Historic sign re-dedicated, new one mentions namesake

Township Trustees reschedule meeting

Submitted information

The regularly scheduled meeting of Union Township Trustees at 8 p.m. Thursday, August 27, has been rescheduled for 11:30 a.m. Saturday, August 29, at the township building at 9977 Dixon Cavett Rd., Van Wert.

Will Ohio’s largest solar project get OK?

Editor’s note: while the Van Wert County Commissioners and trustees from Pleasant, Hoaglin and Union townships await a decision from the Ohio Power Siting Board on the proposed 4,000 acre Butterfly Meadows solar project, a final decision is expected on another controversial project in central Ohio.

By Kathiann Kowalski/Canary Media

Following a key legal deadline last Friday, the stage is now set for the Ohio Power Siting Board to make a final decision about whether the state’s largest solar and energy storage project to date can move ahead.

The OPSB initially approved the Oak Run Solar Project in March of 2024, but the case has since been bogged down by an appeal filed by Madison County and three of its townships.

Oak Run Solar would bring 800 megawatts of solar and 300 MW of energy storage to a state that has become increasingly hostile to clean energy, even as mounting electricity demand increases power prices and threatens grid reliability.

Though the county and townships filed their appeal with the Ohio Supreme Court in October 2024, it was not until this past May that the court weighed in. A majority of the seven justices rejected all objections to the project except one.

To deal with that issue, the court sent the case back to the board with instructions for regulators to ​“more thoroughly address the Oak Run project’s visual impacts,” specifically by reviewing photo simulations or artist’s sketches of how the project’s proposed substations would look from public vantage points.

On July 28, Ohio regulators heard testimony on this narrow issue. Briefing wrapped up last Friday.

Once the full board reviews the transcript, briefs, and other filings, it will issue a decision. The OPSB’s staff has already weighed in: Its August 7 brief asks the full board to confirm Oak Run’s permit.

The board is under no obligation to vote according to its staff’s recommendation, and there is no specific deadline for it to act. Any additional appeal could also eat up more time.

“The project represents a significant opportunity for long-term economic investment in Madison County while supporting Ohio’s growing energy needs,” Samantha Sawmiller, senior development manager for the Oak Run Solar Project, told Canary Media. ​“We respectfully await the Ohio Power Siting Board’s decision.”

Oak Run’s saga demonstrates the difficulty of developing clean energy in Ohio. In recent years, the state has blocked 5.3 gigawatts of wind and solar projects and garnered a reputation as the place ​“where wind and solar projects go to die.”

Class of 1966…

The Crestview High School Class of 1966 held its 60th class reunion at Willow Bend County Club in Van Wert on July 18. There were 15 classmates attending, some from as far away as Florida, Tennessee, Indiana and the surrounding Van Wert area. A nice dinner was enjoyed by everyone. Class members talked about the good old days and how fast time flew by, and they agreed they had one of the greatest classes ever. Photo submitted

Crestview gym renovations behind schedule

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

CONVOY — Crestview’s massive athletic facilities upgrades project continues, but inside work is running behind schedule.

Superintendent Matt Dube informed the school board Monday night that work in the high school gymnasium was originally scheduled to be complete by September 1, but the new target date is now September 28, thanks to some unexpected issues involving the old gym floor.

“When they took that floor up, what you saw was basically the gym floor from the ‘50s and then the ’80s construction – they just didn’t match up well and the new floor system wouldn’t go on there,” Dube explained. “They also had some issues with their willingness to extend a warranty if they did put the floor on that so with that kind of investment, it made sense to make sure the floor was perfect.

“It was actually interesting to see when we were in there, the time capsule that was in there,” he continued. “We pulled a ton of old things out of that floor. We found an old 1967 student pass in there and things like that but it did hurt the schedule.”

Curt South, an architect at Garmann Miller was at the meeting and said three-fourths of the new floor has been installed and the majority of painting is complete. He also said new bleachers are scheduled to arrive in early September.

School will begin on Wednesday and Dube said there is a plan in place for gym classes and for students at lunchtime while the gym is unavailable.

Gas prices skyrocket then come down

VW independent staff/submitted information

The projection was indeed accurate.

Last week, GasBuddy predicted a sizable jump in gas prices and it occurred later in the week, as average gasoline prices in Ohio rose by an average of 32.8 cents per gallon to an average of $4.22 per gallon on Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 5,345 stations in Ohio. Prices in Ohio are 31.8 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand $1.17 per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has increased 14.3 cents compared to a week ago and stands at $5.418 per gallon.

Locally pump prices seemed to peak at $4.29 per gallon on Thursday before steadily declining throughout the weekend.
 
According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Ohio was priced at $3.41 per gallon on Sunday while the most expensive was $5.29 per gallon, a difference of $1.88 per gallon.

The national average price of gasoline has risen 7.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.02 per gallon on Monday. The national average is up 3.6 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 93.1 cents per gallon higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.

“Average gasoline prices climbed back above $4 per gallon over the last week, with prices rising in slightly more states than they fell, as rebounding oil prices driven by the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries kept upward pressure on the market,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Diesel felt the pressure even more acutely, rising in all but a few states, as Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refining infrastructure continue to impact refined product prices more than crude oil itself. While the seasonal transition to cheaper winter-blend gasoline in the coming month could bring some relief, the two dominant challenges facing motorists – the closed Strait and the ongoing refinery strikes – show no signs of resolving anytime soon. Until they do, the path for gas and diesel prices remains tilted to the upside.”

Family picnic a success…

United for Sobriety, a partnership between Westwood Behavioral Health Center and Trinity Global Methodist Church thanked Huggy Bear Campground for their community focused generosity Over 100 moms, dads and kids had fun together at a family picnic and Huggy Bear Campground helped make it for free – swimming, fishing, mini-golfing, splashing and eating. Shown above are Betsy Niese from Huggy Bear Campground and Jane Schmid with United for Sobriety. Photo submitted

Local issues, one local race on fall ballot

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

The November 3 ballot is mostly set in Van Wert County.

Information provided by Pam Henderson, Director of the Van Wert County Board of Elections shows there will be six local issues on the ballot and possibly three others. The deadline to file paperwork for the fall ballot was August 5.

These are the confirmed local issues, none countywide:

• A pair of 2-mill renewal levies in the village of Convoy, both for operating expenses.
• A 1.4 mill levy in Liberty Township (excluding the village of Ohio City) for fire protection.
• A 1-mill renewal levy for current expenses in Union Township.
• A 1-mill levy for the Tully-Convoy Park District for current operating expenses and future improvements.
• A 2-mill renewal levy for permanent improvements in the Crestview Local Schools district.

Henderson said the Van Wert County Board of Elections Office is waiting on the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office to approve ballot language for three other issues:

• A 1.2 mill levy for fire protection in the village of Venedocia.
• A 1.8 mill levy for fire and EMS services in Jackson Township.
• A 1-mill levy for fire and EMS services in Washington Township.

A statewide constitutional amendment dealing with voting and photo identification is expected to be on the ballot as well, pending state approval of the ballot language, which is expected by Tuesday, August 25.

Two issues that won’t appear on the ballot – a local data center initiative and a statewide constituational amendment concerning data centers.

ODOT updates weekly road work schedule

VW independent staff

A busy week is in story for road crews around the area, with several projects underway and others slated to start. Here is an updated list from the Ohio Department of Transportation District 1 Office. All work is weather permitting.

U.S. 127 from U.S. 224 north of the city of Van Wert to just north of the village of Paulding will be restricted to one lane through the work zone for resurfacing beginning today (Monday, August 17 and continuing through early October. Work will occur during daytime hours throughout the week, including Saturdays.

The following locations will be restricted to one lane through the work zone for pavement repair:

Ohio 116:

• Monday, August 17 – near Converse Roselm Road
• Tuesday, August 18 – at Ohio 117
• Friday, August 21 – just east of U.S. 127

Ohio 49

• Wednesday, August 19 – just south of the village of Willshire

U.S. 224

• Thursday, August 20 – at Ohio 49 and just south of U.S. 30

In addition, Ohio 116 from Ohio 117 to just north of the overlap with Ohio 117, and Ohio 117 between Venedocia St. Marys Road and Becker Road (between the Allen County line and the Mercer County line) will close on Saturday, August 22, for approximately six days for full-width paving. Access to all properties will be maintained with flaggers. The official 116 detour is Ohio 81, Ohio 66 back to Ohio 116. The official Ohio 117 detour is Ohio 66, Ohio 81, U.S. 127 back to Ohio 117.

Along with those projects, crews are continuing to build the U.S. 224/Lincoln Highway roundabout. Work began in late July and will likely take about two months. A bridge rehab project over the railroad tracks on U.S. 224, between U.S. 30 and Lincoln Highway, continues as well, Work began in late July and will take approximately six months.

Study shows Ohio pot users pay more

By Megan Henry/Ohio Capital Journal

Two years after Ohio recreational marijuana sales began, Ohio’s adult-use marijuana continues to be significantly more expensive than Michigan, according to pricing data. Meanwhile, Ohio Republican lawmakers have outlawed buying from other states.

The cheapest ounce of marijuana in Ohio is $112 while the cheapest ounce in Michigan is $6.99, according to the WeedBuddy Cannabis Price Index.

In Arizona, it’s $49.99, and in Colorado, it’s $16.73.

The median cost of an ounce shows far closer prices though Ohio still sits as most expensive among the four states at $147.35, compared to $99 in Michigan, $120 in Arizona, and $110 in Colorado.

Ohio’s median price for an eighth of cannabis flower is $35, compared to Michigan’s $20 for the same amount as of July 31, the index shows.

“Price is going to be one of the most important aspects in terms of determining where they purchase cannabis,” said Morgan Fox, political director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. 

“People were already used to driving to Michigan to purchase cannabis, so as long as there’s still a massive price differential, they’re probably going to continue doing so at least for the foreseeable future.” 

Marijuana is illegal for recreational use in Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. Ohio recreational sales started in August 2024, about nine months after Ohioans voted to legalize recreational marijuana.

A new law passed by Republican state lawmakers took effect earlier this year that made a wide variety of changes to the voter-passed law. Ohio Senate Bill 56 criminalized bringing legal marijuana from another state back to Ohio. 

“If you’re caught with cannabis that cannot be verified purchased in Ohio or verified grown in Ohio, then it’s the same penalties as it was under prohibition of pre-legalization,” Fox said. 

However, he was doubtful Ohio customers knew about the changes to Ohio’s law. 

OSHP: securing loads saves lives

Submitted information

COLUMBUS — The Ohio State Highway Patrol is urging all commercial drivers, construction haulers and companies transporting materials to make sure their load is properly secured before traveling on the road.

As traffic continues throughout the summer construction season and into the back-to-school season, troopers are seeing a rise in incidents involving debris falling from trucks and trailers – putting motorists at significant risk.

Unsecured or unchecked loads can lead to dangerous roadway conditions, including flying debris, sudden obstacles and unexpected hazards that leave drivers with little time to react. Even a small object, such as a rock or piece of loose material, can cause serious vehicle damage, impair visibility or trigger chain‑reaction crashes.

“Making sure a load is properly secured isn’t just a regulatory requirement, it’s a responsibility that directly impacts every driver who shares the road,” said Lieutenant Jacob D. Landis, OSHP Licensing and Commercial Standards. “When debris enters the roadway, the consequences can be devastating.”

The Patrol encourages companies and operators to conduct routine inspections of trucks, trailers and equipment before every trip. This includes verifying that load covers are in place, tie‑downs are secure and material is properly contained. Troopers will continue monitoring commercial traffic statewide and enforcing violations involving unsecured loads, debris‑related hazards and equipment safety.