extreme rainfall and flooding.
With a USDA disaster declaration, Ohio farmers would receive the financial assistance they need as they continue to work through a difficult planting season
“Farming is one of the most important industries to our state, and a good farming season is dependent on so many different things going right. This year, farmers have unfortunately faced record amount of rain and flooding that make planting nearly impossible. Secretary Perdue and USDA need to do the right thing and issue a disaster declaration and get these farmers the financial assistance they need,” Sen. Brown said.

ODNR investigating
death at park
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is conducting an investigation into the death of a Fremont man June 30 while swimming at East Harbor State Park.
The Ottawa County coroner has identified the man as Delmur Owens, 49.
According to the ODNR, Owens was within the designated swim zone of the park beach when he was found unresponsive.
Emergency crews were dispatched at about 3:40 p.m. and bystanders attempted to resuscitate him until Danbury Township Fire and EMS arrived.
Owens was transported to Magruder Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Master investigators
complete training
Four investigators in the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office have completed the coursework required to obtain the Master Criminal Investigator status, Sheriff Stephen Levorchick said.
The certification is given by the Ohio Police Officer’s Training Academy.
Detective Sgt. Amy Gloor and detectives Aaron Leist, Joseph Leroux and Dustin Kindle received the certification after completing 192 hours of core and elective courses.

Change order OK’d
The Ottawa County commissioners have approved a change order for an improvement project to Elmore Eastern Road that will increase the cost by about $4,175.
The change was approved at the request of the contractor for the project, Unilliance, Inc., when it found a failing crossover during construction.
With the change order the project cost is $672,537.

Cat adoption special
Paws and Whiskers Cat Shelter is celebrating the 4th of July holiday with a special adoption event.
Through Sunday, July 7, the organization will offer reduced adoption fees for all cats and kittens. The adoption fee for cats over six months of age will be $17.76, and kittens will be available for $76. Several selected staff favorites will also have their adoption fees reduced to $10.
Adoption hours at the shelter, located at 32 Hillwyck Dr., Toledo, are Tuesday-Thursday 12-7 p.m. and Friday-Sunday 12-5 p.m. The shelter is closed on Mondays, and will be closed on Thursday July 4.
All adoptions include spay/neuter, age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV/FIV testing, and parasite and flea treatment, plus one free veterinary exam at participating veterinary hospitals. In order to receive the special adoption fee, adoptions must be completed the same day. Adoptions are only completed with an approved application.
Paws and Whiskers Cat Shelter, is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to providing shelter, food, love and veterinary care for homeless cats and kittens in the Toledo area while searching for caring persons to give them forever homes. It is the area’s only feline-exclusive shelter. The organization receives no funding from national humane organizations, the United Way, or government agencies.
For more info, visit www.pawsandwhiskers.org.

Waterkeepers
to meet July 11
The public is invited to hear Timothy Schetter, director of natural resources at Metroparks Toledo, and Scott Carpenter, Metroparks’ director of public relations, discuss how the park system is contributing to the reduction of harmful algae blooms in Lake Erie, July 11 at 7 p.m. at the Toledo Yacht Club. Toledo Yacht Club is at 3900 N. Summit St.
Howard Marsh, Middlegrounds, and two future Metroparks – Glass City on the East Toledo waterfront and Manhattan Marsh Preserve in the city’s North River neighborhood – are among recent projects that filter runoff before it reaches the Maumee River and the lake.
The talk will be followed by the Lake Erie Waterkeepers’ monthly roundtable discussion of the state of the lake. For more info, visit lakeeriewaterkeeper.org.

Concert fundraiser
Sandusky County Positive People (SCPP) will hold the 7th Annual “Summer Concert of the Year” fundraiser at the Fremont Yacht Club on Friday, July 12.
The fundraiser will promote Positive People’s efforts to raise money for scholarships for graduating high school seniors in Sandusky County who have overcome difficult challenges in a positive way. All proceeds from the concert will go toward scholarships.
Again this year, the evening will feature three acts. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. and Hayden James will perform from 6-6:45 p.m. Country performers The Eric Sowers Band will take the main stage from 7-8:30 p.m. Back by popular demand, The Together Band, will perform from 9 p.m.-midnight.
Advance tickets will be available for the discounted price of $15. Tickets purchased at the gate will be $20. Tickets are available for purchase at Jimmie G’s Barbeque, the Sandusky County Convention and Visitors Bureau and any from SCPP Board member, as well as online at www.scppohio.org.
This is a 21 and over event. No outside food or drink allowed. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.
SCPP thanked title sponsor ProMedica Memorial Hospital as well as the following supporting businesses: Beck Suppliers, Baumann Auto Group, Croghan Colonial Bank, Green Bay Packaging, Mosser Construction, P.T. Services Rehabilitation Inc., Terra State Community College, Motion Controls, Orchard Accounting, Reino Linen, The Together Band, Ohio/Michigan Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association and IBEW Local #8 and Martin-Marietta.
Since its inception in 2012, SCPP has been able to provide 68 scholarships totaling $143,500 to Sandusky County youth. The organization is a 501(c)3 that relies solely on donations and fundraising for funding.
To support the fundraiser or for additional information, visit www.scppohio.org or send donations to Sandusky County Positive People, PO Box 533, Fremont, OH 43420.

Near-record season
Boasting one of the largest networks of roads and bridges in the nation, Ohio has spent $2.07 billion on projects to maintain or replace roads and bridges across the state in 2019. These projects were funded by the state and federal motor fuel tax.
“Those who use our roads and bridges pay to maintain and improve them. Unfortunately, as the costs of maintaining and building roads and bridges continued to go up, revenues from the state motor fuel tax, a user fee, did not,” said Ohio Department of Transportation Director Dr. Jack Marchbanks. “However, the new transportation budget, which took effect on Monday, July 1, includes additional revenues that will allow Ohio to continue moving forward.” This construction season included a total of 1,034 projects with 90 percent aimed at preserving existing roads and bridges. These projects included paving 5,166 miles of roadway, working on 871 bridges, and completing 246 safety-focused projects.
Since 1990, truck traffic in Ohio has increased by 66 percent and passenger vehicle traffic is up 41 percent. The state’s population has grown by 7.4 percent. At the same time, the number of lane miles maintained by ODOT has only grown by 3.6 percent.
“To some, orange barrels may mean frustration and delay, but they’re really a sign of progress and a growing economy in our state,” said Marchbanks.

Contract agreement
On June 26, the Terra State Community College Board of Trustees unanimously approved a three-year collective bargaining agreement, which the Support Staff Union previously ratified.
The agreement, effective July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2022, includes a $1,000 lump-sum bonus in year one of the agreement for all current OAPSE/AFSCME Union members. In year two, union members will receive a 2.25% salary increase, and in year three, they will receive a 2.5% salary increase.
Director of Human Resources Jeremy McLaney expressed his satisfaction with the outcome noting “The staff union indicated they were pleased with the direction of the college. We certainly appreciate the support staff and their contributions to the Terra community.”
Terra State President Dr. Ronald Schumacher is pleased to have settled on an agreement so quickly. “I love the fact that the staff came to us and were willing to engage in an expedited negotiations process,” he said. “The staff union works hard and I’m glad we as a college are able to give them a couple years of salary increases.”

Projects ready for bids
A list of street paving projects was approved Tuesday by the Lake Township trustees.
Contract bids will be opened Aug. 6 for resurfacing: Ayers Road, from Luckey Road to East Broadway and from East Broadway west for 315 feet; Orchard Place, Orville Court, from Orchard Place to the cul-de-sac, Wagner Drive, William Drive, Ella Street, Springbrook Drive, Ridgewood Place, Ridge Lane and Eastpointe Drive.