New speed limit, crosswalk signs installed near Vantage

Lost, but not forgotten — ever again

Editor’s note: this story with ties to Van Wert orginally appeared April 23 in The Daily Record, a newspaper in Dunn, North Carolina. It is being republished by the VW independent with permission from The Daily Record.

By Emily Weaver/managing editor, The Daily Record

Janene Young Goins and her family searched for the remains of her sister for 64 years before Goins found them in an unmarked field, on an unplanned visit in act of “divine intervention.”

This story “has a horrible beginning, but … a very happy ending,” Goins wrote in a recollection of the unexpected events that unfolded in September 2025.

Goins and her husband were on their way back home to Willow Spring, North Carolina, on a cross-country trip in their RV to Wyoming and South Dakota when they stopped in Van Wert, Ohio, for Goin’s 50th class reunion.

“Leaving there, we had to go by Columbus, Ohio, to get back to North Carolina,” she said. “On a whim, we decided to stop by the last known place where we believed Judy’s remains were located, the Pickaway Correctional Institution in Orient, Ohio. …”

Judith Anne Young

Goins’ older sister, Judith Anne Young, was born on Jan. 24, 1950, in Van Wert, Ohio. The delivery wasn’t going well so doctors were forced to use forceps to pull Judith out by her head. Baby Judith suffered brain damage as a result.

“She needed full-time special care and (there were) not many options (for that) in the ’50s,” Goins said. “My mother was British and my parents, brother, myself and my sister, Cheryl, had to go to England due to her father’s failing health. My sister could not travel like that so she was placed in care at the Orient Feeble Minded Institute in Orient, Ohio. I believe she was 7 years old when she went in.”

Goins said her mother had no idea that asking the institute to care for her daughter while they were away meant that she was signing over her rights to Judith, but that’s what happened. Judith became a ward of the state.

My family tried to see her on different occasions, but they were never allowed, Goins said.

While Goins family was away, during another trip to England, Judith died. She was 11 years old. Her family received a letter from the institute a month after her death:

“This has been a most trying time for all of us but I think that we have done the best we could under the circumstances,” institute Superintendent Dr. Robert Frazier wrote in a letter dated April 5, 1961. “Judy was admitted to the hospital with a mild anemia and a boil on her knee on March 19th. Her condition was not considered serious, however, and you were not notified. Then, on the morning of the 24th, she developed pneumonia and blood poisoning. In spite of all we could do her condition rapidly worsened and she died at 8 p.m. This was an overwhelming type of infection sometimes occurring in children. 

Klopfenstein testifies on Trey’s Law

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — State Representatives Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland) and Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) this week provided sponsor testimony on “Trey’s Law” in the Ohio House Judiciary Committee. House Bill 723 strengthens protections for victims of sexual abuse and ensures perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes.

Trey’s Law works to ensure that child victims of sexual abuse in Ohio cannot be silenced through nondisclosure or confidentiality agreements by making it clear that any agreement such as an employment contract, settlement agreement, or other arrangement that prohibits a person from speaking about sexual abuse is void and unenforceable. The sponsors underscored that nondisclosure agreements have increasingly become a standard tool used against survivors in sexual assault settlement cases.

“Survivors often rely on financial restitution to support a lifelong healing process, yet defendants frequently require silence about the abuse as a condition of settlement,” Representative Klopfenstein said during testimony. “This legal form of ‘hush money’ allows perpetrators and institutions to protect their reputations, conceal abuse, and silence survivors at the expense of accountability and healing.”

Trey’s Law is named after Trey Carlock, from Texas, who was a victim of child sexual abuse for over a decade at Kamp Kanakuk in Southwest Missouri. According to Treyslaw.org, after Kamp Kanakuk director and serial sex offender, Pete Newman, was sentenced to three life terms in 2010, Trey pursued justice to hold others involved accountable through civil litigation. That process ended with a restrictive settlement agreement, which included a nondisclosure agreement (NDA), barring Trey from ever speaking about his abuse and Kanakuk’s role in it. Trey tragically died by suicide at the age of 28.

“Though Trey’s story has a truly sad ending, our hope is that we can prevent this from happening in Ohio by enacting this important legislation,” Representative Miller said during testimony. “One in eight children in our country will experience some form of sexual abuse, and under no circumstances should an abuser be allowed to retraumatize a survivor by using a nondisclosure agreement to silence them and keep their story hidden.”

Similar versions of this bill have been passed in Texas and Missouri in 2025 as well as Alabama in early 2026. Additionally, legislation like House Bill 723 has recently been filed in Oklahoma, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

Memorial Day holiday information

VW independent staff

Monday is Memorial Day, a federal holiday. Local, state and federal governement offices will be closed in observance of the holiday. There will be no mail delivery and trash pickup will be delayed by one day.

Van Wert American Legion Post 178 will host its annual Memorial Day ceremony at 10 a.m. Monday at Woodlan Cemetery. It’s open to the public and after the ceremony, everyone is invited to a light lunch at Post 178 on W. Main St. If there’s inclement weather, the ceremony will be held at Post 178.

Ohio City American Legion Harvey Lewis Post 346 will hold its Memorial Day Service at Woodlawn Cemetery Veterans Memorial in Ohio City at 10:30 a.m. Monday. The Van Wert Community Concert Band, under the direction of Richard Sherrick, will perform starting at 10 a.m. Those attending should bring bring lawn chairs. Following the program, food will be served in the Ohio City Community Building/Legion Post at Fireman’s Park. Everyone is welcome. In case of inclement weather, the service will be held at the Community Building.

2026 Quilt Show to be held in June

Submitted information

PAULDING — The Paulding County History Museum is excited to announce its 2026 Quilt Show, continuing a cherished local tradition celebrating the artistry, craftsmanship, and history of quilting in Paulding County.

Now in its second year at the museum, the event carries forward a long-running quilt show tradition originally started by the Patchwork Pals, a sewing and quilting group from Paulding County Hospital, which was previously held during the Flat Rock Fall Festival. Visitors will enjoy a beautiful display of traditional, modern, and artistic quilts showcased throughout the museum.

The free event will run Monday, June 8 through Saturday, June 13, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the Paulding County History Museum, located at 600 Fairground Drive, Paulding. In addition to the quilt show, the entire museum will be open for visitors to explore and enjoy throughout the week.

Special programming during the week will include a presentation from Threads of Love, a quilting ministry from Westgate Chapel, on Saturday, June 13 at 1 p.m. The group will share the story behind their ministry and how quilting is used to support and encourage others through handmade gifts.

Guests will also have opportunities to participate in several raffles throughout the week, including daily quilt and sewing package giveaways. Tickets will also be available for purchase for a chance to win a beautiful quilted wall hanging donated by Red Barn Quiltery of Monroeville, Indiana, with the winning ticket to be drawn on Saturday, June 13.

Community members who would like to display a quilt during the show are encouraged to participate. Quilt drop-off dates are scheduled for Saturday, May 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesday, June 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information about the Quilt Show or quilt submissions, contact Guy Dasher at 419.769.7269 or Jennifer at 419.796.9098.

DeWine, Tressel attend solemn ceremony

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS – During the annual wreath-laying ceremony on the Ohio Veterans’ Plaza at the Ohio Statehouse on Thursday, Governor Mike DeWine, First Lady Fran DeWine, and Lt. Governor Jim Tressel honored Ohio service members who sacrificed their lives while serving their country.

“As we gather here on the Ohio Veterans’ Plaza, we are surrounded by the legacies of so many Ohioans who have served our country,” Governor DeWine said. “Our fallen heroes believed in freedom, took an oath to defend it, and gave their lives doing just that. We owe them a debt we can never repay.”

“It’s important that today, and every day, we remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country,” Lt. Governor Tressel said. “When we hear the story of heroes like Sgt. David Kreuter, we are reminded of the courage, sacrifice, and selflessness that our service members lead with. Ohio will always remember those we have lost, and we will forever be grateful to the Gold Star families who carry that sacrifice with strength each day.”

Several Gold Star families were in attendance and honored during the ceremony, including the family of Sgt. David Kreuter, of Cincinnati, who died in Iraq at the age of 26 when a roadside bomb hit his track vehicle in 2005. 

Sgt. Kreuter’s father, Ken Kreuter, spoke during the ceremony. 

“Our loved ones were real people, with real places in our lives, making real contributions to our families, our communities, and our nation,” Kreuter said. “As Gold Star family members, we owe them that honor, extending their influence and good works far beyond their lives. And as we do that, we can be comforted in knowing that we are doing the right thing for them, for our families and friends, and our nation.”

Child hit by car in Van Wert

VW independent staff

A child was taken by ambulance to OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital Thursday evening after being struck by a vehickle outside of Fricker’s in Van Wert.

It happened at approximately 7:15 p.m. According to radio traffic, the 11-year-old child suffered minor injuries, including scrapes. According to Lt. Rob Black of the Van Wert Police Department, an accident report is not yet complete.

Defendants appear for hearings local court

VW independent staff

Three sentencing hearings for intervention in lieu of conviction violations were among the hearings held in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court this week. Judge Martin D. Burchfield presided over each of the hearings.

After violating the terms of his intervention in lieu of conviction, Jeremy Dunbar, 29, of Van Wert, was re-sentenced to an additional two years of intervention in lieu on two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, fifth degree felonies. He was ordered to undergo a substance abuse and mental health assessment and any treatment and was ordered to pay court costs.

After faiing intervention in lieu of conviction, Logan Linton, 33, of Van Wert,  was re-sentenced to up to six months at Correctional Treatment Facility in Toledo for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth degree felony. He was also sentenced to three years of community control, 30 days in jail at a later date, and 100 hours of community service. In addition, he must seek and maintain employment, undergo  a mental health and substance abuse assessment and treatment, and was ordered to pay partial appointed counsel fees, monthly probation fees and court costs.

After failing intervention in lieu of conviction, Haley Capetillo, 25, of Van Wert, was re-sentenced to three years of community control and was ordered to report to Harper Residential Treatment by May 29 for aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth degree felony. She will serve 30 days in jail at a later date, just undergo a mental health and substance abuse assessment and any treatment, and was ordered to pay costs.

In three separate and unrelated cases, three defendants changed their respective pleas.

Klopfenstein provides sponsor testimony

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — State Representatives Roy Klopfenstein and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.) this week provided sponsor testimony before the Ohio House Transportation Committee on House Bill 773, legislation aimed at increasing access to E15 fuel across Ohio Turnpike service plazas while supporting Ohio agriculture and domestic energy production.

House Bill 773 would require the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission to develop a plan for the installation and distribution of E15 fuel at Turnpike service plazas prior to July 2027 and include those findings in its annual comprehensive financial report.

The legislation also directs the Commission to enter contracts with E15 distributors by July, 2027 and ensure E15 pumps are placed comparably or adjacent to traditional gasoline pumps for consumer convenience.

“House Bill 773 is about making Ohio a leader in fuel production and ensuring we capitalize on industries built by Ohio workers and Ohio farmers,” Representative Klopfenstein said. “Expanding E15 availability strengthens our agricultural economy, supports domestic energy production, and gives consumers more affordable choices at the pump.”

In addition to expanding E15 access, House Bill 773 also requires the Commission to conduct a feasibility study and cost analysis regarding biodiesel fuel infrastructure at Turnpike service plazas. The bill further authorizes the Commission to pursue federal grants related to alternative fuel infrastructure in order to reduce costs and maximize outside funding opportunities.

“Ohio is one of the nation’s leading agricultural and ethanol-producing states, yet many Ohioans still have limited access to E15 fuel,” Representative Williams said. “This legislation helps connect consumers with a cleaner, more affordable fuel option while directly supporting Ohio farmers, ethanol producers, and rural communities.”

House Bill 773 awaits further consideration before the committee.

Dozens arrested in statewide sting

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Outgoing Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Thursday that a statewide human trafficking operation conducted this month by dozens of agencies resulted in the arrests of 122 people seeking to buy sex – including from minors.

“This operation brings us to 1,065 arrests since our statewide stings began in 2019,” Yost said. “It shows the problem isn’t going away, but perpetrators are getting increasingly skittish as our message reverberates – Don’t buy sex in Ohio.”

Led by Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC), Operation Spring Cleaning took place May 13-20 in 15 counties, including urban centers, suburban communities and rural areas throughout the state.

A recap of the operation

• 38 people were arrested on felony charges, including promoting prostitution, compelling prostitution, attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, trafficking in persons, and drug possession and/or trafficking.
• 84 “johns” seeking to buy sex were arrested and charged with engaging in prostitution or solicitation.
• 42 human trafficking survivors were referred by law enforcement to healthcare and social-services organizations.
• 15 search warrants were executed in connection with suspected human trafficking at massage parlors in Akron, Columbus, Dublin, Grafton, Powell, Toledo and Willoughby. More than $120,000 was seized, along with evidence for long-term investigations.

Highlights of the sting

Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force

Executed search warrants at four massage parlors where human trafficking is suspected: Rejuvenation Spa, 5841 Karric Square Dr., in Dublin; Red Bean Spa, 1066 Norton Rd., in Columbus; 7 Days Spa, 4889 Sinclair Rd., in Columbus; and K Massage Spa, 240 N. Liberty St., in Powell. Yixiang He, 51, of Columbus, was arrested and charged with promoting prostitution and money laundering. The investigations are ongoing.

Friday night concert moved to the NPAC

VW independent staff

Due to the weather forecast, Friday’s Van Wert Area Community Concert Band performance has been moved from Fountain Park to the Niswonger Performing Arts Center. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and the free concert will begin at 7 p.m. 

The band is directed by Richard Sherrick and features members from Van Wert, Ohio City, Delphos, Convoy, Chat, Middle Point, Spencerville, Celina and Rockford. Music performed at the concert will include several Patriotic selections celebrating the U.S.A.‘s 250th anniversary.