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Rainfall totals vary around the county

VW independent staff

Van Wert County EMA Director Matt Saunier has provided 48-hour rainfall totals for various spots around Van Wert County from storms that moved through this week.

Here are the measurements between 4 p.m. Monday and 4 p.m. Wednesday at official designated EMA spots:

• Venedocia: 4.93 inches
• Wren: 4.80 inches
• Middle Point: 4.06 inches
• Van Wert: 3.81 inches
• Willshire: 3.27 inches
• Convoy: 2.42 inches
• Scott: 1.97 inches

Saunier said some areas around the county could see another .25 inches of rain Thursday evening.

Jackknived semi-trucks…

Two semi-trucks jackknived with 15 minutes and within 150 feet of each other on U.S. 30 Thursday afternoon. The first accident ocurred at approximately 3:15 p.m. along eastbound U.S. 30, near the Lincoln Highway exit ramp. The second accident occurred just before 3:30 p.m. in the same location but in the westbound lane. Both trucks sustained moderate damage and were towed away. Van Wert County Sheriff’s deputies, Middle Point Fire and EMS and ODOT were at the scene. Traffic was maintained along one lane in both directions. Bob Barnes photos

Grand marshals…

The grand marshal for the 100th Wren Homecoming parade has been announced. The committee has chosen Ashley Meyer (right) along with Elizabeth Shellabarger (left), the owners of the Wren Restaurant. Over the past four years since they took ownership of the restaurant they have been extremely community focused by routinely holding dine-and-donates for various causes. These causes are not just focused on the Wren community but the surrounding communities as well. Wren Fire Chief Chris High said the two and their entire staff have been a huge asset and supporters of anything to do with Wren. High also noted that anytime the fire department asks for their they jump to help and want nothing in return. The Wren Homecoming Parade will step off at 4 p.m. Saturday, August 22. Photo submitted  

County Common Pleas Court report

VW independent staff

Eight people were arraigned on various criminal charges in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday and Wednesday. In addition, one defendant appeared in court for violating his probation. Judge Martin D. Burchfield presided over each of the hearings.

Arraignments

Anthony Oliver, 31, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to felonious assault, a second degree felony, and aggravated menacing, a first degree misdemeanor. He was released on a surety bond and was ordered to have no contact with the victim. A pre-trial conference was scheduled for 8 a.m. September 9.

Corey Salisbury, 45, of Rockford, pleaded not guilty to violating a protection order, a fifth degree felony; violating a protection order, a third degree felony, and menacing by stalking, a felony of the fourth degree. He was released on a surety bond and was ordered to have no contact with the victim. A pre-trial conference was set 10:30 a.m. September 9.

Brandon Blackmore, 47, of Ohio City, entered a not guilty plea to strangulation and domestic violence, both fourth degree felonies. He was released on a surety bond and a pre-trial conference was scheduled for 8 a.m. September 2. 

Sonny Metzger, 51, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth degree felony. He was released on a surety bond and a pre-trial conference was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. September 9.

Brandon Ganger, 26, of Middle Point, pleaded not guilty to trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present, a fourth degree felony. He was released on a surety bond and was ordered to have no contact with the victim. A pre-trial conference was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. September 9.

Building demolished…

Demolition work on the former Best Auto Sales building on N. Washington St. in Van Wert took place on Wednesday. A Brownfield Grant of nearly $370,000 went toward the cost of the demolition and cleanup. Once work is complete, the property will be redeveloped into much-needed public parking to support nearby businesses and residential units. Bob Barnes/Van Wert independent

Thunder, lightning and rain hit the county

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Van Wert County dodged a bullet.

Severe storms that raced into Indiana from the Chicago area early Tuesday afternoon were expected to possibly hit Van Wert County with force began to diminish in strength as they approached northwest Ohio. While there was plenty of thunder and lightning, some gusty winds and a good amount of rainfall, there was no serious threat of severe weather after the system crossed into Ohio.

The same system produced some tense moments in parts of northeast and north central Indiana, including a tornado warning in Kosciusko County.

The line of storms that fizzled in strength was the second round of storms on Tuesday. The first round moved through during the morning hours. Heavy rain also fell Monday night and the National Weather Service issued multiple severe thunderstorm warnings for Van Wert County and the surrounding area. 

In terms of rainfall, Van Wert County EMA Director Matt Saunier said the southern half of Van Wert County took the brunt of it during a 24-hour period, 4 p.m. Monday until 4 p.m. Tursday. Wren received 3.48 inches of rain, while Venedocia received 2.68 inches. 2.53 inches of rain was recorded in Middle Point, 2.42 inches in Van Wert, 2.07 inches in Venedocia and 1.38 inches in Convoy. .98 inches fell in Scott.

Thunder and lightning were a big part of the storms and Saunier said over the last three days, the Van Wert County EMA office recorded 35,907 lightining strikes in Van Wert County and within 25 miles. 25,713 of those lightning strikes occurred yesterday.

Local organizations receive donations

VW independent staff/submitted information

PAULDING — Members of Paulding Putnam recently donated $13,512 to 17 local charities and community projects through the cooperative’s Operation Round Up program.

Thanks to the 80 percent of members who round up their electric bill and donate to this fund, Paulding Putnam has provided more than $814,835 to northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana communities since 2010.

Participating members round up their monthly electric bill to the next dollar, with the extra pennies being used to help fund charities and groups in their communities. Each quarter, the funds are dispensed to local causes that applied for funding.

The most recent donation recipients include

• Children’s Hunger Alliance: $1,000 to provide weekend meal program for students in Paulding and Putnam counties
• Crestview Local Schools: $500 to purchase make up supplies for Shrek the Musical
• Defiance Area Youth for Christ: $1,000 to support the annual trip to Boundary Waters, Minnesota
• Delphos Jefferson Middle School: $264 to purchase “Pay it forward” t-shirts
• First United Methodist Church: $350 to purchase back to school supplies for Van Wert County students in need
• Friends of the Paulding County Parks: $1,000 to help with Port-a-John fees
• Lima Symphony Orchestra: $1,500 to support the Young People’s Concert
• Love, Inc. of Van Wert County: $1,500 to fund essential electrical repairs for homeowners
• Miller City Volunteer Fire Department: $1,770 to purchase an AED for an emergency response vehicle

Retail crime crackdown nets arrests

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Authorities have filed criminal charges against 46 people as part of a crackdown on organized retail crime across the state, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson announced on Tuesday.

“A team approach gives law enforcement the upper hand to dismantle theft groups that harm Ohio’s businesses and consumers,” Wilson said. “Credit to our task forces for leading the charge on these investigations and holding thieves accountable.”

The coordinated operation, carried out last week, targeted organized theft rings responsible for stealing merchandise from local stores and reselling it through illicit networks and online marketplaces. Organized retail theft costs Ohio businesses $2 billion to $3 billion annually.

Three regional task forces operating under the attorney general’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) spearheaded the sting as part of a nationwide Organized Retail Crime Blitz Week.

Results of the operation

In Ohio, the task force efforts yielded the following successes:  

Northwest Ohio Regional Retail Crime Task Force: 12 people face charges of theft and trespassing. Recovered $976 in stolen merchandise.

Tactical Crime Suppression Unit Organized Retail Crime Task Force (southwest Ohio): 12 people face charges of theft, trespassing, resisting arrest, falsification, obstructing official business and/or public indecency. Recovered $2,150 in stolen merchandise.

Fraud and Organized Retail Crime Engagement Task Force (central Ohio): 22 people face charges of theft and trespassing. Recovered $7,055 in stolen merchandise.

Beyond the criminal charges, the task forces gathered key evidence and intelligence throughout the week that will be used to advance ongoing investigations of theft rings and fencing operations across Ohio.

The FORCE Act

The OOCIC task forces were established following the enactment in 2025 of the Fight Organized Retail Crime and Empower Law Enforcement (FORCE) Act. Co-written by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the law established tougher criminal penalties and authorized the creation of law enforcement collaboratives to investigate organized retail theft statewide.

Defendants are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.

Council votes down proposed smoking ban

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

By a 6-1 vote, Van Wert City Council has officially rejected a proposed smoking ban in city parks.

The legislation was proposed earlier this summer by Councilman At-Large Hall Block, who was the only member to vote yes on the ordinance’s third and final reading during Monday night’s meeting.

At a previous meeting, there were questions about how practical such a law would be in terms of enforceability.

Before the vote, Van Wert County General Healh District Medical Director Dr. Paul Kalogerou gave a brief presentation on the dangers and consequences of smoking and secondhand smoke. Despite citing several sources, including research from the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society, a handful of people in the audience who said they are smokers disagreed with the information he shared.

Also prior to the vote, Block suggested that if council were to reject his proposed ordinance, members may want to reconsider a ban on smoking marijuana in city-owned parks. 

“I feel like we’ve got a little bit of a juxtaposition here when we have the ban on marijuana use in parks, which is also a legal but harmful drug,” he stated. “If we don’t ban cigarettes, should we unban marijuana? I think we should really consider that before we take any action.”

“I would rather have our parks be free from smoking and marijuana use but I think we should be consistent across our laws – if we’re banning marijuana from the parks, we should ban smoking in parks,” he added. “If we’re not banning smoking, we shouldn’t ban marijuana – that would be my argument.”

Stormy night…

While heavy rain came down, frequent lightning lit up the sky Monday night. This video was taken outside the WKSD/WERT radio studios on Mendon Road in Van Wert. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued until 2 a.m. and several Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were issued for Van Wert County and the surrounding area. Video by Scott Truxell/Van Wert independent