Houser, Andrus and Kiester to be sentenced next month

VWCHS to form local genealogy group

VW independent staff/submitted information

Are you fascinated by family history? Do you wonder about the stories of those who came before us? The Van Wert County Historical Society has announced the formation of a new local genealogy group in Van Wert.

What does a genealogy group do?

A genealogy group is a community of individuals passionate about tracing their family roots. The group will be able to:

• Share knowledge and resources: Learn about effective research techniques, valuable online databases, and local historical records.
• Provide mutual support: Overcome research roadblocks, decipher old documents, and collaborate on shared family lines.
• Organize workshops and presentations: Explore topics like DNA testing, preserving family photos, and navigating historical archives.
• Conduct local research projects: Help preserve and document Van Wert’s rich history.
• Connect with others: Meet fellow history enthusiasts and build lasting friendships.

How can a genealogy group help the community?

• Preserves local history: By documenting family stories, we contribute to a more complete understanding of Van Wert’s past.
• Strengthens community connections: Genealogy brings people together, fostering a sense of shared heritage and belonging.
• Promotes historical awareness: We encourage interest in local history among all ages, ensuring that valuable stories are not forgotten.
• Aids in historical preservation: Groups often help local historical societies by finding and cataloging important documents.
• Tourism: Genealogy groups can help to bring people to the area, as people travel to see where their ancestors lived.

Whether you’re a seasoned genealogist or just beginning your journey, you’re welcome to join us. The Van Wert County Historical Society believes that everyone has a story to tell, and the group can help uncover the fascinating history of Van Wert and its people.

Two accidents…

A pair of two-vehicle accidents occurred locally on Saturday. The first one occurred happened at U.S. 224 and Van Wert Decatur Road (above). Both drivers declined medical treatment. The Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated the accident. The second accident (below) occurred at Lincoln Highway and Liberty Union Rd. Two people were taken to OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital. The Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office investigated the accident. Bob Barnes/VWFD photographer

Crestview school board to meet tonight

VW independent staff

CONVOY — Personnel and facilities will be the focus of tonight’s meeting of the Crestview Local Schools Board of Education.

The agenda includes a long list of amended administrative contracts, one, two, three, five and continuing contracts for a number of teachers and classified personnel. In addition, the board will vote on a one year labor contract with the Crestview Employees’ Association OFT/AFT.

Toward the end of the meeting, board members will hear presentations from Ryan DeMay of Field Source Consulting and representatives of Garmann Miller. They’s expected to address proposed multi-million dollar upgrades to the football field, baseball and softball fields and more. The proposed upgrades have been discussed for several months. The original projected price tag was $40 million but was scaled back and reduced to $10 million.

Tonight’s meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the multi-purpose room.

City Easter egg hunt postponed

VW independent staff

Due to today’s (Saturday, April 19) weather conditions, the annual free Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Van Wert Parks Department has been pushed back one week and will now be held at 10 a.m. next Saturday, April 26, at Smiley Park.

Age groups will remain the same, 2 and under, 3-4, 5-7 and 8-10. Eggs will be provided, but children will need their own basket or bag to gather them.

Sheriff: Body cams a welcome addition

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

It’s been nearly six months since deputies with the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office started using body cameras and according to Sheriff Tom Riggenbach, the addition has been well received by his department.

“They like having everything that transpires on video because they allow the deputies to go back to their body camera video to help them complete their reports and make sure they have all the information they need from conversations or conducting interviews with people on various calls,” Riggenbach said. “I think there’s a level of comfort from them because sometimes there might be somebody who is unhappy with how something played out and they may file a complaint and deputies know everything that transpired is on that body camera video.”

Riggenbach added the footage, which is reviewed, can be used for ongoing training purposes and he said in certain situations, body cameras can actually help de-escalate matters.

“The individual sees the body camera and they’re advised it’s active and for whatever reason, something clicks with them and at a minimum be the start of de-escalation,” he said. “With good communication from the deputies to the individual or individuals they’re working with they’re able to bring the heat of the moment down pretty quickly.”

Videos are stored for a period of time but the length varies from 30-45 for minor matters up to 2-3 years for more involved situations, including certain misdemeanors.

“Those things are somewhat set by statute and they’re somewhat set by our record retention policy,” Riggenbach said. We have 15-18 different retention categories that all this body camera video gets labeled with to work toward having the proper retention time.”

Deputies were outfitted with body cameras November 1, 2024. Prior to that, there was training for all deputies.

“The training process — we initially had a webinar with the vendor with a handful of my administrative and supervisory staff on how the system works, then that training included what other resources were for us to be able to utilize and get out to the employees,” Riggenbach said. “The initial training was recorded so we were able to push all this out to the employees for them to be able to go through,” the sheriff added. “We created a window of time for everybody to get that completed then be able ask any questions or present any concerns that had.”

Cause of Convoy house fire undetermined

VW independent staff

The cause of a devastating early April house fire in Convoy remains undetermined, but it may have been electrical in nature.

“The cause of the fire at the Lare Rd. home was not determined, but electrical in the ceiling could not be ruled out as a cause,” Ohio Fire Marshal spokeman Jarrod Clay said. “Nothing suspicious was found during the investigation.”

The fire occurred shortly before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 9. No one was in the home when the fire was reported by a passerby. When the Convoy Fire Deepartment arrived, smoke was coming from the eaves of the home and flames became visible through windows on the west side of the home. Mutual aid was provided by Van Wert, Payne, Wren and Monroeville (IN).

The visible fire was extinguished through the windows and a door. As crews made entry and attempted to go up a stairwell, the fire flared back up, causing injuries to two Convoy firefighters – Chaise Dawson and Jake Hicks. Dawson suffered third degree burns and was taken to an Indianapolis hospital. He subsequently had skin graft surgery and returned home earlier this week and continues to recover. Hicks suffered lesser injuries and was treated and released from a Fort Wayne hospital.

Firefighers were called back to the scene at 4:30 a.m. the next day, after the blaze rekindled and had to be extinguished again.

Procession of the Cross

It’s a longstanding tradition in Van Wert and it continued on Good Friday with the Procession of the Cross. Outside of windy conditions, weather was quite good when the procession left Trinity Global Methodist Church on S. Walnut St. and proceeded along Main St. and S. Washington St. and into First Presbyterian Church for the Van Wert Area Community Good Friday Service. Scott Truxell/Van Wert independent

More punch added to OVI driving laws

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Penalties for getting behind the wheel while impaired are more harsh now, thanks to a new Ohio law that recently went into effect. It raises the penalty for aggravated vehicular homicide committed by drunk drivers and it increases penalties for other drunk driving offenses.

House Bill 37, also referred as “Liv’s Law,” creates greater penalties for repeat drunk driving offenders who’s actions have resulted in the death of another person. The legislation is named after Olivia Wright, 22, who was killed by a drunk driver in near Ashville in 2020.

Among other things, Liv’s Law has a tiered system that increases mandatory minimum prison sentences based on the number and nature of offenses. 

• First-time OVI-related aggravated vehicular homicide (second degree felony) – mandatory prison sentence of two to eight years.
• One prior OVI-related conviction within the past 20 years (first degree felony) – mandatory prison sentence of six to 20 years.
• Two or more prior OVI-related convictions (first degree felony) – mandatory prison sentence of 10 years to life.

The law also raises the maximum fine for aggravated vehicular homicide involving OVI to $25,000. Fines for OVI-related offenses also increase under the law:

• First-time OVI offense: the new minimum fine is $565. The previous minimum fine was $375.
• Second-time OVI offense: The new minimum fine is $790. The previous minimum fine was $525.
• Third-time OVI offense: The new minimum fine is $1,275. The previous minimum fine was $850.

In addition, the length of driver license suspensions for OVI convictions have been extended under the new law:

• First-time OVI offense – The length of license suspensions is now one to five years. The previous suspension length was one to three years.
• Second-time OVI offense – The length of license suspensions is now two to 10 years. The previous suspension length was one to seven years. 
• Third-time OVI offense – The length of license suspensions is now three years to life. The previous suspension length was two to 12 years.

Beyond harsher sentencing guidelines, Liv’s Law allows law enforcement officers to conduct oral fluid testing on suspected drunk drivers. Oral fluid testing can be used to detect both drugs and alcohol. Officers can then collect oral fluid samples from drivers arrested for OVI to detect the presence and type of drugs in their system. If a suspected impaired driver refuses the oral fluid test, they will be subjected to the administrative license suspensions imposed under Ohio’s implied consent laws, similar to those for refusing blood or breath tests.

Sirens part of tornado warning system

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

When it comes to tornado sirens, Van Wert County is well equipped.

According to Van Wert County EMA Director Rick McCoy, there are five tornado sirens within the Van Wert city limits, four in Delphos and every village in the county has one as well — including smaller villages and areas such as Elgin and Dixon. 

The sirens are tested at 10 a.m. each Monday, but haven’t been activated for emergency purposes for more than two years. That’s because the last tornado warning in the county was February 2023 in the Convoy area.

“For many years prior to that, I’ve had to set them off many times,” McCoy said. “They’re there for that sighting of a tornado — if a warning is issued by the National Weather Service — because radar is showing it could be developing, or if we have a derecho coming in like we had in 2012. If we have 90-mile-per-hour winds coming in, I’m sounding the sirens because it’s doing the same damage as a tornado.”

In addition to tornado warnings issued by the National Weather Service, the longtime EMA director said he’ll activate sirens if he receives a report of a tornado on the ground from one of the county’s many trained spotters.

McCoy said he’s heard questions about why sirens weren’t activated during the late night hours of April 2 when two EF-1 tornadoes touched down in Van Wert County — one just outside Van Wert and the other near Glenmore. The twister near Van Wert was rain wrapped, the EMA director noted, and wasn’t picked up by radar, while the Glenmore tornado was on the ground for just two minutes. McCoy also explained that tornado sirens are just one way to alert the public to an oncoming twister. 

“The sirens are only for people who are outside; at 11 o’clock at night with rain and lightning coming in, people are probably not outside doing anything,” McCoy noted. “Even though we’d like everyone to hear them, the sirens are only for people who are outside.

“People need to use other technology that’s in place (when inside),” he added. “First off, use common sense — if you’re in your car, flip the radio on or, if you have an app on your phone, watch for the alerts.

Crestview ECC earns Gold Star rating

VW independent/submitted information

The Crestview Early Childhood Center Preschool Program has received a Gold Star rating from Ohio’s Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) program — a recognition of the school’s commitment to excellence in early childhood education.

Step Up To Quality is Ohio’s quality rating and improvement system, overseen by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth. This distinguished Gold Star Rating reflects the program’s dedication to providing the highest standards in curriculum, learning environments, and staff qualifications.

“We are honored to receive this recognition,” said Crestview ECC Principal Casey Dowler. “This Gold Star Rating represents the hard work, passion, and professionalism of our entire team in nurturing each child’s development and preparing them for lifelong success.”

Areas cited in connection with the Gold Star designation include the school’s low child-to-teacher ratios for more individualized attention, highly trained and credentialed staff, strong family engagement practices, research-based curriculum tailored to children’s developmental needs, and continuous improvement and professional development initiatives. 

For more information about the Crestview ECC preschool program or to schedule a tour, call 419.749.9100 or visit the school website: www.crestviewknights.com.