News Briefs

Alumni invited to
perform with band
The Oak Harbor High School Marching Band is inviting the school’s band alumni to join them for this year’s alumni band performance Friday, Sept. 8 at the Oak Harbor vs. Maumee football game.
The performance will offer the opportunity for alumni to see old classmates and perform on the field again.
For more information and to register, visit OakHarborBands.com.

ODNR seeking input
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is laying out a plan that looks at the future of outdoor recreation and wants Ohioans to weigh-in on what they want to see.
ODNR developed a draft of its Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) after engaging with public and outdoor recreation providers and conducting a statewide survey. The SCORP is a five-year strategic plan that guides state and local investments for developing and managing outdoor recreation and facilities.
“We know people all around the state love to enjoy the great outdoors in different ways,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said. “This plan gives us a blueprint for the future and allows us to tailor a plan for outdoor recreation that fits the wants and needs of Ohioans.”
The SCORP priorities include advancing the trail network, enhancing existing recreational facilities, emphasizing recreational opportunities and access to waterways, raising awareness about recreation opportunities, and protecting the natural environment. Once complete, it will serve as a reference document for state officials distributing federal and state grants for public park facilities around the state.
Ohioans can read the draft and provide input by visiting ohiodnr.gov/scorp. Comments will be accepted through the end of August.

Fallen Timbers
battle to be
commemorated
The Fallen Timbers Battlefield Preservation Commission will host an educational event honoring the 229th anniversary of the Battle of Fallen Timbers on Aug. 20.
Scout and spy impersonators of the early American frontier will deliver interpretive storytelling from the perspective of historic characters, including:
-General “Mad” Anthony Wayne
-Notorious General James Wilkinson
-A Legion Scout
-A Woman Adoptee of Native Americans
-A Spy for the Native Confederacy
-A 1790s Fur Trader
Other activities will include hiking the mile-long Battlefield Trail, a live weapons demonstration, a presentation on Metropark mammals of the early frontier, and more.
The event will be held from 1–3 p.m. at the Fallen Timbers Battlefield Visitor Center, located at 4949 Jerome Rd. in Maumee.
The Fallen Timbers Battlefield Preservation Commission was formed in 1995 to preserve, protect and promote the history and historic sites related to the Battle of Fallen Timbers, which took place near the Maumee River.

Discussion on addiction
Jake & Cooper’s Bark Park, 2960 Pickle Rd., Oregon, will host “Tough Topics in a Safe Space,” the first in a series of informal discussions, on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jake & Coopers Bark Park members bring your dogs, non-members bring yourselves and everyone bring a lawn chair. The discussion topic: “Let’s get real about behavioral health and different aspects of chemical addiction.” The discussion will be led by Dr. Robert Smith, M.D., Ph.D., FACNP, Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosciences and Interim Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, the University of Toledo COMLS.

Woman charged in
death of infant
A Toledo woman faces charges of involuntary manslaughter, a first degree felony, and endangering children, a second degree felony, after a child approximately 4 months old was found unresponsive in a vehicle parked on Main Street in Williston.
The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and Allen-Clay Joint Fire District responded to a 911 call at about 2:40 p.m. on Aug. 16 from a business in the 5800 block of Main Street where the child was discovered. The child was transported by ambulance to St. Vincent Medical Center where it was pronounced dead.
Naiya Parker, 24, was being held in the Ottawa County Detention Facility and was to have her first appearance in Ottawa County Municipal Court on Aug. 18.
According to the sheriff’s office, the investigation is pending but it’s been determined the child was knowingly left unattended in a vehicle for several hours.

Indictment issued
for murder of
2-year-old child

The Wood County Grand Jury has issued an indictment against Gilbert John Michael Hughes, 40, for the murder of a 2-year-old child.
Hughes is already serving a prison term for child endangerment in the same case but in the new indictment it is alleged after he was convicted the child succumbed to the injuries and died Feb. 15, 2017.
The original indictment lists the victim as Shyanne Allie Rose Hughes.
Hughes was convicted in October 2016 and was sentenced to eight years in prison by then Wood County Common Pleas Court Judge Alan Mayberry. He is still incarcerated at the North Central Correctional Institution in Marion, O.
Arraignment on the new charge will be held once arrangements have been made to bring Hughes before a new judge. Mayberry has since retired.
Ohio law permits a person tried and convicted of abuse charges to be charged with a homicide offense if the victim of the abuse later dies as a result of the injuries. A murder charge is an unspecified felony, subjecting a defendant to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 15 years.

Bridge, road
work planned
In Ottawa County, the bridge on Elliston Trowbridge Road over Toussaint Creek is scheduled for closure Aug. 21 through Oct. 31 while the bridge is replaced.
The bridge is located between True Road and Toussaint N. Road. The county engineer’s office will not permit through traffic between True and Hellwig roads.
A detour route will be posted.
The county will also be chip sealing other roads that will be closed while crews are at work.
On Aug. 22, Rocky Ridge Road, from True to Toussaint N. Road, and Duff-Washa Road, between Lickert-Harder and Benton-Carroll Road, will be closed from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Emergency vehicles and local traffic will be accommodated but should expect delays.
Other motorists will need to use alternate routes.

Traffic grant
The Oregon Police Division has been awarded the SHEP traffic grant for 2023, in the amount of $25,776.26, through the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Traffic Safety Office.
The grant award will be used to reduce the number of alcohol related traffic crashes, reduce the number of fatal crashes, and increase overall child restraint and seatbelt usage. The overtime funds will also be used to increase speed enforcement on various roadways within the city.
Between August 18 and September 4, Oregon police will have additional patrols on the roadway between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. for the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over (DSOGPO) mobilization campaign. Oregon police officers will be focusing their attention on the enforcement of impaired and distracted driving violations.

Road Closure
Dearborn Avenue (between Wheeling St. and Navarre Ave.) for Munding Road and Dearborn Avenue Reconstruction. Until Friday, August 25, 2023, Dearborn Avenue between Wheeling Street and Navarre Avenue will be closed to all through traffic. The road closure is necessary to permit D.L. Smith Concrete, LLC to remove and replace the existing concrete pavement on Dearborn Avenue. The signed detour route for all vehicles shall be: Navarre Avenue (SR 2) and Wheeling Street. This work is expected to be completed no later than Friday, August 25, 2023.

Firearms Uniformity
In a win for the state of Ohio, the Tenth District Court of Appeals has upheld state law on firearms uniformity, overturning a preliminary injunction granted nine months ago to the city of Columbus, Ohio.
"The court's ruling assures that all Ohioans must abide by the same law, state law, when it comes to firearms," Attorney General Dave Yost said. "Just like we argued in court, firearms owners statewide should have to follow the same rules. We applaud the decision."
The decision states that the city of Columbus failed to prove irreparable injury, harm to others, or public interest in seeking a preliminary injunction against Section 9.68 of the Ohio Revised Code – commonly called the firearms uniformity law. It also blames the city's "inartful drafting" of pleadings for the trial court's wrongful injunction.
The case dates from 2019, when Columbus officials sued the state, claiming that the firearms uniformity law is unconstitutional. In November 2022, a Franklin County Common Pleas judge granted a preliminary injunction, which was stayed upon appeal.
The Tenth District Court's decision on the appeal is in line with an injunction issued in April 2023 by a Delaware County judge against Columbus' ordinances.
The case now heads back to the Franklin County trial court for further proceedings.

School grant
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced 299 grantees have been awarded federal funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) program to provide enrichment opportunities for students as they prepare to head back to school. The program creates or expands community learning centers that provide academic enrichment and youth development programs for students who attend predominantly high-poverty and low-performing schools. Quality after-school and summer programming is an important part of Future Forward Ohio, the state's strategic priorities for helping students recover from the impact of the pandemic.
"We are committed to making sure Ohio's students have more opportunities to learn," said Governor DeWine. "These community partnerships are critical to providing students with strong after-school and summer programming that will help them thrive."
The Department awarded $53,928,013.60 of funding to grant recipients for Fiscal Year 2024. One hundred and forty-two new award recipients were selected from more than 220 applications through a rigorous review process. Priority was given to programs that serve students in rural schools. In addition, 157 grantees received continuation funding based on prior-year grant awards, totaling $25,730,300.
A list of grantees may be on the Ohio Department of Education's 21st Century Community Learning Centers webpage.

Community center contest
The City of Northwood is having a naming contest for the Community Center, projected to open next spring. The city is allowing the public to submit suggestions until August 25th via posts on Facebook, messenger, or by emailing JSabo@northwoodoh.gov. The person who submits the selected name will be offered a tour of the building before opening along with special recognition at the grand opening. The Community Center is in the Enclave development where the Woodville Mall used to be located. It was the recipient of the largest state capital budget allocation of $1 million in Wood Count history to fund its construction,

Bat tests positive for rabies

A bat collected in Lucas County has tested positive for rabies – the first confirmed rabies-positive bat in the county this year, according to the Toledo Lucas County Health Department.
Nobody has reported being bitten by the bat, but two barn cats that came in contact with the bat were previously vaccinated and are receiving boosters as a precaution.
“Rabies tends to be more common in the spring and summer months. It’s important not to handle wild animals, to be aware of unusual acting animals, and to keep pets vaccinated against rabies,” Shannon Jones, interim health commissioner, said.”
Rabies is a virus that affects the nervous system in humans and other mammals. Rabies may be transmitted through a bite, scratch, or saliva from an infected animal. Bat bites may not be seen or felt by an injured person or animal due to the small size of a bat’s teeth and claws.
Animals do not have to be aggressive or behaving erratically to have rabies but changes in an animal’s normal behavior can be early signs of rabies. Bats that are on the ground, unable to fly, or active during the day are more likely to be rabid.
Ohio law directs residents to report bites within 24 hours to the health commissioner of the district where the bite occurred.
In Lucas County, the health department number is 419-213-4100, option 3 for reporting bites.