News Briefs

African Safari
Christmas in July
African Safari Wildlife Park will host its annual Christmas in July celebration on Tuesday, July 25.
As part of the celebration, the park’s resident animals – including the giraffes, warthogs, porcupines and parrots – will enjoy holiday-themed treats and toys throughout the day.
“The park isn’t open in the winter, so this is our chance to spread holiday cheer with our guests and community,” said lead keeper Makayla Kopriver. “Come join in on the fun.”
All Christmas in July activities are included with general admission. The park is open daily at 9 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m., with the final admission at 6 p.m.
Now through July 24, the park is offering discounted tickets for $20.95 each, a savings of up to $12 per person. These tickets are only available on the park’s website, africansafariwildlifepark.com.

Lake Fire Dept. to
present program
The public is invited to attend a free presentation by the Lake Township Fire Department Tuesday, July 25 at 7 p.m. at the Township Administration Building, 27975 Cumming Rd.
The meeting, sponsored by the Lake Township Police Department and its Neighborhood Watch program, will include a discussion on the types of fire and EMS runs the department makes and how they have changed in recent years.
Fire and EMS vehicles are scheduled to be available at the meeting for viewing by those who attend. Registration is not required.
For more information, contact Ron Craig, the police department’s community policing officer and crime prevention specialist, at 419-481-6354.

Wildlife Refuge
62nd anniversary
Celebrate Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge’s 62nd anniversary at a birthday party for Puddles, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Blue Goose mascot.
The free family-friendly event will run from noon-3 p.m. on Saturday, July 22. The celebration will include party games, Ottawa Jeopardy and live music by local musician Brent Larson and cupcake decorating.
Visitors are invited to witness the wildlife legacy that Ottawa has preserved by exploring the refuge throughout the day. First-come, first-served shuttle tours will depart at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The seven-mile wildlife drive will be open from sunrise to sunset.

Rossford plans
anniversary parade
A historic parade celebrating Rossford’s 125th Anniversary will be held on Saturday, July 29, beginning at 10 a.m.
The procession will feature the Rossford High School Band, the Cake Walkin’ Jass Band, Birds Eye View Circus performers, Zenobia Shrine Jeepsters, an NSG Float and marchers, Perrysburg Dance Academy, El Corazon de Mexico float and dancers, The Modern Dance Company, historic vehicles representing the decades of Rossford’s history from 1900 to present, and many other performers.
The parade also offers a special “Follow Me” format. Children on decorated bikes and scooters and adults in decorated golf carts are invited to join the end of the parade. All those who follow along can register at Veterans Memorial Park immediately following the parade for a chance to win prizes in a raffle featuring hundreds of dollars in prizes. Children and adults may start following the parade immediately following the last float, or line up at the “Follow Me” sign at the corner of Eagle Point and Hannum and join in after the last float turns onto Hannum. Prizes will be awarded from a random drawing at the park following the parade. Individuals must be present to win.
Prizes include a new boy’s and girl’s bike donated by Rossford Meijer, a $100 Walmart gift card, Target gift cards, $200 in lottery tickets donated by Hollywood Casino, a Fifth Third Mud Hens suite package valued at $1,000 courtesy of Fifth Third Bank, a $100 Final Cut Restaurant gift card donated by Hollywood Casino, Toledo Mud Hens and Walleye tickets and more.
The parade route begins at Bacon and Water streets and proceeds up Bacon, turns right on Dixie Highway, then right onto Eagle Point Road, and right onto Hannum Avenue where it will conclude at Veterans Park. No parking will be allowed on Bacon Street and Hannum Avenue on the morning of the parade.
The parade is part of the 125th Anniversary Weekend that kicks off July 28 with an opening ceremony in the auditorium at Rossford High School in the auditorium at 6 p.m. and concludes with the 125th Anniversary Riverfest Celebration on Saturday, July 29 from 6-11 p.m. at Veterans Park.
Visit Rossford125.com for more details.

Jeeping Under the Stars
Area Jeep owners are invited to go “Jeeping Under the Stars” Tuesday, Aug. 1 at the Parkside Drive-in, 4500 Navarre Ave., Oregon.
Come to the drive-in in your Jeep – any year, make and model – to enjoy a free screening of the 2015 movie, “Jurassic World” at 9:40 p.m. The box office will open at 7 p.m. Spaces are available on a first-come, first-parked basis.
The event will also feature door prizes, a 50/50 raffle, a silent auction and concession specials. Proceeds raised will benefit Save Our Screen – the nonprofit founded by local residents to save Northwest Ohio’s last drive-in movie theater formerly called the Sundance Kid Drive-in.
“My husband and I are huge fans of the drive-in and got a season pass for this year,” said Beth Jaegly. “At one of their season pass events, we asked if they were doing a ‘Jeep Night’ – one thing lead to another and it got scheduled for Aug. 1. Jen (Beaver) from the drive-in and myself have been working together.
“For several years, my husband I have had an annual Halloween party, which I’ve reached out to local businesses for donations, had a raffle and 100% of what we collected went to a different charity,” Jaegly said. “I've done the same for this event, with the proceeds going to Save Our Screen.”
For more information about Save Our Screen, visit saveourscreen.org. More information about the drive-in is available at parksidedrive-in.com.

Transportation study
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine put funding into the recent transportation budget to allow the Ohio Department of Transportation to conduct a $10 million study to look at the state’s current and future transportation needs. The consulting team has been selected and the study will launch in August.
“Our state’s economic engine is in high gear, and we want to ensure that our transportation system is fully aligned with that growth,” DeWine said. “This study will show us where we need to be making investments to keep us moving forward.”
The Ohio Department of Transportation is working with the Ohio Department of Development and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation to analyze statewide and regional demographics, investigate economic development growth opportunities, examine current transportation systems and capacities, and forecast passenger and freight travel needs over the next 10, 20, and 30 years.
“Our mission is to provide a transportation system that is safe, accessible, well maintained, and positioned for the future,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks. “This study is key to these efforts.”
This effort will begin with a “stress test” look at the transportation system. It will analyze existing and future conditions for safety, congestion, condition, reliability, and resilience concerns. It will also consider changes in population and economic development.
“Companies looking to relocate to or expand in Ohio recognize the importance of Ohio’s integrated transportation infrastructure in allowing them to reach customers and suppliers quickly and efficiently,” said Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik. “As we continue to pave the way for even more economic growth across the state, we must stay ahead of the game in meeting the transportation needs of today and tomorrow.”
The study, which will be completed in late 2024, will be led by Cambridge Systematics, a national expert in transportation analysis along with an experienced team of consultants

Spill the Beans
women’s conference
Women from throughout Northwest Ohio will gather Sunday, July 23 at The Rock Church, 4058 Starr Ave., Oregon, to let their hair down for an evening as local female leaders “Spill the Beans” with real-life stories over coffee and laughs.
The raw comedy night will bring together women of different ages and backgrounds under one roof. The event will be a welcoming space for women to laugh and embrace the ups and downs of marriage, motherhood and everything in between. The life-giving evening will be hosted at the Rock Church in Oregon, as a fundraiser for Vision Church.
The night will feature speakers, shopping, raffle baskets, a selfie station, snacks, and free coffee offered by Rustbelt Coffee. The speaker lineup includes Laura Angel, Joy Hester, Jasmine Dees, Renee Harris and a special guest emcee Enid Jones, flying in from Texas.
Doors open at 5 p.m. for girl chat and shopping with the speakers starting at 5:30 p.m. Event tickets are $25 each and can be purchased online at vision.today/spill or at the door. Proceeds will benefit Vision Church.
Event organizer, Rebecca Tansel said, “We hope you walk away with tears of joy feeling validated as a woman knowing that you are not alone in walking out the demands of family, the grits of marriage and the beautiful mess of this thing we call life without completely losing your marbles. Join us ladies to let go and have a fun night out with the girls. You deserve it.”
Learn more about Vision Church at vision.today.

Birchard Library
plans grand re-opening
Birchard Public Library has a lot to celebrate this summer.
Aug. 2 is the 210th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Stephenson, July 4th was the 150th anniversary of the formation of the library board of trustees, and the library has just completed a building project which added 8,500 square feet to the library.
The public is invited to join in the celebration of these milestones on Wednesday, Aug. 2 at 2 p.m. at the library, 423 Croghan St., Fremont. Activities are planned for all ages, including tours of the new building, makerspace demonstrations, photo ops, a scavenger hunt, music, history displays and refreshments.
The newly renovated library offers expanded parking, a roomier lobby, additional meeting rooms, tutor rooms, a teen room, a local history room, a Wi-Fi café, and a technology wing that includes a makerspace, tech training lab, and recording studio.

Farmers Union
Opposes Issue 1
The Ohio Farmers Union has come out in opposition to State Issue 1 that will be on the Aug. 8 special election ballot in Ohio.
OFU’s Executive Committee voted unanimously recently to take the position on the issue that would increase the margin to pass state-wide ballot issues to 60 percent rather than a simple majority.
“This proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution would permanently degrade the opportunity for Ohio citizens to change the constitution in accord with principles of one person-one vote and majority rule” said OFU President Joe Logan.

Food distribution
The food distribution in Northwood is scheduled for July 26 in the Josie Reinhart Community Room, 6000 Wales Road, beginning at 10 a.m. Boxes will be distributed until supplies run out.
Attendees should remain in their vehicles and a city representative will bring the food box out.

State rep. visits
U.S./Mexico border
To get a grasp on the surge of illegal drugs and illegal crossings happening at the Texas and Mexico border, State Rep. Haraz Ghanbari, R-Perrysburg, visited the border during a deployment of Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers supporting Operation Lone Star.
“It was an eye-opening experience to really gauge the magnitude of the situation going on down there,” Ghanbari, who chairs the Ohio House Homeland Security Committee, said. “It is vital that we prevent, deter and interdict Mexican cartels and other smugglers at the border because doing so denies their ability to conduct illicit activities which further jeopardizes the safety our communities.”
Ghanbari also spent two midnight shifts riding with the Ohio State Highway Patrol during their duties on the border alongside the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Ohio troopers have been deployed and are focusing on the greater Laredo region and Eagle Pass.
“From my observations, these illegal crossings and criminal enterprises are of grave concern both from a humanitarian and safety standpoint,” Ghanbari said. “More resources and accessible jurisdiction for our law enforcement officers is needed to ensure we secure the border to deter bad actors and their illegal behavior from impacting our neighborhoods.”

Open house at
water district
The Northwestern Water and Sewer District is hosting an open house Aug. 15 from 3-6 p.m. Participants can tour the facility and talk to personnel.
There will also be food and a carnival petting zoo with games for children. Drippy, the water drop mascot, will also be on hand.
For more information, visit the district Facebook events @NWWSD.
The district is located at 12560 Middleton Pike, Bowling Green.