News Briefs

Safari park to
host Jurassic
Park vehicles
African Safari Wildlife Park is partnering with the Jurassic Park Motor Pool to bring movie vehicles to the park on Sunday, June 9, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Motor Pool will showcase more than a dozen Jeeps and other vehicles for park guests to view up-close and take pictures with. The event coincides with this summer’s Dinosaur Takeover, a temporary installation featuring more than 20 moving, roaring, life-sized prehistoric creatures throughout the park’s Walk-Thru Safari.
“Our guests can’t seem to get enough of dinosaurs, so we are eager to partner with the Motor Pool and bring even more prehistoric excitement to the park,” said park director Kelsey Keller.
Access to the event is included with general park admission.
African Safari Wildlife Park is located at 267 S. Lightner Rd. in Port Clinton. Visit AfricanSafariWildlifePark.com for more information.

Farmers market,
car show planned
Downtown Fremont Inc. will host a Croghan Colonial Bank Farmers Market and the Fremont Federal Credit Union will have the first Car Show of the 2024 season on Saturday, June 15, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., rain or shine, on the streets of downtown Fremont.
Farmers and vendors will be selling produce and other unique items at the market.
Registration for the car show is free. Car show participants should enter from the west at State Street to Park Avenue and from the east via Miles Newton Bridge to Birchard Avenue. Judging will take place at noon, with trophies awarded shortly thereafter. Dash plaques and goodie bags will be given to the first 150 participants to pre-register. There will also be a 50/50 raffle. Food trucks and special vendors will also be set up at the show.
T-shirts for the Car Show can be purchased for $15 at downtownffcucarshow24.spiritsale.com.
Future car shows will be held Saturdays, July 6 and Sept. 14 from 5-8 p.m. on Front Street. Like “Downtown Fremont Car Show” on Facebook for further information.
Learn more about additional events planned by following Downtown Fremont Inc. on social media or visit downtownfremontohio.org.

Beer & Bacon Fest
The 10th Annual Toledo Beer & Bacon Festival will be held Saturday, June 15, from 3-7 p.m. at The Hungarian Club of Toledo, 224 Paine Ave., in the historic Birmingham Neighborhood of East Toledo. The Hungarian Club and the Glass City Mashers are hosting the event.
More than 20 area breweries will be bringing beer, cider and hard seltzer — including six beers that will debut at the festival, which has been showcasing local beer since 2015, beginning as the Birmingham Craft Beer Festival.
Five new breweries will be at Beer & Bacon this year, including Country Mud Brewery (Jerusalem Township), Second Crossing Brew Co. (Rockford), Outskirts Brew Co. & Dive (Lima), Hoptometry Brewing (Tiffin) and Arlyn's Good Beer (Bowling Green).
In addition to craft beers, festivalgoers will be able to try bacon-inspired dishes such as bacon on a stick, Hunky turkey sandwiches, Birmingham hot dogs, bacon cannoli and more.
Games, such as a large Jenga set and cornhole boards, will also be set up. and the local band, Pop’s Garage, will perform on the music stage.
General admission tickets are $40 and include 10 beer samples and gate entry for adults 21 years and older. Designated drivers can purchase a ticket for $20, which includes food tickets. Additional beer and food sample tickets will be sold at the event.
Tickets may be purchased online at Eventbrite.com (search for Toledo Beer and Bacon) or through the Toledo Beer and Bacon Facebook event page.

Village receives
waterline grant
The Village of Oak Harbor will receive $1.87 million in gap funding to replace an outdated 1939 waterline on State Rte. 163. The project will benefit 2,759 residents.
The funding is part of the sixth round of the Ohio BUILDS (Broadband, Utilities, and Infrastructure for Local Development Success) Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Grant Program.
In total, $127.7 million in grant awards will be distributed across 59 counties. Funding will provide $84.5 million for 43 new projects and $38.2 million in gap funding for 33 previously funding projects with costs that exceeded initial estimates.

GOP dinner set
The 2024 Lincoln Day Dinner for the Lucas County Republican Party will be held June 20, at the Premier Banquet Hall, 4480 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo.
Guest speakers are Robert Sprague, Ohio Treasurer, and Joel Berry, Managing Editor, The Babylon Bee.
The dinner is the annual major fund raiser for the Lucas County Republican Party. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for the event which will feature a private VIP reception from 5:30 – 6 p.m. and dinner and program beginning at 7 p.m.
For more information on the dinner contact the Lucas County Republican Party, 1306 Kittle Rd., Holland, or by email: info@lcrp.us or by phone: 419-491-8467.

Stand-off ends
Law enforcement personnel from the Port Clinton Police Department and Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office were involved in a stand-off for more than 11 hours with a man who had barricaded himself in his home.
Port Clinton police received a call May 30 at approximately 2:30 p.m. about a man acting erratically and possibly damaging vehicles in the 200 block of Fulton Street in the city.
The man was later identified as Kevin J. Witucky, who fled to his Fulton Street residence when approached by officers.
The sheriff’s office Special Weapons and Tactics team made contact with Witucki who threatened to kill any law enforcement officer who approached his home.
At approximately 1:18 a.m. officers released tear gas into the home and entered where they found Witucki apparently unconscious in the bathroom.
He received medical care at his home and was transported to Magruder Hospital.
Port Clinton police are handling the investigation.
Other agencies assisting with the case include Port Clinton Fire and EMS, Ottawa County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, and the Erie County SWAT team.

Fatal crash in
Danbury Twp.
The Sandusky Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a two-vehicle fatal crash that occurred June 3 in Ottawa County.
The accident occurred around 12:16 p.m. at the intersection of State Rt. 269 and Danbury Road North in Danbury Township.
Beverly Sebastian, 81, of North Royalton, Ohio, was operating a Cadillac XT4, heading north on Danbury Road North but apparently failed to yield at a stop sign and was struck by a Ford F-150 driven by Christopher Bergman, 43, Oak Harbor, on Rt. 269.
Sebastian was transported to Magruder Hospital where she later died of her injuries.
According to the highway patrol, she was wearing a seat belt at the time.
Bergman sustained minor injuries and was not wearing a seat belt.
Alcohol and drugs are not believed to be a factor in the crash.

Dobson lauds
victims in sex
offender case
Wood County prosecutor Paul Dobson acknowledged the courage of the victims in the recently concluded case of a former fitness trainer found guilty of multiple charges of sex-related offenses.
Zachary Gibson was sentenced to a prison term of 60.5 years. His maximum prison exposure was 98.5 years. He is also required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
“We hope that this strong sentence brings closure, justice, and a sense of healing to them and their families,” Dobson said.
The charges stem from Gibson’s employment at FastTrak Performance, a fitness facility in Perrysburg, where he assisted high school athletes as a strength/fitness coach.
In all, he was found guilty of 17 felony charges: three counts of rape, three counts of gross sexual imposition, two counts of sexual battery, two counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, six counts of pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor, and one count of disseminating matter harmful to minors.
The charges were handed down in two indictments by Wood County grand juries on June 15, 2022 and April 12, 2023.