State grant awarded for downtown demolition project

No local cases of parasitic outbreak

VW independent staff

A gastrointestinal disease that has sickened thousands of people across multiple states, including Ohio, still has not hit locally.

No cyclosporiasis cases have been confirmed in Paulding or Van Wert counties, but confirmed cases have been reported in all surrounding counties in Ohio, including four in Allen County, three in Auglaize County, two in Mercer County, and two in Putman County. In addition, 12 cases have been reported and confirmed in Defiance County.

Nearly 1,300 cyclosporiasis cases have been confirmed in in the state this year and the majority have occurred since mid-June. Lucas County leads the state with 270 confirmed cases.

Cyclosporiasis is not typically life-threatening but can cause watery and sometimes explosive diarrhea. The illness is caused by a microscopic parasite – Cyclospora cayetanensis, also known as Cyclospora. The disease generally is transmitted by eating contaminated produce.

“We are encouraging residents to wash all produce well and wash your hands well,” Van Wert County Health Department Public Information Officer Britt Menchhofer said earlier this month. “If a person is experiencing any symptoms of the disease, please see your primary care provider.”

YWCA hosting annual track event

Submitted information

The YWCA of Van Wert county will be hosting RunJumpThrow, a free youth event teaching the basics of track and field, from 9-10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 23, at the Van Wert High School track. This event is open to students in Van Wert County entering grades 3-6.

Families can register online at: https://forms.gle/AWncC8yp5AaqfGk67.

Children who are already registered for the Summer Food Program and attending that day do not need to complete an additional registration for RunJumpThrow.

The YWCA of Van Wert County is a United Way agency and partially funded by the Van Wert County Foundation. 

Train show…

The 23rd annual Van Wert County Historical Society’s Railroad Heritage Weekend Model Railroad Show & Swap is in the books and once again, it was a big success. Hundreds of model train euthusiasts flocked to the Van Wert County Fairgrounds Friday and Saturday to peruse 250 vendor tables with all sorts of merchandise, accessories and memorbilia housed in four buildings. There were several operating layouts as well, along with a food court. The fairgrounds also hosted the Van Wert Amateur Radio Club’s Hamfest Sunday morning. Scott Truxell/Van Wert independent

Video: working train layouts

Along with many vendor tables, the Van Wert County Historical Society’s Railroad Heritage Weekend Model Railroad Show & Swap featured several working layouts. The layouts were enjoyed by model railroaders young and old, and provided inspiration to anyone who enjoys the hobby. Scott Truxell/Van Wert independent

Search warrant executed in Delphos

VW independent staff

DELPHOS — Weapons and ammunition were seized from a home in Delphos and one person is in custody.

The Delphos Police Department and the Allen County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team executed a search warrant during the early morning hours of Sunday, July 18, at a home in the 200 block of N. Main St. During the search, numerous weapons and ammo were found.

According to a press release from the Delphos Police Department, the resident, Joseph Meeker, is currently at the Allen County Jail for having weapons under disability.

The investigation continues and charges are pending in Allen County Common Pleas Court.

Civil suit filed by sex offender’s neighbors

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

A convicted sex offender living in Van Wert has been named as defendant in a civil lawsuit filed in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

The suit, filed on Wednesday by Toledo attorney Steven L. Crossmock, seeks monetary damages from David Bradford, who lives on Ohio 116 outside the Van Wert city limits. Crossmock represents a neighboring family whose young child was sexually assaulted by Bradford in 2024.

While the matter is public record, the VW independent has chosen not to publish the names of the plaintiffs.

Bradford is the husband of current Van Wert County Auditor Jamie Bradford, who lost her bid for re-election during the May primary election. She is not named in the lawsuit.

While a dollar amount is not listed, the plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages for emotional distress, loss of use and enjoyment and property, punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish Bradford and deter similar conduct in the future, pre-and-post judgement interest, the cost of the lawsuit and attorney’s fees, and any other relief the court deems proper.

“Since the sexual assault and defendant’s criminal conduct, plaintiffs and plaintiffs’ children have been unable to use and enjoy their residential property peacefully and without fear,” the suit states. “Plaintiffs have suffered severe emotional distress, anxiety and fear for safety and well-being of plaintiff’s children…defendant’s conduct was intentional, willful, wanton, malicious and done with reckless disregard for the rights and safety of plaintiffs.”

No hearing dates have been established yet.

In a case heard by Visiting Judge James Brogan on January 30, 2025, Bradford entered a guilty plea to a prosecutor’s bill of information to a single count of attempted gross sexual imposition, a fourth degree felony. He was then sentenced to five years of probation, was ordered to have no alcohol or drugs without a prescription, undergo random screens, have no contact with the victim and no unsupervised contact with minors under the age of 13. In addition, Bradford was ordered to register as a Tier II sex offender, which means he must register his address twice a year for 25 years. He was also ordered to pay a $500 fine and court costs.

Trade Days to start next Thursday

Submitted information

WILLSHIRE — The Willshire Sportsman’s Club’s annual Trade Days event will be held from dawn to dusk Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 23-25 at 3385 Ohio 81, two miles east of Willshire. Bring the entire famiy – admission and parking are free.

There will be all types of flea market items, crafts, cement figures, tools, dog supplies, antiques, fishing, and hunting supplies. The vendor auction will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 25. Breakfast and concessions are available.

No three-wheelers or four-wheelers are allowed except for the handicapped, and you must be 16 to drive a golf cart. Vendor spaces are available for $50 each. Check out the latest details and updates on the Willshire Sportsman’s Club Facebook page..

Willshire Sportsman’s Club is a non-profit organization that offers membership for $10 per year. Club meetings are every third Monday at 7 p.m. Contact Ron Schumm at 419.495.2730 or Dan Strader at 419.203.4557 for details.

DSJ announces new Hall of Fame class

VW independent staff/submitted information

DELPHOS — The Hall of Fame of St. John the Evangelist Catholic School was created in 2004 to honor and recognize those whose deeds and actions exemplify the spirit of Delphos St. John’s. The honorees are recognized in four categories: Professional Achievement, Arts/Athletic Achievement, Service to Mankind and Service to St. John’s.

Anyone is eligible and welcome to submit a nomination into the Delphos St. John’s Hall of Fame. Nominations throughout the year and must be submitted by March 1 in order to be considered for that year’s induction. All nominees must be at least five years post-high school graduation. Nomination forms and requirements for each category, as well as a full list of past inductees and current committee members may be found on the school website at https://www.delphosstjohns.org/hall-of-fame.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2026 includes: Professional Achievement – Mark Wellman, Class of 1978; Art/Athletic Achievement – Scott M. Elwer. Class of 1992; Service to Mankind – Mandy (Unterbrink) Weimerskirch, Class of 2002; and Service to St. John’s – Jeff Rode, Class of 1984.

Mark Wellman, Professional Achievement

Wellman is a 1978 graduate of St. John’s High School. As a student, he was active in the National Honor Society, student council, acted in the senior class play “Brigadoon,” played trumpet in the concert, marching and pep bands, and served as Head Drum Major as a senior.

He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a French Minor from The Ohio State University in 1982. As a Buckeye, he was linked into Sphinx Senior Honorary, the highest honor accorded to an Ohio State student.

He was selected as a member of the 1981 OSU Homecoming Court.

Wellman graduated from the DePaul University College of Law in 1986 and joined the leadership staff of Ohio Senate President Paul Gillmor. In 1988, he joined the Gillmor for Congress campaign as Press Coordinator for the primary, then as Campaign Manager for the general election.

Congressman Gillmor selected him to serve as his Chief of Staff, a position he held from January 2, 1989 until September 2007. Wellman played a key staff role in privatizing and thus saving the National Rifle Matches held annually at Camp Perry, Ohio, and in securing federal funding for the Delphos Reservoir, named for the Congressman.

He was elected President of the bipartisan U.S. House of Representatives Chiefs of Staff Association, and was selected as a Stennis Fellow. For two years, he coordinated an exchange between US Congressional staff and staff of the German Bundestag. He visited the Village of Riemsloh, the ancestral home of Delphos’ first settlers, and spent time with the German Wellmann family, visited the original family farm and attended mass in Sankt Johannes Catholic Church.

Wellman holds the rank of Colonel (Retired), National Guard of the United States, serving as a Judge Advocate in the Ohio and the District of Columbia Army National Guard over a 27-year career. His unit was the first mobilized by the Army after the attacks on 9/11. He volunteered for deployment to Baghdad, Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom from Feb 2008 to May 2009. He commanded the National Guard Bureau Legal Support Office from 2011 until 2015. His awards and commendations include the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal.

Upon his retirement from U.S. Congressional staff and from the Army, Wellman joined the faculty at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY as Assistant Professor in the Law and Legal Studies Program. He currently teaches Introduction to Legal Method and Advanced Constitutional Law. He also serves as the Head Department Academic Counselor in the Department of the Law and Philosophy. He is a volunteer photographer for Army athletics.

Area gas station robbers caught, jailed

VW independent staff

PAULDING — Two people suspected of holding up a gas station/convienence store in Paulding earlier this week have been arrested and jailed.

Robert Louis Chatman III, 21, and Kirsten Lynn Cox, 18, both from Defiance, are facing felony and misdemeanor charges. Online records from Paulding County Common Pleas Court show Chatman is currently charged with aggravated robbery, a first degree felony, and theft, a first degree misdemeanor. Cox is currently charged with complicity, a first degree felony, and theft, a first degree misdemeanor.

The two are accused of entering Circle K on N. Williams St. shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday. They were wearing all black and masks and Williams allegedl brandished a pistol and demanded all the money. The two fled the store on foot with a small amount of cash but in a press release, the Paulding Police Department said it didn’t take long to identify the duo.

“With the use of residental, business cameras and the recently installed Flock cameras, officers were able to identify a vehicle used by the suspects,” the press release stated.

The evidence enabled arrest warrants to be issued and Chatman and Cox were arrested later the same day in Defiance.

Both remain in the Paulding County Jail, with bond set at $21,125 each. It’s not known when the two will appear in court again.

Box City event canceled due to smoke

VW independent staff

Due to air quality concerns caused by Canadian wildfire smoke, tonight’s Haven of Hope Box City event at Fountain Park has been canceled. Organizers hope to reschedule the event.